Segment Data - Summary of Segment Data (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	$ 124,063,000	$ 101,987,000	$ 103,469,000	$ 85,379,000	$ 69,445,000
Total net sales	14,077,843,000	13,013,868,000	12,458,877,000	11,207,589,000	10,057,512,000
Total net long-lived assets	670,061,000	566,365,000	500,204,000	484,130,000	485,024,000
Intangible asset amortization	(28,987,000)	(12,991,000)	(6,774,000)
Income before income taxes	1,044,304,000	1,018,932,000	890,806,000	761,783,000	644,165,000
Total assets	7,680,297,000	6,807,061,000	6,202,774,000	5,788,227,000	5,327,872,000
Total depreciation and amortization	133,957,000	98,383,000	88,936,000	89,332,000	90,411,000
Intangible asset amortization	28,987,000	12,991,000	6,774,000
United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	11,594,713,000	11,299,291,000	10,791,303,000	9,793,820,000	8,935,651,000
Total net long-lived assets	503,882,000	466,473,000	411,193,000	398,318,000	402,937,000
Canada [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	1,560,799,000	1,616,921,000	1,571,733,000	1,327,552,000	1,078,799,000
Total net long-lived assets	99,135,000	93,496,000	84,210,000	80,978,000	78,502,000
Australasia [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	839,353,000
Total net long-lived assets	60,614,000
Mexico [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	131,787,000	127,754,000	118,867,000	100,325,000	81,547,000
Total net long-lived assets	6,430,000	6,396,000	4,801,000	4,834,000	3,585,000
Other Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	(48,809,000)	(30,098,000)	(23,026,000)	(14,108,000)	(38,485,000)
Automotive [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	97,735,000	67,482,000	61,795,000	46,888,000	53,911,000
Industrial [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	8,808,000	13,015,000	9,851,000	4,307,000	2,987,000
Office Products [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	9,297,000	16,013,000	22,036,000	29,866,000	5,782,000
Electrical/Electronic Materials [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	1,730,000	1,029,000	1,762,000	1,957,000	676,000
Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	6,493,000	4,448,000	8,025,000	2,361,000	6,089,000
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	14,077,843,000	13,013,868,000	12,458,877,000	11,207,589,000	10,057,512,000
Total operating profit	1,132,288,000	1,078,148,000	980,221,000	839,381,000	701,656,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Automotive [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	7,489,186,000	6,320,882,000	6,061,424,000	5,608,101,000	5,225,389,000
Total operating profit	641,492,000	540,678,000	467,806,000	421,109,000	387,945,000
Total assets	4,009,244,000	3,411,252,000	3,218,931,000	3,177,644,000	3,148,876,000
Total depreciation and amortization	76,238,000	60,630,000	60,252,000	63,942,000	65,554,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Industrial [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	4,429,976,000	4,453,574,000	4,173,574,000	3,521,863,000	2,885,782,000
Total operating profit	320,720,000	352,119,000	337,628,000	255,616,000	162,353,000
Total assets	1,162,697,000	1,130,877,000	1,100,024,000	955,241,000	865,431,000
Total depreciation and amortization	8,751,000	8,307,000	7,495,000	7,208,000	7,611,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Office Products [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	1,638,618,000	1,686,690,000	1,689,368,000	1,641,963,000	1,639,018,000
Total operating profit	122,492,000	134,441,000	134,124,000	131,746,000	126,104,000
Total assets	708,944,000	731,564,000	700,720,000	694,166,000	619,612,000
Total depreciation and amortization	10,166,000	10,837,000	9,999,000	9,737,000	9,685,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Electrical/Electronic Materials [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	568,872,000	582,820,000	557,537,000	449,770,000	345,808,000
Total operating profit	47,584,000	50,910,000	40,663,000	30,910,000	25,254,000
Total assets	156,780,000	137,237,000	129,933,000	113,757,000	76,716,000
Total depreciation and amortization	1,904,000	1,733,000	1,554,000	1,414,000	1,666,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	(48,809,000)	(30,098,000)	(23,026,000)	(14,108,000)	(38,485,000)
Operating Segments [Member] | Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	353,276,000	898,292,000	773,391,000	637,871,000	445,705,000
Total depreciation and amortization	7,911,000	3,885,000	2,862,000	2,294,000	2,251,000
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest expense, net	(24,330,000)	(19,619,000)	(24,608,000)	(26,598,000)	(27,112,000)
Corporate expense	(34,667,000)	(26,606,000)	(58,033,000)	(46,263,000)	(26,735,000)
Intangible asset amortization	(28,987,000)	(12,991,000)	(6,774,000)	(4,737,000)	(3,644,000)
Goodwill and other intangible assets	1,289,356,000	497,839,000	279,775,000	209,548,000	171,532,000
Intangible asset amortization	$ 28,987,000	$ 12,991,000	$ 6,774,000	$ 4,737,000	$ 3,644,000