Document And Entity Information - shares	3 Months Ended
Document And Entity Information - shares	Jan. 31, 2018	Mar. 08, 2018
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	OPTICAL CABLE CORP
Entity Central Index Key	0001000230
Trading Symbol	occ
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--10-31
Entity Filer Category	Smaller Reporting Company
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding (in shares)		7,654,247
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Jan. 31, 2018
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2018
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Amendment Flag	false

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Current Period Unaudited) - USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash	$ 528,949	$ 891,169
Trade accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $107,808 at January 31, 2018 and $87,446 at October 31, 2017	11,309,222	8,940,540
Other receivables	22,123	72,098
Inventories	17,621,540	16,781,449
Prepaid expenses	453,328	418,122
Total current assets	29,935,162	27,103,378
Property and equipment, net	11,892,289	12,210,692
Income taxes refundable - noncurrent	35,118
Intangible assets, net	642,686	624,264
Other assets, net	106,085	200,846
Total assets	42,611,340	40,139,180
Current liabilities:
Current installments of long-term debt	253,266	250,726
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	4,996,246	2,590,252
Accrued compensation and payroll taxes	1,707,354	1,340,749
Income taxes payable	16,806	15,150
Total current liabilities	6,973,672	4,196,877
Note payable to bank	5,900,000	5,700,000
Long-term debt, excluding current installments	6,355,868	6,419,607
Other noncurrent liabilities	124,558	133,174
Total liabilities	19,354,098	16,449,658
Shareholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, no par value, authorized 1,000,000 shares; none issued and outstanding	0	0
Common stock, no par value, authorized 50,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 7,674,938 shares at January 31, 2018 and 7,315,605 shares at October 31, 2017	11,739,876	11,762,021
Retained earnings	11,517,366	11,927,501
Total shareholders’ equity	23,257,242	23,689,522
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$ 42,611,340	$ 40,139,180

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Current Period Unaudited) (Parentheticals) - USD ($) $ / shares in Thousands	Jan. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 107,808	$ 87,446
Preferred stock, authorized (in shares)	1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock, issued (in shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, outstanding (in shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, no par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	50,000,000	50,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	7,674,938	7,315,605
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	7,674,938	7,315,605

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2018	Jan. 31, 2017
Net sales	$ 17,551,040	$ 14,606,252
Cost of goods sold	12,322,220	9,795,853
Gross profit	5,228,820	4,810,399
Selling, general and administrative expenses	5,557,693	5,192,648
Royalty (income) expense, net	(5,415)	31,251
Amortization of intangible assets	7,239	5,829
Loss from operations	(330,697)	(419,329)
Other expense, net:
Interest expense	(128,826)	(147,813)
Other, net	9,903	(69,225)
Other expense, net	(118,923)	(217,038)
Loss before income taxes	(449,620)	(636,367)
Income tax benefit	(39,485)	(20,600)
Net loss	$ (410,135)	$ (615,767)
Net loss per share: Basic and diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.06)	$ (0.09)

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Shareholders' Equity (Unaudited) - 3 months ended Jan. 31, 2018 - USD ($)	Common Stock [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Total
Balances (in shares) at Oct. 31, 2017	7,315,605
Balances at Oct. 31, 2017	$ 11,762,021	$ 11,927,501	$ 23,689,522
Share-based compensation, net (in shares)	(359,333)
Share-based compensation, net	$ (22,145)		(22,145)
Net loss		(410,135)	(410,135)
Balances (in shares) at Jan. 31, 2018	7,674,938
Balances at Jan. 31, 2018	$ 11,739,876	$ 11,517,366	$ 23,257,242

