Debt 5 year repayment (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2015	Jan. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving line domestic	$ 11,353us-gaap_LinesOfCreditCurrent	$ 0us-gaap_LinesOfCreditCurrent
Mortgage notes	10,567us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstate	11,172us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstate
Foreign line of credit	2,774mfri_ForeignLineOfCredit	5,059mfri_ForeignLineOfCredit
Loans Payable	3,036us-gaap_LoansPayable	6,494us-gaap_LoansPayable
Capital Lease Obligations	1,906us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations	2,067us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations
Total debt	29,636us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount	31,743us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
Total due next fiscal year	17,033us-gaap_RepaymentsOfShortTermDebt
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	1,808
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	4,337
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	481
Repayments of Long-term Capital Lease Obligations	122
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Next Twelve Months	702
Capital Leases Future Minimum Payments Due In Two Years without interest	708
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Three Years	244
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Four Years	116
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Thereafter	14
Repayments of Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	501
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five	5,476
United States
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving line domestic	11,353
Mortgages [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	401
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	3,576
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	365
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	379
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months	384
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five	5,462
Other Debt Obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	699
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	517
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months	1,820
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five	0
Foreign Line of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Foreign line of credit	2,774
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months	2,774
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five	$ 0

Capital Leases Future Minimum Payments Due In Five Years without interest

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Capital Leases Future Minimum Payments Due In Four Years without interest

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- Definition

Capital Leases Future Minimum Payments Due In Three Years without interest

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Capital Leases Future Minimum Payments Due In Two Years without interest

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No definition available.

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- Definition

Foreign line of credit

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No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount equal to the present value (the principal) at the beginning of the lease term of minimum lease payments during the lease term (excluding that portion of the payments representing executory costs such as insurance, maintenance, and taxes to be paid by the lessor, together with any profit thereon) net of payments or other amounts applied to the principal through the balance sheet date.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

-Article 7

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-Topic 840

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

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Amount of minimum lease payments for capital leases due in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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Amount of minimum lease payments for capital leases due after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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Amount of long-term debt before deduction of unamortized discount or premium. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt, with initial maturities beyond one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20

-Article 5

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-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)

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-Section 03

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- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current portion of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20)

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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

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-Article 5

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Line-of-Credit Arrangement

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- Definition

Including the current and noncurrent portions, aggregate carrying value as of the balance sheet date of loans payable (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer).

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16)

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16(a)(2))

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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 20, 22

-Article 5

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- Definition

Principal amount of long-term debt and capital lease obligation maturing in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

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Principal amount of long-term debt and capital lease obligation maturing in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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No definition available.

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Principal amount of long-term debt and capital lease obligation maturing in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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No definition available.

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Principal amount of long-term debt and capital lease obligation maturing in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

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Amount of long-term debt payable, sinking fund requirements, and other securities issued that are redeemable by holder at fixed or determinable prices and dates maturing after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-04.(a))

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Amount of long-term debt payable, sinking fund requirements, and other securities issued that are redeemable by holder at fixed or determinable prices and dates maturing in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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Amount of long-term debt payable, sinking fund requirements, and other securities issued that are redeemable by holder at fixed or determinable prices and dates maturing in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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Amount of long-term debt payable, sinking fund requirements, and other securities issued that are redeemable by holder at fixed or determinable prices and dates maturing in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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Amount of long-term debt payable, sinking fund requirements, and other securities issued that are redeemable by holder at fixed or determinable prices and dates maturing in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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Amount of long-term debt payable, sinking fund requirements, and other securities issued that are redeemable by holder at fixed or determinable prices and dates maturing in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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- Definition

Total carrying amount of mortgage loans as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 205

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 6

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-04.(c) Schedule IV)

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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 29

-Article 12

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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Paragraph c

-Subparagraph Schedule IV

-Article 5

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 948

-SubTopic 310

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-29.6)

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- Definition

The cash outflow for a borrowing having initial term of repayment within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 15

-Subparagraph (b)

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Financing Activities

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