INTEST CORP - Annual Report: 2015 (Form 10-K)

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

From time to time, we make written or oral "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements contained in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, (including this Report on Form 10-K), our annual report to stockholders and in other communications. These statements do not convey historical information, but relate to predicted or potential future events, such as statements of our plans, strategies and intentions, or our future performance or goals. Our forward-looking statements can often be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "intends," "may," "will," "should" or "anticipates" or similar terminology, and include, but are not limited to, statements made in this Report regarding:

Investors and prospective investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are only projections based on current estimations. These statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based upon various assumptions. We discuss many of these risks and uncertainties under Item 1A "Risk Factors," below, and elsewhere in this Report. These risks and uncertainties, among others, could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those described in our forward-looking statements or from our prior results. We are not obligated to update these forward-looking statements, even though our situation may change in the future.

INTRODUCTION

We are an independent designer, manufacturer and marketer of thermal, mechanical and electrical products that are used by semiconductor manufacturers in conjunction with ATE, in the testing of ICs. In addition, we market our thermal products in markets outside the ATE market, such as the automotive, consumer electronics, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications markets. Our high performance products are designed to enable our customers to improve the efficiency of their test processes and, consequently, their profitability.

We sell our products worldwide. Within the ATE market, we sell our products both directly to major semiconductor manufacturers and semiconductor test subcontractors and indirectly through leading ATE manufacturers. In markets outside the ATE market, we sell our products directly to the end user of the product. Our largest customers include Analog Devices, Inc., Emerson Electric Co., Hakuto Co. Ltd., Infineon Technologies, Intel Corp., Intersil Corporation, NXP Semiconductors N.V., Raytheon Company, Teradyne, Inc. and Texas Instruments Incorporated.

The consolidated entity is comprised of inTEST Corporation (parent) and our wholly-owned subsidiaries. inTEST Corporation was incorporated in New Jersey in 1981 and reincorporated in Delaware in April 1997. During 2015, we managed our business as three product segments, as more fully discussed under "Our Segments" below, which consisted of our Thermal Products, Mechanical Products and Electrical Products segments.

In January 2016, we announced the formation of the inTEST EMS Products Division which is a result of the combination of the operations of our Electrical and Mechanical Products segments. In 2016, these two product segments will be managed as one business unit. The decision by management to combine the operations of these two product segments reflects the significant similarities between these segments including customer base, markets served, and sales channels. However, we have concluded that these two product segments do not currently meet the aggregation criteria under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 280 (Segment Reporting) due to certain dissimilar economic characteristics. Accordingly, we will continue to show these two product segments as separate reportable segments in our footnote disclosures. Certain operational changes undertaken in the first quarter of 2016 in connection with the formation of this new business unit are discussed further in Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."

MARKETS

Overview

Our business is grounded in the ATE market, which provides automated test equipment to the semiconductor market; however, since 2009, we have begun to diversify our served markets to address the thermal test requirements of several other markets outside the ATE market. These include the automotive, consumer electronics, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications markets. We offer highly specialized engineering solutions in these markets outside the ATE market, the demand for which is limited and which we expect may vary significantly from period to period. During both 2015 and 2014, our net revenues in markets outside the ATE market were $10.7 million and $11.1 million, respectively, and represented 27% of our total net revenues in both years. In the last five years, our net revenues from sales in markets outside the ATE market have ranged from 18% to 30%.

The level of our net revenues in the various markets we serve outside the ATE market varies significantly from market to market. During 2015 and 2014, our net revenues into the telecommunications market represented 9% and 11%, respectively, of our total net revenues, while our net revenues into the defense/aerospace and industrial markets represented 8% and 4%, respectively, of our total net revenues in both years. The level of our net revenues in these non-ATE markets has varied significantly in the past and we expect will vary significantly in the future as we build our presence in these markets and establish new markets for our products. One of our goals is to further expand our sales in these markets outside the ATE market; however, due to the nature of our highly specialized product offerings in these non-ATE markets, we do not expect broad market penetration in many of these markets and therefore, do not anticipate developing meaningful market shares in these non-ATE markets. Consequently, we are continuing to evaluate buying patterns and opportunities for growth in these markets that may affect our performance. The following discussion of our markets, therefore, is limited to only the ATE and semiconductor markets, which currently represent the majority of our net revenues.

Semiconductor and ATE Markets

Historically, the semiconductor market has been characterized by rapid technological change, wide fluctuations in demand and shortening product life cycles. Designers and manufacturers of a variety of electronic and industrial products, such as cell phones, telecom and datacom systems, Internet access devices, computers, transportation and consumer electronics, require increasingly complex ICs to provide improved end-product performance demanded by their customers. Semiconductor manufacturers generally compete based on product performance and price. We believe that testing costs represent a significant

portion of the total cost of manufacturing ICs. Semiconductor manufacturers remain under pressure to maximize production yields and reduce testing costs. At the same time, the growing complexity of ICs has increased the difficulty of maximizing test yields. In order to address these market trends, semiconductor manufacturers strive for more effective utilization of ATE, smaller test areas and increased wafer level testing.

Demand for new ATE and related equipment depends upon several factors, including the demand for products that incorporate ICs, the increasing complexity of ICs and the emergence of new IC design, production and packaging technologies. Some of the evolutionary changes in IC technologies included the shift to 300 mm wafers in production, system-on-a-chip, or SOC, where digital, analog and memory functions are combined on a single IC, and chip scale packaging. As a result of these and other advances, semiconductor manufacturers may require additional ATE not only to handle increases in production but also to handle the more sophisticated testing requirements of ICs.

IC Test Process

Semiconductor manufacturers typically produce ICs in multiples of several hundred on a silicon wafer which is later separated or "diced" into individual ICs. Extended leads are then attached to the individual ICs, for later connection to other electrical components. In most cases, the ICs are then encapsulated in a plastic, ceramic or other protective housing. These process steps are called "packaging."

Wafers are tested before being diced and packaged, to ensure that only properly functioning ICs are packaged. This testing step has several names, including "front-end test," "wafer test," "wafer probe" or "wafer sort." In front-end test, an electronic handling device known as a wafer prober automatically positions the wafer under a probe card which is electronically connected to a "test head," which connects electrically to a test system. During front-end testing there is a growing trend of thermally conditioning the wafer during test, especially in the memory and automotive markets. Once the good ICs have been identified, they are packaged.

The packaged ICs also require testing, called "back-end test" or "final test," to determine if they meet design and performance specifications. Packaged ICs are tested after loading into another type of electronic handling device called a "package handler" or "handler," which then transfers the packaged ICs into a test socket which is attached to the test head. These handlers may be temperature controlled for testing. "Wafer probers" and "handlers" are sometimes referred to in this Report collectively as "electronic device handlers."

Testers range in price from approximately $100,000 to over $2.0 million each, depending primarily on the complexity of the IC to be tested and the number of test heads (typically one or two) with which each tester is configured. Probers and handlers range in price from approximately $50,000 to $500,000. A typical test floor of a large semiconductor manufacturer may have 100 test heads and 100 probers or 250 handlers supplied by various vendors for use at any one time. While larger global semiconductor manufacturers typically purchase ATE to test the ICs they manufacture, there are a growing number of semiconductor manufacturers who outsource IC testing to third-party foundries, test and assembly providers.

Test head manipulators, also referred to as positioners, facilitate the movement of the test head to the electronic device handler. Docking hardware mechanically connects the test head to the wafer prober or handler. Tester interface products provide the electrical connection between the test head and the wafer or packaged IC. Traditionally, temperature management products are used in back-end test to allow a manufacturer to test packaged ICs under the extreme temperature conditions in which the IC may be required to operate. However, we believe that temperature-controlled testing will be an increasingly important part of front-end wafer testing as more parameters traditionally tested in back end-test are moved to front-end test.

Trends in IC Testing

ATE is used to identify unacceptable packaged ICs and bad die on wafers. ATE assists IC manufacturers in controlling test costs by performing IC testing in an efficient and cost-effective manner. In order to provide testing equipment that can help IC manufacturers meet these goals, we believe the ATE market must address the following issues:

Change in Technology. End-user applications are demanding ICs with increasingly higher performance, greater speeds, and smaller sizes. ICs that meet these higher standards, including SOC designs, are more complex and dense. These technology trends have significant implications for the IC testing process, including:

Need for Plug-Compatibility and Integration. Semiconductor manufacturers need test methodologies that will perform increasingly complex tests while lowering the overall cost of testing. This can require combining ATE manufactured by various companies into optimally performing systems. Semiconductor manufacturers have to work closely with various test hardware, software, interface and component vendors to resolve design and compatibility issues in order to make these vendors' products plug-compatible with test equipment manufactured by other vendors.

Testing Under Extreme Conditions. ICs will have to perform across a wider spectrum of temperature and environmental conditions than ever before because of the growing complexity of products in which they are deployed. In recent years, temperature testing has found an increasing role in front-end, wafer level testing. Creating a uniform thermal profile over much larger wafer areas represents a significant engineering and design challenge for ATE manufacturers.

Demand for Higher Levels of Technical Support. As IC testing becomes more complex, semiconductor manufacturers demand higher levels of technical support on a routine basis. ATE manufacturers must commit appropriate resources to technical support in order to develop close working relationships with their customers. This level of support also requires close proximity of service and support personnel to customers' facilities.

Cost Reduction Through Increased Front-End Testing. As the cost of testing ICs increases, semiconductor manufacturers will continue to look for ways to streamline the testing process to make it more cost-effective, such as the trend to use massive parallel testing, in which semiconductor manufacturers test multiple ICs on the wafer simultaneously. We believe that this factor will lead to more front-end, wafer-level testing.

