OPERATING SEGMENTS (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2020

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 (1)	Consolidated Totals
	FSG	ETG
Year ended October 31, 2020:
Net sales	$924,812	$874,987	($12,790)	$1,787,009
Depreciation	14,339	11,722	1,006	27,067
Amortization	19,957	40,553	984	61,494
Operating income	143,051	258,814	(25,217)	376,648
Capital expenditures	10,843	12,025	72	22,940
Year ended October 31, 2019:
Net sales	$1,240,183	$834,522	($19,058)	$2,055,647
Depreciation	13,793	10,957	1,008	25,758
Amortization	19,624	37,131	984	57,739
Operating income	242,029	245,743	(30,675)	457,097
Capital expenditures	17,036	11,826	76	28,938
Year ended October 31, 2018:
Net sales	$1,097,937	$701,827	($22,043)	$1,777,721
Depreciation	13,322	9,225	692	23,239
Amortization	19,530	33,339	1,083	53,952
Operating income	206,623	204,508	(34,886)	376,245
Capital expenditures	13,074	9,531	19,266	41,871
(1) Intersegment activity principally consists of net sales from the ETG to the FSG.

Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated [Table Text Block]

Total assets by operating segment are as follows (in thousands):

			Other, Primarily Corporate	Consolidated Totals
	Segment
As of October 31,	FSG	ETG
2020	$1,127,666	$1,896,671	$523,374	$3,547,711
2019	1,149,737	1,643,032	176,442	2,969,211

Schedule of Revenue and Long-lived Assets by Geographic Area [Table Text Block]

The following table summarizes the Company’s net sales to customers located in the United States and to those in other countries for each of the last three fiscal years ended October 31 (in thousands).  Net sales are attributed to countries based on the location of the customer.  Net sales to any one customer or originating from any one foreign country did not account for 10% or more of the Company’s consolidated net sales during any of the last three fiscal years.  The following table also summarizes the Company’s long-lived assets held within and outside of the United States as of October 31 for each of the last three fiscal years (in thousands).  Long-lived assets consist of net property, plant and equipment.

	2020	2019	2018
Net sales:
United States of America	$1,193,497	$1,308,943	$1,127,998
Other countries	593,512	746,704	649,723
Total net sales	$1,787,009	$2,055,647	$1,777,721
Long-lived assets:
United States of America	$139,197	$143,350	$124,225
Other countries	29,651	29,995	30,514
Total long-lived assets	$168,848	$173,345	$154,739