Note 7 - Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

. Benefit Plans

The Company has company-sponsored defined benefit pension plans covering employees in the U.K., Germany, the Philippines, China, Japan, and France. The amount of the retirement benefits provided under the plans is based on years of service and final average pay.

The Company recognizes interest costs, expected return on plan assets, and amortization, net within

Other (income) expense, net

in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Net Income. The components of net periodic benefit cost for the

three

months ended

March 31, 2018

and

April 1, 2017

were as follows:

	For the Three Months Ended
(in thousands)	March 31 , 201 8			April 1 , 201 7
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$	533		$	408
Interest cost		501			360
Expected return on plan assets		(540	)		(476	)
Amortization, net		74			84
Net periodic benefit cost	$	568		$	376

The Company expects to make approximately

$2.3

million of cash contributions to its pension plans in

2018.