DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS	12 Months Ended
Dec. 28, 2019
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS [Abstract]
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS	1. Description of Business The Eastern Company (the “Company”) includes nine separate operating businesses located within the United States, two wholly-owned Canadian subsidiaries (one located in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada, and one in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada), a wholly-owned Taiwanese subsidiary located in Taipei, Taiwan, a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong, two wholly-owned Chinese subsidiaries (one located in Shanghai, China, and one located in Dongguan, China), two wholly-owned subsidiaries in Mexico (one located in Lerma, Mexico and one located in Reynosa, Mexico) and a wholly owned subsidiary in Wrexham, United Kingdom. The operations of the Company consist of three business segments: industrial hardware, security products, and metal products. Industrial Hardware The Industrial Hardware segment consists of Big 3 Precision, including Big 3 Products and Big 3 Mold; Eberhard Manufacturing Company, Eberhard Hardware Manufacturing Ltd., and Eastern Industrial Ltd; Velvac Holdings; Canadian Commercial Vehicles Corporation; and Sesamee Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. These businesses design, manufacture and market a diverse product line of custom and standard vehicular and industrial hardware, including turnkey returnable packaging solutions; passenger restraint and vehicular locks, latches, hinges; mirrors, mirror-cameras; and light-weight sleeper boxes and truck bodies. The segment also designs and manufactures a wide selection of fasteners and other closure devices used to secure access doors on various types of industrial equipment such as metal cabinets, machinery housings and electronic instruments. Big 3 Products and Big 3 Mold’s turnkey returnable packaging solutions are used in the assembly process for vehicles, aircraft, and durable goods and in the production process of plastic packaging products, packaged consumer goods and pharmaceuticals. Big 3 Products works with leading manufacturers to design and produce custom returnable packaging to integrate with their assembly processes. Other products are found on tractor-trailer trucks, specialty commercial vehicles, recreational vehicles, fire and rescue vehicles, school buses, military vehicles and other vehicles. In addition, through Big 3 Precision Products and Big 3 Precision Mold Services, Big 3 Precision serves diverse markets including truck, automotive, plastic packaging products, consumer packaged goods and pharmaceuticals. The segment sells directly to “OEM’s” and to distributors through in-house sales personnel and outside sales representatives. Sales, customer engineering and customer service are primarily provided through in-house sales personnel and engineering staff. Security Products The Security Products segment consists of Illinois Lock Company/CCL Security Products, World Lock Company Ltd., Dongguan Reeworld Security Products Ltd., and World Security Industries Ltd.; Greenwald Industries (“Greenwald”); and Argo EMS (formerly Argo Transdata). Illinois Lock Company/CCL Security Products, known in the market as ILC, is a global leader in the design and manufacture of engineered security and access solutions in the form of mechanical, electronic and wireless products. ILC focuses on the industrial, vehicle accessory, outdoor recreational equipment, medical, and point of sale and vending segments. These products and solutions are specified and sold to OEM’s, contract equipment manufacturers, and industrial distributors globally. Greenwald designs, manufactures and markets payment systems and coin security products used primarily in the commercial laundry market. Greenwald’s products include timers, drop meters, coin chutes, money boxes, meter cases, mobile payment apps, smart cards, value transfer stations, smart card readers, card management software, and access control units. Argo EMS supplies printed circuit boards and other electronic assemblies to original equipment manufacturers in various industries, including measurement systems, semiconductor equipment manufacturing, and industrial controls, medical and military products. Metal Products The Metal Products segment consists of Frazer & Jones, The Frazer & Jones Company, designs and manufactures high quality ductile and malleable iron castings. Products include valves, rings, torque screws, bean clamps, and concrete anchors. These products are sold to a wide range of industrial markets, including oil, water, gas; truck/automotive rail, and military/aerospace. In addition, the Company believes that its Metal Products segment, is the largest and most efficient producer of expansion shells for use in supporting the roofs of underground mines in North America. Sales are made to customers primarily in North America.

