Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 27, 2014	Dec. 28, 2013
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 297,571	$ 305,192
Short-term investments	4,302us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments	6,886us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments
Accounts receivable, less allowances (2014 - $19,418; 2013 - $16,907)	135,356us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent	127,887us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent
Inventories	97,391us-gaap_InventoryNet	92,591us-gaap_InventoryNet
Deferred income taxes	17,481us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetCurrent	10,463us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetCurrent
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	13,904	17,080
Assets held for sale	5,500	5,500
Total current assets	571,505us-gaap_AssetsCurrent	565,599us-gaap_AssetsCurrent
Property, plant, and equipment:
Land	5,697us-gaap_Land	4,382us-gaap_Land
Buildings	64,609us-gaap_BuildingsAndImprovementsGross	59,699us-gaap_BuildingsAndImprovementsGross
Equipment	370,179us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentGross	354,475us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentGross
Accumulated depreciation	(281,845)	(268,383)
Net property, plant and equipment	158,640us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet	150,173us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Intangible assets, net of amortization:
Patents, licenses and software	23,640lfus_PatentsLicensesAndSoftware	25,166lfus_PatentsLicensesAndSoftware
Distribution network	19,428lfus_DistributionNetwork	22,770lfus_DistributionNetwork
Customer lists, trademarks and tradenames	60,605	50,421
Goodwill	196,256us-gaap_Goodwill	186,464us-gaap_Goodwill
Investment	12,056us-gaap_OtherInvestments	12,286us-gaap_OtherInvestments
Deferred income taxes	5,393us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetNoncurrent	5,092us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetNoncurrent
Other assets	23,303us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent	6,402us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent
Total assets	1,070,826us-gaap_Assets	1,024,373us-gaap_Assets
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	50,793us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent	33,872us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent
Accrued payroll	30,511	29,437
Accrued expenses	13,059us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent	13,087us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent
Accrued severance	790	182
Accrued income taxes	9,045us-gaap_AccruedIncomeTaxesCurrent	5,931us-gaap_AccruedIncomeTaxesCurrent
Deferred income taxes		229us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesCurrent
Current portion of accrued post-retirement benefits	11,768
Current portion of long-term debt	88,500us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent	126,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent
Total current liabilities	204,466us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent	208,738us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent
Long-term debt, less current portion	106,658us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent	93,750us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent
Deferred income taxes	11,076	11,585
Accrued post-retirement benefits	5,147	8,528
Other long-term liabilities	15,814us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent	14,856us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent
Shareholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share: 1,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding	0us-gaap_PreferredStockValue	0us-gaap_PreferredStockValue
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share: 34,000,000 shares authorized; shares issued and outstanding, 2014 – 22,585,529; 2013 – 22,467,491	226us-gaap_CommonStockValue	225us-gaap_CommonStockValue
Treasury stock, at cost: 199,266 and 17,881 shares, respectively	(18,724)us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue	(2,353)us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue
Additional paid-in capital	243,844us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapital	223,425us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapital
Accumulated other comprehensive income	(21,126)	20,417
Retained earnings	523,302	445,059
Littelfuse, Inc. shareholders’ equity	727,522us-gaap_StockholdersEquity	686,773us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
Non-controlling interest	143us-gaap_MinorityInterest	143us-gaap_MinorityInterest
Total equity	727,665	686,916
Total liabilities and equity	$ 1,070,826	$ 1,024,373

Carrying amount (net of accumulated amortization) as of the balance sheet date of the following: (1) costs of an asset (or assets) acquired in a business combination or other transaction representing a favorable existing relationship with customers and (2) costs of rights acquired through registration of a trademark (or trademarks) and/or a trade name (or trade names) to gain or protect exclusive use thereof for a reasonably expected period of economic benefit. All of which are deemed to have a finite economic life.

No definition available.