Nature Of Operations And Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Nature Of Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Use of Estimates The Company's consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). These accounting principles require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimated. Estimates and assumptions are reviewed periodically, and the effects of revisions are reflected in the financial statements in the period in which they are determined to be necessary. Estimates are used when accounting for such items as asset valuations, allowance for doubtful accounts, depreciation and amortization, impairment assessments, restructuring provisions, employee benefits, taxes, asbestos liability and related insurance receivable, environmental liability and contingencies.

Currency Translation

Currency Translation Assets and liabilities of subsidiaries that prepare financial statements in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are translated at the rate of exchange in effect on the balance sheet date; results of operations are translated at the average rates of exchange prevailing during the year. The related translation adjustments are included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in a separate component of equity.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition Sales revenue is recorded when title (risk of loss) passes to the customer and collection of the resulting receivable is reasonably assured. Revenue on long-term, fixed-price contracts is recorded on a percentage of completion basis using units of delivery as the measurement basis for progress toward completion. Sales under cost reimbursement type contracts are recorded as costs are incurred.

Cost Of Goods Sold

Cost of Goods Sold Cost of goods sold includes the costs of inventory sold and the related purchase and distribution costs. In addition to material, labor and direct overhead, inventoried cost and, accordingly, cost of goods sold include allocations of other expenses that are part of the production process, such as inbound freight charges, purchasing and receiving costs, inspection costs, warehousing costs, amortization of production related intangible assets and depreciation expense. The Company also includes costs directly associated with products sold, such as warranty provisions.

Selling, General And Administrative Expenses

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses Selling, general and administrative expense is charged to income as incurred. Such expenses include the costs of promoting and selling products and include such items as compensation, advertising, sales commissions and travel. In addition, compensation for other operating activities such as executive office administrative and engineering functions are included, as well as general operating expenses such as office supplies, non-income taxes, insurance and office equipment rentals.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 740 "Income Taxes" which requires an asset and liability approach for the financial accounting and reporting of income taxes. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements. These balances are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply in the year(s) in which these temporary differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred income taxes is recognized in income in the period when the change is enacted.

Based on consideration of all available evidence regarding their utilization, the Company records net deferred tax assets to the extent that it is more likely than not that they will be realized. Where, based on the weight of all available evidence, it is more likely than not that some amount of a deferred tax asset will not be realized, the Company establishes a valuation allowance for the amount that, in management's judgment, is sufficient to reduce the deferred tax asset to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized. The evidence the Company considers in reaching such conclusions includes, but is not limited to, (1) future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, (2) future taxable income exclusive of reversing taxable temporary differences, (3) taxable income in prior carryback year(s) if carryback is permitted under the tax law, (4) cumulative losses in recent years, (5) a history of tax losses or credit carryforwards expiring unused, (6) a carryback or carryforward period that is so brief it limits realization of tax benefits, and (7) a strong earnings history exclusive of the loss that created the carryforward and support showing that the loss is an aberration rather than a continuing condition.

The Company accounts for unrecognized tax benefits in accordance with ASC Topic 740, which prescribes a minimum probability threshold that a tax position must meet before a financial statement benefit is recognized. The minimum threshold is defined as a tax position that is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation, based solely on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit to be recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within the income tax expense line of its Consolidated Statement of Operations, while accrued interest and penalties are included within the related tax liability line of its Consolidated Balance Sheets.

In determining whether the earnings of its non-U.S. subsidiaries are permanently reinvested overseas, the Company considers the following:

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Its history of utilizing non-U.S. cash to acquire non-U.S. businesses,

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Its current and future needs for cash outside the U.S. (e.g., to fund capital expenditures, business operations, potential acquisitions, etc.),

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Its ability to satisfy U.S.-based cash needs (e.g., domestic pension contributions, interest payment on external debt, dividends to shareholders, etc.) with cash generated by our U.S. businesses, and

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The effect U.S. tax reform proposals calling for reduced corporate income tax rates and/or "repatriation" tax holidays would have on the amount of the tax liability