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2018	Jan. 31, 2017
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss	$ (410,135)	$ (615,767)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	408,284	506,342
Bad debt expense (recovery)	23,489	(568)
Share-based compensation expense	113,354	148,920
Loss on sale of property and equipment	6,597	78,482
(Increase) decrease in:
Trade accounts receivable	(2,392,171)	382,725
Other receivables	49,975	21,437
Inventories	(840,091)	(1,017,384)
Prepaid expenses	(35,206)	(14,555)
Income taxes refundable - noncurrent	(35,118)
Increase (decrease) in:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	2,453,419	465,111
Accrued compensation and payroll taxes	366,605	5,873
Income taxes payable	1,656	(2,100)
Other noncurrent liabilities	(8,616)	(27,428)
Net cash used in operating activities	(297,958)	(68,912)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of and deposits for the purchase of property and equipment	(41,903)	(68,117)
Investment in intangible assets	(25,661)	2,277
Net cash used in investing activities	(67,564)	(65,840)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payroll taxes withheld and remitted on share-based payments	(135,499)	(11,279)
Proceeds from note payable to bank	750,000
Principal payments on long-term debt and note payable to bank	(611,199)	(471,758)
Repurchase of common stock		(15,594)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	3,302	(498,631)
Net decrease in cash	(362,220)	(633,383)
Cash at beginning of period	891,169	1,879,064
Cash at end of period	$ 528,949	$ 1,245,681

Note 1 - General

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

Notes to Financial Statements

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

General

The accompanying unaudited condensed

consolidated financial statements of Optical Cable Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company” or “OCC

”) have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and the instructions to Form

-Q and Regulation S-

Accordingly, they do

not

include all of the information and notes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all material adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the

three

months ended

January 31, 2018

are

not

necessarily indicative of the results for the fiscal year ending

October

31,

2018

because the following items, among other things,

may

impact those results: changes in market conditions, seasonality, changes in technology, competitive conditions, ability of management to execute its business plans, as well as other variables, uncertainties, contingencies and risks set forth as risks in the Company’s Annual Report on Form

-K for the fiscal year ended

October

31,

2017

(including those set forth in the “Forward-Looking Information” section), or as otherwise set forth in other filings by the Company as variables, contingencies and/or risks possibly affecting future results. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and condensed notes are presented as permitted by Form

-Q and do

not

contain certain information included in the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements and notes. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form

-K for the fiscal year ended

October

31,

2017.

July 2015,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2015

11,

Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory

(“ASU

2015

11”

). ASU

2015

changes the inventory valuation method from lower of cost or market to lower of cost and net realizable value for inventory valued using

first

-in,

first

-out or average cost. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. ASU

2015

is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2016,

including interim periods within those fiscal years, and should be applied prospectively. The Company adopted ASU

2015

effective

November 1, 2017.

The adoption did

not

have any impact on our results of operations, financial position or liquidity or our related financial statement disclosures.

March 2016,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2016

09,

Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic

718

): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting

(“ASU

2016

09”

). ASU

2016

simplifies several aspects related to the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, statutory tax withholding requirements and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU

2016

is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2016,

including interim periods within that reporting period, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU

2016

effective

November 1, 2017.

The adoption did

not

have any impact on our results of operations, financial position or liquidity or our related financial statement disclosures.

Note 2 - Stock Incentive Plans and Other Share-based Compensation

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

Notes to Financial Statements

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]

(

)

Stock

Incentive Plans and Other Share-Based Compensation

January 31, 2018,

there were approximately

225,000

remaining shares available for grant under the Optical Cable Corporation

2017

Stock Incentive Plan (

“2017

Plan”).

Share-based compensation expense for employees, a consultant and non-employee Directors recognized in the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the

three

months ended

January 31, 2018

and

2017

was $

113,354

and

$148,920,

respectively. Share-based compensation expense is entirely related to expense recognized in connection with the vesting of restricted stock awards or other stock awards.

Restricted

and Other

Stock Awards

The Company has granted, and anticipates granting from time to time, restricted stock awards

subject to approval by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Since fiscal year

2004,

the Company has exclusively used restricted stock awards for all share-based compensation of employees and consultants, and restricted stock awards or stock awards to non-employee members of the Board of Directors.

