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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 
Business
 
Hudson Technologies, Inc., incorporated under the laws of New York on January 11, 1991, is a refrigerant services company providing innovative solutions to recurring problems within the refrigeration industry. The Company’s operations consist of one reportable segment. The Company's products and services are primarily used in commercial air conditioning, industrial processing and refrigeration systems, and include refrigerant and industrial gas sales, refrigerant management services consisting primarily of reclamation of refrigerants and RefrigerantSide® Services performed at, a customer's site, consisting of system decontamination to remove moisture, oils and other contaminants. In addition, the Company’s SmartEnergy OPSTM service is a web-based real time continuous monitoring service applicable to a facility’s refrigeration systems and other energy systems. The Company’s Chiller Chemistry® and Chill Smart® services are also predictive and diagnostic service offerings. As a component of the Company’s products and services, the Company also participates in the generation of carbon offset projects. The Company operates principally through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Hudson Technologies Company and Aspen Refrigerants, Inc., which was formerly known as Airgas-Refrigerants, Inc. prior to the recent acquisition described below. Unless the context requires otherwise, references to the “Company”, “Hudson”, “we", “us”, “our”, or similar pronouns refer to Hudson Technologies, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
 
On October 10, 2017, the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Hudson Holdings, Inc. (“Holdings”) completed the acquisition (the “Acquisition”) from Airgas, Inc. (“Airgas”) of all of the outstanding stock of Airgas-Refrigerants, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ARI”), and effective October 11, 2017, ARI’s name was changed to Aspen Refrigerants, Inc. At closing, Holdings paid net cash consideration to Airgas of approximately $209 million, which includes preliminary post-closing adjustments relating to: (i) changes in the net working capital of ARI as of the closing relative to a net working capital target, (ii) the actual amount of specified types of R-22 refrigerant inventory on hand at closing relative to a target amount thereof, and (iii) other consideration pursuant to the stock purchase agreement.
 
The cash consideration paid by Holdings at closing was financed with available cash balances, plus $80 million of borrowings under an enhanced asset-based lending facility of $150 million from PNC Bank and a new term loan of $105 million from funds advised by FS Investments and sub-advised by GSO Capital Partners LP.
 
In preparing the accompanying consolidated financial statements, and in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 855-10 “Subsequent Events”, the Company’s management has evaluated subsequent events through the date that the financial statements were filed.
 
In the opinion of management, all estimates and adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included and all such adjustments were normal and recurring.
 
Consolidation
 
The consolidated financial statements represent all companies of which Hudson directly or indirectly has majority ownership or otherwise controls. Significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The Company's consolidated financial statements include the accounts of wholly-owned subsidiaries Hudson Holdings, Inc., Hudson Technologies Company and Aspen Refrigerants, Inc. The Company does not present a statement of comprehensive income as its comprehensive income is the same as its net income.
 
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
 
The carrying values of financial instruments including trade accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, because of the relatively short maturity of these instruments. The carrying value of debt approximates fair value, due to the variable rate nature of the debt, as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016. Please see Note 2 for further details on fair value description and hierarchy of the Company’s deferred acquisition cost.
 
Credit Risk
 
Financial instruments, which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk, consist principally of temporary cash investments and trade accounts receivable. The Company maintains its temporary cash investments in highly-rated financial institutions and, at times, the balances exceed FDIC insurance coverage. The Company's trade accounts receivable are primarily due from companies throughout the United States. The Company reviews each customer's credit history before extending credit.
 
The Company establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts based on factors associated with the credit risk of specific accounts, historical trends, and other information. The carrying value of the Company’s accounts receivable is reduced by the established allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts includes any accounts receivable balances that are determined to be uncollectible, along with a general reserve for the remaining accounts receivable balances. The Company adjusts its reserves based on factors that affect the collectability of the accounts receivable balances.
 
