OPERATING SEGMENTS (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2014

Segment Reporting [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, 2014:
Net sales		$762,801		$379,404		($9,894	)		$1,132,311
Depreciation and amortization	19,843		27,106		808			47,757
Operating income	136,480		88,914		(22,006		)	203,388
Capital expenditures	9,437		6,327		646			16,410
Total assets	676,824		703,144		109,246			1,489,214
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

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

The following table also summarizes the Company’s long-lived assets held within and outside of the United States as of October 31 of the last three fiscal years (in thousands).  Long-lived assets consist of net property, plant and equipment.

	2014		2013		2012
Net Sales:
United States of America		$754,616		$654,096		$596,922
Other countries	377,695		354,661		300,425
Total net sales		$1,132,311		$1,008,757		$897,347
Long-lived assets:
United States of America		$84,116		$87,247		$70,380
Other countries	9,749		10,490		10,138
Total long-lived assets		$93,865		$97,737		$80,518