Earnings Per Share


(in thousands, except per share data) For year ended December 31,	2011		2010		2009
Net income attributable to common shareholders	$	26,315	$	154,170	$	133,856
Average basic shares outstanding		58,120		58,601		58,473
Effect of dilutive stock options		1,084		961		339
Average diluted shares outstanding		59,204		59,562		58,812
Basic earnings per share	$	0.45	$	2.63	$	2.29
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.44	$	2.59	$	2.28

Cash And Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less that are readily convertible to cash and are not subject to significant risk from fluctuations in interest rates. As a result, the carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents approximates fair value.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable Receivables are carried at net realizable value.

A summary of allowance for doubtful accounts activity follows:


(in thousands) December 31,	2011			2010			2009
Balance at beginning of year	$	8,221		$	8,906		$	8,081
Provisions		5,518			4,250			7,203
Deductions		(6,422	)		(4,935	)		(6,378	)
Balance at end of year	$	7,317		$	8,221		$	8,906

Concentrations of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable are limited due to the large number of customers and relatively small account balances within the majority of the Company's customer base and their dispersion across different businesses. The Company periodically evaluates the financial strength of its customers and believes that its credit risk exposure is limited.

Inventories

Inventories Inventories consist of the following:


(in thousands) December 31,	2011		2010
Finished goods	$	105,442	$	90,825
Finished parts and subassemblies		35,100		33,091
Work in process		74,608		58,519
Raw materials		145,539		136,642
Total inventories	$	360,689	$	319,077

Inventories include the costs of material, labor and overhead and are stated at the lower of cost or market. Domestic inventories are stated at either the lower of cost or market using the last-in, first-out ("LIFO") method or the lower of cost or market using the first-in, first-out ("FIFO") method. The Company uses LIFO for certain domestic locations, which is allowable under U.S. GAAP, primarily because this method was elected for tax purposes and thus required for financial statement reporting purposes. Inventories held in foreign locations are primarily stated at the lower of cost or market using the FIFO method. The LIFO method is not being used at the Company's foreign locations as such a method is not allowable for tax purposes. Changes in the levels of LIFO inventories have reduced costs of sales by $0.8 million and $4.6 million and increased cost of sales by $0.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The portion of inventories costed using the LIFO method was 35% of consolidated inventories at December 31, 2011 and 2010. If inventories that were valued using the LIFO method had been valued under the FIFO method, they would have been higher by $12.3 million at both December 31, 2011 and 2010.

Property, Plant And Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment, net Property, plant and equipment, net consist of the following:


(in thousands) December 31,	2011		2010
Land	$	68,404	$	64,797
Buildings and improvements		191,821		182,554
Machinery and equipment		541,832		534,118
Gross property, plant and equipment		802,057		781,469
Less: accumulated depreciation		517,911		500,723
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	284,146	$	280,746

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost and depreciation is calculated by the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, which range from ten to twenty-five years for buildings and improvements and three to ten years for machinery and equipment. Depreciation expense was $39.9 million, $41.0 million and $41.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Goodwill And Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets The Company's business acquisitions have typically resulted in the recognition of goodwill and other intangible assets. The Company follows the provisions under ASC Topic 350, "Intangibles – Goodwill and Other" ("ASC 350") as it relates to the accounting for goodwill in the Consolidated Financial Statements. These provisions require that the Company, on at least an annual basis, evaluate the fair value of the reporting units to which goodwill is assigned and attributed and compare that fair value to the carrying value of the reporting unit to determine if impairment exists. The Company performs its annual impairment testing during the fourth quarter. Impairment testing takes place more often than annually if events or circumstances indicate a change in status that would indicate a potential impairment. A reporting unit is an operating segment unless discrete financial information is prepared and reviewed by segment management for businesses one level below that operating segment (a "component"), in which case the component would be the reporting unit. In certain instances, the Company has aggregated components of an operating segment into a single reporting unit based on similar economic characteristics. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had twelve reporting units, respectively