For the year ended December 31, 2017, two customers each accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s revenues and, in the aggregate these two customers accounted for 33% of the Company’s revenues. At December 31, 2017, there were $2.7 million of outstanding receivables from these customers.
 
For the year ended December 31, 2016, two customers each accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s revenues and, in the aggregate these two customers accounted for 30% of the Company’s revenues. At December 31, 2016, there were no outstanding receivables from these customers.
 
For the year ended December 31, 2015, two customers each accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s revenues and, in the aggregate these two customers accounted for 33% of the Company’s revenues. At December 31, 2015, there were no outstanding receivables from these customers.
 
The loss of a principal customer or a decline in the economic prospects of and/or a reduction in purchases of the Company's products or services by any such customer could have a material adverse effect on the Company's operating results and financial position.
 
Cash and Cash Equivalents
 
Temporary investments with original maturities of ninety days or less are included in cash and cash equivalents.
 
Inventories
 
Inventories, consisting primarily of refrigerant products available for sale, are stated at the lower of cost, on a first-in first-out basis, or net realizable value. Where the market price of inventory is less than the related cost, the Company may be required to write down its inventory through a lower of cost or market adjustment, the impact of which would be reflected in cost of sales on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Any such adjustment would be based on management’s judgment regarding future demand and market conditions and analysis of historical experience.
 
Property, Plant and Equipment
 
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost, including internally manufactured equipment. The cost to complete equipment that is under construction is not considered to be material to the Company's financial position. Provision for depreciation is recorded (for financial reporting purposes) using the straight-line method over the useful lives of the respective assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of economic life or terms of the respective leases. Costs of maintenance and repairs are charged to expense when incurred.
 
Due to the specialized nature of the Company's business, it is possible that the Company's estimates of equipment useful life periods may change in the future.
 
Goodwill
 
The Company has made acquisitions that included a significant amount of goodwill and other intangible assets. The Company applies the purchase method of accounting for acquisitions, which among other things, requires the recognition of goodwill (which represents the excess of the purchase price of the acquisition over the fair value of the net assets acquired and identified intangible assets). Goodwill is subject to an annual (or under certain circumstances more frequent) impairment test based on its estimated fair value. Other intangible assets that meet certain criteria are amortized over their estimated useful lives.
 
Beginning in 2017, the Company adopted, on a prospective basis, ASU No. 2017-04, which simplified the method used to perform the annual, or interim, goodwill impairment testing. The Company performed the annual goodwill impairment assessment using a qualitative approach to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of goodwill is less than its carrying value. In performing the qualitative assessment, the Company identified and considered the significance of relevant key factors, events, and circumstances that affect the fair value of its goodwill. These factors include external factors such as macroeconomic, industry, and market conditions, as well as entity-specific factors, such as actual and planned financial performance. If the results of the qualitative assessment conclude that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of goodwill exceeds its carrying value, additional quantitative impairment testing is performed.
 
An impairment charge would be recognized when the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value of a reporting unit. These impairment evaluations use many assumptions and estimates in determining an impairment loss, including certain assumptions and estimates related to future earnings. If the Company does not achieve its earnings objectives, the assumptions and estimates underlying these impairment evaluations could be adversely affected, which could result in an asset impairment charge that would negatively impact operating results. There were no impairment losses recognized in any of the three years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 or 2015.
  
Cylinder Deposit Liability
 
The cylinder deposit liability, which is included in Accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the Company’s Balance Sheet, represents the amount due to customers for the return of refillable cylinders.  ARI charges its customers cylinder deposits upon the shipment of refrigerant gases that are contained in refillable cylinders.  The amount charged to the customer by ARI approximates the cost of a new cylinder of the same size.  Upon return of a cylinder, this liability is reduced. The cylinder deposit liability was assumed as part of the ARI acquisition and the balance was $9.8 million at December 31, 2017. 
 
