NOTE 5 — GOODWILL

The following table summarizes the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for 2012 and 2011:

As discussed in Note 1, goodwill is not amortized but is periodically tested for impairment. For the four reporting units with goodwill in 2012, the Company performed a qualitative assessment of the goodwill’s carrying value. The assessment indicated no impairment to the carrying value of goodwill in any of the Company’s reporting units and no impairment charge recognized.

During fiscal 2011, the weak economic conditions resulted in a decline in business and a reduction in forecasted cash flows in the Test Systems reporting unit. Based on this evaluation, we determined that the fair value of the Test Systems reporting unit was less than its carrying value. None of the reporting units in the Aerospace Segment indicated impairment. Following this assessment, ASC Topic 350 required us to perform a second step in order to determine the implied fair value of goodwill in the Test Systems reporting unit and to compare it to its carrying value. The activities in the second step included hypothetically valuing all of the tangible and intangible assets of the impaired reporting unit using market participant assumptions, as if the reporting unit had been acquired in a business combination as of the date of the valuation.

As a result of this assessment in 2011, the Company recorded an impairment charge of approximately $2.4 million in the December 31, 2011 Consolidated Statements of Operations. The impairment loss is reported on the Impairment Loss line of the Consolidated Statements of Operations. None of this loss related to goodwill is immediately deductible for tax purposes. The majority of goodwill is amortized over 15 years for tax purposes. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Test Systems segment has no recorded goodwill, as a result of impairment charges recorded in 2011 and 2009.

There was no impairment to the carrying value of goodwill in 2012 or 2010.