BUSINESS SEGMENTS (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 26, 2020

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information of Sales and Operating Income

Summary by Business

	2020		2019		2018
SALES:
Engineered Support Structures segment:
Lighting, Traffic, and Highway Safety Products	$	717,216	$	708,853	$	706,582
Communication Products	190,203		188,912		149,817
Access Systems	88,421		114,525		130,481
Engineered Support Structures segment	995,840		1,012,290		986,880
Utility Support Structures segment:
Steel	635,220		630,892		637,979
Concrete	160,544		122,032		111,875
Engineered Solar Tracker Solutions	86,382		47,450		16,760
Offshore and Other Complex Steel Structures	120,063		90,206		92,559
Utility Support Structures segment	1,002,209		890,580		859,173
Coatings segment	345,312		367,835		353,351
Irrigation segment:
North America	378,424		378,613		386,683
International	267,407		206,583		246,983
Irrigation segment	645,831		585,196		633,666
Other	—		—		23,080
Total	2,989,192		2,855,901		2,856,150
INTERSEGMENT SALES:
Engineered Support Structures	12,317		10,214		19,522
Utility Support Structures	71		4,972		3,967
Coatings	75,710		67,195		66,612
Irrigation	5,739		6,544		8,905
Total	93,837		88,925		99,006
NET SALES:
Engineered Support Structures segment	983,523		1,002,076		967,358
Utility Support Structures segment	1,002,138		885,608		855,206
Coatings segment	269,602		300,640		286,739
Irrigation segment	640,092		578,652		624,761
Other	—		—		23,080
Total	$	2,895,355	$	2,766,976	$	2,757,144

	2020		2019		2018
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS):
Engineered Support Structures	$	65,342	$	65,627	$	34,776
Utility Support Structures	100,855		87,788		64,766
Coatings	42,975		51,008		55,325
Irrigation	83,046		71,687		97,722
Other	—		—		(913)
Corporate	(66,265)		(48,205)		(39,504)
Total	225,953		227,905		212,172
Interest expense, net	(38,701)		(36,211)		(39,569)
Costs associated with refinancing of debt	—		—		(14,820)
Loss from divestiture of grinding media business	—		—		(6,084)
Other	5,516		8,164		1,634
Earnings before income taxes and equity in earnings of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	$	192,768	$	199,858	$	153,333
TOTAL ASSETS:
Engineered Support Structures	$	932,565	$	944,428	$	868,336
Utility Support Structures	778,127		742,194		700,915
Coatings	360,594		363,070		294,951
Irrigation	465,322		347,887		347,894
Corporate	416,552		409,637		371,798
Total	$	2,953,160	$	2,807,216	$	2,583,894

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES:
Engineered Support Structures	$	24,447	$	25,344	$	26,783
Utility Support Structures	34,495		26,306		17,442
Coatings	22,132		23,610		10,320
Irrigation	16,740		15,644		7,249
Other	—		—		7
Corporate	8,886		6,521		10,184
Total	$	106,700	$	97,425	$	71,985

	2020		2019		2018
DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION:
Engineered Support Structures	$	25,399	$	26,280	$	27,274
Utility Support Structures	23,641		23,779		23,618
Coatings	15,793		15,907		15,956
Irrigation	12,098		10,943		11,335
Other	—		—		775
Corporate	5,961		5,355		3,869
Total	$	82,892	$	82,264	$	82,827

Summary by Geographical Area by Location

Summary by Geographical Area by Location of Valmont Facilities:

	2020		2019		2018
NET SALES:
United States	$	1,919,136	$	1,872,840	$	1,771,390
Australia	252,253		255,271		325,553
Denmark	120,063		90,206		92,559
Other	603,903		548,659		567,642
Total	$	2,895,355	$	2,766,976	$	2,757,144
LONG-LIVED ASSETS:
United States	$	748,886	$	753,545	$	624,143
Australia	179,673		193,029		168,438
Denmark	61,546		58,435		64,497
Other	408,430		369,983		332,556
Total	$	1,398,535	$	1,374,992	$	1,189,634