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Employee Benefit Plans
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]  
Employee Benefit Plans
15.  Employee Benefit Plans
 
The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a defined contribution profit-sharing plan (401(k)) covering substantially all non-union persons employed by the Company and its subsidiaries, whereby employees may contribute a percentage of compensation, limited to maximum allowed amounts under the Internal Revenue Code. The Plan provides for discretionary employer contributions, the level of which, if any, may vary by subsidiary and is determined annually by each company's board of directors. The Company made aggregate matching contributions of $573,000, $430,000, and $341,000 for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively.

Sterling contributes to a number of multiemployer defined benefit pension plans under the terms of collective-bargaining agreements that cover its union-represented employees. The risks of participating in these multiemployer plans are different from single-employer plans in the following aspects:
 
 
·
Assets contributed to the multiemployer plan by one employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.
 
 
·
If a participating employer stops contributing to the plan, the unfunded obligations of the plan may be borne by the remaining participating employers.
 
 
·
If Sterling chooses to stop participating in some of its multiemployer plans, Sterling may be required to pay those plans an amount based on the underfunded status of the plan, referred to as a withdrawal liability.
 
The following table presents our participation in these plans (dollars in thousands):
 
Pension Trust  Pension Plan Employer Identification  
Pension Protection Act (“PPA”) Certified Zone Status1
 
FIP / RP Status Pending /
 
Contributions
 Surcharge  Expiration Date of Collective Bargaining
Fund
 
Number
 
2011
 
2010
 Implemented2 
2011
  
2010
  
2009
 
Imposed
 
 Agreement3
Pension Trust Fund for Operating Engineers Pension Plan....
 94-6090764 
Orange
 
Yellow
 
Yes
 $246  $193  $335 
No
 
6/30/2008 -
6/30/2012
All other funds (7)4
             2,296   1,307   2,000    
Various
        
Total Contributions:
 $2,542  $1,500  $2,335     

1
The most recent PPA zone status available in 2011 and 2010 is for the plan's year-end during 2010 and 2009, respectively. The zone status is based on information that we received from the plan and is certified by the plan's actuary. Among other factors, plans in the red zone are generally less than 65 percent funded, plans in the orange zone are less than 80 percent funded and have an Accumulated Funding Deficiency in the current year or projected into the next six years, plans in the yellow zone are less than 80 percent funded, and plans in the green zone are at least 80 percent funded.
2
The “FIP/RP Status Pending/Implemented” column indicates plans for which a financial improvement plan (“FIP”) or a rehabilitation plan (“RP”) is either pending or has been implemented.
3
Lists the expiration date(s) of the collective-bargaining agreement(s) to which the plans are subject.
4
These funds include multiemployer plans for pensions and other employee benefits.  The total individually insignificant multiemployer pension costs contributed were $299,000, $37,000 and $103,000 for 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively, and are included in the contributions to all other funds along with contributions to other types of benefit plans.  Other employee benefits include certain coverage for medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and accidental death and dismemberment, disability and other benefit costs.  Due to our 2011 acquisitions (see Note 2) there has been an increase in the number of Sterling employees that participate in multiemployer plans. There have been no significant changes that affect the comparability of 2010 and 2009 contributions.

We currently have no intention of withdrawing from any of the multi-employer pension plans in which we participate.