Company Operations By Business Unit

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Company Operations By Business Unit [Abstract]

Company Operations By Business Unit

(11)   Company Operations by Business Unit

The business unit structure is the Company's approach to serving customers and reporting sales rather than any internal division used to allocate resources. Historically, the Company presented Net sales featuring the Research units of Essentials, Specialties and Biotech and SAFC. As a result of certain senior management changes and to reflect how sales are managed internally, beginning in 2012, the three Research units have been combined into one Research Chemicals ("Research") unit under one Business Unit President. Net sales for the Company's business units are as follows:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2012		2011
Research Chemicals	$	468	$	452
SAFC		197		180
Total	$	665	$	632

The Company's Chief Operating Decision Maker and Board of Directors review profit and loss information on a consolidated basis to assess performance and make overall operating decisions as well as resource allocations. The Company's business units are closely interrelated in their activities and share services such as order entry, billing, technical services, e-commerce, purchasing and inventory control and share production and distribution facilities. Additionally, these units are supported by centralized functional areas such as finance, human resources, quality, safety and compliance and information technology. Further, the Company's Chief Operating Decision Maker, Chief Financial Officer and Business Unit Presidents participate in compensation programs in which a portion of their incentive compensation paid is based upon consolidated Company results for sales growth and for the Business Unit Presidents the sales growth in the business unit for which they are responsible, consolidated Company operating income and consolidated Company free cash flow. Based on these factors, the Company has concluded that it operates in one segment.

Sales are attributed to countries based upon the location of product shipped. Geographic financial information is as follows:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2012		2011
Net sales to unaffiliated customers:
United States	$	240	$	228
Germany		59		61
Other countries		366		343
Total	$	665	$	632

	March 31,		December 31,
	2012		2011
Long-lived assets:
United States	$	555	$	506
Other countries		335		319
Total	$	890	$	825