Revenues and Cost of Sales
 
Revenues are recorded upon completion of the service or the shipment of the product. The Company evaluates each sale to ensure collectability. In addition, each sale is based on an arrangement with the customer and the sales price to the customer is fixed. In July 2016 the Company was awarded, as prime contractor, a five-year contract, including a five-year renewal option, by the United States Defense Logistics Agency (“DLA”) for the management, supply, and sale of refrigerants, compressed gases, cylinders and related terms. Due to the contract containing multiple elements, the Company assessed the arrangement in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 605-25, Revenue Recognition: Multiple-Element Arrangements. ASC 605-25 addresses when and how a company that is providing more than one revenue generating activity or deliverable should separate and account for a multiple element arrangement. The Company determined that the sale of refrigerants and the management services provided under the contract each have stand-alone value, and accordingly revenue related to the sale of product is recognized at the time of product shipment, and service revenue is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the arrangement. Annual service revenue under the contract is approximately $2.4 million. 
 
Cost of sales is recorded based on the cost of products shipped or services performed and related direct operating costs of the Company's facilities. To the extent that the Company charges its customers shipping fees, such amounts are included as a component of revenue and the corresponding costs are included as a component of cost of sales.
 
The Company's revenues are derived from Product and related sales and RefrigerantSide® Services revenues. The revenues for each of these lines are as follows:
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
(in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Product and related sales
 
$
136,016
 
$
101,344
 
$
75,154
 
RefrigerantSide ® Services
 
 
4,364
 
 
4,137
 
 
4,568
 
Total
 
$
140,380
 
$
105,481
 
$
79,722
 
 
Income Taxes
 
The Company is taxed at statutory corporate income tax rates after adjusting income reported for financial statement purposes for certain items. The current income tax expense (benefit) reflects the tax results of revenues and expenses currently taxable or deductible. The Company utilizes the asset and liability method of accounting for deferred income taxes, which provides for the recognition of deferred tax assets or liabilities, based on enacted tax rates and laws, for the differences between the financial and income tax reporting bases of assets and liabilities.
 
The tax benefit associated with the Company's net operating loss carry forwards (“NOLs”) is recognized to the extent that the Company expects to realize future taxable income. As a result of a prior year “change in control”, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, the Company’s ability to utilize its existing NOLs is subject to certain annual limitations. To the extent that the Company utilizes its NOLs, it will not pay tax on such income. However, to the extent that the Company’s net income, if any, exceeds the annual NOL limitation, it will pay income taxes based on the then existing statutory rates. In addition, certain states either do not allow or limit NOLs and as such the Company will be liable for certain state taxes.
 
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“2017 Tax Act”), which lowered the federal statutory income tax rate from, generally, 35% to 21% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. As a result of the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act, the Company recorded a benefit of approximately $1.4 million during the fourth quarter of 2017 to reflect the net impact of lower future federal income tax rates on the NOLs and the other cumulative differences in financial reporting and tax bases assets and liabilities, which were, primarily, fixed assets and accumulated depreciation.
 
As a result of an Internal Revenue Service audit, the 2013 and prior federal tax years have been closed. The Company operates in many states throughout the United States and, as of December 31, 2017, the various states’ statutes of limitations remain open for tax years subsequent to 2010. The Company recognizes interest and penalties, if any, relating to income taxes as a component of the provision for income taxes.
 
The Company evaluates uncertain tax positions, if any, by determining if it is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had no uncertain tax positions.
 
Income per Common and Equivalent Shares
 
If dilutive, common equivalent shares (common shares assuming exercise of options and warrants) utilizing the treasury stock method are considered in the presentation of diluted earnings per share. The reconciliation of shares used to determine net income per share is as follows (dollars in thousands):
 
 
 
Years  ended December 31,
 
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income
 
$
11,157
 
$
10,637
 
$
4,763
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Weighted average number of shares - basic
 
 
41,764,230
 
 
34,104,476
 
 
32,546,840
 
Shares underlying warrants
 
 
 
 
 
 
300,846
 
Shares underlying options
 
 
1,002,613
 
 
1,312,434
 
 
1,088,413
 
Weighted average number of shares outstanding – diluted
 
 
42,766,843
 
 
35,416,910
 
 
33,936,099
 
 
During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, certain options and warrants aggregating none, 73,034 and 106,290 shares, respectively, have been excluded from the calculation of diluted shares, due to the fact that their effect would be anti-dilutive.
 
