Reporting Segments (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Reporting Segments

Reportable Segments

The structure of the Company’s internal organization is divided into the following three reportable segments, which are also the Company's operating segments: Energy and Chemicals (“E&C”), Distribution and Storage (“D&S”) and BioMedical. The Company’s reportable segments are business units that are each managed separately because they manufacture, offer and distribute distinct products with different production processes and sales and marketing approaches. The E&C segment sells brazed aluminum and air-cooled heat exchangers, cold boxes and liquefied natural gas vacuum-insulated pipe to natural gas, petrochemical processing and industrial gas companies who use them for the liquefaction and separation of natural and industrial gases. The D&S segment sells cryogenic bulk storage systems, cryogenic packaged gas systems, cryogenic systems and components, beverage liquid CO₂ systems, cryogenic flow meter systems and cryogenic services to various companies for the storage and transportation of both industrial and natural gases. The BioMedical segment sells medical respiratory products, biological storage systems and other oxygen products. Due to the nature of the products that each segment sells, there are no intersegment sales. Corporate includes operating expenses for executive management, accounting, tax, treasury, human resources, information technology, legal, internal audit, risk management and stock-based compensation expenses that are not allocated to the reporting segments.

The Company evaluates performance and allocates resources based on operating income or loss from continuing operations before net interest expense, financing costs amortization expense, foreign currency gain or loss, income taxes and noncontrolling interest. The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies in Note A.

	Year Ended December 31, 2011
	Reportable Segments
	Energy and Chemicals		Distribution and Storage		BioMedical		Corporate			Total
Sales from external customers	$	205,033	$	390,332	$	199,220	$	—		$	794,585
Depreciation and amortization expense	7,417		11,767		7,588		1,143			27,915
Operating income (loss)	27,489		61,415		35,911		(34,821		)	89,994
Total assets(A)(B)	203,067		556,688		226,729		187,729			1,174,213
Capital expenditures	5,228		7,808		6,692		2,652			22,380

	Year Ended December 31, 2010
	Reportable Segments
	Energy and Chemicals		Distribution and Storage		BioMedical		Corporate			Total
Sales from external customers	$	137,801	$	269,293	$	148,361	$	—		$	555,455
Depreciation and amortization expense	7,338		10,474		5,197		568			23,577
Operating income (loss)	6,121		41,934		30,698		(31,249		)	47,504
Total assets(A)(C)	188,407		513,215		227,138		26,079			954,839
Capital expenditures	973		8,563		4,594		2,809			16,939

	Year Ended December 31, 2009
	Reportable Segments
	Energy and Chemicals		Distribution and Storage		BioMedical		Corporate			Total
Sales from external customers	$	255,074	$	252,197	$	90,187	$	—		$	597,458
Depreciation and amortization expense	7,335		10,104		3,591		382			21,412
Operating income (loss)	61,852		39,888		15,912		(23,318		)	94,334
Total assets(A)(D)	205,482		486,620		135,977		98,424			926,503
Capital expenditures	2,707		7,168		2,022		1,293			13,190

 _______________

(A) Corporate assets at December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, short term investments and deferred income taxes.

(B) Total assets at December 31, 2011 include goodwill of $83,215, $158,381 and $47,174 for the Energy and Chemicals, Distribution and Storage and BioMedical segments, respectively.

(C) Total assets at December 31, 2010 include goodwill of $83,215, $148,010 and $44,027 for the Energy and Chemicals, Distribution and Storage and BioMedical segments, respectively.

(D) Total assets at December 31, 2009 include goodwill of $83,215, $144,290 and $37,027 for the Energy and Chemicals, Distribution and Storage and BioMedical segments, respectively.

A reconciliation of the total of the reportable segments’ operating income to consolidated income before income taxes and minority interest is presented below:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Operating income	$	89,994		$	47,504		$	94,334
Other expense (income):
Interest expense, net	23,371			16,196			15,817
Amortization of deferred financing costs	4,383			3,063			1,616
Gain on acquisition of business	—			(1,124		)	(6,954		)
Foreign currency loss (gain)	(734		)	871			(687		)
Income before income taxes and minority interest	$	62,974		$	28,498		$	84,542

	Year Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Product Sales Information:
Energy and Chemicals Segment
Heat exchangers	$	158,975	$	113,313	$	172,374
Cold boxes and LNG VIP	46,058		24,488		82,700
	$	205,033	$	137,801	$	255,074
Distribution and Storage Segment
Cryogenic bulk storage systems	$	183,932	$	117,907	$	135,523
Cryogenic packaged gas systems and beverage liquid CO2 systems	147,526		103,129		80,278
Cryogenic systems and components	33,038		20,221		10,987
Cryogenic services	25,836		28,036		25,409
	$	390,332	$	269,293	$	252,197
BioMedical Segment
Medical respiratory products	$	138,411	$	95,666	$	41,793
Biological storage systems	60,809		52,695		43,966
Other	—		—		4,428
	199,220		148,361		90,187
Total Sales	$	794,585	$	555,455	$	597,458

	Year Ended December 31, 2011				Year Ended December 31, 2010				Year Ended December 31, 2009
Geographic Information:	Sales		Long-Lived Assets		Sales		Long-Lived Assets		Sales
United States	$	503,011	$	326,439	$	391,691	$	391,428	$	441,583
Czech Republic	87,285		78,921		72,486		86,680		79,865
China	71,752		73,469		45,203		69,243		28,641
Germany	122,001		95,932		—		—		—
Other Non-U.S. Countries	10,536		2,085		46,075		1,392		47,369
Total	$	794,585	$	576,846	$	555,455	$	548,743	$	597,458