CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018
Document Period End Date			Sep. 28, 2019
Net sales	$ 690,340	$ 678,692	$ 2,083,350	$ 2,059,781
Total cost of sales	514,254	514,352	1,561,721	1,551,202
Gross profit	176,086	164,340	521,629	508,579
Selling, general and administrative expenses	112,223	110,200	338,950	326,809
Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets	0	15,780	0	15,780
Operating income	63,863	38,360	182,679	165,990
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(9,976)	(10,954)	(29,971)	(33,819)
Interest income	969	1,000	2,815	3,713
Gain on investments (unrealized)	402	1,068	4,754	1,146
Costs associated with refinancing of debt	0	14,820	0	14,820
Loss from divestiture of grinding media business	0	0	0	(6,084)
Other	768	1,428	1,938	2,053
Total other income (expenses)	(7,837)	(22,278)	(20,464)	(47,811)
Earnings before income taxes	56,026	16,082	162,215	118,179
Income tax expense (benefit):
Current	12,375	10,777	33,053	35,214
Deferred	1,388	(1,686)	7,098	814
Total income tax expense (benefit)	13,763	9,091	40,151	36,028
Net earnings	42,263	6,991	122,064	82,151
Less: Earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(2,119)	(2,543)	(4,042)	(5,462)
Net earnings attributable to Valmont Industries, Inc.	$ 40,144	$ 4,448	$ 118,022	$ 76,689
Earnings per share:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 1.86	$ 0.20	$ 5.43	$ 3.42
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 1.85	$ 0.20	$ 5.41	$ 3.40
Product sales
Net sales	$ 605,439	$ 597,469	$ 1,829,919	$ 1,816,597
Total cost of sales	457,750	460,547	1,393,236	1,389,832
Services sales
Net sales	84,901	81,223	253,431	243,184
Total cost of sales	$ 56,504	$ 53,805	$ 168,485	$ 161,370