Note 7 - Employee Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

Note 7.   Employee Benefit Plans

We sponsor defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all U.S. employees.  Net periodic pension cost for the plans consisted of the following for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013			2012
Service cost	$	1,057		$	993
Interest cost		970			1,017
Expected return on plan assets		(1,204	)		(1,145	)
Amortization of prior service cost		97			100
Amortization of net loss		776			707
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,696		$	1,672

The increased service costs in 2013 versus 2012 were driven primarily by higher staffing and compensation levels.

Current-year contributions to the pension plans by the company as of March 31, 2013 have totaled $0.7 million, and we expect to contribute an additional $0.3 million over the rest of 2013.