Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

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,
	2013			2012
Change in benefit obligation
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	36,045		$	32,148
Service cost	222			185
Interest cost	1,515			1,657
Actuarial (gains)/losses	(4,272		)	4,604
Settlements	—			(356		)
Benefits paid	(1,622		)	(2,193		)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	$	31,888		$	36,045
Accumulated benefit obligation at end of year	$	31,599		$	35,790

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

	December 31,
	2013			2012
Change in fair value of plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	22,957		$	22,078
Actual return on plan assets	3,793			2,588
Employer contributions	626			840
Settlements	—			(356		)
Benefits paid	(1,622		)	(2,193		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	25,754		$	22,957

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]

	December 31,
	2013			2012
Funded status of the plans
Fair value of plan assets	$	25,754		$	22,957
Projected benefit obligation	31,888			36,045
Funded status of the plans	$	(6,134	)	$	(13,088	)

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

	December 31,
	2013			2012
Amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheets
Current liability	$	(37	)	$	(27	)
Noncurrent liability	(6,097		)	(13,061		)
Funded status of the plans	$	(6,134	)	$	(13,088	)

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, 2013				At December 31, 2012
	Pretax		Net of Tax		Pretax		Net of Tax
Amounts reported in accumulated other comprehensive income
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	$	9,942	$	5,995	$	17,636	$	10,577
Unrecognized prior service cost	69		45		82		49
	$	10,011	$	6,040	$	17,718	$	10,626

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 2014 follows: 

	Year ending December 31, 2014
	Pretax		Net of Tax
Amortization of Costs Expected to be Recognized Next Year
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	$	708	$	425
Unrecognized prior service cost	14		8
	$	722	$	433

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,
	2013		2012
For pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets
Projected benefit obligation	$	31,888	$	36,045
Accumulated benefit obligation	31,599		35,790
Fair value of plan assets	25,754		22,957

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,
	2013		2012		2011
Actuarial assumptions
Discount rate	5.20	%	4.25	%	5.25	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.75		7.75		7.75

Components of pension expense (income) [Table Text Block]

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

	Year Ended December 31,
	2013			2012			2011
Components of pension expense (income)
Service costs--increase in benefit obligation earned	$	222		$	185		$	134
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,515			1,657			1,671
Expected return on plan assets	(1,760		)	(1,701		)	(1,908		)
Settlement loss	—			219			—
Amortization of net actuarial loss	1,388			1,041			535
Amortization of prior service cost	14			14			14
Amortization of transition asset	—			—			(68		)
Net pension expense of defined benefit pension plans	$	1,379		$	1,415		$	378

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

The fair values of our pension plan assets at December 31, 2013 by asset category, using the three-level hierarchy of fair value inputs, were as follows:  

			Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2013 Using:
Description	Total Carrying Value at December 31, 2013		Quoted prices in active markets (Level 1)		Significant other observable inputs (Level 2)		Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)
Asset Category
Money market funds	$	1,726	$	—	$	1,726	$	—
U.S. large-cap equities
Growth	3,639		3,639		—		—
Value	2,971		2,971		—		—
U.S. small/mid-cap equities
Growth	1,813		1,813		—		—
Value	1,959		1,959		—		—
International equities
Growth	2,718		2,718		—		—
Value	2,622		2,622		—		—
Fixed income	4,423		4,423		—		—
Multiclass world-allocation mutual funds	3,883		3,883		—		—
	$	25,754	$	24,028	$	1,726	$	—

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	$	—

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

The benefits, as of December 31, 2013, 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, 2014	$	1,374
2015	1,448
2016	1,545
2017	1,668
2018	1,728
Years 2019 to 2023	9,664

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
		2013	2012		2013		2012		2011
National Electric Benefit Fund	53-0181657/001	Green	Green	No	$	755	$	417	$	442	No	Ranging from June 30, 2014 to December 31, 2017
Eighth District Electrical Pension Fund	84-6100393/001	Green	Green	No	100		75		60		No	December 31, 2014
					$	855	$	492	$	502