Property, Plant and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2012

5.	Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment consists of the following (in thousands):


	August 31,
	2012		2011
Land and improvements	$	104,235	$	104,471
Buildings		613,843		612,625
Leasehold improvements		235,902		188,231
Machinery and equipment		1,787,071		1,567,423
Furniture, fixtures and office equipment		109,767		99,287
Computer hardware and software		442,220		409,366
Transportation equipment		20,648		21,088
Construction in progress		43,735		2,325

		3,357,421		3,004,816
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization		1,578,266		1,363,481

	$	1,779,155	$	1,641,335

Depreciation expense of approximately $336.7 million, $297.1 million, and $257.4 million was recorded for fiscal years 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

During fiscal year 2012, the Company capitalized approximately $154.0 thousand in interest related to constructed facilities. During fiscal year 2011, the Company capitalized approximately $14.4 thousand in interest related to constructed facilities. During fiscal year 2010, the Company did not capitalize any interest related to constructed facilities.

Maintenance and repair expense was approximately $123.1 million, $113.9 million, and $81.8 million for fiscal years 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for long-lived, physical assets that are used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and other types of furniture and equipment including, but not limited to, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment and software. This disclosure may include property plant and equipment accounting policies and methodology, a schedule of property, plant and equipment gross, additions, deletions, transfers and other changes, depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, net, accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization expense and useful lives, income statement disclosures, assets held for sale and public utility disclosures.

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