Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Accounting The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Trex Commercial Products, Inc. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash equivalents consist of highly liquid investments purchased with original maturities of Concentrations and Credit Risk The Company’s financial instruments that are exposed to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and trade accounts receivable. The Company from time to time may have bank deposits in excess of insurance limits of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. As of December 31, 2020, substantially all deposits are maintained in one financial institution. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk related to its cash and cash equivalents. The Company routinely assesses the financial strength of its customers and believes that its trade receivables credit risk exposure is limited. Trade receivables are recognized at the amount of revenue recognized on each shipment for Trex Residential products and for satisfied performance obligations for Trex Commercial products as the Company has an unconditional right to consideration from the customer and payment is due based solely on the passage of time. An estimate of expected credit losses is recognized as a valuation allowance and adjusted each reporting period. The estimate is based on the current expected credit loss model and is determined using an aging schedule, including past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts about the future. There was no material valuation allowance recorded as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. In the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 sales to certain customers of Trex Residential accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s total net sales. For the year ended December 31, 2020, three customers represented approximately 56% of the Company’s total net sales. For the year ended December 31, 2019, For each year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, approximately 28%, 27%, and 33%, respectively, of the Company’s materials purchases at Trex Residential were purchased from its Inventories Inventories for the Company’s composite decking and railing products are valued at the lower of cost (last-in, first-out, A majority of the Company’s products at Trex Residential are made in a proprietary process that combines reclaimed wood fibers and scrap polyethylene. The Company grinds up scrap materials generated from its manufacturing process and inventories deemed no longer salable and reintroduces the reclaimed material into the manufacturing process as a substitute for raw materials. The reclaimed material is valued at the costs of the raw material components of the material. Inventories for the Company’s railing and staging products at Trex Commercial for the commercial and multi-family market are valued at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out Work-in Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment are stated at historical cost. The costs of additions and improvements are capitalized, while maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Unpaid liabilities related to property, plant and equipment are included in accounts payable and were $12.9 million and $0.8 million at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. Cash flows for capital expenditures as reported in cash flows from investing activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows are adjusted to exclude unpaid amounts accrued at period end. Depreciation is provided using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives: Buildings 40 years Machinery and equipment 3-11 years Furniture and equipment 10 years Forklifts and tractors 5 years Computer equipment and software 5 years Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the asset. The Company reviews its long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. To determine the recoverability of its long-lived assets, the Company evaluates the probability that future estimated undiscounted net cash flows will be less than the carrying amount of the long-lived assets. If the estimated cash flows are less than the carrying amount of the long-lived assets, the assets are written down to their fair value. The Company’s estimates of anticipated cash flows and the remaining estimated useful lives of long-lived assets could be reduced in the future. As a result, the carrying amount of long-lived assets could be reduced in the future. Long-lived assets Leases The Company leases office space, storage warehouses and certain plant equipment under various operating leases. At inception of an arrangement, the Company evaluates, among other things, whether it has the right to control the use of an identified asset in order to determine if the arrangement is or contains a lease. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use non-lease non-lease Fair Value Measurement Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are measured at the amount that would be received for selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date and classified into one of the following fair value hierarchy: • Level 1 – Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. • Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model derived valuations in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets. • Level 3 – Valuations derived from management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. Consideration is given to the risk inherent in the valuation technique and the risk inherent in the inputs to the model. Goodwill Goodwill represents the excess of cost over net assets acquired resulting from the Company’s 1996 purchase of the Mobil Composite Products Division, the 2011 purchase of the assets of the Iron Deck Corporation, and the 2017 purchase of certain assets and the assumption of certain liabilities of SC Company. The Company evaluates the recoverability of goodwill in accordance with Accounting Standard Codification Topic 350, “ Intangibles – Goodwill and Other The Company assigned its goodwill to reporting units and tests each reporting unit’s goodwill for impairment at least on an annual basis, or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change in the interim that indicate the carrying amount of reporting unit goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill. The Company identified its reporting units based on the way it manages its operating segments. Each reporting unit constitutes a business with discrete financial information and operating segment management, at a level below the Company’s chief operating decision maker, regularly reviews the operating results of the reporting unit. The Company assigned goodwill to the reporting units based on the excess of the fair values acquired over the fair value of the sum of the individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed that were assigned to the reporting units. In testing for goodwill