1. Description of Business

The Eastern Company (the “Company”) includes nine separate operating businesses located within the United States, two wholly-owned Canadian subsidiaries (one located in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada, and one in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada), a wholly-owned Taiwanese subsidiary located in Taipei, Taiwan, a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong, two wholly-owned Chinese subsidiaries (one located in Shanghai, China, and one located in Dongguan, China), two wholly-owned subsidiaries in Mexico (one located in Lerma, Mexico and one located in Reynosa, Mexico) and a wholly owned subsidiary in Wrexham, United Kingdom.

The operations of the Company consist of three business segments: industrial hardware, security products, and metal products.

Industrial Hardware

The Industrial Hardware segment consists of Big 3 Precision, including Big 3 Products and Big 3 Mold; Eberhard Manufacturing Company, Eberhard Hardware Manufacturing Ltd., and Eastern Industrial Ltd; Velvac Holdings; Canadian Commercial Vehicles Corporation; and Sesamee Mexicana, S.A. de C.V.

These businesses design, manufacture and market a diverse product line of custom and standard vehicular and industrial hardware, including turnkey returnable packaging solutions; passenger restraint and vehicular locks, latches, hinges; mirrors, mirror-cameras; and light-weight sleeper boxes and truck bodies. The segment also designs and manufactures a wide selection of fasteners and other closure devices used to secure access doors on various types of industrial equipment such as metal cabinets, machinery housings and electronic instruments. Big 3 Products and Big 3 Mold’s turnkey returnable packaging solutions are used in the assembly process for vehicles, aircraft, and durable goods and in the production process of plastic packaging products, packaged consumer goods and pharmaceuticals. Big 3 Products works with leading manufacturers to design and produce custom returnable packaging to integrate with their assembly processes. Other products are found on tractor-trailer trucks, specialty commercial vehicles, recreational vehicles, fire and rescue vehicles, school buses, military vehicles and other vehicles. In addition, through Big 3 Precision Products and Big 3 Precision Mold Services, Big 3 Precision serves diverse markets including truck, automotive, plastic packaging products, consumer packaged goods and pharmaceuticals. The segment sells directly to “OEM’s” and to distributors through in-house sales personnel and outside sales representatives. Sales, customer engineering and customer service are primarily provided through in-house sales personnel and engineering staff.

Security Products

The Security Products segment consists of Illinois Lock Company/CCL Security Products, World Lock Company Ltd., Dongguan Reeworld Security Products Ltd., and World Security Industries Ltd.; Greenwald Industries (“Greenwald”); and Argo EMS (formerly Argo Transdata). Illinois Lock Company/CCL Security Products, known in the market as ILC, is a global leader in the design and manufacture of engineered security and access solutions in the form of mechanical, electronic and wireless products. ILC focuses on the industrial, vehicle accessory, outdoor recreational equipment, medical, and point of sale and vending segments. These products and solutions are specified and sold to OEM’s, contract equipment manufacturers, and industrial distributors globally. Greenwald designs, manufactures and markets payment systems and coin security products used primarily in the commercial laundry market. Greenwald’s products include timers, drop meters, coin chutes, money boxes, meter cases, mobile payment apps, smart cards, value transfer stations, smart card readers, card management software, and access control units. Argo EMS supplies printed circuit boards and other electronic assemblies to original equipment manufacturers in various industries, including measurement systems, semiconductor equipment manufacturing, and industrial controls, medical and military products.

Metal Products

The Metal Products segment consists of Frazer & Jones, The Frazer & Jones Company, designs and manufactures high quality ductile and malleable iron castings. Products include valves, rings, torque screws, bean clamps, and concrete anchors. These products are sold to a wide range of industrial markets, including oil, water, gas; truck/automotive rail, and military/aerospace. In addition, the Company believes that its Metal Products segment, is the largest and most efficient producer of expansion shells for use in supporting the roofs of underground mines in North America.

Sales are made to customers primarily in North America.