PENSION PLANS

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

PENSION PLANS

PENSION PLANS

Note 8 PENSION PLANS

        The Company sponsors defined benefit pension plans that cover substantially all of its French and German employees. Plan benefits are provided in accordance with local statutory requirements. Benefits are based on years of service and employee compensation levels. The plans are unfunded. Pension liabilities and charges to expense are based upon various assumptions, updated quarterly, including discount rates, future salary increases, employee turnover, and mortality rates.

        Retirement plans consist of two types of plans. The first plan type covers the Company's French employees and provides for termination benefits paid to employees only at retirement, and consists of approximately one to five months of salary. The second plan type covers the Company's German employees and provides for defined benefit payouts for the employee's post-retirement life, and covers the Company's German employees.

        The aggregate net pension expense relating to the two plan types are as follows:

	Three Months Ended					Six Months Ended
	June 30, 2011		June 30, 2010			June 30, 2011			June 30, 2010
	(in thousands)
Service costs	$	311	$	149		$	629		$	573
Interest cost		326		219			651			595
Amortization of actuarial loss (gain)		14		(5	)		68			(4	)
Settlement and other related losses (gains)		-		907			(726	)		907
Net pension expense	$	651	$	1,270		$	622		$	2,071

        Settlement and other related gains of $726 for the six months ended June 30, 2011 related to restructuring activity in the Company's Rousset, France operations initiated in the second quarter of 2010.

        The Company's net pension cost for 2011 is expected to be approximately $2,591. Cash funding for benefits paid was $43 and $76 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011. Cash funding for benefits to be paid for 2011 is expected to be approximately $417.