OPERATING SEGMENTS (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2013

Operating Segments (Tables) [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information by Segment [Table Text Block]

Information on the Company’s two operating segments, the FSG and the ETG, for each of the last three fiscal years ended October 31 is as follows (in thousands):

	Segment				Other, Primarily Corporate and Intersegment			Consolidated Totals
	FSG		ETG
Year ended October 31, 2013:
Net sales		$665,148		$350,033		($6,424	)		$1,008,757
Depreciation and amortization	14,614		21,392		784			36,790
Operating income	122,058		83,063		(21,531		)	183,590
Capital expenditures	10,190		7,748		390			18,328
Total assets	679,839		759,807		93,369			1,533,015
Year ended October 31, 2012:
Net sales		$570,325		$331,598		($4,576	)		$897,347
Depreciation and amortization	10,451		19,365		840			30,656
Operating income	103,943		77,438		(18,087		)	163,294
Capital expenditures	7,045		7,248		969			15,262
Total assets	487,188		636,660		68,998			1,192,846
Year ended October 31, 2011:
Net sales		$539,563		$227,771		($2,443	)		$764,891
Depreciation and amortization	10,661		7,502		380			18,543
Operating income	95,001		59,465		(16,035		)	138,431
Capital expenditures	6,866		2,543		37			9,446
Total assets	458,624		429,869		52,576			941,069

Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Table Text Block]

The composition of the Company’s net sales to customers located in the United States of America and to those in other countries for each of the last three fiscal years ended October 31 is as follows (in thousands):

	Year ended October 31,
	2013		2012		2011
United States of America		$654,096		$596,922		$507,237
Other countries	354,661		300,425		257,654
Total		$1,008,757		$897,347		$764,891