1.	Significant Accounting Policies

Business

IDEX is an applied solutions company specializing in fluid and metering technologies, health and science technologies, dispensing equipment, and fire, safety and other diversified products built to its customers' specifications. Its products are sold in niche markets to a wide range of industries throughout the world. The Company's products include industrial pumps, compressors, flow meters, injectors and valves, and related controls for use in a wide variety of process applications; precision fluidics solutions, including pumps, valves, degassing equipment, corrective tubing, fittings, and complex manifolds, precision photonic solutions, optical filters and specialty medical equipment and devices used in life science applications; precision-engineered equipment for dispensing, metering and mixing paints; refinishing equipment; and engineered products for industrial and commercial markets, including fire and rescue, transportation equipment, oil and gas, electronics, and communications. These activities are grouped into four reportable segments: Fluid & Metering Technologies, Health & Science Technologies, Dispensing Equipment, and Fire & Safety/Diversified Products.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the Company and its subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The principal areas of estimation reflected in the financial statements are revenue recognition, sales returns and allowances, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory valuation, recoverability of long-lived assets, income taxes, product warranties, derivatives, contingencies and litigation, insurance-related items, share-based compensation and defined benefit retirement plans.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sales price is fixed or determinable, and collectability of the sales price is reasonably assured. For product sales, delivery does not occur until the products have been shipped and risk of loss has been transferred to the customer. Revenue from services is recognized when the services are provided or ratably over the contract term. Some arrangements with customers may include multiple deliverables, including the combination of products and services. In such cases the Company has identified these as separate elements in accordance with ASC 605-25 and recognizes revenue consistent with the policy for each separate element based on the relative selling price method. Revenues from certain long-term contracts are recognized on the percentage-of-completion method. Percentage-of-completion is measured principally by the percentage of costs incurred to date for each contract to the estimated total costs for such contract at completion. Provisions for estimated losses on uncompleted long-term contracts are made in the period in which such losses are determined. Due to uncertainties inherent in the estimation process, it is reasonably possible that completion costs, including those arising from contract penalty provisions and final contract settlements, will be revised in the near-term. Such revisions to costs and income are recognized in the period in which the revisions are determined.

The Company records allowances for discounts, product returns and customer incentives at the time of sale as a reduction of revenue as such allowances can be reliably estimated based on historical experience and known trends. The Company also offers product warranties and accrues its estimated exposure for warranty claims at the time of sale based upon the length of the warranty period, warranty costs incurred and any other related information known to the Company.

Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs are included in cost of sales and are recognized as a period expense during the period in which they are incurred.

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs of $13.4 million, $11.0 million and $11.4 million for December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, are expensed as incurred.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid instruments purchased with an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash and cash equivalents.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses as a result of customer's inability to make required payments. Management evaluates the aging of the accounts receivable balances, the financial condition of its customers, historical trends and the time outstanding of specific balances to estimate the amount of accounts receivables that may not be collected in the future and records the appropriate provision.

Inventories

The Company states inventories at the lower of cost or market. Cost, which includes material, labor, and factory overhead, is determined on a FIFO basis. We make adjustments to reduce the cost of inventory to its net realizable value, if required, at the business unit level for estimated excess, obsolescence or impaired balances. Factors influencing these adjustments include changes in market demand, product life cycle and engineering changes.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances that indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable, as measured by comparing their net book value to the projected undiscounted future cash flows generated by their use. Impaired assets are recorded at their estimated fair value using a discounted cash flow analysis.

Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets

The Company reviews the carrying value of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets annually on October 31, or upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances that indicate that the carrying value of the goodwill or intangible assets may not be recoverable, in accordance with ASC 350. The Company evaluates the recoverability of each of these assets based on the estimated fair value of each of the fourteen reporting units and two indefinite-lived intangible assets. See Note 4 for a further discussion on goodwill and intangible assets.

Borrowing Expenses

Expenses, inclusive of commissions and professional fees, incurred in securing and issuing debt are capitalized and included in Other non-current assets and amortized over the life of the related borrowing and are included in Interest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Earnings per Common Share

Earnings per common share ("EPS") is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares of common stock (basic) plus common stock equivalents and unvested shares (diluted) outstanding during the year. Common stock equivalents consist of stock options and deferred compensation units ("DCUs") and have been included in the calculation of weighted average shares outstanding using the treasury stock method.

