Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 03, 2011

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block]

The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits for uncertain tax positions, including positions which impact only the timing of tax benefits for the years ended November 30, 2011, 2010 and 2009.

	2011			2010			2009
Unrecognized tax benefits at December 1,	$	2,783		$	3,021		$	2,731
Additions for current period tax positions	591			574			258
Additions for prior period tax positions	—			57			90
Reductions for prior period tax positions	(193		)	—			—
Reductions for lapse of statue of limitations/settlements	(203		)	(809		)	(197		)
Changes in interest and penalties	37			(60		)	139
Unrecognized tax benefits at November 30,	$	3,015		$	2,783		$	3,021

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

The provision for income taxes consisted of:

	2011			2010			2009
Current:
Federal	$	34,374		$	35,292		$	25,938
State	1,558			2,526			970
Foreign	11,784			10,099			7,773
Deferred:
Federal	9,196			631			(1,564		)
State	1,086			(1,085		)	(53		)
Foreign	(1,051		)	(391		)	755
	$	56,947		$	47,072		$	33,819

Schedule of Income before Income Tax, Domestic and Foreign [Table Text Block]

Earnings before income taxes and noncontrolling interests included the following components:

	2011		2010		2009
Domestic income	$	139,840	$	109,303	$	77,276
Foreign income	41,468		34,120		28,373
	$	181,308	$	143,423	$	105,649

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

The provision for income taxes resulted in effective tax rates that differ from the statutory federal income tax rates.  The reasons for these differences are as follows:

	Percent of Pre-Tax Earnings
	2011		2010		2009
Statutory U.S. tax rates	35.0	%	35.0	%	35.0	%
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	1.3		1.0		0.6
Tax credits	(0.7	)	—		(0.7	)
Foreign taxes at different rates, net of credits	(2.5	)	(1.6	)	(1.7	)
Domestic production activities deduction	(2.4	)	(1.6	)	(1.3	)
Other, net	0.7		—		0.1
	31.4	%	32.8	%	32.0	%

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

The components of the net deferred tax liability as of November 30, 2011 and 2010 were as follows:

	2011			2010
Deferred tax assets:
Deferred compensation	$	8,260		$	7,590
Loss carryforward and tax credit items	3,265			3,146
Accounts receivable	5,840			6,092
Inventories	5,069			4,532
Pensions	26,643			24,036
Accrued liabilities and other	9,591			9,181
Valuation allowance	(1,959		)	(1,658		)
Total deferred tax assets, net	56,709			52,919
Deferred tax liabilities:
Percentage of completion	(468		)	(413		)
Plant assets	(27,616		)	(21,202		)
Goodwill and acquired intangible assets	(37,483		)	(35,958		)
Other deferred tax liabilities	(613		)	(531		)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(66,180		)	(58,104		)
Deferred tax liability, net	$	(9,471	)	$	(5,185	)