Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities (Note)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 01, 2012

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND ACCRUED LIABILITIES

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities at November 30, 2012 and 2011 were as follows:

	2012		2011
Accounts payable	$	69,206	$	64,701
Accrued salaries, wages and commissions	16,884		24,760
Pension and postretirement healthcare benefits liabilities	21,442		319
Compensated absences	9,010		8,530
Accrued insurance liabilities	7,733		9,017
Customer deposits	14,207		8,727
Other accrued liabilities	33,780		39,531
	$	172,262	$	155,585

No amounts within the Other accrued liabilities amount shown above exceed 5% of total current liabilities.

Accrued pension and postretirement healthcare benefits liabilities at November 30, 2012 includes $21,034 related to pension benefits payable in 2013, under our U.S. combined nonqualified pension plan, to our former Executive Chairman, who retired from the Company at the end of 2012.

Warranties are recorded as a liability on the balance sheet and as charges to current expense for estimated normal warranty costs and, if applicable, for specific performance issues known to exist on products already sold.  The expenses estimated to be incurred are provided at the time of sale and adjusted as needed, based primarily upon experience.  Changes in the Company’s warranty accrual, which is included in Other accrued liabilities, for the years ended November 30, 2012, 2011 and 2010 are as follows:

	2012			2011			2010
Warranty accrual at beginning of period	$	2,580		$	3,499		$	3,989
Accruals for warranties issued during the period	514			622			825
Adjustments related to business acquisitions	32			—			—
Adjustments related to pre-existing warranties	(691		)	(846		)	(308		)
Settlements made during the period	(850		)	(316		)	(856		)
Other adjustments, including currency translation	(52		)	(379		)	(151		)
Warranty accrual at end of period	$	1,533		$	2,580		$	3,499