Note 9 - Restructuring

9 Months Ended

Sep. 29, 2012

Restructuring and Related Activities Disclosure [Text Block]

9. Restructuring

During the period 2006 through 2009, the company announced closures of its facilities in Dundalk, Ireland, Irving, Texas, Des Plaines, Illinois, Elk Grove, Illinois, Matamoros, Mexico, Swindon, U.K., Dünsen, Germany, Utrecht, Netherlands, and Yangmei, Taiwan. These manufacturing and distribution center closures were part of a multi-year plan to improve the company's cost structure and margins by rationalizing the company's footprint, reducing labor costs and moving closer to customers. As of September 29, 2012, all of these facility closures have been completed except for Yangmei, Taiwan. Together, these initiatives have impacted approximately 946 employees and resulted in aggregate restructuring charges of $53.9 million through September 29, 2012. The company does not expect to incur any significant additional costs associated with these facility closures and related restructuring activities.

A summary of activity of this liability for the year ended December 31, 2011, and nine months ended September 29, 2012 is as follows:

Balance at January 1, 2011	$	3,765
Additions		594
Payments		(2,941	)
Exchange rate impact		23
Balance at December 31, 2011		1,441
Additions		59
Payments		(1	)
Exchange rate impact		17
Balance at March 31, 2012		1,516
Additions		-
Payments		(193	)
Exchange rate impact		(20	)
Balance at June 30, 2012		1,303
Additions		61
Payments		(399	)
Exchange rate impact		16
Balance at September 29, 2012	$	981

Additional costs recorded that are not related to the initial restructuring plans discussed above were $0.2 million and $0.4 million at September 29, 2012 and at December 31, 2011, respectively