Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Income Taxes [Abstract]

Income before income taxes and equity earnings (losses)

Income before income taxes and equity earnings (losses) is attributable to the following jurisdictions (in thousands):

		Year Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
United States	$	111,376	$	92,108	$	76,941
Foreign		5,727		2,518		1,832
Total	$	117,103	$	94,626	$	78,773

Provision for income taxes

The provision for income taxes consisted of the following (in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Current:
Federal	$	32,850	$	29,040	$	24,422
State and other		7,675		5,682		4,998
Total current provision for income taxes		40,525		34,722		29,420
Deferred:
Federal		4,754		1,715		1,659
State and other		40		656		(122	)
Total deferred provision for income taxes		4,794		2,371		1,537
Provision for income taxes	$	45,319	$	37,093	$	30,957

Reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory tax rate to effective tax rate on income before income taxes and equity earnings (losses)

A reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory tax rate to our effective tax rate on Income before income taxes and equity earnings (losses) is as follows:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Federal statutory rate	35.00	%	35.00	%	35.00	%
Other, primarily state income tax rate	3.70		4.20		4.30
Total effective tax rate	38.70	%	39.20	%	39.30	%

Components of deferred tax assets and liabilities

The components of the deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in thousands):

		December 31,
		2011			2010
Deferred tax assets:
Product inventories	$	8,075		$	8,085
Accrued expenses		2,885			1,272
Allowance for doubtful accounts		777			854
Total current		11,737			10,211
Leases		1,866			1,676
Share-based compensation		17,740			17,321
Uncertain tax positions		1,650			1,387
Net operating losses		3,972			3,537
Interest rate swaps		164			1,316
Equity losses in unconsolidated investments		5,653			5,653
Other		1,037			1,079
Total non-current		32,082			31,969
Less: Valuation allowance		(9,625	)		(9,190	)
Total non-current, net		22,457			22,779
Total deferred tax assets		34,194			32,990
Deferred tax liabilities:
Trade discounts on purchases		1,944			2,159
Prepaid expenses		1,032			1,067
Total current		2,976			3,226
Intangible assets, primarily goodwill		27,108			24,330
Depreciation		5,885			1,263
Total non-current		32,993			25,593
Total deferred tax liabilities		35,969			28,819
Net deferred tax (liability) asset	$	(1,775	)	$	4,171

Summary of activity related to uncertain tax positions

The following is a summary of the activity related to uncertain tax positions for the past three years (in thousands):

		2011			2010			2009
Balance at beginning of year	$	3,962		$	4,550		$	3,887
Increases for tax positions taken during a prior period		–			114			579
Increases for tax positions taken during the current period		914			811			898
Decreases resulting from the expiration of the statute of limitations		(46	)		(992	)		(814	)
Decreases relating to settlements		(115	)		(521	)		–
Balance at end of year	$	4,715		$	3,962		$	4,550