COMMON STOCK (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

COMMON STOCK.

Schedule of compensation expense and tax benefits for stock-based awards and programs

	2011		2010		2009
Compensation expense	$	1,765	$	3,193	$	2,292
Tax benefit recognized		614		1,160		819

Schedule of shares of time-vested restricted stock granted to qualified individuals at the fair market value

	2011
	Number of shares		Weighted Average Fair Market Value
Outstanding at January 1,		—	$	—
Granted		10,200	$	21.84
Vested		794	$	19.32
Distributed		661	$	21.02
Forfeited		6,106
Vested but not distributed		133	$	20.13
Outstanding at December 31,		3,433	$	21.84

Schedule of assumptions used in valuation of performance-based restricted stock awards

	Fair Value of Grants Outstanding at December 31,
	2011	2010	2009
Risk-free interest rate	0.12% to 0.23%	0.30% to 0.62%	0.47% to 1.08%
Expected volatility of Empire stock	23.8%	26.9%	28.8%
Expected volatility of peer group stock	15.7% to 57.4%	21.7% to 82.7%	22.1% to 80.9%
Expected dividend yield on Empire stock	4.7%	6.5%	7.6%
Expected forfeiture rates	3%	3%	3%
Plan cycle	3 years	3 years	3 years
Fair value percentage	51.0% to 75.0%	138.0% to 193.7%	87.0% to 132.0%
Weighted average fair value per share	$13.67	$37.17	$21.00

Schedule of non-vested restricted stock awards (based on target number) and changes during the reporting period

	2011					2010					2009
	Number of Shares			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Shares			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number Of Shares			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding at January 1,		47,500		$	19.86		52,200		$	21.57		52,300		$	22.64
Granted		10,900		$	21.84		13,000		$	18.36		13,500		$	18.12
Awarded		(39,621	)	$	21.92		(15,104	)	$	23.81		(12,394	)	$	22.23
Awarded in excess of target		18,621		$	21.92
Not awarded		—		$	—		(2,596	)	$	—		(1,206	)	$	—
Nonvested at December 31,		37,400		$	19.28		47,500		$	19.86		52,200		$	21.57

Schedule of assumptions used in the valuations of stock options

	Fair Value of Grants Outstanding at December 31,
	2011	2010	2009
Risk-free interest rate	0.12% to 0.72%	0.45% to 2.34%	1.11% to 2.98%
Dividend yield	4.7%	6.5%	7.6%
Expected volatility	25.0%	23.0%	24.0%
Expected life in months	78	78	78
Market value	$21.09	$22.20	$18.73
Weighted average fair value per option	$2.08	$2.02	$0.97

Schedule of stock options activity

	2011				2010				2009
	Options		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Options		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Options		Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at January 1,		267,400	$	21.69		232,600	$	22.19		205,600	$	22.73
Granted		0	$	—		34,800	$	18.36		27,000	$	18.12
Exercised		77,100	$	22.02		—	$	—		—	$	—
Outstanding at December 31,		190,300	$	21.56		267,400	$	21.69		232,600	$	22.19
Exercisable, end of year		128,500	$	23.15		149,200	$	23.04		85,000	$	22.46

Schedule of aggregate intrinsic values of stock options

	2011	2010	2009
Aggregate intrinsic value (in millions)	$0.2	$0.3	$0.0
Weighted-average remaining contractual life of outstanding options	5.1 years	6.6 years	6.6 years
Range of exercise prices	$18.12 to $23.81	$18.12 to $23.81	$18.12 to $23.81
Total unrecognized compensation expense (in millions) related to non-vested options and related dividend equivalents granted under the plan	$0.1	$0.2	$0.2
Recognition period	1 year	1 to 3 years

Schedule of employee stock purchase plan

	2011			2010		2009
Subscriptions outstanding at December 31,		70,756			71,326		68,591
Maximum subscription price	$	17.27	(1)	$	16.06	$	14.62
Shares of stock issued		69,229			66,723		44,265
Stock issuance price	$	16.06		$	14.62	$	14.10

(1)

Stock will be issued on the closing date of the purchase period, which runs from June 1, 2011 to May 31, 2012.

Schedule of assumptions used in valuation of shares under employee stock purchase plan

	2011			2010			2009
Weighted average fair value of grants	$	3.17		$	2.28		$	3.26
Risk-free interest rate		0.18	%		0.35	%		0.48	%
Dividend yield		2.60	%		7.20	%		7.90	%
Expected volatility(1)		22.00	%		17.00	%		40.00	%
Expected life in months		12			12			12
Grant date		6/1/11			6/1/10			6/1/09

(1)

One-year historic volatility

Schedule of shares accrued to directors' accounts and shares available for issuance under Stock Unit Plan for directors

	2011		2010
Shares accrued to directors' accounts		133,956		139,912
Shares available for issuance		280,282		311,523

Schedule of units accrued and redeemed under Stock Unit Plan for directors

	2011		2010		2009
Units accrued for service and dividends		25,287		33,364		33,024
Units redeemed for common stock		31,243		6,347		34,853

Schedule of shares contributed under 401(k) plan and ESOP

	2011		2010		2009
Shares contributed		68,523		64,830		73,408