NOTE 2. ACQUISITIONS The Company continually evaluates potential acquisitions that either strategically fit with the Company s existing portfolio or expand the Company s portfolio into a new and attractive business area. The Company has completed a number of acquisitions that have been accounted for as purchases and have resulted in the recognition of goodwill in the Company s financial statements. This goodwill arises because the purchase prices for these businesses reflect a number of factors including the future earnings and cash flow potential of these businesses; the multiple to earnings, cash flow and other factors at which similar businesses have been purchased by other acquirers; the competitive nature of the process by which the Company acquired the business; and the complementary strategic fit and resulting synergies these businesses bring to existing operations. The Company makes an initial allocation of the purchase price at the date of acquisition based upon its understanding of the fair market value of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities. The Company obtains this information during due diligence and through other sources. In the months after closing, as the Company obtains additional information about these assets and liabilities, including through tangible and intangible asset appraisals, and learns more about the newly acquired business, it is able to refine the estimates of fair market value and more accurately allocate the purchase price. Only items identified as of the acquisition date are considered for subsequent adjustment. The Company is continuing to evaluate certain pre-acquisition contingencies associated with certain of its 2008 and 2009 acquisitions and is in the process of obtaining valuations of acquired intangible assets and certain acquisition related liabilities in connection with its 2009 acquisitions. The Company will make appropriate adjustments to the purchase price allocation prior to completion of the measurement period, as required. The following briefly describes t