EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The Company has responsibility for a defined benefit plan that covered 26 active non-supervisory Canadian employees as of December 31, 2011. The Company recognizes the over funded or under funded status of the pension plan as an asset or liability. The funded status is measured as the difference between the fair value of plan assets and the projected benefit obligations to current and retired employees.

The following table presents the net periodic pension cost for the years ended December 31, (in thousands):

	2011			2010			2009
Service cost	$	156		$	144		$	115
Interest cost	462			421			416
Expected return on fair value of assets	(502		)	(466		)	(368		)
Actuarial loss	35			31			78
Net periodic pension cost	$	151		$	130		$	241

Weighted average assumptions used to determine pension benefit obligations at year end and net pension cost for the following years were as follows:

	2011		2010		2009
Discount rate	5.40	%	5.75	%	5.75	%
Expected return on fair value of assets	6.50	%	6.75	%	6.75	%
Rate of compensation increase	3.75	%	3.75	%	3.25	%

The long-term rate-of-return-on-assets assumption was determined using a building-block method, which integrates historical inflation, real risk-free rates and risk premiums for the different asset categories forming the plan fund. A weighted average of the above result and the historical return of the plan's fund is then calculated. The current asset mix is assumed to remain constant and a 0.7% adjustment for investment and custodial fees was taken into account.

The accumulated benefit obligation was $7.7 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

The following table sets forth the changes in benefit obligations, plan assets and the net pension liability accrued on the Company's consolidated balance sheets at December 31, (in thousands):

	2011			2010
Change in benefit obligations:
Benefit obligation at the beginning of year	$	7,933		$	7,138
Service cost	156			144
Interest cost	462			421
Employee contributions	50			27
Actuarial gain	39			87
Benefits paid	(250		)	(253		)
Currency translation	(163		)	369
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	8,227		$	7,933

	2011			2010
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	7,660		$	6,683
Actual return on plan assets	102			445
Employer contributions	254			406
Employee contributions	50			27
Benefits paid	(250		)	(253		)
Currency translation	(150		)	352
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	7,666		$	7,660

	2011			2010
Unfunded pension liability (included in other long-term liabilities)	$	(561	)	$	(273	)

The Company's pension assets measured at fair value by asset class at December 31, 2011 and 2010 were as follows (in thousands):

	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Balance at December 31, 2011
Canadian equities	$	2,146	$	—	$	—	$	2,146
Canadian corporate and other bonds	—		2,146		—		2,146
United States equities	1,304		—		—		1,304
International equities	1,073		—		—		1,073
Canadian government bonds	690		—		—		690
Cash and cash equivalents	307		—		—		307
Total	$	5,520	$	2,146	$	—	$	7,666

	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Balance at December 31, 2010
Canadian equities	$	2,298	$	—	$	—	$	2,298
Canadian corporate and other bonds	—		2,221		—		2,221
United States equities	1,226		—		—		1,226
International equities	1,072		—		—		1,072
Canadian government bonds	536		—		—		536
Cash and cash equivalents	307		—		—		307
Total	$	5,439	$	2,221	$	—	$	7,660

Components of net periodic benefit cost and other amounts recognized in other comprehensive income were as follows at December 31, (in thousands):

	2011			2010			2009
Net loss (gain)	$	427		$	111		$	(701	)
Amortization of net loss	(34		)	(32		)	(85		)
Total expense (income) recognized in other comprehensive income	$	393		$	79		$	(786	)

Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income during the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 were $1.6 million, $1.2 million and $1.1 million, respectively.

The estimated net loss that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year is $67 thousand.

The Company's investment policy targets up to a 60% allocation to equity securities, a 35% allocation to debt securities, and a 5% allocation to cash. The asset mix is frequently reviewed by the fund manager by examining the domestic and international macroeconomic factors and relative valuation levels of equity versus fixed income markets as well as internal forecasts of interest rate trends. The objective is to add value through longer-term asset mix positioning rather than short-term trading. The portfolio's volatility is kept to a minimum by implementing only incremental asset mix changes. Management believes that this investment policy fits the long-term nature of the pension obligations.

The Company's weighted average asset allocations at December 31, 2011 and 2010 were as follows:

	2011		2010
Canadian equities	28	%	30	%
Canadian corporate bonds	28	%	29	%
United States equities	17	%	16	%
International equities	14	%	14	%
Canadian government bonds	9	%	7	%
Cash and cash equivalents	4	%	4	%
Total	100	%	100	%

The Company expects to contribute $215 thousand to this pension plan in 2012.

Benefit payments including those amounts to be paid out of corporate assets and reflecting future expected service as appropriate, are expected to be paid as follows (in thousands):

Year	Expected benefit payments
2012	$	283
2013	290
2014	285
2015	321
2016	348
Thereafter	1,933

The Company has profit-sharing plans under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code covering substantially all U.S. employees and a Canadian Registered Retired Savings Plan covering all Canadian employees. Both plans allow employees to make contributions up to a specified percentage of their compensation. The Company makes discretionary partial matching contributions established annually by the Board of Directors. The Company expensed $3.9 million, $3.3 million, and $1.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively, related to the U.S. plan and $1.6 million and $1.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, related to the Canadian plan.