OUR SOLUTIONS

Historically, we have focused our development efforts on designing and producing high quality products that provide superior performance and cost-effectiveness. We have sought to address each manufacturer's individual needs through innovative and customized designs, use of the best materials available, quality manufacturing practices and personalized service. We have designed solutions to overcome the evolving challenges facing the ATE market and other markets that we serve, which we believe provide the following advantages:

Temperature-Controlled Testing. Our Thermostream (R) products are used by manufacturers in a number of markets to stress test a variety of semiconductor and electronic components, PC boards and sub-assemblies. Our Thermochuck (R) products are used by semiconductor manufacturers for front-end temperature stress screening at the wafer level. Factors motivating manufacturers to use temperature testing include design characterization, failure analysis and quality control as well as determining performance under extreme operating temperatures, all of which contribute to manufacturing cost savings. Our acquisitions of Sigma Systems Corporation ("Sigma"), in October 2008, and Thermonics, Inc. ("Thermonics"), in January 2012, have significantly increased our product offerings in the area of temperature-controlled testing. Sigma's thermal platforms and temperature chambers can accommodate large thermal masses and are found in both laboratory and production environments. Thermonics' products provide a range of precision temperature forcing systems used throughout various markets to verify the performance of products at a range of temperatures.

Scalable, Universal, High Performance Interface Technology. Our universal test head manipulators provide a high degree of positioning flexibility with a minimum amount of effort. As a result, our products can be used in virtually any test setting. Our manipulator products are designed to accommodate the increased size of test heads. Our docking hardware offers precise control over the connection to test sockets, probing assemblies and interface boards, reducing downtime and minimizing costly damage to fragile components. Our tester interface products optimize the integrity of the signals transmitted between the test head and the device under test by being virtually transparent to the test signals. This results in increased accuracy of the test data and may thus enable improved test yields. We believe that these characteristics will gain even more significance as testing becomes even more demanding.

Compatibility and Integration. A hallmark of our products has been, and continues to be, compatibility with a wide variety of ATE. Our manipulator and docking hardware products are all designed to be used with otherwise incompatible ATE. We believe this integrated approach to ATE facilitates smooth changeover from one tester to another, longer lives for interface components, better test results, increased ATE utilization and lower overall test costs.

Worldwide Customer Service and Support. We have long recognized the need to maintain a physical presence near our customers' facilities. As of December 31, 2015, we had domestic manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts, New Jersey and California and provided service to our customers from sales and service personnel based in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Our engineers are easily accessible to, and can work directly with, most of our customers from the time we begin developing our initial proposal, through the delivery, installation and use of the product by our customer. In this way, we are able to develop and maintain close relationships with our customers.

OUR STRATEGIES

We remain committed to our goals of being recognized in our markets as the designer and manufacturer of the highest quality and most cost effective products and becoming the key supplier of all of our customers' product testing needs, other than probers, handlers and testers. Our strategies to achieve these goals include the following:

Pursuing Synergistic Acquisitions. A key element of our growth strategy has been to acquire businesses, technologies or products that are complementary to our current product offerings. Since our initial public offering in 1997, we have acquired several businesses which have enabled us to expand our line of product offerings and have given us the opportunity to market a broader range of products to our customer base. In particular, the acquisitions of Temptronic in 2000, Sigma in 2008, and Thermonics in 2012, provided access to markets that are less sensitive to cyclicality than the ATE market. We seek to make acquisitions that will further expand our product lines as well as increase our exposure to markets outside of the ATE market.

Pursuing Revenue Growth Opportunities Outside the Semiconductor ATE Market. Another element of our growth strategy is to pursue revenue growth opportunities in markets we have not traditionally served, such as the automotive, consumer electronics, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications markets. We believe that we may be able to reduce some of the cyclicality that we have historically experienced by further diversifying our revenue streams outside the semiconductor ATE market. We see the most potential for this within our Thermal Products segment. During 2015 and 2014, approximately $10.7 million and $11.1 million, respectively, or 27%, of our total net revenues in both years were derived from markets outside semiconductor test. These revenues were all generated by our Thermal Products segment. We cannot determine at this time whether we will be successful in building our sales in these non-traditional markets or what the growth rate of our sales in these markets will be in future periods.

Providing Technologically Advanced Solutions. We are committed to designing and producing only the highest quality products which incorporate innovative designs to achieve optimal cost-effectiveness and functionality for each customer's particular situation. Our engineering and design staff is continually engaged in developing new and improved products and manufacturing processes.

Leveraging Our Strong Customer Relationships. Our technical personnel work closely with ATE manufacturers to design tester interface and docking hardware that are compatible with their ATE. As a result, we are often privy to proprietary technical data and information about these manufacturers' products. We believe that because we do not compete with ATE manufacturers in the prober, handler and tester markets, we have been able to establish strong collaborative relationships with these manufacturers that enable us to develop ancillary ATE products on an accelerated basis.

Maintaining Our International Presence. Our existing and potential customers are concentrated in certain regions throughout the world. We believe that we must maintain a presence in the markets in which our customers operate. We currently have offices in the U.S., Germany and Singapore.

Controlling Costs. At the same time as we are pursuing growth opportunities, we will seek ways to more aggressively streamline our cost structure, so that we are positioned to offer products at prices that provide the margin for a reasonable profit as well as the resources for continual product development.

OUR SEGMENTS

During 2015, we managed our business as three product segments, which were also our reporting units: Thermal Products, Mechanical Products and Electrical Products. Our Thermal Products segment consists of our subsidiaries in Mansfield, Massachusetts (Temptronic Corporation, which manufactures products under the Temptronic, Sigma and Thermonics brand names), Germany (inTEST Thermal Solutions GmbH), and Singapore (inTEST Pte Ltd.). Our Mechanical Products segment consists of our manufacturing operation in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. Our Electrical Products segment consists of our subsidiary in Fremont, California (inTEST Silicon Valley Corporation). As previously discussed, in January 2016, we announced the formation of the inTEST EMS Products Division which is a result of the combination of the operations of our Electrical and Mechanical Products segments. In 2016, these two product segments will be managed as one business unit.

Semiconductor manufacturers use our mechanical products during testing of wafers and specialized packaged ICs. They use our thermal and electrical products in both front-end and back-end testing of ICs. These ICs include microprocessors, digital signal processing chips, mixed signal devices, MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems), application specific ICs and specialized memory ICs, and are used primarily in the automotive, consumer electronics, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications markets. We custom design most of our products for each customer's particular combination of ATE.

Thermal Products

Our thermal products are sold into the environmental test market encompassing a wide variety of markets including the ATE, automotive, consumer electronics, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications markets. Our thermal products enable a manufacturer to test semiconductor wafers and ICs, electronic components and assemblies, mechanical assemblies and electromechanical assemblies. Our thermal products provide the ability to characterize and stress test a variety of materials over extreme and variable temperature conditions that can occur in actual use.

ThermoStream(R) Products: Our ThermoStream(R) products are used in the semiconductor market as a stand-alone temperature management tool, or in a variety of electronic test applications as part of our MobileTemp systems. ThermoStream(R) products provide a source of heated and cooled air which can be directed over the component or device under test. These systems are capable of controlling temperatures to within +/- 0.1 degree Celsius over a range of -100 degrees Celsius to as high as +300 degrees Celsius within 1.0 degree Celsius of accuracy. As a stand-alone tool, ThermoStreams(R) provide a temperature-controlled air stream to rapidly change and stabilize the temperature of packaged ICs and other devices.

Our MobileTemp Series combines our ThermoStream(R) products with our family of exclusive, high-speed ThermoChambers to offer thermal test systems with fast, uniform temperature control in a compact package enabling temperature testing at the test location. MobileTemp Systems are designed specifically for small thermal-mass applications beyond the semiconductor market and have found application in the automotive, electronic, fiber optic and oil field service markets testing such things as electronic sub-assemblies, sensor assemblies, and printed circuit boards.

Traditionally, our customers used ThermoStream(R) products primarily in engineering, quality assurance and small-run manufacturing environments. However, increasingly, our customers use ThermoStream(R) products in longer-run production applications. Sigma has significantly broadened our product line by providing the ability to thermally test devices and assemblies requiring a far larger scale, both physically and thermally, than previously achievable. ThermoStream(R) and MobileTemp products range in price from approximately $15,000 to $50,000.

ThermoChambers: Our chamber products are available in a variety of sizes, from small bench-top units to chambers with internal volumes of twenty-seven cubic feet and greater and with temperature ranges as wide as from -190 degrees Celsius to +500 degrees Celsius. Chambers can be designed to utilize liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide cooling or mechanical refrigeration, and sometimes both. These chambers can accommodate large thermal masses and are found in both laboratory and production environments. Chambers are priced from $15,000 to $150,000.

Thermal Platforms: Our platforms are available in surface sizes ranging from 7.2 square inches to 616 square inches. They provide a flat, thermally conductive, precisely temperature controllable surface that is ideal for conditioning of testing devices with a flat surface. Platforms are available with temperature ranges as broad as -100 degrees Celsius to +250 degrees Celsius. Thermal platforms can be designed to utilize either liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide cooling or mechanical refrigeration. Platforms offer virtually unimpeded access to the device under test and their easy access and compact size makes them ideal for convenient bench-top use. Platforms are priced from $6,500 to $65,000.

ThermoChuck(R) Products: Our ThermoChuck(R) precision vacuum platform assemblies, used primarily in the semiconductor market, quickly change and stabilize the temperature of semiconductor wafers accurately and uniformly during testing without removing the wafer from its testing environment. Such temperatures can range from as low as -65 degrees Celsius to as high as +300 degrees Celsius. ThermoChucks(R) are incorporated into wafer prober equipment for laboratory analysis and for in-line production testing of semiconductor wafers. ThermoChuck(R) products range in price from approximately $16,000 to $120,000.

Thermonics(R) Products: Our Thermonics temperature conditioning products provide tempered gas or fluid to enable customers to maintain desired thermal conditions within their tool or process. Applications include general industrial, chemical processing, energy, electronics and semiconductor markets. Prices range from $20,000 to greater than $100,000.

Mechanical Products

Manipulator Products. We offer three lines of manipulator products: the in2(R), the Aero Series and the Cobal Series. These free-standing universal manipulators can hold a variety of test heads and enable an operator to reposition a test head for alternate use with any one of several probers or handlers on a test floor. Certain members of the Aero family are also available as a lower-cost solution for dedicated prober-only or handler-only test cell applications.