When performing its annual impairment assessment, the Company compares the fair value of each of its reporting units to its respective carrying value. Goodwill is considered to be potentially impaired when the net book value of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value. Fair values are established primarily by discounting estimated future cash flows at an estimated cost of capital which varies for each reporting unit and which, as of the Company's most recent annual impairment assessment, ranged between 8% and 17% (a weighted average of 11%), reflecting the respective inherent business risk of each of the reporting units tested. This methodology for valuing the Company's reporting units (commonly referred to as the Income Method) has not changed since the adoption of the provisions under ASC 350. The determination of discounted cash flows is based on the businesses' strategic plans and long-range planning forecasts, which change from year to year. The revenue growth rates included in the forecasts represent best estimates based on current and forecasted market conditions. Profit margin assumptions are projected by each reporting unit based on the current cost structure and anticipated net costs increases/reductions. There are inherent uncertainties related to these assumptions, including changes in market conditions, and management's judgment in applying them to the analysis of goodwill impairment. In addition to the foregoing, for each reporting unit, market multiples are used to corroborate its discounted cash flow results where fair value is estimated based on earnings multiples determined by available public information of comparable businesses. While the Company believes it has made reasonable estimates and assumptions to calculate the fair value of its reporting units, it is possible a material change could occur. If actual results are not consistent with management's estimates and assumptions, goodwill and other intangible assets may be overstated and a charge would need to be taken against net earnings. Furthermore, in order to evaluate the sensitivity of the fair value calculations on the goodwill impairment test performed during the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company applied a hypothetical, reasonably possible 10% decrease to the fair values of each reporting unit. The effects of this hypothetical 10% decrease would still result in the fair value calculation exceeding the carrying value for each reporting unit.

The Company makes an initial allocation of the purchase price at the date of acquisition based upon its understanding of the estimated fair value of the individual acquired assets and liabilities and that the Company obtains this information during due diligence and through other sources. In the months after closing, as the Company obtains additional information about these assets and liabilities and learns more about the newly acquired business, it is able to refine the estimates of fair value and more accurately allocate the purchase price. Factors and information that the Company uses to refine the allocations include, primarily, tangible and intangible asset appraisals. The Company finalized its purchase price allocations in 2011 associated with its 2010 acquisitions of Merrimac Industries Inc. ("Merrimac") and Money Controls and made appropriate adjustments to the purchase price allocation prior to the one-year anniversary of the acquisition, as required. Effective January 1, 2009, the Company adopted the new provisions under ASC Topic 810 "Business Combinations" which establishes principles and requirements for how an acquirer recognizes and measures in its financial statements the identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree and recognizes and measures the goodwill acquired in the business combination or a gain from a bargain purchase. These provisions also set forth the disclosures required to be made in the financial statements to evaluate the nature and financial effects of the business combination.

PART II / ITEM 8

Changes to goodwill, are as follows:


(in thousands) December 31,	2011			2010
Balance at beginning of year	$	810,285		$	761,978
Additions		10,900			47,469
Adjustments to purchase price allocations		3,932			—
Currency translation and other adjustments		(4,293	)		838
Balance at end of year	$	820,824		$	810,285

For the year ended December 31, 2011, the additions to goodwill represent the initial purchase price allocation related to the July 2011 acquisition of W.T. Armatur GmbH & Co. KG ("WTA"), and the adjustments to purchase price allocations pertain to the December 2010 acquisition of Money Controls and the February 2010 acquisition of Merrimac. The additions to goodwill during the year ended December 31, 2010 principally pertain to the Company's acquisitions of Merrimac and Money Controls.