During the

three

months ended

January 31, 2018,

restricted stock awards for employees under the

2017

Plan totaling

445,689

shares were approved by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company. All of the restricted shares granted are operational performance-based shares vesting over approximately

five

years beginning on

January 31, 2019

based on the achievement of certain quantitative operational performance goals. The Company uses gross profit growth as its performance-based measure for restricted stock awards granted to employees.

estricted stock award activity during the

three

months ended

January 31, 2018

consisted of restricted stock grants totaling

445,689

shares, restricted shares forfeited totaling

28,693

and restricted shares withheld for taxes in connection with the vesting of restricted shares totaling

57,663.

Employees and non-employee Directors have the option to surrender shares to pay for withholding tax obligations resulting from any vesting restricted shares, or to pay cash to the Company or taxing authorities in the amount of the withholding taxes owed on the value of any vesting restricted shares in order to avoid surrendering shares.

As of

January 31, 2018,

the estimated amount of compensation cost related to unvested equity-based compensation awards in the form of service-based and operational performance-based shares that the Company will recognize over a

3.5

year weighted-average period is approximately

$3.2

million.

Note 5 - Product Warranties

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

Notes to Financial Statements

Product Warranty Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

Product Warranties

As of

January 31, 2018

and

October

31,

2017,

the Company’s accrual for estimated product warranty claims totaled

$140,000

and

$180,000,

respectively, and is included in accounts payable and accrued expenses. Warranty claims expense for the

three

months ended

January 31, 2018

and

2017

totaled

$41,996

and

$47,855,

respectively.

The following table summarizes the changes in the Company

’s accrual for product warranties during the

three

months ended

January 31, 2018

and

2017:

	Three Months Ended
	January 31,
	2018			2017
Balance at beginning of period	$	180,000		$	70,000
Liabilities accrued for warranties issued during the period		120,308			71,161
Warranty claims and costs paid during the period		(81,996	)		(32,855	)
Changes in liability for pre-existing warranties during the period		(78,312	)		(23,306	)
Balance at end of period	$	140,000		$	85,000

Note 6 - Long-term Debt and Note Payable to Bank

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

Notes to Financial Statements

Long-term Debt [Text Block]

(

)

Long-term Debt and Note Payable to Bank

The Company has credit facilities consisting of a real estate term loan, as amended

and restated (the “Virginia Real Estate Loan”), a supplemental real estate term loan, as amended and restated (the “North Carolina Real Estate Loan”) and a revolving credit note.

Both the Virginia Real Estate Loan and the North Carolina Real Estate Loan are with Pinnacle

Financial Partners (“Pinnacle”), have a fixed interest rate of

3.95%

and are secured by a

first

priority lien on all of the Company’s personal property and assets, all money, goods, machinery, equipment, fixtures, inventory, accounts, chattel paper, letter of credit rights, deposit accounts, commercial tort claims, documents, instruments, investment property and general intangibles now owned or hereafter acquired by the Company and wherever located, as well as a

first

lien deed of trust on the Company’s real property.

Long-term debt a

s of

January 31, 2018

and

October 31, 2017

consists of the following:

	January 31,		October 31,
	2018		2017
Virginia Real Estate Loan ($6.5 million original principal) payable in monthly installments of $31,812, including interest (at 3.95%), with final payment of $3,644,211 due May 1, 2024	$	4,915,223	$	4,960,738
North Carolina Real Estate Loan ($2.24 million original principal) payable in monthly installments of $10,963, including interest (at 3.95%), with final payment of $1,255,850 due May 1, 2024		1,693,911		1,709,595
Total long-term debt		6,609,134		6,670,333
Less current installments		253,266		250,726
Long-term debt, excluding current installments	$	6,355,868	$	6,419,607

The

Revolving Credit Note (“Revolver”) with Pinnacle provides the Company with a

$7.0

million revolving line of credit (“Revolving Loan”) for the working capital needs of the Company. Under the Revolver, Pinnacle provides the Company with

one

or more revolving loans in a collective maximum principal amount of

$7.0

million. The Company

may

borrow, repay, and reborrow at any time or from time to time while the Revolving Loan is in effect. The maturity date of the Revolver is currently

March 31, 2019.

he applicable margin in the Revolving Credit Note has a floor on the interest rate for the Revolving Credit Note such that the rate will never be less than

2.50%

per annum. The Revolving Loan accrues interest at LIBOR plus

2.50%

(resulting in a

4.07%

rate at

January 31, 2018).