Estimates and Risks
 
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in these financial statements and footnotes. The Company considers these accounting estimates to be critical in the preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The Company uses information available at the time the estimates are made. However, these estimates could change materially if different information or assumptions were used. Additionally, these estimates may not ultimately reflect the actual amounts of the final transactions that occur. The Company utilizes both internal and external sources to evaluate potential current and future liabilities for various commitments and contingencies. In the event that the assumptions or conditions change in the future, the estimates could differ from the original estimates.
 
Several of the Company's accounting policies involve significant judgments, uncertainties and estimates. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. To the extent that actual results differ from management's judgments and estimates, there could be a material adverse effect on the Company. On a continuous basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including, but not limited to, those estimates related to its allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory reserves, and valuation allowance for the deferred tax assets relating to its NOLs and commitments and contingencies. With respect to accounts receivable, the Company estimates the necessary allowance for doubtful accounts based on both historical and anticipated trends of payment history and the ability of the customer to fulfill its obligations. For inventory, the Company evaluates both current and anticipated sales prices of its products to determine if a write down of inventory to net realizable value is necessary. In determining the Company’s valuation allowance for its deferred tax assets, the Company assesses its ability to generate taxable income in the future.
 
The Company participates in an industry that is highly regulated, and changes in the regulations affecting our business could affect our operating results. Currently the Company purchases virgin hydrochlorofluorocarbon (“HCFC”) and hydrofluorocarbon (“HFC”) refrigerants and reclaimable, primarily HCFC, HFC and chlorofluorocarbon (“CFC”), refrigerants from suppliers and its customers. Effective January 1, 1996, the Clean Air Act (the “Act”) prohibited the production of virgin CFC refrigerants and limited the production of virgin HCFC refrigerants. Effective January 2004, the Act further limited the production of virgin HCFC refrigerants and federal regulations were enacted which established production and consumption allowances for HCFC refrigerants which imposed limitations on the importation of certain virgin HCFC refrigerants. Under the Act, production of certain virgin HCFC refrigerants is scheduled to be phased out during the period 2010 through 2020, and production of all virgin HCFC refrigerants is scheduled to be phased out by 2030. In October 2014, the EPA published a final rule providing further reductions in the production and consumption allowances for virgin HCFC refrigerants for the years 2015 through 2019 (the “Final Rule”). In the Final Rule, the EPA established a linear draw down for the production or importation of virgin HCFC-22 that started at approximately 22 million pounds in 2015 and was reduced by approximately 4.5 million pounds each year ending at zero in 2020.
 
To the extent that the Company is unable to source sufficient quantities of refrigerants or is unable to obtain refrigerants on commercially reasonable terms or experiences a decline in demand and/or price for refrigerants sold by the Company, the Company could realize reductions in revenue from refrigerant sales, which could have a material adverse effect on its operating results and its financial position.
 
The Company is subject to various legal proceedings. The Company assesses the merit and potential liability associated with each of these proceedings. In addition, the Company estimates potential liability, if any, related to these matters. To the extent that these estimates are not accurate, or circumstances change in the future, the Company could realize liabilities, which could have a material adverse effect on its operating results and its financial position.
 
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
 
The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the assets to the future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less the cost to sell.
 
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
 
 In January 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2017-04, “Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment” (ASU 2017-04), which simplifies the accounting for goodwill impairment by eliminating Step 2 of the current goodwill impairment test that requires a hypothetical purchase price allocation to measure goodwill impairment. Under the new standard, a company will record an impairment charge based on the excess of a reporting unit’s carrying amount over its fair value. ASU 2017-04 does not change the guidance on completing Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test and still allows a company to perform the optional qualitative goodwill impairment assessment before determining whether to proceed to Step 1. The standard is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 with early adoption permitted for any impairment test performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2017 and has applied its guidance in its impairment assessments.
 
