Income taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2011

Income taxes (Tables) [Abstract]

Income tax expense

	2011			2010			2009
Current:
U.S. federal	$	53,983		$	9,811		$	14,370
State and local		2,029			29			858
Foreign		35,469			26,601			13,581
Total current		91,481			36,441			28,809
Deferred:
U.S. federal		1,851			34,097			7,281
State and local		23			(2,771	)		906
Foreign		(1,158	)		(4,496	)		(4,132	)
Total deferred		716			26,830			4,055
	$	92,197		$	63,271		$	32,864

Unrecognized tax benefits

	2011			2010			2009
Balance at beginning of year	$	4,078		$	3,969		$	7,685
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year		387			388			515
Additions for tax positions of prior years		138			359			—
Reductions for tax positions of prior years		—			(638	)		(3,267	)
Settlements		(2,027	)		—			(964	)
Lapse of statute of limitations		—			—			—
Balance at end of year	$	2,576		$	4,078		$	3,969

Income taxes computed at the U.S. statutory rate and income tax

	2011			2010			2009
Tax at statutory rate of 35%	$	110,096		$	80,962		$	(44,517	)
Impact of goodwill charge		—			—			79,064
Domestic Production Deduction		(5,530	)		(1,737	)		(1,134	)
Foreign tax rate variances, net of foreign tax credits		(7,906	)		(10,550	)		1,279
State and local taxes, net of federal income tax benefit		1,310			(1,828	)		1,160
Tax expense related to tax law change		—			5,249			—
Tax benefit from sale of UV product lines		—			(10,243	)		—
Amounts related to prior years		(4,123	)		776			(3,283	)
Other — net		(1,650	)		642			295
Provision for income taxes	$	92,197		$	63,271		$	32,864

Significant components of deferred tax assets and liabilities

	2011			2010
Deferred tax assets:
Sales to international subsidiaries and related consolidation adjustments	$	10,315		$	8,919
Employee benefits		79,027			63,520
Other accruals not currently deductible for taxes		12,114			11,681
Tax credit and loss carryforwards		10,812			5,664
Inventory adjustments		4,085			3,585
Translation of foreign currency accounts		716			316
Other — net		—			268
Total deferred tax assets		117,069			93,953
Valuation allowance		(4,287	)		(5,729	)
Total deferred tax assets		112,782			88,224
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation and amortization		94,487			64,198
Translation of foreign currency accounts		17			—
Other — net		—			195
Total deferred tax liabilities		94,504			64,393
Net deferred tax assets	$	18,278		$	23,831