PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

3.	PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

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

	December 31,
	2011		2010
Land and buildings	$	27,691	$	27,844
Furniture and fixtures, office, computer and other equipment and software		131,635		130,022
Leasehold improvements		27,175		23,944
		186,501		181,810
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization		115,802		108,045
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	70,699	$	73,765

Included in property, plant and equipment are assets under capital leases, as follows (in thousands):

	2011		2010
Furniture and fixtures, office, computer and other equipment	$	17,244	$	14,896
Less: Accumulated amortization		7,791		4,994
	$	9,453	$	9,902

Depreciation charged to operations for property, plant and equipment including capital leases in 2011, 2010, and 2009 was $15.9 million, $12.9 million and $11.2 million, 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.

+ References+ Details