In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, "Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments." This ASU addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of eliminating the existing diversity in practice. The amendments in this ASU are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and for interim periods therein, with early adoption permitted. We elected to early adopt ASU 2016-15 as of December 31, 2016, and the adoption did not have a material impact on the presentation of the statement of cash flows.
 
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses." This ASU requires an organization to measure all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Financial institutions and other organizations will now use forward-looking information to better inform their credit loss estimates. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and for interim periods therein. The Company does not expect the amended standard to have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations.
 
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” This guidance involves several aspects of accounting for employee share-based payments including: (a) income tax consequences; (b) classification of awards as either equity or liabilities; and (c) classification on the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted this ASU on a prospective basis on January 1, 2017. Excess tax benefits and deficiencies are recognized in the consolidated statement of earnings rather than capital in excess of par value of stock. Excess tax benefits within the consolidated statement of cash flows are presented as an operating activity. The impact of the adoption on the Company’s income tax expense or benefit and related cash flows during and after the period of adoption are dependent in part upon grants and vesting of stock-based compensation awards and other factors that are not fully controllable or predicable by the Company, such as the future market price of the Company's common stock, the timing of employee exercises of vested stock options, and the future achievement of performance criteria that affect performance-based awards. The Company adopted this ASU at the beginning of 2017 and during 2017, the impact of this standard reduced the Company’s income tax expense and increased net income by approximately $2.4 million.
 
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842)." The new standard establishes a right-of-use ("ROU") model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the statement of operations. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years and early adoption is permitted. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. At a minimum, adoption of ASU 2016-02 will require recording a ROU asset and a lease liability on the Company's consolidated balance sheet; however, the Company is still currently evaluating the impact on its consolidated financial statements.
 
In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, “Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes.” ASU 2015-17 requires deferred tax liabilities and assets to be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The amendments in ASU 2015-17 apply to all entities that present a classified statement of financial position. The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected. For public business entities, the amendments in ASU 2015-17 are effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company elected to early adopt ASU 2015-17 prospectively in the fourth quarter of 2016. As a result, all deferred tax assets and liabilities have been presented as noncurrent on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016. There was no impact on its results of operations as a result of the adoption of ASU 2015-17.
 
In September 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-16, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments”, or ASU 2015-16. This amendment requires the acquirer in a business combination to recognize in the reporting period in which adjustment amounts are determined, any adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period, calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. Prior to the issuance of ASU 2015-16, an acquirer was required to restate prior period financial statements as of the acquisition date for adjustments to provisional amounts. The amendments in ASU 2015-16 are to be applied prospectively upon adoption. The Company adopted ASU 2015-16 in the fourth quarter of 2016. The adoption of the provisions of ASU 2015-16 did not have a material impact on its results of operations or financial position.
 
In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, “Inventory (Topic 340): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory.” Under ASU 2015-11, companies utilizing the first-in, first-out or average cost method should measure inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value, whereas net realizable value is defined as the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. This ASU is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The  adoption of ASU 2015-11 did not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations or financial position.
 
In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)." The new revenue recognition standard provides a five-step analysis to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard also requires new, expanded disclosures related to the entity’s revenue streams, performance obligations and significant judgments made in applying the standard. This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and should be applied retrospectively to each reporting period presented or using a modified retrospective application with the cumulative effect recognized at the date of initial application. The Company will adopt this standard on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method.  The Company has substantially completed its assessment of its revenue practices. Based on the evaluation performed to date, the Company has concluded that the adoption of this standard will have no impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows and will not have a significant impact on our internal controls over financial reporting. The Company is still assessing the impact the adoption of the standard will have on the newly required disclosures, which will be finalized during the first quarter of 2018.