Employee Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2015

General Discussion of Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

Employee Benefit Plans

The Company and certain of its international subsidiaries have defined benefit pension plans for many of their hourly and salaried Employees. There are two types of U.S. plans. The first type of U.S. plan is a traditional defined benefit pension plan primarily for production Employees. The second is a plan for salaried workers that provides defined benefits pursuant to a cash balance feature whereby a participant accumulates a benefit comprised of a percentage of current salary that varies with years of service, interest credits, and transition credits. The international plans generally provide pension benefits based on years of service and compensation level.

Net periodic pension costs for the Company’s pension plans include the following components (millions of dollars):

	Three Months Ended October 31,
	2015			2014
Net periodic cost:
Service cost	$	4.6		$	5.1
Interest cost	4.8			4.8
Expected return on assets	(7.3		)	(7.3		)
Prior service cost and transition amortization	0.1			0.1
Actuarial loss amortization	2.1			1.8
Net periodic benefit cost	$	4.3		$	4.5

The Company’s general funding policy for its pension plans is to make at least the minimum contributions as required by applicable regulations. Additionally, the Company may elect to make additional contributions up to the maximum tax deductible contribution. For the three months ended October 31, 2015, the Company made contributions of $0.8 million to its non-U.S. pension plans and $0.3 million to its U.S. pension plans. The minimum funding requirement for the Company’s U.S. plans for Fiscal 2016 is $10.8 million. Per the Pension Protection Act of 2006, this obligation can be met with existing credit balances that resulted from payments above the minimum obligation in prior years. The Company plans to utilize existing credit balances to meet the minimum obligation for Fiscal 2016. The Company currently estimates that it will contribute an additional $3.2 million to its non-U.S. pension plans during the remainder of Fiscal 2016.

In July 2013, the Company adopted a sunset freeze on its U.S. salaried pension plan. Effective August 1, 2013, there are no longer any new entrants into the plan. Effective August 1, 2016, Employees hired prior to August 1, 2013, will no longer continue to accrue Company contribution credits under the plan. Additionally, in July 2013, the Company announced that Employees hired on or after August 1, 2013, will also be eligible for a 3.0 percent annual Company retirement contribution in addition to the Company’s 401(k) match. Effective August 1, 2016, Employees hired prior to August 1, 2013, will be eligible for the 3.0 percent annual Company retirement contribution.