Short Term Debt	12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2011
Short Term Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Short Term Debt Text Block	5. Short-Term Debt Instruments On January 25, 2011, we replaced our existing $450 million five-year revolving syndicated credit facility with a new $650 million three-year revolving syndicated credit facility that expires in January 2014. The new facility has an option to expand up to $850 million. We pay an annual fee of $30,000 plus fifteen basis points for any unused amount up to $650 million. The facility provides a line of credit for letters of credit of $10 million, of which $3.5 million was issued and outstanding at October 31, 2011. The prior five-year revolving syndicated credit facility provided a line of credit for letters of credit of $5 million, of which $2.7 million was issued and outstanding at October 31, 2010. These letters of credit are used to guarantee claims from self-insurance under our general and automobile liability policies. The credit facility bears interest based on the 30-day LIBOR rate plus from 65 to 150 basis points, based on our credit ratings. Amounts borrowed remain outstanding until repaid and do not mature daily. Due to the seasonal nature of our business, amounts borrowed can vary significantly during the year. Our outstanding short-term bank borrowings, as included in “Bank debt” in the consolidated balance sheets, were $331 million, as of October 31, 2011, under our three-year revolving syndicated credit facility and $242 million, as of October 31, 2010, under our five-year revolving syndicated credit facility, in LIBOR cost-plus loans at a weighted average interest rate of .94% in 2011 and .50% in 2010. During the twelve months ended October 31, 2011, short-term borrowings ranged from $73.5 million to $426 million, and interest rates ranged from .51% to 1.17% when borrowing. Our three-year revolving syndicated credit facility's financial covenants require us to maintain a ratio of total debt to total capitalization of no greater than 70%, and our actual ratio was 51% at October 31, 2011.

Short Term Debt

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2011

Short Term Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

5. Short-Term Debt Instruments

On January 25, 2011, we replaced our existing $450 million five-year revolving syndicated credit facility with a new $650 million three-year revolving syndicated credit facility that expires in January 2014. The new facility has an option to expand up to $850 million. We pay an annual fee of $30,000 plus fifteen basis points for any unused amount up to $650 million. The facility provides a line of credit for letters of credit of $10 million, of which $3.5 million was issued and outstanding at October 31, 2011. The prior five-year revolving syndicated credit facility provided a line of credit for letters of credit of $5 million, of which $2.7 million was issued and outstanding at October 31, 2010. These letters of credit are used to guarantee claims from self-insurance under our general and automobile liability policies. The credit facility bears interest based on the 30-day LIBOR rate plus from 65 to 150 basis points, based on our credit ratings. Amounts borrowed remain outstanding until repaid and do not mature daily. Due to the seasonal nature of our business, amounts borrowed can vary significantly during the year.

Our outstanding short-term bank borrowings, as included in “Bank debt” in the consolidated balance sheets, were $331 million, as of October 31, 2011, under our three-year revolving syndicated credit facility and $242 million, as of October 31, 2010, under our five-year revolving syndicated credit facility, in LIBOR cost-plus loans at a weighted average interest rate of .94% in 2011 and .50% in 2010. During the twelve months ended October 31, 2011, short-term borrowings ranged from $73.5 million to $426 million, and interest rates ranged from .51% to 1.17% when borrowing. Our three-year revolving syndicated credit facility's financial covenants require us to maintain a ratio of total debt to total capitalization of no greater than 70%, and our actual ratio was 51% at October 31, 2011.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for short-term debt.

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