Acquisitions (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Oct. 01, 2011		Jul. 02, 2011		Apr. 02, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Oct. 02, 2010		Jul. 03, 2010		Apr. 03, 2010		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Sales	$ 5,440,473		$ 5,186,857		$ 5,539,931		$ 5,223,003		$ 5,238,162		$ 4,657,841		$ 4,613,307		$ 4,235,366		$ 21,390,264		$ 18,744,676		$ 14,684,101
Net income attributable to shareholders	174,088	[1]	132,216	[2]	156,197	[3]	136,309	[4]	157,889	[5]	118,502	[6]	116,193	[7]	87,046	[8]	598,810		479,630		123,512
Basic	$ 1.55	[1],[9]	$ 1.17	[2],[9]	$ 1.35	[3],[9]	$ 1.18	[4],[9]	$ 1.37	[5]	$ 1.01	[6]	$ 0.97	[7]	$ 0.72	[8]	$ 5.25		$ 4.06		$ 1.03
Diluted	$ 1.53	[1],[9]	$ 1.15	[2],[9]	$ 1.33	[3],[9]	$ 1.16	[4],[9]	$ 1.34	[5]	$ 1	[6]	$ 0.96	[7]	$ 0.71	[8]	$ 5.17	[10]	$ 4.01	[10]	$ 1.03	[10]
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Consolidated net income (loss)																	599,316		479,625		123,505
Gain on bargain purchase																	1,088		0		0
Gain on bargain purchase	410						(1,078)
Gain on Purchase of Business, Per Share Basic							$ 0.01
Amortization of Intangible Assets																	35,359		21,132		15,349
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interest																			3,060
Petsche [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Sales																					3,605
Converge [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Assets, Cash and Cash Equivalents									4,803										4,803
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price									138,363										138,363
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Noncurrent Liabilities, Long-term Debt									27,546										27,546
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Number of Employees									350										350
Acquisitions 2010 [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Sales																			256,505
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Revenue																			19,326,092		15,566,217
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Net Income (Loss)																			491,688		130,633
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Basic																			$ 4.17		$ 1.09
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Diluted																			$ 4.11		$ 1.08
Petsche 2009 [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Assets, Cash and Cash Equivalents																					4,036
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price																					174,100
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Revenue																					14,867,421
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Net Income (Loss)																					133,568
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Basic																					$ 1.11
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Diluted																					$ 1.11
Number of Employees																					250
Number Of Customers																					3,500
Intechra [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Assets, Cash and Cash Equivalents									77										77
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price									101,085										101,085
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Number of Employees									300										300
Shared [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price									252,825										252,825
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Noncurrent Liabilities, Long-term Debt									61,898										61,898
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Number of Employees									1,000										1,000
Acquisitions 2011 [Member]
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Revenue																	21,573,260		20,082,596
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Net Income (Loss)																	603,243		497,415
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Basic																	$ 5.29		$ 4.22
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Diluted																	$ 5.2		$ 4.16
RFPD and NuHorizons Combined [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Assets, Receivables	194,312																194,312
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Assets, Inventory	169,881																169,881
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Property, Plant and Equipment	11,278																11,278
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Other Noncurrent Assets	6,965																6,965
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Amortizable Intangible Assets	90,900																90,900
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount	31,951																31,951
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Liabilities, Accounts Payable	(98,967)																(98,967)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Liabilities, Accrued Liabilities	(18,900)																(18,900)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Other Noncurrent Liabilities	(4,080)																(4,080)
Business Combination, Acquisition of Less than 100 Percent, Noncontrolling Interest, Fair Value	(3,239)																(3,239)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Assets Acquired	380,101																380,101
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	379,013																379,013
Sales																	876,817
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Gain on bargain purchase																	(1,088)
RFPD [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	235,973																235,973
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Number of Employees	400																400
Nu Horizons [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Assets, Cash and Cash Equivalents	18,085																18,085
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Debt Paid	26,375																26,375
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Assets Acquired	162,213																162,213
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	161,125																161,125
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Number of Employees	700																700
Gain on bargain purchase																	1,088
Gain on bargain purchase																	$ (668)
Gain on Purchase of Business, Per Share Basic																	$ 0.01

[1] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($11,223 net of related taxes or $.10 per share on both a basic and diluted basis), an adjustment to the gain on bargain purchase recorded in the first quarter of 2011 ($410 net of related taxes), a loss on prepayment of debt ($549 net of related taxes), and a net reduction in the provision for income taxes ($28,928 net of related taxes or $.26 and $.25 per share on a basic and diluted basis, respectively) principally due to a reversal of valuation allowance on certain international deferred tax assets.

[2] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($6,048 net of related taxes or $.05 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[3] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($3,584 net of related taxes or $.03 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[4] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($7,199 net of related taxes or $.06 per share on both a basic and diluted basis), a charge related to the settlement of a legal matter ($3,609 net of related taxes or $.03 per share on both a basic and diluted basis), and a gain on bargain purchase ($1,078 net of related taxes or $.01 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[5] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($5,459 net of related taxes or $.05 per share on both a basic and diluted basis), as well as a net reduction of the provision for income taxes ($9,404 net of related taxes or $.08 per share on both a basic and diluted basis) and a reduction of interest expense ($2,312 net of related taxes or $.02 per share on both a basic and diluted basis) primarily related to the settlement of certain income tax matters covering multiple years.

[6] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($9,506 net of related taxes or $.08 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[7] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($4,095 net of related taxes or $.03 per share on both a basic and diluted basis) and a loss on prepayment of debt ($964 net of related taxes or $.01 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[8] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($5,545 net of related taxes or $.05 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[9] Quarterly net income per share is calculated using the weighted average number of shares outstanding during each quarterly period, while net income per share for the full year is calculated using the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the year. Therefore, the sum of the net income per share for each of the four quarters may not equal the net income per share for the full year.

[10] Stock-based compensation awards for the issuance of 1,051 shares, 3,257 shares, and 3,851 shares for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively, were excluded from the computation of net income per share on a diluted basis as their effect is anti-dilutive.