The in2(R) and Cobal Series of manipulator products incorporate our balanced floating-head design. This design permits a test head weighing up to 1,600 pounds to be held in an effectively weightless state, so it can be moved manually or with optional powered assistance, up or down, right or left, forward or backward and rotated around each axis (known as six degrees of motion freedom) by an operator using a modest amount of force. The same design features enable the operator to dock the test head without causing inadvertent damage to the fragile electrical contacts. As a result, after testing a particular production lot of ICs, the operator can quickly and easily disconnect a test head that is held in an in2(R) manipulator and equipped with our docking hardware and dock it to another electronic device handler for testing either a subsequent lot of the same packaged ICs or to test different ICs. The in2(R) and Cobal Series manipulators range in price from approximately $12,000 to $60,000.

The Aero Series of manipulator products consists of the Aero 450H and Aero 150P manipulators. These manipulators are designed to handle test heads weighing less than 1,500 pounds. The up and down movement is supported by an air-pressure-based floating state technology. The Aero Series manipulators range in price from $10,000 to $30,000.

Docking Hardware Products. Our docking hardware products protect the delicate interface contacts and ensure proper repeatable and precise alignment between the test head's interface board and the prober's probing assembly or the handler's test socket as they are brought together, or "docked." A simple cam action docks and locks the test head to the prober or handler, thus eliminating motion of the test head relative to the prober or handler. This minimizes deterioration of the interface boards, test sockets and probing assemblies which is caused by constant vibration during testing. Our docking hardware products are used primarily with floating-head universal manipulators when maximum mobility and inter-changeability of handlers and probers between test heads is required. By using our docking hardware products, semiconductor manufacturers can achieve cost savings through improved ATE utilization, improved accuracy and integrity of test results, and reduced repairs and replacements of expensive ATE interface products.

We believe our docking hardware products offer our customers the ability to make various competing brands of test heads compatible with various brands of probers and handlers by only changing interface boards. This is called "plug-compatibility." Plug-compatibility enables increased flexibility and utilization of test heads, probers and handlers purchased from various ATE manufacturers. We believe that because we do not compete with ATE manufacturers in the sale of probers, handlers or testers, ATE manufacturers are willing to provide us with the information that is integral to the design of plug-compatible products. Our docking hardware products range in price from approximately $2,000 to $25,000.

Electrical Products

Our electrical products, which include various types of tester interfaces, provide the electrical connections between the tester and the wafer prober or IC handler to carry the electrical signals between the tester and the probe card on the prober or the test socket on the handler. Our designs optimize the integrity of the transmitted signal. Therefore, our tester interfaces can be used with high speed, high frequency, digital or mixed signal testers used in testing more complex ICs. Because our tester interface products enable the tester to provide more reliable yield data, our interfaces may also reduce IC production costs. We design standard and modular interface products to address most possible tester/prober combinations on the market today. In addition, we provide a custom design service that will allow any of our customers to use virtually any tester, prober or handler combination with any type of device, such as analog, digital, mixed signal and radio frequency. For example, our Centaur(R) modular interface is designed to provide flexibility and scalability through the use of replaceable signal modules which can be easily changed on the test floor as our customers' testing requirements change. In addition to the Centaur(R) modular interface, we also offer over 200 different types of tester interface models that we custom designed for our customers' specific applications. These tester interface products range in price from approximately $7,000 to $40,000.

Financial Information About Product Segments and Geographic Areas

Please see Note 15 of our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Report on Form 10-K for additional data regarding net revenues, profit or loss and total assets of each of our segments and revenues attributable to foreign countries.

MARKETING, SALES AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT

We market and sell our products primarily in markets where semiconductors are manufactured. North American and European semiconductor manufacturers, as well as third-party foundries, test and assembly providers, have located most of their back-end factories in Southeast Asia. The front-end wafer fabrication plants of U.S. semiconductor manufacturers are primarily in the U.S. Likewise, European, Taiwanese, South Korean and Japanese semiconductor manufacturers generally have located their wafer fabrication plants in their respective countries.

Thermal Products: We market our thermal products brands, Temptronic, Sigma and Thermonics, under the umbrella name of inTEST Thermal Solutions and sales to ATE manufacturers are handled directly by our own sales force. Sales to semiconductor manufacturers and customers in other markets in the U.S. are handled through independent sales representative organizations. In Singapore and Malaysia, our sales and service are handled through our internal sales and service staff. In the rest of Asia, our sales are handled through distributors. In Europe, sales managers at our office in Germany, as well as regional distributors and independent sales representatives, sell to semiconductor manufacturers and customers in other markets. We visit our distributors regularly and have trained them to sell and service all of our thermal products.

Mechanical and Electrical Products: In North America, we sell to semiconductor manufacturers principally through the use of independent, commissioned sales representatives. North American sales representatives also coordinate product installation and support with our technical staff and participate in trade shows.

Our internal sales account managers handle sales to ATE manufacturers and are responsible for a portfolio of customer accounts and for managing certain independent sales representatives. In addition, our sales account managers are responsible for pricing, quotations, proposals and transaction negotiations, and they assist with applications engineering and custom product design. Technical support is provided to North American customers and independent sales representatives by employees based in New Jersey, California and Texas.

In Europe we sell to semiconductor and ATE manufacturers through our internal sales staff and through the use of independent sales representatives. Technical support is provided to European customers by an employee based in the UK or by independent sales representatives who we have trained. In China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, we sell through the use of independent sales representatives who are supervised by our internal sales staff. International sales representatives are responsible for sales, installation, support and trade show participation in their geographic market areas. Technical support is provided to Asian customers primarily by employees based in Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan.

CUSTOMERS

We market all of our products to end users, which include semiconductor manufacturers and third-party foundries, test and assembly providers, as well as to original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs"), which include ATE manufacturers and their third-party outsource manufacturing partners. In the case of thermal products, we also market our products to independent testers of semiconductors, manufacturers of automotive, consumer electronics, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications products, and semiconductor research facilities. Our customers use our products principally in production testing, although our ThermoStream(R) products traditionally have been used largely in engineering development and quality assurance. We believe that we sell to most of the major semiconductor manufacturers in the world.

During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, Hakuto Co. Ltd., one of our distributors, accounted for 12% and 11% of our consolidated net revenues, respectively. These revenues were generated by our Thermal Products segment. During the year ended December 31, 2014, Texas Instruments Incorporated accounted for 13% of our consolidated net revenues. While all three of our operating segments sold products to this customer, these revenues were primarily generated by our Mechanical Products and Electrical Products segments. Our ten largest customers accounted for approximately 43% and 48% of our consolidated net revenues in 2015 and 2014, respectively. The loss of any one or more of our largest customers, or a reduction in orders by a major customer, could materially reduce our net revenues or otherwise materially affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Our largest customers in 2015 include:

ENGINEERING AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Our success depends on our ability to provide our customers with products and solutions that are well engineered, and to design those products and solutions before, or at least no later than, our competitors. As of December 31, 2015, we employed a total of 26 engineers, who were engaged in engineering and product development. In addition, when the demands of engineering and product development projects exceed the capacity or knowledge of our in-house staff, we retain temporary third-party engineering and product development consultants to assist us. Our practice in many cases is to assign engineers to work with specific customers, thereby enabling us to develop the relationships and exchange of information that is most conducive to successful product development and enhancement. In addition, some of our engineers are assigned to new product research and development and have worked on such projects as the development of new types of universal manipulators, the redesign and development of new thermal products and the development of high performance interfaces.

Since most of our products are customized, we consider substantially all of our engineering activities to be engineering and product development. We spent approximately $3.9 million in 2015 and $3.6 million in 2014 on engineering and product development, respectively.

PATENTS AND OTHER PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

Our policy is to protect our technology by filing patent applications for the technologies that we consider important to our business. We also rely on trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights and unpatented know-how to protect our proprietary rights. It is our practice to require that all of our employees and third-party product development consultants assign to us all rights to inventions or other discoveries relating to our business that were made while working for us. In addition, all employees and third-party product development consultants agree not to disclose any private or confidential information relating to our technology, trade secrets or intellectual property.

As of December 31, 2015, we held 48 active U.S. patents and had 9 pending U.S. patent applications covering various aspects of our technology. Our U.S. patents expire at various times beginning in 2016 and extending through 2034. During 2015, three U.S. patents were issued and we had two U.S. patents expire. We do not believe that the expiration of these patents or the upcoming expiration of certain of our patents in 2016 will have a material impact on our business. We also hold foreign patents and file foreign patent applications, in selected cases corresponding to our U.S. patents and patent applications, to the extent management deems appropriate.

While we believe that our patents and other proprietary rights are important to our business, we also believe that, due to the rapid pace of technological change in the semiconductor equipment market, the successful manufacture and sale of our products also depends upon our engineering, manufacturing, marketing and servicing skills. In the absence of patent protection, we would be vulnerable to competitors who attempt to copy or imitate our products or processes. We believe our intellectual property has value, and we have taken in the past, and will take in the future, actions we deem appropriate to protect such property from misappropriation. There can be no assurance, however, that such actions will provide meaningful protection from competition. For additional information regarding risks related to our intellectual property, see "Risk Factors."

COMPETITION

We operate in an increasingly competitive environment within each of our product segments. Some of our competitors have greater financial resources and more extensive design and production capabilities than we do. Certain markets in which we operate have become more fragmented, with smaller companies entering the market. These new smaller entrants typically have much lower levels of fixed operating overhead than we do, which enables them to be profitable with lower priced products. In order to remain competitive with these and other companies, we must be able to continue to commit a significant portion of our personnel, financial resources, research and development and customer support to developing new products and maintaining customer relationships worldwide.

Our competitors include independent manufacturers, ATE manufacturers and, to a lesser extent, semiconductor manufacturers' in-house ATE interface groups. Competitive factors in our market include price, functionality, timely product delivery, customer service, applications support, product performance and reliability. We believe that our long-term relationships with the industry's leading semiconductor manufacturers and other customers, and our commitment to, and reputation for, providing high quality products, are important elements in our ability to compete effectively in all of our markets.

Our principal competitors for Thermostream products are FTS Systems, a part of SP Industries, and MPI Corporation. Our principal competitors for Thermochuck products include Cascade Microtech, Inc., ERS Electronik GmbH and Espec Corp. Our principal competitors for environmental chambers are Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, Inc., Espec Corp. and Thermotron Industries. Our principal competitor for thermal platforms is Environmental Stress Systems Inc.

Our principal competitors for manipulator products are Advantest Corporation, Esmo AG, Reid-Ashman Manufacturing and Teradyne, Inc. Our principal competitors for docking hardware products include Advantest Corporation, Esmo AG, Knight Automation, Reid-Ashman Manufacturing and Teradyne, Inc.

