Consolidation Policy - Our consolidated financial statements include our accounts and those of our majority-owned subsidiaries in which we have a controlling interest after the elimination of all material inter-company accounts and transactions. Currently, all of our subsidiaries are wholly-owned.

Fair Value Measurements - Fair value is defined as the amount that would be received for the sale of an asset or paid for the transfer of a liability in an orderly transaction between unrelated third party market participants at the measurement date. In determination of fair value measurements for assets and liabilities the Company considers the principal, or most advantageous market, and assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability.

Cash and cash equivalents - Cash and cash equivalents include all cash on hand, demand deposits and investments with original maturities of three months or less. We consider cash equivalents to include short-term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and which are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.

The Company utilizes a cash management system whereby bank accounts are swept daily. Major operating bank accounts are automatically replenished daily to meet check-clearing requirements. Outstanding checks are recorded as a reduction of cash when they are issued. Our checks that have not yet been paid by banks at the reporting date are reclassified to accounts payable in the financial statements. The reclassification to accounts payable for outstanding checks was $0.3 million and $0.6 million as of December 27, 2014 and December 28, 2013, respectively.

Receivables - Our components of trade receivables include amounts billed, amounts unbilled, retainage and allowance for uncollectible accounts. Subject to our allowance for uncollectible accounts, all amounts are believed to be collectible within a year. There are no amounts unbilled representing claims or other similar items subject to uncertainty concerning their determination or ultimate realization. In estimating the allowance for uncollectible accounts, we consider the length of time receivable balances have been outstanding, historical collection experience, current economic conditions and customer specific information. When we ultimately conclude that a receivable is uncollectible, the balance is charged against the allowance for uncollectible accounts.

Concentration of Credit Risk - Financial instruments which potentially subject ENGlobal to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of trade accounts and notes receivable. Although our services are provided largely to the energy sector, management believes the risk due to this concentration is limited because a significant portion of our services are provided under contracts with major integrated oil and gas companies and other industry leaders. When the Company enters into contracts with smaller customers, it incurs an increased credit risk.

We extend credit to customers and other parties in the normal course of business. We have established various procedures to manage our credit exposure, including initial credit approvals, credit limits and terms, letters of credit, and occasionally through rights of offset. We also use prepayments and guarantees to limit credit risk to ensure that our established credit criteria are met. Our most significant exposure to credit risks relates to situations under which we provide services early in the life of a project that is dependent on financing. Risks increase in times of general economic downturns and under conditions that threaten project feasibility.

Property and Equipment - Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The estimated service lives of our asset groups are as follows:

Leasehold improvements are amortized over the term of the related lease. See Note 6 for details related to property and equipment and related depreciation. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Upon disposition or retirement of property and equipment, any gain or loss is charged to operations.

Debt Issue Costs - Costs incurred in connection with the issuance of long-term debt are capitalized and charged to interest expense over the term of the related debt on a straight-line basis, which approximates the interest method. The total amount of debt issue costs capitalized was $145,000 and $121,000 at December 27, 2014 and December 28, 2013, respectively.

Goodwill - Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of acquisitions over the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Goodwill is not amortized and is tested at least annually for impairment. In September 2010, the FASB issued guidance which gives companies the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount and bypass the two-step impairment test. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2012. We performed a qualitative assessments of goodwill at December 27, 2014 and December 28, 2013 and determined it was not “more likely than not” that the fair value of the reporting unit was less than the carrying value of the remaining goodwill and, therefore, no goodwill impairment adjustment was required in either year. Goodwill was $2.8 million for both December 27, 2014 and December 28, 2013, with $2.1 million attributable to our Automation segment and $0.7 million attributable to our EPCM segment.

Other intangible assets - Intangible assets are comprised primarily of non-competition covenants, customer relationships and developed technology acquired through acquisitions and are amortized using the straight-line method based on the estimated useful life of the intangible assets. We review intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. This review consists of comparing the carrying value of the asset with the asset's expected future undiscounted cash flows. Estimates of expected future cash flows represent management's best estimate based on reasonable and supportable assumptions. If such a review should indicate that the carrying amount of intangible assets is not recoverable, we reduce the carrying amount of such assets to fair value. We performed a qualitative assessment of intangible assets at December 27, 2014 and December 28, 2013 and determined the asset's expected future undiscounted cash flows exceeded the carrying value of the related asset and no impairment adjustments were necessary. Other intangible assets are included in Other Assets on the respective balance sheets.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets - We review property and equipment for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. The carrying amount is deemed not recoverable if it exceeds the undiscounted sum of the cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. Estimates of expected future cash flows represent management's best estimate based on reasonable and supportable assumptions. If the carrying amount is not recoverable, the impairment loss is measured as the excess of the asset's carrying value over its fair value. We assess the fair value of long-lived assets using commonly accepted techniques, and may use more than one method, including, but not limited to, recent third party comparable sales, internally developed discounted cash flow analysis and analysis from outside advisors. We performed a qualitative assessment of long-lived assets at December 27, 2014 and December 28, 2013 and determined that no impairment adjustments were necessary.

Revenue Recognition - Our revenue is comprised of engineering, construction management and procurement service fees and sales of integrated control systems that we design and assemble. In general, we recognize revenues when all of the following criteria are met: (1) persuasive evidence of an exchange arrangement exists, if applicable, (2) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, (3) the price is fixed or determinable, and (4) collection is reasonably assured. The Company recognizes service revenue as the services are performed. The majority of the Company's engineering services are provided under time-and-material contracts. Some time-and-material contracts may have upper limits referred to as "not-to-exceed" amounts. Revenue is not recognized over these amounts until a change order or authorization by the client has been received. A majority of sales of assembled systems are under fixed-price contracts that may also include a service element covered under that contract price.

Profits and losses on our fixed-price contracts are recognized on the percentage-of-completion method of accounting, measured by the percentage-of-contract cost incurred to date relative to estimated total contract cost. Contract costs used for estimating percentage-of-completion factors include professional compensation and related benefits, materials, subcontractor services and other direct cost of projects. Costs recognized for labor include all actual employee compensation plus a burden factor to cover estimated variable labor expenses. These variable labor expenses consist of payroll taxes, self-insured medical plan expenses, workers' compensation insurance, general liability insurance and paid time off.

Under the percentage-of-completion method, revenue recognition is dependent upon the accuracy of a variety of estimates, including the progress of engineering and design efforts, material installation, labor productivity, cost estimates and others. These estimates are based on various professional judgments and are difficult to accurately determine until projects are significantly underway. Due to uncertainties inherent to the estimation process, it is possible that actual percentage-of-completion may vary materially from our estimates. Estimating errors may cause errors in revenue recognition on uncompleted contracts and may even result in losses on the contracts. Anticipated losses on uncompleted contracts are charged to operations as soon as such losses can be estimated. Changes in job performance, job conditions, estimated profitability and final contract settlements may result in revisions to costs and revenues and are recognized in the period in which the revisions are determined. Costs related to change orders are recognized when they are incurred. Change orders are included in the total estimated contract revenue when it is more likely than not that the change orders will result in a bona fide addition to value that can be reliably estimated.

Income Taxes - The Company accounts for deferred income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, which provides for deferred taxes using an asset and liability method. The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities including net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The provision for income taxes represents the current taxes payable or refundable for the period plus or minus the tax effect of the net change in the deferred tax assets and liabilities during the period. Tax law and rate changes are reflected in income in the period such changes are enacted. Valuation allowances are provided, if based on available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with ASC 740. When uncertain tax positions exist, the Company recognizes the tax benefit of the tax positions to the extent that the benefit will more likely than not be realized. The determination as to whether the tax benefit will more likely than not be realized is based upon technical merits of the tax positions as well as consideration of the available facts and circumstances. As of December 27, 2014 and December 28, 2013, the Company does not have uncertain tax positions.

Earnings (loss) per share - The Company's basic earnings (loss) per share (EPS) amounts have been computed based on the average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS amounts include the effect of common stock equivalents associated with outstanding stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units under the treasury stock method, if including such potential shares of common stock is dilutive. Because the exercise price on options granted to employees and directors have been above the Company’s stock price, these common stock equivalents were antidilutive, thus not included in the calculation of earnings (loss) per share.

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting - In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers." The ASU will supersede most of the existing revenue recognition requirements in U.S. GAAP and will require entities to recognize revenue at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring goods or services to a customer. The new standard also requires significantly expanded disclosures regarding the qualitative and quantitative information of an entity's nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period and is to be applied retrospectively, with early application not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the pronouncement will have on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.