Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Changes in Projected Benefit Obligations [Table Text Block]

The change in benefit obligations and the fair value of plans assets follows:

	December 31,
	2012			2011
Change in benefit obligation
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	32,148		$	28,251
Service cost	185			134
Interest cost	1,657			1,671
Actuarial loss	4,604			3,324
Settlements	(356		)	—
Benefits paid	(2,193		)	(1,232		)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	$	36,045		$	32,148
Accumulated benefit obligation at end of year	$	35,790		$	31,940

Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	December 31,
	2012			2011
Change in fair value of plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	22,078		$	23,867
Actual return on plan assets	2,588			(1,361		)
Employer contributions	840			804
Settlements	(356		)	—
Benefits paid	(2,193		)	(1,232		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	22,957		$	22,078

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]

	December 31,
	2012			2011
Funded status of the plans
Fair value of plan assets	$	22,957		$	22,078
Projected benefit obligation	36,045			32,148
Funded status of the plans	$	(13,088	)	$	(10,070	)

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet [Table Text Block]

	December 31,
	2012			2011
Amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheets
Current liability	$	(27	)	$	(41	)
Noncurrent liability	(13,061		)	(10,029		)
Funded status of the plans	$	(13,088	)	$	(10,070	)

Schedule of Amounts in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Table Text Block]

Amounts included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), related to our defined benefit pension plans follow:

	At December 31, 2012				At December 31, 2011
	Pretax		Net of Tax		Pretax		Net of Tax
Amounts reported in accumulated other comprehensive income
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	$	17,636	$	10,577	$	15,179	$	9,158
Unrecognized prior service cost	82		49		96		59
	$	17,718	$	10,626	$	15,275	$	9,217

Schedule of Amounts in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) to be Recognized over Next Fiscal Year [Table Text Block]

The total amortization associated with these amounts that is expected to be recognized in net periodic benefit expense for 2013 follows: 

	Year ending December 31, 2013
	Pretax		Net of Tax
Amortization of Costs Expected to be Recognized Next Year
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	$	1,387	$	860
Unrecognized prior service cost	14		9
	$	1,401	$	869

Schedule of Assumptions Used [Table Text Block]

The actuarial assumptions follow. The discount rates were used to measure the year-end benefit obligation and compute pension expense for the subsequent year.

	December 31,
	2012		2011		2010
Actuarial assumptions
Discount rate	4.25	%	5.25	%	6.00	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.75		7.75		8.00

Schedule of Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

The aggregate projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets for plans in which the fair value of plan assets is less than either the projected benefit obligation or accumulated benefit obligation follow: 

	December 31,
	2012		2011
For pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets
Projected benefit obligation	$	36,045	$	32,148
Accumulated benefit obligation	35,790		31,940
Fair value of plan assets	22,957		22,078

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

P. Defined Benefit Pension Plans (continued)

Net periodic benefit expense (income) associated with the defined benefit pension plans included the following components:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2012			2011			2010
Components of pension expense (income)
Service costs--increase in benefit obligation earned	$	185		$	134		$	130
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,657			1,671			1,625
Expected return on plan assets	(1,701		)	(1,908		)	(1,767		)
Settlement loss	219			—			—
Amortization of net actuarial loss	1,041			535			615
Amortization of prior service cost	14			14			14
Amortization of transition asset	—			(68		)	(69		)
Net pension expense of defined benefit pension plans	$	1,415		$	378		$	548

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

The fair values of our pension plan assets at December 31, 2012 by asset category, using the three-level hierarchy of fair value inputs, were as follows:  

			Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2012 Using:
Description	Total Carrying Value at December 31, 2012		Quoted prices in active markets (Level 1)		Significant other observable inputs (Level 2)		Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)
Asset Category
Money market funds	$	2,494	$	—	$	2,494	$	—
U.S. large-cap equities
Growth	2,482		2,482		—		—
Value	1,767		1,767		—		—
U.S. small/mid-cap equities
Growth	1,516		1,516		—		—
Value	2,149		2,149		—		—
International equities
Growth	2,183		2,183		—		—
Value	2,083		2,083		—		—
Fixed income	4,654		4,654		—		—
Multiclass world-allocation mutual funds	3,629		3,629		—		—
	$	22,957	$	20,463	$	2,494	$	—

The fair values of our pension plan assets at December 31, 2011 by asset category, using the three-level hierarchy of fair value inputs, were as follows:

			Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2011 Using:
Description	Total Carrying Value at December 31, 2011		Quoted prices in active markets (Level 1)		Significant other observable inputs (Level 2)		Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)
Asset Category
Money market funds	$	2,183	$	—	$	2,183	$	—
U.S. large-cap equities
Growth	2,317		2,317		—		—
Value	2,136		2,136		—		—
U.S. small/mid-cap equities
Growth	1,816		1,816		—		—
Value	2,134		2,134		—		—
International equities
Growth	2,081		2,081		—		—
Value	2,017		2,017		—		—
Fixed income	4,199		4,199		—		—
Multiclass world-allocation mutual funds	3,195		3,195		—		—
	$	22,078	$	19,895	$	2,183	$	—

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

The benefits, as of December 31, 2012, expected to be paid to defined-benefit plan participants in each of the next five years, and in the aggregate for the five years thereafter, follow:

	Participants Benefits
Estimated future payments
Year ending December 31, 2013	$	1,253
2014	1,332
2015	1,404
2016	1,500
2017	1,630
Years 2018 to 2022	9,159

Schedule of Multiemployer Plans [Table Text Block]

Pension Fund	EIN/Pension Plan Number	Pension Protection Act Zone Status		FIB/RP Status Pending Implemented	Davey Tree Contributions						Surcharge Imposed	Expiration Dates of Bargaining Agreement
		2012	2011		2012		2011		2010
National Electric Benefit Fund	53-0181657/001	Green	Green	No	$	417	$	442	$	380	No	Ranging from December 31, 2012 to June 30, 2017
Eighth District Electrical Pension Fund	84-6100393/001	Green	Green	No	75		60		47		No	December 31, 2013
					$	492	$	503	$	427