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Income Taxes
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Income Taxes [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
8. Income Taxes

The Company files income tax returns in the United States Federal jurisdiction, in a limited number of foreign jurisdictions, and in many state jurisdictions. The Company is currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service for years 2009 and 2010. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. Federal, state or foreign income tax examinations for years before 2008.

The Company had $3.4 million and $0.3 million of unrecognized tax benefits at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively. The Company believes it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will change by approximately $2.1 million in the following twelve months, related to certain matters arising from issues identified by the examination of the Internal Revenue Service and the Company’s defined benefit pension plans; however, actual results could differ from those currently expected.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. The Company provided for income taxes at estimated effective tax benefit rate of 25.3% and an estimated effective tax rate of 25.6%, respectively, for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2012, and estimated effective tax rates of 52.1% and 43.6%, respectively, for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2011. During the third quarter of 2012, the Company performed a research and development tax credit study for fiscal years 2010 through 2011. The Company recorded a net tax benefit of $1.8 million resulting from this study in the third quarter of 2012. Combined with the operating results for the quarter, the Company’s effective rates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 were therefore less than our federal statutory rate of 35%. Our effective rates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 exceeded our federal statutory rate of 35% due primarily to state taxes and the relationship of permanent income tax deductions and tax credits to estimated pre-tax income for the respective years.