Our principal competitors for tester interface products are Advantest Corporation, Esmo AG, Reid-Ashman Manufacturing and Teradyne, Inc.

BACKLOG

At December 31, 2015, our backlog of unfilled orders for all products was approximately $2.4 million compared with approximately $3.8 million at December 31, 2014. Our backlog includes customer orders which we have accepted, substantially all of which we expect to deliver in 2016. While backlog is calculated on the basis of firm purchase orders, a customer may cancel an order or accelerate or postpone currently scheduled delivery dates. Our backlog may be affected by the tendency of customers to rely on shorter lead times available from suppliers, including us, in periods of depressed demand. In periods of increased demand, there is a tendency towards longer lead times that has the effect of increasing backlog. As a result of these factors, our backlog at a particular date is not necessarily indicative of sales for any future period.

EMPLOYEES

At December 31, 2015, we had 125 full time employees, including 56 in manufacturing operations, 49 in customer support/operations and 20 in administration. Substantially all of our key employees are highly skilled and trained technical personnel. None of our employees are represented by a labor union, and we have never experienced a work stoppage. From time to time we retain third-party contractors to assist us in manufacturing operations and engineering and product development projects.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports that are filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, are available free of charge through our website (www.intest.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file them with, or furnish them to, the SEC.

The following are some of the factors that could materially and adversely affect our future performance or could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us and we cannot predict every event and circumstance that may adversely affect our business. However, these risks and uncertainties are the most significant factors that we have identified at this time. If one or more of these risks actually occurs, our business, results of operations, and/or financial condition would likely suffer, and the price of our stock could be negatively affected.

We seek to further diversify the markets for our thermal products in order to increase the proportion of our sales attributable to markets which are less subject to cyclicality than the semiconductor and ATE markets. If we are unable to do so, our future performance will remain substantially exposed to the fluctuations of the cyclicality of the semiconductor and ATE markets.

Since 2009, we have sold our thermal products in markets outside of the ATE market, including the automotive, consumer electronics, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications markets. Our sales to these non-ATE markets were $10.7 million and $11.1 million in 2015 and 2014, respectively, and represented 27% of our consolidated net revenues in both years. We offer highly specialized engineering solutions in these markets outside the ATE market, the demand for which is limited and which we expect may vary significantly from period to period. Our goal is to increase our sales into these and other non-ATE markets; however, in most cases, the expansion of our thermal product sales into these new markets has occurred in the last several years, and we may experience difficulty in expanding our sales efforts further into these markets. These difficulties could include hiring sales and marketing staff with sufficient experience selling into these new markets and our ability to continue to develop products which meet the needs of customers in these markets and which are not currently offered by our competitors. In addition, due to the nature of our highly specialized product offerings in these non-ATE markets, we do not expect broad market penetration in many of these markets. If we are unable to expand our sales in non-ATE markets, our net revenues and results of operations will remain substantially dependent upon the cycles of the semiconductor and ATE markets.

Our restructuring efforts, the goal of which is to return non-profitable operations to profitability, may not be successful.

In recent years, our Mechanical Products segment has experienced significant operating losses. We have undertaken actions at various times over the last few years to address these losses. On January 4, 2016, in conjunction with the formation of the inTEST EMS Products Division, we implemented a workforce reduction which resulted in our recording a restructuring charge of $99,000 in the first quarter of 2016. The annualized savings from these actions are estimated to be approximately $690,000. Our review of the operations of this product segment is ongoing with the goal of identifying additional opportunities for cost reduction and revenue growth. We cannot be certain that our efforts to restructure this operation to achieve profitability will be successful. These efforts could require us to utilize additional financial resources to pay severance or fund other costs associated with the restructuring of this operation, which would reduce the amount of our cash and cash equivalents available to fund our short term working capital requirements.

Our sales are affected by the cyclicality and seasonality of the semiconductor and ATE markets, which causes our operating results to fluctuate significantly.

Our business depends in significant part upon the capital expenditures of semiconductor manufacturers. Capital expenditures by these companies depend upon, among other things, the current and anticipated market demand for semiconductors and the products that utilize them. Typically, semiconductor manufacturers curtail capital expenditures during periods of economic downturn. Conversely, semiconductor manufacturers increase capital expenditures when market demand requires the addition of new or expanded production capabilities or the reconfiguration of existing fabrication facilities to accommodate new products. In addition to being cyclical, the ATE market has also developed a seasonal pattern in the last several years, with the second and third quarters being the periods of strong demand and the first and fourth quarters being periods of weakened demand. We believe this change has been driven by the strong demand for consumer products containing semiconductor content sold during the year-end holiday shopping season. These market changes and seasonal sales pattern have contributed in the past, and will likely continue to contribute in the future, to fluctuations in our operating results.

We seek to acquire additional businesses. If we are unable to do so, our future rate of growth may be reduced or limited. We may incur significant expenses related to due diligence or other transaction related expenses for a proposed acquisition that may not be completed.

A key element of our growth strategy is to acquire businesses, technologies or products that are complementary to our current product offerings. We seek to make acquisitions that will further expand our product lines as well as increase our exposure to markets outside the ATE market. We may not be able to execute our acquisition strategy if:

Our acquisition strategy involves financial and management risks which may adversely affect our results in the future.

If we acquire additional businesses, technologies or products, we will face the following additional risks:

If any of the events described above occur, our earnings could be reduced. If we issue shares of our stock or other rights to purchase our stock in connection with any future acquisitions, we would dilute our existing stockholders' interests and our earnings per share may decrease. If we issue debt in connection with any future acquisitions, lenders may impose covenants on us which could, among other things, restrict our ability to increase capital expenditures or to acquire additional businesses.

Our business is subject to intense competition.

We face significant competition throughout the world in each of our product segments. Some of our competitors have substantial financial resources and more extensive design and production capabilities than we do. Some of our competitors are much smaller than we are, and therefore have much lower levels of overhead than we do, which enables them to sell their competing products at lower prices. In order to remain competitive, we must be able to continually commit a significant portion of our personnel and financial resources to developing new products and maintaining customer satisfaction worldwide. We expect our competitors to continue to improve the performance of their current products and introduce new products or technologies. Over the last several years, in response to significant declines in global demand for our products, some competitors have reduced their product pricing significantly, which has led to intensified price based competition, which has and could continue to materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in the buying patterns of our customers have affected, and may continue to affect, demand for our products and our gross and net operating margins. Such changes in patterns are difficult to predict and may not be immediately apparent.

In addition to the cyclicality and seasonality of the semiconductor and ATE markets, demand for our products and our gross and net operating margins have also been affected by changes in the buying patterns of our customers. We believe that in recent years there have been a variety of changes within the ATE market, including, for example, changing product requirements, longer time periods between new product offerings by OEMs and changes in customer buying patterns. In particular, demand for our mechanical and electrical products, which are sold exclusively within the ATE market, and our operating margins in these product segments have been affected by shifts in the competitive landscape, including (i) customers placing heightened emphasis on shorter lead times (which places increased demands on our available engineering and production capacity increasing unit costs) and ordering in smaller quantities (which prevents us from acquiring component materials in larger volumes at lower cost and increasing unit costs), (ii) the increasing practice of OEM manufacturers to specify other suppliers as primary vendors, with less frequent opportunities to compete for such designations, (iii) customers requiring products with a greater range of use at the lowest cost, and (iv) customer supply chain management groups demanding lower prices and spreading purchases across multiple vendors.

These shifts in market practices have had, and may continue to have, varying degrees of impact on our net revenues and our gross and net operating margins. Such shifts are difficult to predict and may not be immediately apparent, and the impact of these practices is difficult to quantify from period to period. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in implementing effective strategies to counter these shifts.

Increased in-house manufacturing capabilities among certain ATE manufacturers may have resulted, and may continue to result, in reductions in our share of the manipulator, docking hardware and tester interface products markets, reduced revenues in our Mechanical and Electrical Products segments and net losses in our Mechanical Products segment.

Over the last several years, certain ATE manufacturers have begun manufacturing and selling certain products made by both our Mechanical and Electrical Products segments, including manipulator, docking hardware and tester interface products. As a result of the loss of these product sales, we may have lost market share in our manipulator, docking hardware and tester interface products, and our Mechanical Products segment has incurred operating losses. To the extent that we cannot replace these lost sales, our market share may decline, which could have a material adverse impact on the financial results of our Mechanical and Electrical Products segments.

We generate a large portion of our sales from a small number of customers. If we were to lose one or more of our large customers, operating results could suffer dramatically.

During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, Hakuto Co. Ltd., one of our distributors, accounted for 12% and 11% of our consolidated net revenues, respectively. These revenues were generated by our Thermal Products segment. During the year ended December 31, 2014, Texas Instruments Incorporated accounted for 13% of our consolidated net revenues. The reduction in net revenues from Texas Instruments Incorporated during 2015 as compared to 2014 reflects reduced capital spending by this customer during 2015. While all three of our operating segments sold products to this customer, these revenues were primarily generated by our Mechanical Products and Electrical Products segments. Our ten largest customers accounted for approximately 43% and 48% of our consolidated net revenues in 2015 and 2014, respectively. The loss of any one or more of our largest customers, or a reduction in orders by a major customer, could materially reduce our net revenues or otherwise materially affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Our operating results often change significantly from quarter to quarter and may cause fluctuations in our stock price.

Historically, our operating results have fluctuated significantly from quarter to quarter. We believe that these fluctuations occur primarily due to the cycles of demand in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. In addition to the changing cycles of demand in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, other factors that have caused our quarterly operating results to fluctuate in the past, and that may cause fluctuations and losses in the future, include:

Because the market price of our common stock has tended to vary based on, and in relation to, changes in our operating results, fluctuations in the market price of our stock are likely to continue as variations in our quarterly results continue.

We have experienced and may continue to experience significant variability in our effective tax rates and may have exposure to additional tax liabilities and costs.

We are subject to paying income taxes in the U.S. and various other countries in which we operate. Our effective tax rate is dependent on where our earnings are generated and the tax regulations and the interpretation and judgment of administrative tax or revenue entities in the U.S. and other countries. We are also subject to tax audits in the countries where we operate. Any material assessment resulting from an audit from an administrative tax or revenue entity could negatively affect our financial results.

