Pension Plan And Other Postretirement Benefits

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Pension Plan And Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]

Pension Plan and Other Postretirement Benefits

(13) PENSION PLAN AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

The Company has defined pension and postretirement benefit plans which cover substantially all of the Company’s employees. Net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit costs include the following components for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2012 and 2011:

	Pension Benefits
	For the three months ended				For the nine months ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2012		2011		2012		2011
	(in thousands)
Service cost	$	2,736	$	2,330	$	8,207	$	6,992
Interest cost		1,013		918		3,038		2,753
Expected return on plan assets		(1,356)		(1,099)		(4,069)		(3,298)
Amortization of prior service cost		71		86		214		258
Amortization of net loss		305		214		915		642
Net periodic benefit cost	$	2,769	$	2,449	$	8,305	$	7,347
	Postretirement Benefits
	For the three months ended				For the nine months ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2012		2011		2012		2011
	(in thousands)
Service cost	$	458	$	338	$	1,374	$	1,015
Interest cost		100		63		299		189
Amortization of transition obligation		16		16		48		48
Amortization of prior service cost		4		4		11		11
Amortization of net loss		23		2		69		8
Net periodic benefit cost	$	601	$	423	$	1,801	$	1,271

As of September 30, 2012, the Company has contributed $11.0 million to the pension plans and $0.1 million to the postretirement benefit plan, with no further contributions planned in 2012.

The Company maintains a non-qualified deferred compensation supplemental retirement savings plan (“Non-Qualified Plan”) for certain key employees who may elect to defer and contribute a portion of their compensation, as permitted by the plan. Shares of the Company’s common stock purchased under the terms of the Non-Qualified Plan are presented as treasury stock and totaled 66,791 shares at September 30, 2012 compared to 98,889 shares at December 31, 2011.