Reportable Segments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Reportable 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 industrial and natural 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.

Information for the Company’s three reportable segments and its corporate headquarters is presented below:

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2012
	Energy &  Chemicals		Distribution & Storage		BioMedical		Corporate			Total
Sales	$	68,824	$	105,092	$	42,190	$	—		$	216,106
Operating income (loss)	13,192		18,732		4,592		(12,655		)	23,861

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2011
	Energy &  Chemicals		Distribution & Storage		BioMedical		Corporate			Total
Sales	$	42,516	$	73,373	$	47,052	$	—		$	162,941
Operating income (loss)	3,753		11,521		8,447		(9,414		)	14,307