Our industry is subject to rapid technological change, and our business prospects would be negatively affected if we are unable to quickly and effectively respond to innovation in the semiconductor and ATE markets.

Semiconductor technology continues to become more complex as manufacturers incorporate ICs into an increasing variety of products. This trend, and the changes needed in automatic testing systems to respond to developments in the semiconductor market, are likely to continue. We cannot be certain that we will be successful or timely in developing, manufacturing or selling products that will satisfy customer needs or that will attain market acceptance. Our failure to provide products that effectively and timely meet customer needs or gain market acceptance will negatively affect our business prospects.

A substantial portion of our customers are located outside the U.S., which exposes us to foreign political and economic risks.

We have operated internationally for many years and expect to expand our international operations as necessary to continue expansion of our sales and service to our non-U.S. customers. Our foreign subsidiaries generated 13% and 15% of consolidated net revenues in 2015 and 2014, respectively. Net revenues from foreign customers totaled $24.6 million, or 63% of consolidated net revenues in 2015 and $27.4 million, or 66% of consolidated net revenues in 2014. We expect our net revenues from foreign customers will continue to represent a significant portion of total net revenues. However, in addition to the risks generally associated with sales and operations in the U.S., sales to customers outside the U.S. and operations in foreign countries are subject to additional risks, which may, in the future, affect our operations. These risks include:

A significant portion of our cash position is maintained overseas.

While much of our cash is in the U.S., a significant portion is generated from and maintained by our foreign operations. As of December 31, 2015, $2.0 million of our cash and cash equivalents was held by our foreign subsidiaries. Our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted if we are unable to maintain a sufficient level of cash flow in the U.S. to address our cash requirements or we are unable to efficiently and timely repatriate cash from overseas. Any payment of distributions, loans or advances to us by our foreign subsidiaries could be subject to restrictions on, or taxation of, dividends or repatriation of earnings under applicable local law, monetary transfer restrictions and foreign currency exchange regulations in the jurisdictions in which our subsidiaries operate. If we are unable to repatriate the earnings of our subsidiaries it could have an adverse impact on our ability to redeploy earnings in other jurisdictions where they could be used more profitably.

A breach of our operational or security systems could negatively affect our business and results of operations.

We rely on various information technology networks and systems, some of which are managed by third parties, to process, transmit and store electronic information, including confidential data, and to carry out and support a variety of business activities, including manufacturing, research and development, supply chain management, sales and accounting. A failure in or a breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of our suppliers and other service providers, including as a result of cyberattacks, could disrupt our business, result in the disclosure or misuse of proprietary or confidential information, damage our reputation, cause losses and significantly increase our costs. In addition, domestic and international regulatory agencies have implemented, and are continuing to implement, various reporting and remediation requirements that companies must comply with upon learning of a breach. While we have insurance that may protect us from incurring some of these costs, there is no assurance that such insurance coverage is adequate to cover all costs and damages incurred in connection with a cyberattack.

If our suppliers do not meet product or delivery requirements, we could have reduced revenues and earnings.

Certain components may be in short supply from time to time because of high demand or the inability of some vendors to consistently meet our quality or delivery requirements. A significant portion of our material purchases require some custom work and there are not always multiple suppliers capable of performing such custom work on a timely or cost effective basis. If any of our suppliers were to cancel commitments or fail to meet quality or delivery requirements needed to satisfy customer orders for our products, we could lose time-sensitive customer orders, have reduced revenues and earnings, and be subject to contractual penalties, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our business may suffer if we are unable to attract and retain key employees.

The loss of key personnel could adversely affect our ability to manage our business effectively. Our future success will depend largely upon the continued services of our senior management and other key employees or the development of successors with commensurate skills and talents. In the past, during periods of weakened demand which has caused us to experience operating losses, we have implemented temporary salary and benefit reductions and eliminations that have remained in place until our operations returned to profitability. As global economic conditions improve and employment opportunities increase, if we are unable to increase employee salaries and maintain employee benefits commensurate with competitive opportunities, we may not be able to retain our senior management and other key employees. Our business could suffer if we were to lose one of more of our senior officers or other key employees.

If we are not able to obtain patents on or otherwise preserve and protect our proprietary technologies, our business may suffer.

We have obtained domestic and foreign patents covering some of our products which expire between the years 2016 and 2034, and we have applications pending for additional patents. Some of our products utilize proprietary technology that is not covered by a patent or similar protection, and, in many cases, cannot be protected. We cannot be certain that:

If we cannot obtain patent or other protection for our proprietary technologies, our ability to compete in our markets could be impaired.

Claims of intellectual property infringement by or against us could seriously harm our businesses.

From time to time, we may be forced to respond to or prosecute intellectual property infringement claims to defend or protect our rights or a customer's rights. These claims, regardless of merit, may consume valuable management time, result in costly litigation or cause product shipment delays. Any of these factors could seriously harm our business and operating results. We may have to enter into royalty or licensing agreements with third parties who claim infringement. These royalty or licensing agreements, if available, may be costly to us. If we are unable to enter into royalty or licensing agreements with satisfactory terms, our business could suffer. In instances where we have had reason to believe that we may be infringing the patent rights of others, or that someone may be infringing our patent rights, we have asked our patent counsel to evaluate the validity of the patents in question, as well as the potentially infringing conduct. If we become involved in a dispute, neither the third parties nor the courts are bound by our counsel's conclusions.

We may not be able to fully execute our share repurchase program. 

In October 2015, our Board of Directors authorized our management to repurchase up to $5 million of our common stock commencing in December 2015.  We may not be able to purchase this amount of shares in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions in compliance with applicable securities regulations.  Future share repurchases are subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend, among other things, upon our earnings, capital requirements and financial condition. While we have authorized a share repurchase program, we are not required to repurchase the full dollar amount of shares authorized for repurchase and we may reduce or eliminate our share repurchase program in the future. The reduction or elimination of our share repurchase program, particularly if we do not repurchase the full dollar amount of shares authorized under the program, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. As of December 31, 2015 we had repurchased a total of 41,332 shares at a cost of $155,000, which includes $1,000 in fees paid to our broker. Through February 29, 2016, we had repurchased a total of 126,356 shares at a cost of $512,000 which included fees paid to our broker of $3,000.

Regulations related to conflict minerals will cause us to experience increased costs.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act imposes disclosure requirements regarding the use of "conflict" minerals mined from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries in our products. This requirement could affect the pricing, sourcing and availability of minerals used in the manufacture of components we use in our products. In addition, there will be significant additional costs associated with complying with the disclosure requirements, such as costs related to determining the source of any conflict minerals used in our products. Our supply chain is complex and we may be unable to verify the origins for all metals used in our products. As a result, we may be unable to certify that our products are conflict mineral free.

None.

At December 31, 2015, we leased five facilities worldwide. The following chart provides information regarding each of our principal facilities that we occupied at December 31, 2015:

From time to time we may be a party to legal proceedings occurring in the ordinary course of business. We are not currently involved in any material legal proceedings.

Not applicable.

No dividends were paid on our common stock in the years ended December 31, 2015 or 2014. We do not currently plan to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Our current policy is to retain any future earnings for reinvestment in the operation and expansion of our business, including possible acquisitions of other businesses, technologies or products. Payment of any future dividends will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors.

Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table provides information with respect to purchases made by us or on our behalf of our common stock during the year ended December 31, 2015:

The following table contains certain selected consolidated financial data of inTEST and is qualified by the more detailed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and should be read in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and the other financial information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Risk Factors and Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, this discussion and analysis contains statements relating to possible future events and results that are considered "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can often be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "intends," "may," "will," "should" or "anticipates" or similar terminology. See Part I, Item 1 - "Business - Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" for examples of statements made in this report which may be "forward-looking statements." These statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on various assumptions. Although we believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, investors and prospective investors are cautioned that such statements are only projections, and there cannot be any assurance that these events or results will occur. Information about the primary risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from our historic results or the results described in the forward-looking statements made in this report or presented elsewhere by Management from time to time are included in Part I, Item 1A - "Risk Factors."

Overview

This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Our business and results of operations are substantially dependent upon the demand for ATE by semiconductor manufacturers and companies that specialize in the testing of ICs. Demand for ATE is driven by semiconductor manufacturers that are opening new, or expanding existing, semiconductor fabrication facilities or upgrading existing equipment, which in turn is dependent upon the current and anticipated market demand for semiconductors and products incorporating semiconductors. Such market demand can be the result of market expansion, development of new technologies or redesigned products to incorporate new features, or the replacement of aging equipment. In addition, we continue to focus on design improvements and new approaches for our own products which contribute to our net revenues as our customers adopt these new products.

In the past, the semiconductor industry has been highly cyclical with recurring periods of oversupply, which often have a severe impact on the semiconductor industry's demand for ATE, including the products we manufacture. This can cause wide fluctuations in both our orders and net revenues and, depending on our ability to react quickly to these shifts in demand, can significantly impact our results of operations. ATE market cycles are difficult to predict and in recent years have become more volatile and, in certain cases, shorter in duration. Because the market cycles are generally characterized by sequential periods of growth or declines in orders and net revenues during each cycle, year over year comparisons of operating results may not always be as meaningful as comparisons of periods at similar points in either up or down cycles. In addition, during both downward and upward cycles in our industry, in any given quarter, the trend in both our orders and net revenues can be erratic. This can occur, for example, when orders are canceled or currently scheduled delivery dates are accelerated or postponed by a significant customer or when customer forecasts and general business conditions fluctuate during a quarter. In addition to being cyclical, the ATE market has also developed a seasonal pattern in the last several years, with the second and third quarters being the periods of strong demand and the first and fourth quarters being periods of weakened demand. We believe this change has been driven by the strong demand for consumer products containing semiconductor content sold during the year-end holiday shopping season.

Third-party market share statistics are not available for the products we manufacture and sell into the ATE market; therefore, comparisons of period over period changes in our market share are not easily determined. As a result, it is difficult to ascertain if ATE market volatility in any period is the result of macro-economic or customer-specific factors impacting ATE market demand, or if we have gained or lost market share to a competitor during the period.