ASC 260 concludes that all outstanding unvested share-based payment awards that contain rights to nonforfeitable dividends participate in undistributed earnings with common shareholders. If awards are considered participating securities, the Company is required to apply the two-class method of computing basic and diluted earnings per share. The Company has determined that its outstanding unvested shares are participating securities. Accordingly, earnings per common share were computed using the two-class method prescribed by ASC 260. Net income attributable to common shareholders was reduced by $1.2 million, $1.4 million and $0.8 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Basic weighted average shares outstanding reconciles to diluted weighted average shares outstanding as follows:


	2011		2010		2009
	(In thousands)
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding		82,145		80,466		79,716
Dilutive effect of stock options, DCUs and unvested shares		1,398		1,517		1,011

Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding		83,543		81,983		80,727

Options to purchase approximately 0.7 million, 0.2 million and 2.2 million shares of common stock as of December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because the exercise price was greater than the average market price of the Company's common stock and, therefore, the effect of their inclusion would have been antidilutive.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for share-based payments in accordance with ASC 718. Accordingly, the Company expenses the fair value of awards made under its share-based compensation plans. That cost is recognized in the consolidated financial statements over the requisite service period of the grants. See Note 13 for further discussion on share-based compensation.

Depreciation and Amortization

Property and equipment are stated at cost, with depreciation and amortization provided using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:


Land improvements			8 to 12 years
Buildings and improvements			8 to 30 years
Machinery, equipment and other			3 to 12 years
Office and transportation equipment			3 to 10 years

Certain identifiable intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives using the straight-line method. The estimated useful lives used in the computation of amortization of identifiable intangible assets are as follows:


Patents			5 to 17 years
Trade names			10 to 20 years
Customer relationships			3 to 20 years
Non-compete agreements			2 to 5 years
Unpatented technology and other			4 to 20 years

Research and Development Expenditures

Costs associated with research and development are expensed in the period incurred and are included in Cost of sales within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Research and development expenses, which include costs associated with developing new products and major improvements to existing products, were $36.0 million, $31.8 million and $29.6 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Foreign Currency Translation

The functional currency of substantially all operations outside the United States is the respective local currency. Accordingly, those foreign currency balance sheet accounts have been translated using the exchange rates in effect as of the balance sheet date. Income statement amounts have been translated using the average exchange rate for the year. The gains and losses resulting from changes in exchange rates from year to year have been reported in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The effect of transaction gains and losses is reported within Other income (expense)-net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense includes United States, state, local and international income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and the tax basis of existing assets and liabilities and for loss carryforwards. The tax rate used to determine the deferred tax assets and liabilities is the enacted tax rate for the year and manner in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that will more likely than not be realized.

Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company is not dependent on a single customer, the largest of which accounted for less than 2% of net sales for all years presented.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In October 2009, the FASB issued ASU No. 2009-13, "Revenue Recognition (Topic 605) — Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements." ASU No. 2009-13 addresses the accounting for multiple-deliverable arrangements to enable vendors to account for products or services (deliverables) separately rather than as a combined unit. This guidance establishes a selling price hierarchy for determining the fair value of a deliverable, which is based on: (a) vendor-specific objective evidence; (b) third-party evidence; or (c) estimated selling price. This guidance also eliminates the residual method of allocation and requires that arrangement consideration be allocated at the inception of the arrangement to all deliverables using the relative selling price method. ASU No. 2009-13 is effective prospectively for revenue arrangements entered into or materially modified in fiscal years beginning on or after June 15, 2010. The Company's adoption of ASU No. 2009-13 effective January 1, 2011 did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In December 2010, the FASB issued ASU No. 2010-29, Business Combinations (Topic 805), "Disclosure of Supplementary Pro Forma Information for Business Combinations." ASU No. 2010-29 requires revenues and earnings of the combined entity be disclosed as if the business combination occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period. This ASU also requires additional disclosures about adjustments included in the reported pro forma revenues and earnings. The Company adopted the provisions of ASU No. 2010-29 prospectively for business combinations for which the acquisition date was on or after January 1, 2011.

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-09, "Disclosures about an Employer's Participation in a Multiemployer Plan." ASU 2011-09 requires enhanced disclosures around an employer's participation in multiemployer pension plans. The standard is intended to provide more information about an employer's financial obligations to a multiemployer pension plan to help financial statement users better understand the financial health of the significant plans in which the employer participates. This guidance became effective for the Company for its fiscal 2011 year-end reporting. Its adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, which is an update to Topic 820, "Fair Value Measurement." This update establishes common requirements for measuring fair value and related disclosures in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United Sates and international financial reporting standards. This amendment did not require additional fair value measurements. ASU 2011-04 is effective for all interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2011. ASU 2011-04 is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, an update to Topic 220, "Comprehensive Income." This update eliminates the option of presenting the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity, requires consecutive presentation of the statement of net income and other comprehensive income and requires reclassification adjustments from other comprehensive income to net income to be shown on the financial statements. ASU 2011-05 is effective for all interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2011. ASU 2011-05 is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08 which provides an entity the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the current two-step test for goodwill impairment. If an entity believes, as a result of its qualitative assessment, that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the quantitative impairment test is required. Otherwise, no further testing is required. The revised standard is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. However, an entity can choose to adopt earlier even if its annual test date is before the issuance of the final standard, provided that the entity has not yet performed its 2011 annual impairment test or issued its financial statements. As of December 31, 2011, the Company did not elect to early adopt ASU 2011-08. ASU 2011-08 is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.