impairment, the Company first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the qualitative assessment indicates that the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, including goodwill, the Company is then required to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test. The quantitative goodwill impairment test, used to identify both the existence of impairment and the amount of impairment loss, compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. The fair value of a reporting unit refers to the price that would be received to sell the unit as a whole in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The Company measures fair value of the reporting units based on a present value of future cash flows (discounted cash flows model) and a market valuation approach. The discounted cash flows model indicates the fair value of the reporting unit based on the present value of the cash flows that the reporting unit is expected to generate in the future. Significant estimates in the discounted cash flows model include: the weighted average cost of capital; long-term rate of growth and profitability of the business; and working capital effects. The market valuation approach indicates the fair value of the business based on a comparison of the Company against certain market information. Significant estimates in the market approach model include identifying appropriate market multiples and assessing earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in estimating the fair value of the reporting unit. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, the Company completed its annual impairment test of goodwill utilizing the qualitative assessment and concluded it was not more likely than Product Warranty The Company warrants that its Trex Residential decking products will be free from material defects in workmanship and materials. This warranty generally extends for a period of 25 years for residential use and 10 years for commercial use. With respect to Trex Signature ® ® ® ® 25 one available actual Treasury Stock The Company records the repurchase of shares of its common stock at cost. These shares are considered treasury stock, which is a reduction to stockholders’ equity. Treasury stock is included in authorized and issued shares but excluded from outstanding shares. Revenue Recognition Effective January 1, 2018, the Company retrospectively adopted the requirements of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-09, Trex Residential Products. low-maintenance, eco-friendly Trex Commercial Products. Trex Commercial satisfies its performance obligation over time catch-up Stock-Based Compensation The Company measures stock-based compensation at the grant date of the award based on the fair value. For stock options, stock appreciation rights and time-based restricted stock and time-based restricted stock units, stock-based compensation is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting periods of the award. The Company recognizes forfeitures as they occur. For performance-based restricted stock and performance-based restricted stock units, expense is recognized ratably over the performance and vesting period of each tranche based on management’s judgment of the ultimate award that is probable to be paid out based on the achievement of predetermined performance measures. Stock-based compensation expense is included in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Income Taxes The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the difference between the financial statement basis and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted rates expected to be in effect during the year in which the differences reverse. The Company assesses the likelihood that its deferred tax assets will be realized. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, after considering all available positive and negative evidence, it is determined that it is more likely than not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has a valuation allowance of $2.8 million against these deferred tax assets. The Company analyzes its position in subsequent reporting periods, considering all available positive and negative evidence, in determining the expected realization of its deferred tax assets. Research and Development Costs Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, research and development costs were $3.4 million, $4.5 million, and $4.2 million, respectively, and have been included in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Advertising Costs The Company expenses its branding and advertising communication costs as incurred. Production costs are deferred and recognized as expense in the period that the related advertisement is first used. At December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 $0.01 million and $0.5 million was included in prepaid expenses for production costs, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, branding expenses, including advertising expenses as described above, were $31.7 million, $35.7 million, and $35.0 million, respectively. Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company considers the recorded value of its financial assets and liabilities, consisting primarily of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities, and debt to approximate the fair value of the respective assets and liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2020 and 2019. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2018-15, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – Internal-Use 350-40): internal-use In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350), Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses in Financial Instruments New Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting reporting burdens as the market transitions from the London Interbank Offered Rate and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates. The new guidance allows entities to elect not to apply certain modification accounting requirements, if certain criteria are met, to contracts affected by what the guidance calls reference rate reform. An entity that makes this election would consider changes in reference rates and other contract modifications related to reference rate reform to be events that do not require contract remeasurement at the modification date or reassessment of a previous accounting determination. The ASU notes that changes in contract terms that are made to affect the reference rate reform transition are considered related to the replacement of a reference rate if they are not the result of a business decision that is separate from or in addition to changes to the terms of a contract to affect that transition. The guidance is effective upon issuance and generally can be applied as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. The Company does not expect adoption of the guidance to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements. In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes step-up |