EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

Pension Benefits

The Company has various defined benefit pension plans covering some of its employees in the U.S. and certain employees in other countries, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Guatemala, Brazil, Mexico and Taiwan. These pension plans generally provide benefits of stated amounts for each year of service.

The Company’s results of operations for the three and nine month periods ended June 30, 2013 and July 1, 2012 reflect the following pension and deferred compensation benefit costs:



	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
Components of net periodic pension benefit and deferred compensation benefit cost	2013			2012			2013			2012
Service cost	$	867		$	578		$	2,416		$	1,700
Interest cost	2,498			2,552			7,326			7,030
Expected return on assets	(2,196		)	(2,051		)	(6,589		)	(5,378		)
Recognized net actuarial loss	519			242			1,557			508
Employee contributions	(46		)	(46		)	(137		)	(139		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,642		$	1,275		$	4,573		$	3,721

The Company funds its U.S. pension plans in accordance with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) defined guidelines and, where applicable, in amounts sufficient to satisfy the minimum funding requirements of applicable laws. Additionally, in compliance with the Company’s funding policy, annual contributions to non-U.S. defined benefit plans are equal to the actuarial recommendations or statutory requirements in the respective countries. The Company’s contributions to its pension and deferred compensation plans for the three and nine month periods ended June 30, 2013 and July 1, 2012 were as follows:



	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
Pension and deferred compensation contributions	2013		2012		2013		2012
Contributions made during period	$	1,188	$	1,289	$	2,890	$	3,767

The Company sponsors a defined contribution pension plan for its domestic salaried employees, which allows participants to make contributions by salary reduction pursuant to Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Company also sponsors defined contribution pension plans for employees of certain foreign subsidiaries. Company contributions charged to operations, including discretionary amounts, for the three and nine month periods ended June 30, 2013 were $2,851 and $5,665, respectively. Company contributions charged to operations, including discretionary amounts, for the three and nine month periods ended July 1, 2012 were $545 and $1,694, respectively.