Stock-Based Awards and Programs (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Stock-Based Awards and Programs

Schedule of compensation expense and tax benefits for stock-based awards and programs

	Three Months Ended				Six Months Ended				Twelve Months Ended
	2012		2011		2012		2011		2012		2011
Compensation Expense	$	376	$	218	$	1,198	$	959	$	2,004	$	2,624
Tax Benefit Recognized	128		68		427		339		702		950

Schedule of assumptions used in valuation of performance-based restricted stock awards

	Fair Value of Grants Outstanding at June 30,
	2012	2011
Risk-free interest rate	0.17% to 0.35%	0.11% to 0.60%
Expected volatility of Empire stock	20.9%	27.4%
Expected volatility of peer group stock	12.7% to 44.2%	20.8% to 82.2%
Expected dividend yield on Empire stock	4.7%	0.0% to 4.2%
Expected forfeiture rates	3%	3%
Plan cycle	3 years	3 years
Fair value percentage	34.0% to 101.0%	67.0% to 88.0%
Weighted average fair value per share	$12.64	$15.45

Schedule of non-vested restricted stock awards (based on target number) and changes during the reporting period

	2012				2011
	Number		Weighted Average		Number		Weighted Average
	of shares		Grant Date Price		of shares		Grant Date Price
Outstanding at January 1,	37,400		$	19.28	47,500		$	19.86
Granted	10,000		$	20.97	10,900		$	21.84
Awarded	(7,823	)	$	18.12	(39,621	)	$	21.92
Awarded in Excess of Target	—		—		18,621		$	21.92
Not Awarded	(5,677	)	$	18.12	—		—
Nonvested at June 30,	33,900		$	20.25	37,400		$	19.28

Schedule of assumptions used in the valuations of stock options

	Fair Value of Grants Outstanding at June 30,
	2012	2011
Risk-free interest rate	0.20% to 0.54%	0.25% to 1.77%
Dividend yield	4.70%	3.20% to 4.70%
Expected volatility	25.0%	24.0%
Expected life in months	78	78
Market value	$ 21.10	$ 19.26
Weighted average fair value per option	$ 1.80	$ 1.55

Schedule of stock options activity

	2012			2011
		Weighted Average			Weighted Average
	Options	Exercise Price		Options	Exercise Price
Outstanding at January 1,	190,300	$	21.56	267,400	$	21.69
Granted	—	—		—	—
Exercised	27,000	$	18.12	77,100	$	22.02
Outstanding at June 30,	163,300	$	22.13	190,300	$	21.56
Exercisable at June 30,	128,500	$	23.15	128,500	$	23.15

Schedule of aggregate intrinsic values of stock options

	2012	2011
Aggregate intrinsic value (in millions)	$0.1	less than $0.1
Weighted-average remaining contractual life of outstanding options	3.7 years	5.6 years
Range of exercise prices	$18.36 to $23.81	$18.12 to $23.81
Total unrecognized compensation expense (in millions) related to non-vested options and related dividend equivalents granted under the plan	less than $0.1	less than $0.1
Recognition period	0.6 years	0.5 to 1.5 years

Schedule of shares of time-vested restricted stock granted to qualified individuals at the fair market value

	June 30, 2012			December 31, 2011
		Weighted			Weighted
		Average Fair			Average Fair
	Number of shares	Market Value		Number of shares	Market Value
Outstanding at January 1,	3,433	$	21.84	—	$	—
Granted	—	—		10,200	$	21.84
Vested	—	—		794	$	19.32
Distributed	133	$	20.13	661	$	21.02
Forfeited	—	—		6,106	$	—
Vested but not distributed	—	—		133	$	20.13
Outstanding at end of period	3,300	$	20.35	3,433	$	21.84

Schedule of employee stock purchase plan

	2012		2011
Subscriptions outstanding at June 30	72,899		72,182
Maximum subscription price(1)	$	17.95	$	17.27
Shares of stock issued	65,919		69,229
Stock issuance price	$	17.27	$	16.06

(1) Stock will be issued on the closing date of the purchase period, which runs from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013.

Schedule of assumptions used in valuation of shares under employee stock purchase plan

	2012			2011
Weighted average fair value of grants at June 30	$	3.19		$	3.17
Risk-free interest rate	0.17		%	0.18		%
Dividend yield	5.00		%	2.60		%
Expected volatility	24.00		%	22.00		%
Expected life in months	12			12
Grant Date	6/1/12			6/1/11