Property, Plant & Equipment (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Property, Plant & Equipment [Abstract]

Summary of property, plant and equipment balances

Property, plant and equipment (P. P. & E.):  The Company records investments in these assets at cost.  Improvements are capitalized, while repair and maintenance costs are charged to operations as incurred.  Gains or losses realized on the sale or retirement of these assets are reflected in income.  The Company periodically reviews its P. P. & E. for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstance might indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of a long-lived asset is not recoverable and exceeds its fair value. The carrying amount of a long-lived asset is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. Depreciation for financial reporting purposes is provided on a straight-line method based upon the estimated useful lives of the assets.  Accelerated depreciation methods are used for tax purposes.  The following is a summary of the Company's P. P. & E. useful lives: 

	Useful Life (in years)
Land		-
Land improvements	10.0	-	25.0
Buildings	12.5	-	40.0
Machinery and equipment	3.0	-	15.0
Furniture and fixtures	5.0	-	12.5
Computer equipment and software	3.0	-	7.0