Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

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Business Combincation, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Maximum Potential Consideration

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Possible divestiture of branches due to Governmental review of the acquisition based on competition rules

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Amount charged against earnings in the period for incurred and estimated costs associated with exit from or disposal of business activities or restructurings pursuant to a duly authorized plan, excluding asset retirement obligations. Additionally, this element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.

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In a business combination in which the amount of net identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed exceeds the aggregate consideration transferred or to be transferred (as defined), this element represents the amount of gain recognized by the entity.

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Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer.

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Amount before tax of foreign currency transaction realized gain (loss) recognized in the income statement.

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Business Combinations - Additional Information (Details) $ in Thousands, € in Millions, £ in Millions	3 Months Ended					6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2016 EUR (€)	Mar. 31, 2016 EUR (€)
Business Acquisition
Number of Businesses Acquired							21
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired							$ (252,667)	$ (1,301,127)
Gains on bargain purchases	$ 913		$ 8,000	$ 0			3,990	0	$ 11,000
Gains on foreign exchange contracts - acquisition related	0			0			0	(18,342)
Goodwill	$ 3,392,363		3,054,769				$ 3,392,363		$ 3,392,363				$ 3,054,769
Possible divestiture of branches due to acquisition	10						10		10
Inventory step-up adjustment - acquisition related				12				3,614
Restructuring and acquisition related expenses	$ 4,922			6,923			$ 10,371	30,814
Acquisition-related expenses
Business Acquisition
Restructuring and acquisition related expenses	3,000			$ 3,000			$ 8,000	18,000
North America
Business Acquisition
Number of Businesses Acquired							4					5	5	5
Specialty
Business Acquisition
Number of Businesses Acquired							3
Goodwill	298,352		292,993				$ 298,352		$ 298,352				$ 292,993
Europe
Business Acquisition
Number of Businesses Acquired							14
Goodwill	1,391,389		1,099,976				$ 1,391,389		1,391,389				1,099,976
Andrew Page
Business Acquisition
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred												£ 16	20,000
Gains on bargain purchases	3,000
All 2017 Acquisitions
Business Acquisition
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred							280,000
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired							(250,000)
Contingent consideration liabilities	(6,234)						(6,234)		(6,234)
Business Combincation, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Maximum Potential Consideration	18,900						18,900		18,900
Other Purchase Price Obligations (non-interest bearing)	4,308						4,308		4,308
Notes issued	(18,899)						(18,899)		(18,899)
Settlement of pre-existing balances	1,000						1,000		1,000
Goodwill	185,000						185,000		185,000
Business Acquisition, Goodwill, Expected Tax Deductible Amount	$ 20,000						20,000		$ 20,000
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Revenue of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual							106,000
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Operating Income or Loss of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual							(2,000)
PGW
Business Acquisition
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired													(661,748)
Notes issued			0										0
Other purchase price obligations			0										0
Settlement of pre-existing balances			0										0
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Debt			4,027										4,027
Goodwill			205,058			$ 208,000				$ 208,000			205,058
Business Acquisition, Goodwill, Expected Tax Deductible Amount						104,000				104,000
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments										24,000
Inventory step-up adjustment - acquisition related													10,000
PGW \| Acquisition-related expenses
Business Acquisition
Restructuring and acquisition related expenses								4,000
Rhiag
Business Acquisition
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred													602,000	€ 534
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired													(601,416)	€ (534)
Notes issued			0										0
Other purchase price obligations			0										0
Settlement of pre-existing balances			591										591		€ 1
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Debt			550,843										550,843		€ 489
Gains on foreign exchange contracts - acquisition related					$ (18,000)
Goodwill		$ 591,000	585,415								$ 591,000		585,415
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments											149,000
Rhiag \| Acquisition-related expenses
Business Acquisition
Restructuring and acquisition related expenses								$ 11,000
Rhiag \| Forward Contracts
Business Acquisition
Derivative, Notional Amount \| €																€ 588
All 2016 Acquisitions Excluding Rhiag PGW and Andrew Page
Business Acquisition
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred													76,000
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired													(68,000)
Notes issued			(4,000)										(4,000)
Other purchase price obligations			4,200										$ 4,200
All 2016 Acquisitions Excluding Rhiag PGW and Andrew Page \| Europe
Business Acquisition
Number of Businesses Acquired												7	7	7
Adjustments in 2016 \| PGW
Business Acquisition
Goodwill			205,000										$ 205,000
Adjustments in 2016 \| Rhiag
Business Acquisition
Goodwill			$ 585,000										$ 585,000
Adjustments in 2017
Business Acquisition
Gains on bargain purchases							3,000
Adjustments in 2017 \| All 2017 Acquisitions
Business Acquisition
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments							$ 11,000
Adjustments in 2017 \| PGW
Business Acquisition
Goodwill						3,000				$ 3,000
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments						$ 3,000
Adjustments in 2017 \| Rhiag
Business Acquisition
Goodwill		5,000									$ 5,000
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments		$ 5,000