Changes to intangible assets, are as follows:


(in thousands) December 31,	2011			2010
Balance at beginning of year, net of accumulated amortization	$	162,636		$	118,731
Additions, net of disposals		5,980			62,617
Amortization expense		(21,646	)		(17,126	)
Currency translation		(743	)		(1,586	)
Balance at end of year, net of accumulated amortization	$	146,227		$	162,636

For the year ended December 31, 2011, the additions relate to the December 2010 acquisition of Money Controls and the July 2011 acquisition of WTA. The additions during the year ended December 31, 2010 principally pertain to the Company's acquisitions of Merrimac and Money Controls.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had $146.2 million of net intangible assets of which $30.0 million were intangibles with indefinite useful lives, consisting of trade names. The Company amortizes the cost of other intangibles over their estimated useful lives unless such lives are deemed indefinite. Indefinite lived intangibles are tested annually for impairment, or when events or changes in circumstances indicate the potential for impairment. If the carrying amount of the indefinite lived intangible exceeds the fair value, the intangible asset is written down to its fair value. Fair value is calculated using discounted cash flows.

A summary of the intangible assets are as follows:


	Weighted Average Amortization Period (in years)		2011						2010
(in thousands) December 31,	Weighted Average Amortization Period (in years)		Gross Asset		Accumulated Amortization		Net		Gross Asset		Accumulated Amortization		Net
Intellectual rights		17.7	$	89,619	$	46,286	$	43,333	$	88,797	$	43,866	$	44,931
Customer relationships and backlog		11.7		146,291		66,256		80,035		144,085		54,152		89,933
Drawings		9.5		11,824		10,423		1,401		11,824		9,994		1,830
Other		15.5		52,155		30,697		21,458		51,017		25,075		25,942
		14.4	$	299,889	$	153,662	$	146,227	$	295,723	$	133,087	$	162,636

Certain amounts in the line items above for December 31, 2010 have been adjusted to reflect the appropriate classification from amounts previously reported. These adjustments had no effect on the total net intangible assets balance.

Amortization expense for these intangible assets was $21.7 million, $17.1 million and $14.1, million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Amortization expense is expected to be $19.4 million in 2012, $17.8 million in 2013, $15.9 million in 2014, $13.4 million in 2015, and $49.7 million in 2016 and thereafter.

Valuation Of Long-Lived Assets

Valuation of Long-Lived Assets The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Examples of events or changes in circumstances could include, but are not limited to, a prolonged economic downturn, current period operating or cash flow losses combined with a history of losses or a forecast of continuing losses associated with the use of an asset or asset group, or a current expectation that an asset or asset group will be sold or disposed of before the end of its previously estimated useful life. Recoverability is based upon projections of anticipated future undiscounted cash flows associated with the use and eventual disposal of the long-lived asset (or asset group), as well as specific appraisal in certain instances. Reviews occur at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of cash flows associated with other long-lived assets or asset groups. If the future undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying value, then the long-lived asset is considered impaired and a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value. Judgments that the Company makes which impact these assessments relate to the expected useful lives of long-lived assets and its ability to realize any undiscounted cash flows in excess of the carrying amounts of such assets, and are affected primarily by changes in the expected use of the assets, changes in technology or development of alternative assets, changes in economic conditions, changes in operating performance and changes in expected future cash flows. Since judgment is involved in determining the fair value of long-lived assets, there is risk that the carrying value of our long-lived assets may require adjustment in future periods.

Financial Instruments

Financial Instruments The Company does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes. The Company periodically uses forward foreign exchange contracts as economic hedges of anticipated transactions and firm purchase and sale commitments. These contracts are marked to fair value on a current basis and the respective gains and losses are recognized in other income (expense). The Company also periodically enters into interest-rate swap agreements to moderate its exposure to interest rate changes. Interest-rate swaps are agreements to exchange fixed and variable rate payments based on the notional principal amounts. The changes in the fair value of these derivatives are recognized in other comprehensive income for qualifying cash flow hedges.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The table below provides the accumulated balances for each classification of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), as reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.


(in thousands) December 31,	2011			2010			2009
Currency translation adjustment	$	64,910		$	77,183		$	87,400
Cumulative changes in pension and postretirement plan assets and obligation, net of tax benefit		(158,422	)		(65,665	)		(82,270	)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income (a)	$	(93,512	)	$	11,518		$	5,130

(a)	Net of tax benefit of $76,179, $32,091, and $38,711 for 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively.