STOCK COMPENSATION - RESTRICTED STOCK AND PERFORMANCE SHARE GRANTS

The Company’s stock incentive plans provide for the making of awards to employees based upon a service condition or through the achievement of performance-related objectives. The Company has issued three types of stock grant awards under these plans: restricted stock with service condition vesting; performance share grants that only vest upon the achievement of specified performance conditions, such as corporate cash flow goals, or Performance Condition Grants; and performance share grants that include threshold, target, and maximum achievement levels based on the achievement of specific performance milestones, or Performance Milestone Grants. The Company has also granted performance share grants that contain both performance-based and market-based conditions. Compensation cost for these awards is recognized based on either the achievement of the performance-based conditions, if they are considered probable, or if they are not considered probable, on the achievement of the market-based condition. Failure to satisfy the threshold performance conditions will result in the forfeiture of shares. Forfeiture of share awards with service conditions or performance-based restrictions results in a reversal of previously recognized share-based compensation expense. Forfeiture of share awards with market-based restrictions does not result in a reversal of previously recognized share-based compensation expense.

The following is a summary of the Company's performance share grants with performance conditions for the nine months ended September 30, 2017:



Performance Share Grants with Performance Conditions
Below threshold performance	—
Threshold performance	169,178
Target performance	434,521
Maximum performance	666,497

The following is a summary of the Company’s stock grant activity, both time and performance share grants, assuming target achievement for outstanding performance share grants for the following periods:



	September 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Stock grants outstanding beginning of the year at target achievement	386,171		272,353
New stock grants/additional shares due to maximum achievement	295,243		287,091
Vested grants	(55,024	)	(172,749	)
Expired/forfeited grants	(40,545	)	(524	)
Stock grants outstanding	585,845		386,171

The unamortized costs associated with nonvested stock grants and the weighted average period over which it is expected to be recognized as of September 30, 2017 were $6,677,000 and 25 months, respectively. The fair value of restricted stock with time-based vesting features is based upon the Company’s share price on the date of grant and is expensed over the service period. Fair value of performance share grants that cliff vest based on the achievement of performance conditions is based on the share price of the Company’s stock on the day of grant once the Company determines that it is probable that the award will vest. This fair value is expensed over the service period applicable to these grants. For performance share grants that contain a range of shares from zero to maximum we determine, based on historic and projected results, the probability of (1) achieving the performance objective, and (2) the level of achievement. Based on this information, we determine the fair value of the award and measure the expense over the service period related to these grants. Because the ultimate vesting of all performance share grants is tied to the achievement of a performance condition, we estimate whether the performance condition will be met and over what period of time. Ultimately, we adjust compensation cost according to the actual outcome of the performance condition.

Under the Non-Employee Director Stock Incentive Plan, or NDSI Plan, each non-employee director receives his or her annual compensation in stock. The stock is granted at the end of each quarter based on the quarter ending stock price.

The following table summarizes stock compensation costs for the Company's 1998 Employee Stock Incentive Plan, or the Employee Plan, and NDSI Plan for the following periods:



($ in thousands)	Nine Months Ended September 30,
Employee Plan:	2017		2016
Expensed	$	2,067	$	1,768
Capitalized	402		139
	2,469		1,907
NDSI Plan - Expensed	504		363
Total Stock Compensation Costs	$	2,973	$	2,270