As part of our strategy to reduce the impact of ATE market volatility on our business operations, in 2009, we began to diversify our served markets to address the thermal test requirements of several other markets outside the ATE market. These include the automotive, consumer electronics, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications markets. We believe that these markets usually are less cyclical than the ATE market. While market share statistics exist for some of the markets we serve outside the ATE market, due to the nature of our highly specialized product offerings in these non-ATE markets, we do not expect broad market penetration in many of these markets and, therefore, do not anticipate developing meaningful market shares in these non-ATE markets. In addition, our orders and net revenues in any given period in these markets do not necessarily reflect the overall trends in these non-ATE markets due to our limited market shares. Consequently, we are continuing to evaluate buying patterns and opportunities for growth in these non-ATE markets that may affect our performance. The level of our orders and net revenues from these non-ATE markets has varied in the past, and we expect will vary significantly in the future, as we work to build our presence in these markets and establish new markets for our products.

While the majority of our orders and net revenues are derived from the ATE market, our operating results do not always follow the overall trend in the ATE market in any given period. We believe that these anomalies may be driven by a variety of factors within the ATE market, including, for example, changing product requirements, longer time periods between new product offerings by OEMs and changes in customer buying patterns. In particular, demand for our mechanical and electrical products, which are sold exclusively within the ATE market, and our operating margins in these product segments have been affected by shifts in the competitive landscape, including (i) customers placing heightened emphasis on shorter lead times (which places increased demands on our available engineering and production capacity increasing unit costs) and ordering in smaller quantities (which prevents us from acquiring component materials in larger volumes at lower cost and increasing unit costs), (ii) the practice of OEM manufacturers to specify other suppliers as primary vendors, with less frequent opportunities to compete for such designations, (iii) the in-house manufacturing activities of OEM manufacturers building certain products we have historically sold to them, including manipulators and docking hardware, which has had the impact of significantly reducing the size of the available market for those certain products (iv) the role of third-party test and assembly houses in the ATE market and their requirement of products with a greater range of use at the lowest cost, (v) customer supply chain management groups demanding lower prices and spreading purchases across multiple vendors, and (vi) certain competitors aggressively reducing their products' sales prices (causing us to either reduce our products' sales price to be successful in obtaining the sale or causing loss of the sale).

In addition, in recent periods we have seen instances where demand for ATE is not consistent for each of our product segments or for any given product within a particular product segment. This inconsistency in demand for ATE can be driven by a number of factors, but in most cases we have found the primary reason is unique customer-specific changes in demand for certain products driven by the needs of their customers or markets served. These shifts in market practices and customer-specific needs have had, and may continue to have, varying levels of impact on our operating results and are difficult to quantify or predict from period to period. Management has taken, and will continue to take, such actions it deems appropriate to adjust our strategies, products and operations to counter such shifts in market practices as they become evident.

Orders and Backlog

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, a breakdown of the orders received both by product segment and market.

Results of Operations

The results of operations for our three product segments are generally affected by the same factors. Separate discussions and analyses for each product segment would be repetitive and obscure any unique factors that affected the results of operations of our different product segments. The discussion and analysis that follows, therefore, is presented on a consolidated basis and includes discussion of factors unique to each product segment where significant to an understanding of that segment.

Year Ended December 31, 2015 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2014

Net Revenues. Net revenues were $38.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to $41.8 million for the same period in 2014, a decrease of $2.9 million or 7%. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the net revenues of our Thermal and Electrical Products segments increased $638,000 or 3% and $160,000 or 2%, respectively, while the net revenues of our Mechanical Products segment decreased by $3.7 million or 33%. We believe the decrease in our consolidated net revenues during 2015 primarily reflects the factors previously discussed in the Overview.

Gross Margin. Gross margin was 48% for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to 49% for the same period in 2014. The reduction in the gross margin was primarily the result of our fixed operating costs not being as fully absorbed due to the lower net revenue levels in 2015 as compared to 2014. In absolute dollar terms, these costs decreased $81,000 from 2014 to 2015 but as a percentage of net revenues, these costs increased from 14% in 2014 to 15% in 2015. The reduction in our fixed operating costs in absolute dollar terms primarily reflects a reduction in salary and benefits expense in our Thermal and Mechanical Products segments as a result of a reduction in personnel.

Selling Expense. Selling expense was $5.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to $5.7 million for the same period in 2014, an increase of $62,000 or 1%. The increase in selling expense primarily reflects higher levels of commissions as a result of changes in customer mix. 

Engineering and Product Development Expense. Engineering and product development expense was $3.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to $3.6 million for the same period in 2014, an increase of $355,000 or 10%. The increase in engineering and product development expense primarily reflects higher salary and benefits expense for all of our products segments. The increase in salary and benefits expense was a result of both additional headcount and annual salary adjustments for existing staff.

General and Administrative Expense. General and administrative expense was $6.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to $6.2 million for the same period in 2014, an increase of $173,000 or 3%. The increase primarily reflects increased spending related to our strategic initiatives, including $329,000 for due diligence and transaction related costs associated with a potential acquisition that we decided not to pursue. To a lesser extent, there was also an increase in salary and benefits expense reflecting both annual salary adjustments and performance-based incentive compensation for existing staff. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in board fees paid to our directors due to a reduction in the size of the board.

Income Tax Expense. For the year ended December 31, 2015, we recorded income tax expense of $722,000 compared to $1.5 million for the same period in 2014. Our effective tax rate was 28% for 2015 compared to 30% for 2014. On a quarterly basis, we record income tax expense or benefit based on the expected annualized effective tax rate for the various taxing jurisdictions in which we operate our businesses. The decrease in our effective tax rate in 2015 as compared to 2014 primarily reflects an increase in the level of tax credits available to offset current tax expense in 2015 as compared to 2014.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As discussed more fully in the Overview, our business and results of operations are substantially dependent upon the demand for ATE by semiconductor manufacturers and companies that specialize in the testing of ICs. The cyclical and volatile nature of demand for ATE makes estimates of future revenues, results of operations and net cash flows difficult.

Our primary historical source of liquidity and capital resources has been cash flow generated by our operations and we manage our businesses to maximize operating cash flows as our primary source of liquidity. We use cash to fund growth in our operating assets, for new product research and development, for acquisitions and for stock repurchases.

Liquidity

Our cash and cash equivalents and working capital were as follows:

New or Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

See Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements for information concerning the implementation and impact of new or recently adopted accounting standards.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to inventories, long-lived assets, goodwill, identifiable intangibles and deferred income tax valuation allowances. We base our estimates on historical experience and on appropriate and customary assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Some of these accounting estimates and assumptions are particularly sensitive because of their significance to our consolidated financial statements and because of the possibility that future events affecting them may differ markedly from what had been assumed when the financial statements were prepared.

Inventory Valuation

Inventories are valued at cost on a first-in, first-out basis, not in excess of market value. On a quarterly basis, we review our inventories and record excess and obsolete inventory charges based upon our established objective excess and obsolete inventory criteria. These criteria identify material that has not been used in a work order during the prior twelve months and the quantity of material on hand that is greater than the average annual usage of that material over the prior three years. In certain cases, additional excess and obsolete inventory charges are recorded based upon current market conditions, anticipated product life cycles, new product introductions and expected future use of the inventory. The excess and obsolete inventory charges we record establish a new cost basis for the related inventories. During 2015 and 2014, we recorded inventory obsolescence charges for excess and obsolete inventory of $342,000 and $344,000, respectively.

Goodwill, Intangible and Long-Lived Assets

We account for goodwill and intangible assets in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 350 (Intangibles- Goodwill and Other). Finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful economic life and are carried at cost less accumulated amortization. Goodwill is assessed for impairment at least annually in the fourth quarter, on a reporting unit basis, or more frequently when events and circumstances occur indicating that the recorded goodwill may be impaired. As a part of the goodwill impairment assessment, we have 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. If we determine this is the case, we are required to perform a two-step goodwill impairment test to identify potential goodwill impairment and measure the amount of goodwill impairment loss to be recognized. The two-step test is discussed below. If we determine that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than its carrying amounts, the two-step goodwill impairment test is not required.

If we determine it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a result of our qualitative assessment, we will perform a quantitative two-step goodwill impairment test. In the Step I test, the fair value of a reporting unit is computed and compared with its book value. If the book value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, a Step II test is performed in which the implied fair value of goodwill is compared with the carrying amount of goodwill. If the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds the implied fair value, an impairment loss is recorded in an amount equal to that excess. The two-step goodwill impairment assessment is based upon a combination of the income approach, which estimates the fair value of our reporting units based upon a discounted cash flow approach, and the market approach which estimates the fair value of our reporting units based upon comparable market multiples. This fair value is then reconciled to our market capitalization at year end with an appropriate control premium. The determination of the fair value of our reporting units requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions including the selection of appropriate peer group companies, control premiums, discount rate, terminal growth rates, forecasts of revenue and expense growth rates, changes in

working capital, depreciation, amortization and capital expenditures. Changes in assumptions concerning future financial results or other underlying assumptions could have a significant impact on either the fair value of the reporting unit or the amount of the goodwill impairment charge. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, goodwill was $1.7 million. We did not record any impairment charges related to our goodwill during 2015 or 2014.

Indefinite-lived intangible assets are assessed for impairment at least annually in the fourth quarter, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. As a part of the impairment assessment, we have the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If, as a result of our qualitative assessment, we determine that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying amount, the quantitative impairment test is required. Otherwise, no further testing is required. The quantitative impairment test consists of a comparison of the fair value of the intangible asset with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of the intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, our indefinite-lived intangible asset was a trademark carried at $510,000. We did not record any impairment charges related to our indefinite-lived intangible asset during 2015 or 2014.

Long-lived assets, which consist of finite-lived intangible assets and property and equipment, are assessed for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable or that the useful lives of these assets are no longer appropriate. Each impairment test is based on a comparison of the estimated undiscounted cash flows to the recorded value of the asset. If impairment is indicated, the asset is written down to its estimated fair value. The cash flow estimates used to determine the impairment, if any, contain management's best estimates using appropriate assumptions and projections at that time. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, finite-lived intangibles and long-lived assets were $1.7 million and $2.2 million, respectively. We did not record any impairment charges related to our long-lived assets during 2015 or 2014.

