BUSINESS SEGMENTS (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment reporting information of sales and operating income

Summary by Business

	2018		2017		2016
SALES:
Engineered Support Structures segment:
Lighting, Traffic, and Roadway Products	$	706,582	$	633,178	$	612,868
Communication Products	149,817		171,718		162,148
Access Systems	130,481		133,206		131,703
Engineered Support Structures segment	986,880		938,102		906,719
Utility Support Structures segment:
Steel	637,979		658,604		538,284
Concrete	111,875		99,738		90,256
Engineered Solar Tracker Solutions	16,760		—		—
Offshore and Other Complex Steel Structures	92,559		100,773		107,824
Utility Support Structures segment	859,173		859,115		736,364
Coatings segment	353,351		318,891		289,481
Irrigation segment:
North America	386,683		369,832		351,436
International	246,983		282,598		223,768
Irrigation segment	633,666		652,430		575,204
Other	23,080		76,300		83,110
Total	2,856,150		2,844,838		2,590,878
INTERSEGMENT SALES:
Engineered Support Structures	19,522		25,862		15,620
Utility Support Structures	3,967		2,871		747
Coatings	66,612		62,080		45,604
Irrigation	8,905		8,058		7,231
Total	99,006		98,871		69,202
NET SALES:
Engineered Support Structures segment	967,358		912,240		891,099
Utility Support Structures segment	855,206		856,244		735,617
Coatings segment	286,739		256,811		243,877
Irrigation segment	624,761		644,372		567,973
Other	23,080		76,300		83,110
Total	$	2,757,144	$	2,745,967	$	2,521,676

(20) BUSINESS SEGMENTS (Continued)

	2018			2017			2016
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS):
Engineered Support Structures	$	34,776		$	62,960		$	72,273
Utility Support Structures	64,766			97,853			71,171
Coatings	55,325			50,179			46,596
Irrigation	97,722			101,498			90,945
Other	(913		)	2,134			8,730
Adjustment to LIFO inventory valuation method	(9,892		)	(5,680		)	(2,972		)
Corporate	(39,504		)	(41,864		)	(41,369		)
Total	202,280			267,080			245,374
Interest expense, net	(39,569		)	(39,908		)	(41,304		)
Costs associated with refinancing of debt	(14,820		)	—			—
Loss from divestiture of grinding media business	(6,084		)	—			—
Other	1,634			1,292			16,384
Earnings before income taxes and equity in earnings of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	$	143,441		$	228,464		$	220,454
TOTAL ASSETS:
Engineered Support Structures	$	867,735		$	846,881		$	776,161
Utility Support Structures	700,915			597,231			544,015
Coatings	294,951			288,890			274,666
Irrigation	347,894			369,798			313,982
Other	—			68,934			65,296
Corporate	318,779			430,516			417,611
Total	$	2,530,274		$	2,602,250		$	2,391,731

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES:
Engineered Support Structures	$	26,783	$	16,433	$	13,313
Utility Support Structures	17,442		14,012		7,969
Coatings	10,320		11,080		24,873
Irrigation	7,249		7,055		8,836
Other	7		2,376		1,601
Corporate	10,184		4,310		1,328
Total	$	71,985	$	55,266	$	57,920

(20) BUSINESS SEGMENTS (Continued)

	2018		2017		2016
DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION:
Engineered Support Structures	$	27,274	$	27,637	$	27,824
Utility Support Structures	23,618		25,079		24,639
Coatings	15,956		15,115		12,883
Irrigation	11,335		11,173		12,097
Other	775		2,486		2,502
Corporate	3,869		3,467		2,472
Total	$	82,827	$	84,957	$	82,417

Summary by Geographical Area by Location

Summary by Geographical Area by Location of Valmont Facilities:

	2018		2017		2016
NET SALES:
United States	$	1,771,390	$	1,702,826	$	1,535,321
Australia	325,553		356,959		315,470
Denmark	92,559		100,773		99,719
Other	567,642		585,409		571,166
Total	$	2,757,144	$	2,745,967	$	2,521,676
LONG-LIVED ASSETS:
United States	$	624,143	$	544,724	$	568,085
Australia	168,438		227,483		216,416
Denmark	64,497		90,372		85,654
Other	332,556		267,106		268,360
Total	$	1,189,634	$	1,129,685	$	1,138,515