Segment Information

12 Months Ended

Nov. 03, 2012

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Information

Segment Information

The Company is organized into three reportable segments based on its operating structure and the products manufactured. The three reportable segments are Custom Sheet and Rollstock, Packaging Technologies and Color and Specialty Compounds. Operating results are regularly reviewed by the Company's chief operating decision maker, its CEO, to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess performance. More specifically, management uses operating earnings (loss) from continuing operations, excluding the effect of foreign exchange, to evaluate business segment performance. Accordingly, discontinued operations have been excluded from the segment results below, which is consistent with management's evaluation metrics. Corporate operating losses include general and administrative expenses, corporate office expenses, shared services costs, information technology costs, professional fees, the impact of foreign currency exchange gains and losses and Passaic environmental costs.

The Company reorganized its internal reporting structure and management responsibilities for the Passaic matter and the associated closed facility during the third quarter of 2012 as a result of developments with the environmental matters, as described in Note 15. These costs were previously reported under the Color & Specialty Compounds segment, but are now reported in Corporate. During the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company reorganized its internal reporting and management responsibilities for a specific product line from its Color and Specialty Compounds segment to its Custom Sheet and Rollstock segment to better align its management of this product line with end markets. During the second quarter of 2010, the Company changed its organizational reporting and management responsibilities of two businesses previously included in our Color and Specialty Compounds segment to our Custom Sheet and Rollstock segment. Also in that second quarter, the Company reorganized its internal reporting and management responsibilities for certain product lines between its Custom Sheet and Rollstock and Packaging Technologies segments to better align its management of these product lines with end markets. These management and reporting changes resulted in a reorganization of the Company's three reportable segments, and historical segment results have been reclassified to conform to these changes.

A description of the Company's reportable segments is as follows:

Custom Sheet and Rollstock

The Custom Sheet and Rollstock segment primarily manufactures plastic sheet, custom rollstock, calendered film, laminates and acrylic products. The principal raw materials used in manufacturing sheet and rollstock are plastic resins in pellet form. The segment sells sheet and rollstock products principally through its own sales force, but it also uses a limited number of independent sales representatives. This segment produces and distributes its products from facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Finished products are formed by customers that use plastic components in their products. The Company's custom sheet and rollstock is used in several market sectors including material handling, transportation, building and construction, recreation and leisure, electronics and appliances, sign and advertising, aerospace and numerous other end markets.

Packaging Technologies

The Packaging Technologies segment manufactures custom-designed plastic packages and custom rollstock primarily used in the food and consumer product markets. The principal raw materials used in manufacturing packaging are plastic resins in pellet form, which are extruded into rollstock or thermoformed into an end product. This segment sells packaging products principally through its own sales force, but it also uses a limited number of independent sales representatives. This segment produces and distributes the products from facilities in the United States and Mexico. The Company's Packaging Technologies products are mainly used in the food, medical and consumer packaging and graphic arts market sectors.

Color and Specialty Compounds

The Color and Specialty Compounds segment manufactures custom-designed plastic alloys, compounds and color concentrates for use by a large group of manufacturing customers servicing the transportation (primarily automotive), building and construction, packaging, agriculture, lawn and garden, electronics and appliances, and numerous other end markets. The principal raw materials used in manufacturing specialty plastic compounds and color concentrates are plastic resins in powder and pellet form. This segment also uses colorants, mineral and glass reinforcements and other additives to impart specific performance and appearance characteristics to the compounds. The Color and Specialty Compounds segment sells its products principally through its own sales force, but it also uses independent sales representatives. This segment produces and distributes its products from facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and France.

	2012			2011			2010
Net sales: (a)(b)
Custom Sheet and Rollstock	$	604,250		$	577,443		$	579,260
Packaging Technologies	243,102			243,997			221,218
Color and Specialty Compounds	302,003			280,850			222,418
	$	1,149,355		$	1,102,290		$	1,022,896
Operating earnings (loss): (b)
Custom Sheet and Rollstock	$	29,342		$	(16,145	)	$	25,149
Packaging Technologies	18,006			23,580			(30,916		)
Color and Specialty Compounds	7,544			2,000			(17,983		)
Corporate	(39,279		)	(30,721		)	(37,386		)
	$	15,613		$	(21,286	)	$	(61,136	)
Assets:
Custom Sheet and Rollstock	$	271,723		$	268,635		$	304,781
Packaging Technologies	151,327			145,096			140,177
Color and Specialty Compounds	82,601			94,267			81,346
Corporate and other	38,982			41,704			50,837
	$	544,633		$	549,702		$	577,141
Depreciation and amortization: (b)
Custom Sheet and Rollstock	$	14,321		$	14,942		$	15,869
Packaging Technologies	7,173			6,671			8,427
Color and Specialty Compounds	6,360			7,299			8,208
Corporate	3,787			3,912			4,128
	$	31,641		$	32,824		$	36,632
Capital expenditures: (b)
Custom Sheet and Rollstock	$	4,575		$	12,911		$	11,013
Packaging Technologies	9,832			6,993			3,440
Color and Specialty Compounds	4,518			3,965			3,269
Corporate and other	1,042			5,203			3,710
	$	19,967		$	29,072		$	21,432

Geographic financial information for 2012, 2011 and 2010 was as follows:

	Net Sales by Destination (a)(b)						Property, Plant and Equipment, net
	2012		2011		2010		2012		2011		2010
United States	$	923,747	$	878,046	$	837,173	$	166,149	$	175,074	$	183,231
Mexico	102,971		81,498		65,713		16,004		15,716		15,887
Canada	82,127		74,651		78,566		8,587		9,742		10,119
Europe	30,653		59,067		33,731		6,633		7,542		2,607
Asia and other	9,857		9,028		7,713		—		—		—
	$	1,149,355	$	1,102,290	$	1,022,896	$	197,373	$	208,074	$	211,844

Notes to tables:

(a) In addition to external sales to customers, inter-segment sales were $63,416, $54,396, and $50,344, in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

(b) Excludes discontinued operations.