Income Taxes

Deferred tax assets are analyzed to determine if there will be sufficient taxable income in the future in order to realize such assets. We assess all of the positive and negative evidence concerning the realizability of the deferred tax assets, including our historical results of operations for the recent past and our projections of future results of operations, in which we make subjective determinations of future events. If, after assessing all of the evidence, both positive and negative, a determination is made that the realizability of the deferred tax assets is not more likely than not, we establish a deferred tax valuation allowance for all or a portion of the deferred tax assets depending upon the specific facts. If any of the significant assumptions were changed, materially different results could occur, which could significantly change the amount of the deferred tax valuation allowance established. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, we had a net deferred tax asset of $1.2 million and $1.4 million, respectively, and a deferred tax valuation allowance of $15,000 and $100,000, respectively.

Off -Balance Sheet Arrangements

There were no off-balance sheet arrangements during the year ended December 31, 2015 that have or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to our interests.

This disclosure is not required for a smaller reporting company.

Consolidated financial statements are set forth in this Report beginning at page F-1 and are incorporated by reference into this Item 8.

None.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Because there are inherent limitations in all control systems, a control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, as opposed to absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the control. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Our management, including the CEO and CFO, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected. Accordingly, our management has designed the disclosure controls and procedures to provide reasonable assurance that the objectives of the control system were met.

CEO/CFO Conclusions about the Effectiveness of the Disclosure Controls and Procedures. As required by Rule 13a-15(b), inTEST management, including our CEO and CFO, conducted an evaluation as of the end of the period covered by this Report, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based on that evaluation, our CEO and CFO concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this Report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

During the period covered by this Report, there has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the period covered by this Report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, our principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by our Board of Directors, management and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that:

Because of inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) on Internal Control-Integrated 2013 Framework. Based upon this assessment, management believes that, as of December 31, 2015, our internal control over financial reporting is effective at a reasonable assurance level.

This annual report does not include an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting, as such an attestation is not required pursuant to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission applicable to smaller reporting companies.

None.

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement for our 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC on or before April 29, 2016, or, if our proxy statement is not filed on or before April 29, 2016, will be filed by that date by an amendment to this Form 10-K.

The information required by Item 201(d) of Regulation S-K is set forth below. The remainder of the information required by this Item 12 is incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement for our 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC on or before April 29, 2016, or, if our proxy statement is not filed on or before April 29, 2016, will be filed by that date by an amendment to this Form 10-K.

The following table shows the number of securities that may be issued pursuant to our equity compensation plans (including individual compensation arrangements) as of December 31, 2015:

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement for our 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC on or before April 29, 2016, or, if our proxy statement is not filed on or before April 29, 2016, will be filed by that date by an amendment to this Form 10-K.

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement for our 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC on or before April 29, 2016, or, if our proxy statement is not filed on or before April 29, 2016, will be filed by that date by an amendment to this Form 10-K.

We are an independent designer, manufacturer and marketer of thermal, mechanical and electrical products that are primarily used by semiconductor manufacturers in conjunction with automatic test equipment ("ATE") in the testing of integrated circuits ("ICs" or "semiconductors"). In addition, we sell our thermal products in markets outside the ATE market, such as the automotive, consumer electronics, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications markets.

The consolidated entity is comprised of inTEST Corporation (parent) and our wholly-owned subsidiaries. We have three reportable segments which are also our reporting units: Thermal Products, Mechanical Products and Electrical Products. We manufacture our products in the U.S. Marketing and support activities are conducted worldwide from our facilities in the U.S., Germany and Singapore.

The semiconductor market in which we operate is characterized by rapid technological change, competitive pricing pressures and cyclical as well as seasonal market patterns. This market is subject to significant economic downturns at various times. Our financial results are affected by a wide variety of factors, including, but not limited to, general economic conditions worldwide and in the markets in which we operate, economic conditions specific to the semiconductor market and the other markets we serve, our ability to safeguard patented technology and intellectual property in a rapidly evolving market, downward pricing pressures from customers, and our reliance on a relatively few number of customers for a significant portion of our sales. In addition, we are exposed to the risk of obsolescence of our inventory depending on the mix of future business and technological changes within the markets that we serve.  In January 2016, we implemented a restructuring plan, as discussed further in Note 17, the goal of which is to return our Mechanical Products segment to profitability.  These efforts could cause us to incur substantial costs and may not be successful.  We also continue to implement an acquisition strategy that may cause us to incur substantial expense in reviewing and evaluating potential transactions.  We may or may not be successful in locating suitable businesses to acquire.  In addition, if we are able to complete an acquisition, we may not be able to successfully integrate the acquired business with our existing business and we may not be able to operate the acquired business profitably.  As a result of these or other factors, we may experience significant period-to-period fluctuations in future operating results.

Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include our accounts and those of our wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Certain of our accounts, including inventories, long-lived assets, goodwill, identifiable intangibles and deferred tax assets and liabilities including related valuation allowances, are particularly impacted by estimates.

Reclassification

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to be comparable with the current year's presentation.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Short-term investments that have maturities of three months or less when purchased are considered to be cash equivalents and are carried at cost, which approximates market value. Our cash balances, which are deposited with highly reputable financial institutions, at times may exceed the federally insured limits. We have not experienced any losses related to these cash balances and believe the credit risk to be minimal.

Trade Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. We grant credit to customers and generally require no collateral. To minimize our risk, we perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers' financial condition. The allowance for doubtful accounts is our best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in our existing accounts receivable. We determine the allowance based on historical write-off experience and the aging of such receivables, among other factors. Account balances are charged off against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. We do not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to our customers. There was no bad debt expense recorded in either of the years ended December 31, 2015 or 2014. Cash flows from accounts receivable are recorded in operating cash flows.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Our financial instruments, principally accounts receivable and accounts payable, are carried at cost which approximates fair value, due to the short maturities of the accounts.

Inventories

Inventories are valued at cost on a first-in, first-out basis, not in excess of market value. Cash flows from the sale of inventories are recorded in operating cash flows. On a quarterly basis, we review our inventories and record excess and obsolete inventory charges based upon our established objective excess and obsolete inventory criteria. These criteria identify material that has not been used in a work order during the prior twelve months and the quantity of material on hand that is greater than the average annual usage of that material over the prior three years. In certain cases, additional excess and obsolete inventory charges are recorded based upon current market conditions, anticipated product life cycles, new product introductions and expected future use of the inventory. The excess and obsolete inventory charges we record establish a new cost basis for the related inventories. We incurred excess and obsolete inventory charges of $342 and $344 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Property and Equipment

Machinery and equipment are stated at cost. As further discussed below under "Goodwill, Intangible and Long-Lived Assets," machinery and equipment that has been determined to be impaired is written down to its fair value at the time of the impairment. Depreciation is based upon the estimated useful life of the assets using the straight-line method. The estimated useful lives range from one to ten years. Leasehold improvements are recorded at cost and amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the asset. Total depreciation expense was $465 and $524 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Goodwill, Intangible and Long-Lived Assets

We account for goodwill and intangible assets in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 350 (Intangibles- Goodwill and Other). Finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful economic life and are carried at cost less accumulated amortization. Goodwill is assessed for impairment at least annually in the fourth quarter, on a reporting unit basis, or more frequently when events and circumstances occur indicating that the recorded goodwill may be impaired. As a part of the goodwill impairment assessment, we have 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. If we determine this is the case, we are required to perform a two-step goodwill impairment test to identify potential goodwill impairment and measure the amount of goodwill impairment loss to be recognized. The two-step test is discussed below. If we determine that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than its carrying amounts, the two-step goodwill impairment test is not required.

If we determine it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a result of our qualitative assessment, we will perform a quantitative two-step goodwill impairment test. In the Step I test, the fair value of a reporting unit is computed and compared with its book value. If the book value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, a Step II test is performed in which the implied fair value of goodwill is compared with the carrying amount of goodwill. If the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds the implied fair value, an impairment loss is recorded in an amount equal to that excess. The two-step goodwill impairment assessment is based upon a combination of the income approach, which estimates the fair value of our reporting units based upon a discounted cash flow approach, and the market approach which estimates the fair value of our reporting units based upon comparable market multiples. This fair value is then reconciled to our market capitalization at year end with an appropriate control premium. The determination of the fair value of our reporting units requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions including the selection of appropriate peer group companies, control premiums, discount rate, terminal growth rates, forecasts of revenue and expense growth rates, changes in working capital, depreciation, amortization and capital expenditures. Changes in assumptions concerning future financial results or other underlying assumptions could have a significant impact on either the fair value of the reporting unit or the amount of the goodwill impairment charge.

Indefinite-lived intangible assets are assessed for impairment at least annually in the fourth quarter, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. As a part of the impairment assessment, we have the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If, as a result of our qualitative assessment, we determine that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying amount, the quantitative impairment test is required. Otherwise, no further testing is required. The quantitative impairment test consists of a comparison of the fair value of the intangible asset with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of the intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess.

Long-lived assets, which consist of finite-lived intangible assets and property and equipment, are assessed for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable or that the useful lives of these assets are no longer appropriate. Each impairment test is based on a comparison of the estimated undiscounted cash flows to the recorded value of the asset. If impairment is indicated, the asset is written down to its estimated fair value. The cash flow estimates used to determine the impairment, if any, contain management's best estimates using appropriate assumptions and projections at that time.

Stock-Based Compensation

We account for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718 (Compensation - Stock Compensation) which requires that employee share-based equity awards be accounted for under the fair value method and requires the use of an option pricing model for estimating fair value, which is then amortized to expense over the service periods. See further disclosures related to our stock-based compensation plans in Note 12.

Subsequent Events

We have made an assessment of our operations and determined that there were no material subsequent events requiring adjustment to, or disclosure in, our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015 other than the events discussed in Note 17.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the price is fixed or determinable, and collection of the related receivable is reasonably assured. Sales of our products are made through our sales employees, third-party sales representatives and distributors. There are no differences in revenue recognition policies based on the sales channel. We do not provide our customers with rights of return or exchanges. Revenue is generally recognized upon product shipment. Our customers' purchase orders do not typically contain any customer-specific acceptance criteria, other than that the product performs within the agreed upon specifications. We test all products manufactured as part of our quality assurance process to determine that they comply with specifications prior to shipment to a customer. To the extent that any customer purchase order contains customer-specific acceptance criteria, revenue recognition is deferred until customer acceptance.

