Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 25, 2011

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Condensed consolidated financial statements

• Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

        The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of June 25, 2011, the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended June 25, 2011 and June 26, 2010, the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and Shareholders' Equity for the twenty-six week periods then ended have been prepared by the Company, without audit. In the opinion of management, all necessary adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments) have been made to present fairly the financial statements as of June 25, 2011 and for all periods presented.

        Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 25, 2010. The accounting policies and methods of computation followed in these interim financial statements are the same as those followed in the financial statements for the year ended December 25, 2010. The results of operations for the periods ended June 25, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.

Inventories

• Inventories

        At June 25, 2011, approximately 37% of inventory is valued at the lower of cost, determined on the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method, or market. All other inventory is valued at the lower of cost, determined on the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method or market. Finished goods and manufactured goods inventories include the costs of acquired raw materials and related factory labor and overhead charges required to convert raw materials to manufactured and finished goods. The excess of replacement cost of inventories over the LIFO value was approximately $54,400 and $42,500 at June 25, 2011 and December 25, 2010, respectively.

        Inventories consisted of the following:

	June 25, 2011		December 25, 2010
Raw materials and purchased parts	$	187,897	$	133,380
Work-in-process		33,529		25,891
Finished goods and manufactured goods		199,155		163,511
Subtotal		420,581		322,782
LIFO reserve		54,396		42,559
Net inventory	$	366,185	$	280,223

Stock plans

• Stock Plans

        The Company maintains stock-based compensation plans approved by the shareholders, which provide that the Human Resource Committee of the Board of Directors may grant incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, non-vested stock awards and bonuses of common stock. At June 25, 2011, 856,165 shares of common stock remained available for issuance under the plans. Shares and options issued and available are subject to changes in capitalization.

        Under the plans, the exercise price of each option equals the market price at the date of the grant. Options vest beginning on the first anniversary of the grant in equal amounts over three to six years or on the fifth anniversary of the grant. Expiration of grants is from six to ten years from the date of grant. The Company's compensation expense (included in selling, general and administrative expenses) and associated income tax benefits related to stock option for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2011 and June 26, 2010, respectively, were as follows:

	Thirteen Weeks Ended June 25, 2011		Thirteen Weeks Ended June 26, 2010		Twenty-six Weeks Ended June 25, 2011		Twenty-six Weeks Ended June 26, 2010
Compensation expense	$	1,215	$	1,229	$	2,467	$	2,457
Income tax benefits		468		467		950		934

Fair value

• Fair Value

        The Company applies the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 820, Fair Value Measurements ("ASC 820") which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The provisions of ASC 820 apply to other accounting pronouncements that require or permit fair value measurements. As defined in ASC 820, fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

        ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. Inputs refers broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value will be classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:

• •

  Level 1: Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

  •

  Level 2: Observable market based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.

  •

  Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.

        The categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

        Following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for assets and liabilities measured at fair value.

        Trading Securities: The assets and liabilities recorded for the investments held in the Valmont Deferred Compensation Plan represent mutual funds, invested in debt and equity securities, classified as trading securities in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 320, Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities, considering the employee's ability to change investment allocation of their deferred compensation at any time. Quoted market prices are available for these securities in an active market and therefore categorized as a Level 1 input.

				Fair Value Measurement Using:
		Carrying Value June 25, 2011		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
	Trading Securities	$	19,361	$	19,361	$	—	$	—

				Fair Value Measurement Using:
		Carrying Value December 25, 2010		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
	Trading Securities	$	18,433	$	18,433	$	—	$	—

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

• Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

        Results of operations for foreign subsidiaries are translated using the average exchange rates during the period. Assets and liabilities are translated at the exchange rates in effect on the balance sheet dates. "Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)" consisted of the following at June 25, 2011 and December 25, 2010:

	June 25, 2011			December 25, 2010
Foreign currency translation adjustment	$	64,810		$	34,693
Actuarial gain in defined benefit pension plan		30,017			28,952
Loss on cash flow hedge		(3,568	)		—
	$	91,259		$	63,645

Derivative Instrument

• Derivative Instrument

        During the second quarter of 2011, the Company executed a contract to lock in the treasury rate related to the issuance of the $150,000 of principal amount of senior notes due in 2020. The contract, for a notional amount of $130,000, was executed to hedge the risk of potential fluctuations in the treasury rates which would change the amount of net proceeds received from the debt offering. As the benchmark rate component of the fixed rate debt issuance and the cash flow hedged risk is based on that same benchmark, this was deemed an effective hedge at inception. On June 8, 2011, this contract was settled with the Company paying approximately $3,568 to the counterparty. As such, the Company has recorded the $3,568 in accumulated other comprehensive income and will amortize this loss to interest expense as interest payments are made over the term of the debt.