EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Net periodic costs (benefits) were as follows:



	Defined Benefits for the Years Ended September 30,									Supplemental Benefits for the Years Ended September 30,
	2015			2014			2013			2015		2014		2013
Net periodic (benefits) costs:
Service cost	$	—		$	22		$	165		$	—	$	—	$	35
Interest cost	7,526			8,205			7,977			1,302		1,497		1,344
Expected return on plan assets	(11,728		)	(11,309		)	(11,869		)	—		—		—
Recognition of settlement	—			—			2,142			—		—		—
Amortization of:
Prior service costs	1			1			6			16		14		14
Actuarial loss	1,008			885			1,795			1,157		1,034		1,288
Total net periodic (benefits) costs	$	(3,193	)	$	(2,196	)	$	216		$	2,475	$	2,545	$	2,681

Schedule of Assumptions Used

The weighted-average assumptions used in determining the net periodic (benefits) costs were as follows:



	Defined Benefits for the Years Ended September 30,						Supplemental Benefits for the Years Ended September 30,
	2015		2014		2013		2015		2014		2013
Discount rate	3.98	%	4.49	%	3.67	%	3.50	%	4.09	%	3.40	%
Average wage increase	—	%	0.15	%	0.11	%	—	%	—	%	4.87	%
Expected return on assets	8.00	%	8.00	%	7.80	%	—		—		—

Schedule Of Plan Assets And Benefit Obligation Of Defined Benefit Plan

Plan assets and benefit obligation of the defined and supplemental benefit plans were as follows:



	Defined Benefits at September 30,						Supplemental Benefits at September 30,
	2015			2014			2015			2014
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of fiscal year	$	194,327		$	195,961		$	38,207		$	38,674
Benefits earned during the year	—			22			—			—
Interest cost	7,526			8,205			1,302			1,497
Plan participant contributions	—			3			—			—
Benefits paid	(10,300		)	(10,359		)	(4,082		)	(4,083		)
Benefits paid - settlement	—			—			—			—
Plan settlement	—			(9,780		)	—			—
Effect of foreign currency	—			37			—			—
Actuarial (gain) loss	(6,707		)	10,238			1,878			2,119
Actuarial gain - settlement	—			—			—			—
Benefit obligation at end of fiscal year	184,846			194,327			37,305			38,207
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of fiscal year	154,966			153,731			—			—
Actual return on plan assets	(1,711		)	12,830			—			—
Plan participant contributions	—			3			—			—
Company contributions	1,670			7,433			4,082			4,083
Effect of foreign currency	—			26			—			—
Benefits paid	(10,300		)	(10,359		)	(4,082		)	(4,083		)
Benefits paid - settlement	—			—			—			—
Plan settlement	—			(8,698		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of fiscal year	144,625			154,966			—			—
Projected benefit obligation in excess of plan assets	$	(40,221	)	$	(39,361	)	$	(37,305	)	$	(38,207	)
Amounts recognized in the statement of financial position consist of:
Accrued liabilities	$	—		$	—		$	(4,056	)	$	(4,058	)
Other liabilities (long-term)	(40,221		)	(39,361		)	(33,249		)	(34,149		)
Total Liabilities	(40,221		)	(39,361		)	(37,305		)	(38,207		)
Net actuarial losses	29,158			23,433			21,139			20,420
Prior service cost	2			2			71			85
Deferred taxes	(10,206		)	(8,202		)	(7,423		)	(7,177		)
Total Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	18,954			15,233			13,787			13,328
Net amount recognized at September 30,	$	(21,267	)	$	(24,128	)	$	(23,518	)	$	(24,879	)
Accumulated benefit obligations	$	184,846		$	194,327		$	37,305		$	38,207
Information for plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets:
ABO	$	184,846		$	194,327		$	37,305		$	38,207
PBO	184,846			194,327			37,305			38,207
Fair value of plan assets	144,625			154,966			—			—

Schedule Of Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Defined And Supplemental Benefit Obligations

The weighted-average assumptions used in determining the benefit obligations were as follows:



	Defined Benefits at September 30,				Supplemental Benefits at September 30,
	2015		2014		2015		2014
Weighted average discount rate	3.94	%	3.98	%	3.52	%	3.60	%
Weighted average wage increase	—	%	—	%	—	%	—	%

Schedule Of Actual And Weighted Average Assets Allocation for Qualified Benefit plans

The actual and weighted-average asset allocation for qualified benefit plans were as follows:



	At September 30,
	2015		2014		Target
Equity securities	52.7	%	56.4	%	63.0	%
Fixed income	41.0	%	38.1	%	37.0	%
Other	6.3	%	5.5	%	—	%
Total	100.0	%	100.0	%	100.0	%

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments

Estimated future benefit payments to retirees, which reflect expected future service, are as follows:



For the years ending September 30,	Defined Benefits		Supplemental Benefits
2016	$	10,618	$	4,056
2017	10,665		3,997
2018	10,717		3,717
2019	10,804		3,550
2020	10,948		3,376
2021 through 2025	55,693		13,992

Schedule Of Fair Value Of Pension And Post Retirement Plan Assets By Asset Category

The following table presents the fair values of Griffon’s pension and post-retirement plan assets by asset category:



At September 30, 2015	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Cash and equivalents	$	1,370	$	—	$	—	$	1,370
Short-term investment funds	—		—		—		—
Government agency securities	—		—		—		—
Debt instruments	14,291		—		—		14,291
Equity securities	44,742		—		—		44,742
Commingled funds	—		78,490		—		78,490
Limited partnerships and hedge fund investments	—		5,732		—		5,732
Total	$	60,403	$	84,222	$	—	$	144,625



At September 30, 2014	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Cash and equivalents	$	2,912	$	—	$	—	$	2,912
Short-term investment funds	—		—		—		—
Government agency securities	—		—		—		—
Debt instruments	29,447		—		—		29,447
Equity securities	45,870		—		—		45,870
Commingled funds	—		72,722		—		72,722
Insurance contracts
Limited partnerships and hedge fund investments	—		4,015		—		4,015
Total	$	78,229	$	76,737	$	—	$	154,966

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Disclosures

The ESOP shares were as follows:



	At September 30,
	2015	2014
Allocated shares	2,479,776	2,406,941
Unallocated shares	3,037,831	3,281,095
	5,517,607	5,688,036