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BUSINESS SEGMENTS (Details) | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($) | Sep. 29, 2018 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($) | Dec. 30, 2017 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) | Jul. 01, 2017 USD ($) | Apr. 01, 2017 USD ($) | Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($) segment | Dec. 30, 2017 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of reportable segments | segment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 |  |
Maximum percentage of sales of other businesses and activities to consolidated sales as basis for aggregation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10.00% |  |
Net sales | $ 697,363,000 | $ 678,692,000 | $ 682,405,000 | $ 698,684,000 | $ 714,978,000 | $ 680,779,000 | $ 712,737,000 | $ 637,473,000 | $ 2,757,144,000 | $ 2,745,967,000 | $ 2,521,676,000
Operating income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 202,280,000 | 267,080,000 | 245,374,000
Interest expense, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (39,569,000) | (39,908,000) | (41,304,000)
Costs associated with refinancing of debt |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (14,820,000) | 0 | 0
Loss from divestiture of grinding media business |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (6,084,000) | 0 | 0
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense) excluding Sale of Business and Debt Costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,634,000 | 1,292,000 | 16,384,000
Other |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (19,270,000) | 1,292,000 | 16,384,000
Earnings before income taxes and equity in earnings of nonconsolidated subsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 143,441,000 | 228,464,000 | 220,454,000
Total assets | 2,530,274,000 |  |  |  | 2,602,250,000 |  |  |  | 2,530,274,000 | 2,602,250,000 | 2,391,731,000
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 71,985,000 | 55,266,000 | 57,920,000
Depreciation and amortization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 82,827,000 | 84,957,000 | 82,417,000
Engineered Support Structures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 967,358,000 | 912,240,000 | 891,099,000
Operating income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 34,776,000 | 62,960,000 | 72,273,000
Total assets | 867,735,000 |  |  |  | 846,881,000 |  |  |  | 867,735,000 | 846,881,000 | 776,161,000
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 26,783,000 | 16,433,000 | 13,313,000
Depreciation and amortization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 27,274,000 | 27,637,000 | 27,824,000
Coatings Segment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 855,206,000 | 856,244,000 | 735,617,000
Operating income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 64,766,000 | 97,853,000 | 71,171,000
Total assets | 700,915,000 |  |  |  | 597,231,000 |  |  |  | 700,915,000 | 597,231,000 | 544,015,000
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 17,442,000 | 14,012,000 | 7,969,000
Depreciation and amortization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 23,618,000 | 25,079,000 | 24,639,000
Coatings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 256,811,000 | 243,877,000
Operating income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 55,325,000 | 50,179,000 | 46,596,000
Total assets | 294,951,000 |  |  |  | 288,890,000 |  |  |  | 294,951,000 | 288,890,000 | 274,666,000
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10,320,000 | 11,080,000 | 24,873,000
Depreciation and amortization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15,956,000 | 15,115,000 | 12,883,000
Irrigation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 624,761,000 | 644,372,000 | 567,973,000
Operating income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 97,722,000 | 101,498,000 | 90,945,000
Total assets | 347,894,000 |  |  |  | 369,798,000 |  |  |  | 347,894,000 | 369,798,000 | 313,982,000
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7,249,000 | 7,055,000 | 8,836,000
Depreciation and amortization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11,335,000 | 11,173,000 | 12,097,000
Other |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 23,080,000 | 76,300,000 | 83,110,000
Operating income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (913,000) | 2,134,000 | 8,730,000
Total assets | 0 |  |  |  | 68,934,000 |  |  |  | 0 | 68,934,000 | 65,296,000
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7,000 | 2,376,000 | 1,601,000
Depreciation and amortization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 775,000 | 2,486,000 | 2,502,000
LIFO Adjustment [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (9,892,000) | (5,680,000) | (2,972,000)
Corporate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (39,504,000) | (41,864,000) | (41,369,000)
Total assets | 318,779,000 |  |  |  | 430,516,000 |  |  |  | 318,779,000 | 430,516,000 | 417,611,000
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10,184,000 | 4,310,000 | 1,328,000
Depreciation and amortization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,869,000 | 3,467,000 | 2,472,000
Parent |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,192,134,000 | 1,200,181,000 | 1,126,985,000
Operating income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 93,145,000 | 109,200,000 | 104,876,000
Loss from divestiture of grinding media business |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,518,000 |  |
Other |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (17,602,000) | 5,681,000 | 1,480,000
Earnings before income taxes and equity in earnings of nonconsolidated subsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 33,810,000 | 72,077,000 | 62,926,000
Total assets | $ 1,997,073,000 |  |  |  | $ 2,089,253,000 |  |  |  | 1,997,073,000 | 2,089,253,000 |
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 25,255,000 | 20,460,000 | 9,031,000
Depreciation and amortization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 26,155,000 | 26,237,000 | 27,096,000
Operating segment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,856,150,000 | 2,844,838,000 | 2,590,878,000
Operating segment | Engineered Support Structures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 986,880,000 | 938,102,000 | 906,719,000
Operating segment | Engineered Support Structures | Lighting, Traffic, and Roadway Products |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 706,582,000 | 633,178,000 | 612,868,000
Operating segment | Engineered Support Structures | Communication Products |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 149,817,000 | 171,718,000 | 162,148,000
Operating segment | Engineered Support Structures | Access Systems |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 130,481,000 | 133,206,000 | 131,703,000
Operating segment | Coatings Segment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 859,173,000 | 859,115,000 | 736,364,000
Operating segment | Coatings Segment | Offshore and Other Complex Steel Structures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 92,559,000 | 100,773,000 | 107,824,000
Operating segment | Coatings Segment | Steel |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 637,979,000 | 658,604,000 | 538,284,000
Operating segment | Coatings Segment | Concrete |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 111,875,000 | 99,738,000 | 90,256,000
Operating segment | Coatings Segment | Engineered Solar Tracking Solutions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 16,760,000 | 0 | 0
Operating segment | Coatings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 353,351,000 | 318,891,000 | 289,481,000
Operating segment | Irrigation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 633,666,000 | 652,430,000 | 575,204,000
Operating segment | Irrigation | North America |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 386,683,000 | 369,832,000 | 351,436,000
Operating segment | Irrigation | International |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 246,983,000 | 282,598,000 | 223,768,000
Operating segment | Other |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 23,080,000 | 76,300,000 | 83,110,000
Intersegment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 99,006,000 | 98,871,000 | 69,202,000
Intersegment | Engineered Support Structures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 19,522,000 | 25,862,000 | 15,620,000
Intersegment | Coatings Segment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,967,000 | 2,871,000 | 747,000
Intersegment | Coatings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 66,612,000 | 62,080,000 | 45,604,000
Intersegment | Irrigation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 8,905,000 | $ 8,058,000 | $ 7,231,000

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