The Revolving Loan is payable in monthly payments of interest only with principal and any outstanding interest due and payable at maturity.

The Revolving Loan

is secured by a perfected

first

lien security interest on all assets, including but

not

limited to, accounts, as-extracted collateral, chattel paper, commodity accounts, commodity contracts, deposit accounts, documents, equipment, fixtures, furniture, general intangibles, goods, instruments, inventory, investment property, letter of credit rights, payment intangibles, promissory notes, software and general tangible and intangible assets owned now or later acquired. The Revolving Loan is also cross-collateralized with the Company’s real property.

As of

January 31, 2018,

the Company had

$5.9

million of outstanding borrowings on its Revolving Loan and

$1.1

million in available credit. As of

October 31, 2017,

the Company had outstanding borrowings of

$5.7

million on its Revolving Loan and

$1.3

million in available credit.

Note 7 - Fair Value Measurements

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

Notes to Financial Statements

Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]

(

)

Fair Value Measurements

The carrying amounts reported in the condensed consolidated balance sheets

as of

January 31, 2018

and

October 31, 2017

for cash, trade accounts receivable, other receivables and accounts payable and accrued expenses, including accrued compensation and payroll taxes, approximate fair value because of the short maturity of these instruments. The carrying values of the Company’s note payable to bank and long-term debt approximate fair value based on similar long-term debt issues available to the Company as of

January 31, 2018

and

October 31, 2017.

Fair value is defined as the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details

Note 8 - Net Loss Per Share

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

Notes to Financial Statements

Earnings Per Share [Text Block]

(

)

Net Loss Per Share

Basic net

loss per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net loss available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net loss per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that then shared in the net loss of the Company.

The following is a reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the net

loss per share computations for the periods presented:

	Three months ended
	January 31,
	2018			2017
Net loss (numerator)	$	(410,135	)	$	(615,767	)

Shares (denominator)		6,667,595			6,486,739

Basic and diluted net loss per share	$	(0.06	)	$	(0.09	)

Weighted average unvested shares for the

three

months ended

January 31,

2018

and

2017

totaling

643,005

and

623,415,

respectively, while issued and outstanding, were

not

included in the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share for the

three

months ended

January 31, 2018

and

2017

(because to include such shares would have been antidilutive, or in other words, to do so would have reduced the net loss per share for those periods).

Note 9 - Segment Information and Business and Credit Concentrations

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

Notes to Financial Statements

Concentration Risk Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

Segment Information and Business and Credit Concentrations

The Company provides credit, in the normal course of business, to various commercial enterprises, governmental entities and

not

-for-profit organizations. Concentration of credit risk with respect to trade receivables is limited due to the Company’s large number of customers. The Company also manages exposure to credit risk through credit approvals, credit limits and monitoring procedures. Management believes that credit risks as of

January 31, 2018

have been adequately provided for in the condensed consolidated financial statements.

For the

three

months ended

January 31,

201

21.3%

of consolidated net sales were attributable to

one

customer. For the

three

months ended

January 31, 2017,

16.5%

of consolidated net sales were attributable to a different customer.

The Company has a

single

reportable segment for purposes of segment reporting.

Note 11 - New Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

Notes to Financial Statements

Description of New Accounting Pronouncements Not yet Adopted [Text Block]

(

)

New Accounting Standards

Not

Yet Adopted

May 2014,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2014

09,

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

(“ASU

2014

09”

). ASU

2014

is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that expands disclosure requirements and requires an entity to recognize revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In

August 2015,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2015

14,

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic

606

): Deferral of the Effective Date

(“ASU

2015

14”

) which defers the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard by

one

year. Under ASU

2015

14,

the new revenue recognition standard is effective for the Company beginning in fiscal year

2019.

The FASB has also issued ASU

2016

08,

ASU

2016

10,

ASU

2016

11,

ASU

2016

12,

ASU

2016

and ASU

2017

all of which clarify certain implementation guidance within ASU

2014

09.

The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of the adoption of this guidance, but does

not

anticipate that the adoption will significantly change the timing or amount of revenue recognized. Therefore, the Company believes the adoption will be limited to expanded disclosures with

material impact on its results of operations, financial position and liquidity.

February 2016,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2016

02,

Leases

(“ASU

2016

02”

). ASU

2016

requires the recognition of a separate lease liability representing the required lease payments over the lease term and a separate lease asset representing the right to use the underlying asset during the same lease term. Additionally, this ASU provides clarification regarding the identification of certain components of contracts that would represent a lease as well as requires additional disclosures to the notes to the financial statements. ASU

2016

is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2018,

including interim periods within that reporting period with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the provisions of ASU

2016

in order to determine the impact on its results of operations, financial position and liquidity and its related financial statement disclosures. The Company expects the adoption of ASU

2016

may

result in an increase to its long-term assets and liabilities on its consolidated balance sheet depending on the resulting impact of any decision by the Company to renew, extend or replace its

two

existing real estate leases, as the current leases expire; however, the Company does

not

expect the adoption to have a material impact on its results of operations, financial position and liquidity and its related financial statement disclosures.

August 2016,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2016

15,

Statement of Cash Flows (Topic

230

): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments

(“ASU

2016

15”

). ASU

2016

provides guidance related to the classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments on the statement of cash flows. The pronouncement provides clarification guidance on

eight

specific cash flow presentation issues that have developed due to diversity in practice. ASU

2016

is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2017,

including interim periods within that reporting period, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU

2016

not

expected to have a material impact on the Company's results of operations, financial position or liquidity or its related financial statement disclosures.

October 2016,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2016

16,

Income Taxes (Topic

740

): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory

(“ASU

2016

16”

). ASU

2016

requires an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset (with the exception of inventory) when the transfer occurs. Under current GAAP, entities are prohibited from recognizing current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity transfer until the asset is sold to a

third

party. Examples of assets that would be affected by the new guidance are intellectual property and property, plant and equipment. ASU

2016

is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2017,

including interim periods within that reporting period, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU

2016

not

expected to have a material impact on the Company's results of operations, financial position or liquidity or its related financial statement disclosures.

There are

other new accounting standards issued, but

not

yet adopted by the Company, which are expected to materially impact the Company’s financial position, operating results or financial statement disclosures.

Note 4 - Inventories (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

Notes Tables

Schedule of Inventory, Current [Table Text Block]

	January 31,		October 31,
	2018		2017
Finished goods	$	5,131,672	$	5,869,269
Work in process		3,501,825		2,507,434
Raw materials		8,705,484		8,108,433
Production supplies		282,559		296,313
Total	$	17,621,540	$	16,781,449

Note 5 - Product Warranties (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

Notes Tables

Schedule of Product Warranty Liability [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended
	January 31,
	2018			2017
Balance at beginning of period	$	180,000		$	70,000
Liabilities accrued for warranties issued during the period		120,308			71,161
Warranty claims and costs paid during the period		(81,996	)		(32,855	)
Changes in liability for pre-existing warranties during the period		(78,312	)		(23,306	)
Balance at end of period	$	140,000		$	85,000

Note 2 - Stock Incentive Plans and Other Share-based Compensation (Details Textual) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2018	Jan. 31, 2017
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	$ 113,354	$ 148,920
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition	3 years 182 days
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	$ 3,200,000
Restricted Stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period	445,689
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Forfeited in Period	28,693
Restricted Stock, Shares Issued Net of Shares for Tax Withholdings	57,663
Restricted Stock [Member] \| Vesting Period Commencing on January 31, 2019 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period	5 years
The 2017 Stock Incentive Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant	225,000

Note 3 - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts for Trade Accounts Receivable - Summary of Changes in the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts for Trade Accounts Receivable (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2018	Jan. 31, 2017
Balance	$ 87,446	$ 74,266
Bad debt expense (recovery)	23,489	(568)
Losses charged to allowance	(3,127)	(4,729)
Balance	$ 107,808	$ 68,969

Note 4 - Inventories - Components of Inventories (Details) - USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017
Finished goods	$ 5,131,672	$ 5,869,269
Work in process	3,501,825	2,507,434
Raw materials	8,705,484	8,108,433
Production supplies	282,559	296,313
Total	$ 17,621,540	$ 16,781,449

Note 5 - Product Warranties (Details Textual) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
Note 5 - Product Warranties (Details Textual) - USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2018	Jan. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Standard and Extended Product Warranty Accrual	$ 140,000	$ 85,000	$ 180,000	$ 70,000
Product Warranty Expense	41,996	$ 47,855
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities [Member]
Standard and Extended Product Warranty Accrual	$ 140,000		$ 180,000

Note 5 - Product Warranties - Changes in Accrual for Product Warranties (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2018	Jan. 31, 2017
Balance at beginning of period	$ 180,000	$ 70,000
Liabilities accrued for warranties issued during the period	120,308	71,161
Warranty claims and costs paid during the period	(81,996)	(32,855)
Changes in liability for pre-existing warranties during the period	(78,312)	(23,306)
Balance at end of period	$ 140,000	$ 85,000

Note 6 - Long-term Debt and Note Payable to Bank (Details Textual) - Pinnacle Financial Partners [Member] - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2018	Oct. 01, 2017
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 7.0
Long-term Line of Credit	5.9	$ 5.7
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	$ 1.1	$ 1.3
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] \| Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.50%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	4.07%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	2.50%
Virginia Real Estate Loan and North Carolina Real Estate Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.95%

Note 6 - Long-term Debt and Note Payable to Bank - Long-term Debt (Details) - USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017
Long-term Loan	$ 6,609,134	$ 6,670,333
Less current installments	253,266	250,726
Long-term debt, excluding current installments	6,355,868	6,419,607
Virginia Real Estate Loan [Member]
Long-term Loan	4,915,223	4,960,738
North Carolina Real Estate Loan [Member]
Long-term Loan	$ 1,693,911	$ 1,709,595

Note 6 - Long-term Debt and Note Payable to Bank - Long-term Debt (Details) (Parentheticals) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017
Virginia Real Estate Loan [Member]
Original principal	$ 6,500,000	$ 6,500,000
Monthly installments	$ 31,812	$ 31,812
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.95%	3.95%
Final payment	$ 3,644,211	$ 3,644,211
Maturity date	May 01, 2024	May 01, 2024
North Carolina Real Estate Loan [Member]
Original principal	$ 2,240,000	$ 2,240,000
Monthly installments	$ 10,963	$ 10,963
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.95%	3.95%
Final payment	$ 1,255,850	$ 1,255,850
Maturity date	May 01, 2024	May 01, 2024

Note 8 - Net Loss Per Share - Components of Reconciliation of Numerators and Denominators Net Loss Per Share (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2018	Jan. 31, 2017
Net loss (numerator)	$ (410,135)	$ (615,767)
Shares (denominator) (in shares)	6,667,595	6,486,739
Basic and diluted net loss per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.06)	$ (0.09)

Note 9 - Segment Information and Business and Credit Concentrations (Details Textual)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2018	Jan. 31, 2017
Number of Reportable Segments	1
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Sales Revenue, Net [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	21.30%	16.50%
Concentration Risk, Number of Customers	1

Note 8 - Net Loss Per Share (Details Textual) - shares	3 Months Ended
Note 8 - Net Loss Per Share (Details Textual) - shares	Jan. 31, 2018	Jan. 31, 2017
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	643,005	623,415