In addition, in our Thermal Products segment, we lease certain of our equipment to customers under non-cancellable operating leases. These leases generally have an initial term of six months. We recognize revenue for these leases on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

With respect to sales tax collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities, we use a net presentation in our consolidated statement of operations. As a result, there are no amounts included in either our net revenues or cost of revenues related to sales tax.

Product Warranties

We generally provide product warranties and record estimated warranty expense at the time of sale based upon historical claims experience. Warranty expense is included in selling expense in the consolidated financial statements.

Engineering and Product Development

Engineering and product development costs, which consist primarily of the salary and related benefits costs of our technical staff, as well as the cost of materials used in product development, are expensed as incurred.

Foreign Currency

For our foreign subsidiary whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, assets and liabilities are translated using the exchange rate in effect at the balance sheet date. The results of operations are translated using an average exchange rate for the period. The effects of rate fluctuations in translating assets and liabilities of these international operations into U.S. dollars are included in accumulated other comprehensive earnings in stockholders' equity. Transaction gains or losses are included in net earnings. For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, foreign currency transaction losses were $33 and $44, respectively.

Income Taxes

The asset and liability method is used in accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards and for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying amounts of deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized.

Net Earnings Per Common Share

Net earnings per common share - basic is computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Net earnings per common share - diluted is computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding during each period. Common share equivalents represent unvested shares of restricted stock and stock options and are calculated using the treasury stock method. Common share equivalents are excluded from the calculation if their effect is anti-dilutive.

The table below sets forth, for the periods indicated, a reconciliation of weighted average common shares outstanding - basic to weighted average common shares and common share equivalents outstanding - diluted and the average number of potentially dilutive securities that were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share because their effect was anti-dilutive:

have been recorded in previous reporting periods if the adjustment to the provisional amounts had been recognized as of the acquisition date. The amendments are effective for us as of January 1, 2016, with early application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. We do not expect the implementation of these amendments to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued amendments to update the current guidance on the subsequent measurement of inventory, which is presented in ASC Topic 330 (Inventory). The purpose of the amendments is to simplify the subsequent measurement of inventory and reduce the number of potential outcomes. It applies to all inventory other than inventory measured using last-in, first-out or the retail inventory method. Current guidance requires an entity to measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. Market could be replacement cost, net realizable value, or net realizable value less a normal profit margin. The updated guidance amends this to require that an entity measure inventory within the scope of the updated guidance at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. The amendments are effective for us as of January 1, 2017. We do not expect the implementation of these amendments to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued new guidance on the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers. This guidance is presented in ASC Topic 606 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers). This new guidance will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. Companies can use either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. In August 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of this new guidance for one additional year. As a result, this new guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2018. Early application is only permitted as of the prior effective date, which in our case would be as of January 1, 2017. We have not yet selected a transition method and we are still evaluating the effect that this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Goodwill and intangible assets on our balance sheets are the result of our acquisitions of Sigma Systems Corp. ("Sigma") in October 2008 and Thermonics, Inc. ("Thermonics") in January 2012.

Goodwill

All of our goodwill is allocated to our Thermal Products segment. There were no changes in the amount of the carrying value of goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Intangible Assets

The following table provides further detail about our intangible assets as of December 31, 2015 and 2014:

Impairment of Goodwill and Indefinite Life Intangible Assets

During December 2015 and 2014, we assessed our goodwill and indefinite life intangible asset for impairment in accordance with the requirements of ASC Topic 350 (Intangibles - Goodwill and Other). Our goodwill impairment assessment is based upon a combination of the income approach, which estimates the fair value of our reporting units based upon a discounted cash flow approach, and the market approach which estimates the fair value of our reporting units based upon comparable market multiples. This fair value is then reconciled to our market capitalization at year end with an appropriate control premium. The discount rates used in 2015 and 2014 for the discounted cash flows were 20% and 17%, respectively. The selection of these rates was based upon our analysis of market based estimates of capital costs and discount rates. The peer companies used in the market approach operate in our market segment. The determination of the fair value of our reporting units requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions including the selection of appropriate peer group companies, control premiums, discount rate, terminal growth rates, forecasts of revenue and expense growth rates, changes in working capital, depreciation, amortization and capital expenditures. Changes in assumptions concerning future financial results or other underlying assumptions could have a significant impact on either the fair value of the reporting unit or the amount of the goodwill impairment charge. 

During the goodwill impairment assessment in both 2015 and 2014, we performed a Step I test to identify potential impairment, in which the fair value of the Thermal Products reporting unit was compared with its book value. This assessment indicated no impairment existed as the fair value of this reporting unit was determined to exceed its carrying value by 84% or $12,019 at December 31, 2015 and by 68% or $15,971 at December 31, 2014.

During the indefinite life intangible asset impairment assessment in both 2015 and 2014, we compared the fair value of our intangible asset with its carrying amount. This assessment indicated no impairment existed as the fair value of the intangible assets exceeded their carrying values in both 2015 and 2014.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Finite-lived Intangible Assets

As previously noted, our long-lived assets consist of our finite-lived intangible assets and property and equipment. During both December 2015 and 2014, due to continued operating losses experienced in our Mechanical Products segment, we assessed the long-lived assets of this segment for impairment. Our assessments indicated that the property and equipment that is allocated to this segment was not impaired. During 2015 and 2014, we did not review our Thermal and Electrical Products segment's long lived assets for impairment as there were no events or changes in business circumstances that would indicate an impairment might exist.

During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, Hakuto Co. Ltd., one of our distributors, accounted for 12% and 11% of our consolidated net revenues, respectively. These revenues were generated by our Thermal Products segment. During the year ended December 31, 2014, Texas Instruments Incorporated accounted for 13% of our consolidated net revenues. While all three of our operating segments sold products to this customer, these revenues were primarily generated by our Mechanical Products and Electrical Products segments. During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, no other customer accounted for 10% or more of our consolidated net revenues.

Inventories held at December 31 were comprised of the following:

Other current liabilities at December 31 were comprised of the following:

Letters of Credit

We have issued letters of credit as the security deposits for certain of our domestic leases. These letters of credit are secured by pledged certificates of deposit which are classified as Restricted Certificates of Deposit on our balance sheets. The terms of our leases require us to renew these letters of credit at least 30 days prior to their expiration dates for successive terms of not less than one year until lease expiration. Our outstanding letters of credit at December 31, 2015 and 2014 consisted of the following:

In our Thermal Products segment, we lease certain of our equipment to customers under non-cancellable operating leases. These leases generally have an initial term of six months. We recognize revenue for these leases on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

The total cost of leased equipment at December 31, 2015 and 2014 was $338 and $692, respectively, and is included in Machinery and Equipment on our balance sheet. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, accumulated depreciation for leased equipment was $124 and $167, respectively.

As of December 31, 2015, total minimum payments receivable under non-cancellable operating leases were $55. All of these payments will be received in 2016.

Operating Lease Commitments

We lease our offices, warehouse facilities and certain equipment under non-cancellable operating leases which expire at various dates through 2021. Total rental expense for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 was $1,351 and $1,307, respectively. Certain of our operating leases contain predetermined fixed escalations of minimum rentals and rent holidays during the original lease terms. Rent holidays are periods during which we have control of the leased facility but are not obligated to pay rent. For these leases, we recognize the related rental expense on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease, which includes any rent holiday, and record the difference between the amounts charged to operations and amounts paid as Accrued Rent on our balance sheet. In addition to the monthly rental payments due, most of our leases for our offices and

warehouse facilities require us to pay our portion of the common area maintenance, property taxes and insurance charges incurred by the landlord for the facilities which we occupy. These amounts are not included in the minimum rental commitments disclosed below as they are based on actual charges incurred in the periods to which they apply.

The aggregate minimum rental commitments under the non-cancellable operating leases in effect at December 31, 2015 are as follows:

We are subject to Federal and certain state income taxes. In addition, we are taxed in certain foreign countries. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, there were no cumulative undistributed earnings of our foreign subsidiaries for which U.S. income taxes have not been provided.

Earnings before income taxes was as follows:

In accounting for income taxes, we follow the guidance in ASC Topic 740 (Income Taxes) regarding the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax positions in our financial statements. Recognition involves a determination of whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination with the presumption that the tax position will be examined by the appropriate taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. Our policy is to record interest and penalties associated with unrecognized tax benefits as additional income taxes in the statement of operations. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, we did not have an accrual for uncertain tax positions.

We file U.S. income tax returns and multiple state and foreign income tax returns. With few exceptions, the U.S. and state income tax returns filed for the tax years ending on December 31, 2012 and thereafter are subject to examination by the relevant taxing authorities.

From time to time we may be a party to legal proceedings occurring in the ordinary course of business. We are not currently involved in any legal proceedings the resolution of which we believe could have a material effect on our business, financial position, results of operations or long-term liquidity.

As of December 31, 2015, we have unvested restricted stock awards granted under the inTEST Corporation 2007 Stock Plan (the "2007 Stock Plan"). The 2007 Stock Plan was approved at our annual meeting of stockholders held on June 13, 2007. The 2007 Stock Plan permits the granting of stock options or restricted stock, for up to 500,000 shares of our common stock, to officers, other key employees and consultants. As of December 31, 2015, 62,500 shares remain available to grant under the 2007 Stock Plan.

In addition, at our annual meeting on June 25, 2014, our stockholders approved the inTEST Corporation 2014 Stock Plan (the "2014 Stock Plan"). The 2014 Stock Plan permits the granting of stock options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights or restricted stock units for up to 500,000 shares of our common stock to directors, officers, other key employees and consultants. As of December 31, 2015, no stock awards have been granted under the 2014 Stock Plan.

Our unvested restricted stock awards outstanding are accounted for based on their grant date fair value. As of December 31, 2015, total compensation expense to be recognized in future periods was $187. All of this expense is related to unvested shares of restricted stock. The weighted average period over which this expense is expected to be recognized is 1.7 years.

Stock Options

We did not grant any stock options during 2015 or 2014. During the year ended December 31, 2015, there were no stock options outstanding. The following table summarizes the stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2014: