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Business and segment information | 12 Months Ended
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Jan. 31, 2012
Business and segment information [Abstract] |
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block] | Note 1 - Business and segment information MFRI, Inc. ("MFRI", the "Company", or the "Registrant") was incorporated in Delaware on October 12, 1993. MFRI is engaged in the manufacture and sale of products in three distinct segments: piping systems, filtration products and industrial process cooling. Fiscal year. The Company's fiscal year ends on January 31. Years and balances described as 2011 and 2010 are the fiscal years ended January 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Nature of business. Piping systems engineers, designs, manufactures and sells specialty piping and leak detection and location systems. This segment's specialty piping systems include (i) industrial and secondary containment piping systems for transporting chemicals, waste streams and petroleum liquids, (ii) insulated and jacketed district heating and cooling piping systems for efficient energy distribution to multiple locations from central energy plants, and (iii) oil and gas gathering flow and long lines for oil and mineral transportation. Piping systems' leak detection and location systems are sold as part of many of its piping systems products, and on a stand-alone basis, to monitor areas where fluid intrusion may contaminate the environment, endanger personal safety, cause a fire hazard, impair essential services or damage equipment or property. Filtration products manufactures and sells a wide variety of filter elements for use in industrial air filtration systems and particulate collection systems. Air filtration systems are used in a wide variety of industries to limit particulate emissions, primarily to comply with environmental regulations. Filtration products markets air filtration related products and accessories, and provides maintenance services, consisting primarily of dust collector inspection, filter cleaning and filter replacement. Industrial process cooling designs, manufactures and sells industrial process cooling, including chillers, cooling towers, plant circulating systems, and related accessories for use in industrial process applications. Corporate and Other includes the installation of HVAC systems, that is not sufficiently large to constitute a reportable segment. The Company's products are sold both within the U.S. and internationally. MFRI's reportable segments are strategic businesses that offer different products and services. Each is managed separately based on fundamental operating differences. Each strategic business was acquired as a unit and management at the time of acquisition was retained. The Company evaluates performance based on gross profit and income or loss from operations. Segment information was as follows:
| 2011 |  | 2010 |  |
Net sales |  |  |
Piping Systems | $96,977 | $104,559 |
Filtration Products | 93,705 | 85,133 |
Industrial Process Cooling | 32,112 | 26,220 |
Corporate and Other | 10,702 | 2,686 |
Total net sales | $233,496 | $218,598 |
Gross profit (loss) |  |  |  |  |
Piping Systems | $14,382 | $27,303 |
Filtration Products | 12,466 |  | 10,394 |  |
Industrial Process Cooling | 8,541 |  | 7,044 |  |
Corporate and Other | 904 |  | (283 | ) |
Total gross profit | $36,293 | $44,458 |
Income (loss) from operations |  |  |  |  |
Piping Systems | $1,115 | $13,831 |
Filtration Products | 614 |  | (1,335 | ) |
Industrial Process Cooling | 810 |  | 295 |  |
Corporate and Other | (7,630 | ) | (9,893 | ) |
Total (loss) income from operations | $(5,091) | $2,898 |
Income (loss) before income taxes |  |  |  |  |
Piping Systems | $2,673 | $14,814 |
Filtration Products | 614 |  | (1,335 | ) |
Industrial Process Cooling | 810 |  | 295 |  |
Corporate and Other | (9,067 | ) | (11,154 | ) |
Total (loss) income before income taxes | $(4,970) | $2,620 |
Segment assets |  |  |  |  |
Piping Systems | $74,717 | $77,371 |
Filtration Products | 55,095 |  | 56,427 |  |
Industrial Process Cooling | 10,810 |  | 10,545 |  |
Corporate and Other | 16,425 |  | 18,932 |  |
Total segment assets | $157,047 | $163,275 |
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |
Piping Systems | $8,396 | $2,578 |
Filtration Products | 1,449 |  | 1,218 |  |
Industrial Process Cooling | 51 |  | 34 |  |
Corporate and Other | 190 |  | 200 |  |
Total capital expenditures | $10,086 | $4,030 |
Depreciation and amortization |  |  |  |  |
Piping Systems | $3,076 | $3,401 |
Filtration Products | 1,734 |  | 1,822 |  |
Industrial Process Cooling | 154 |  | 167 |  |
Corporate and Other | 618 |  | 680 |  |
Total depreciation and amortization | $5,582 | $6,070 |
Geographic information. Net sales are attributed to a geographic area based on the destination of the product shipment. Long-lived assets are based on the physical location of the assets and consist of property, plant and equipment used in the generation of revenues in the geographic area.
| 2011 |  | 2010 |  |
Net sales |  |  |
United States | $163,104 | $144,336 |
Mexico, South America, Central America and the Caribbean | 22,370 |  | 3,336 |  |
Europe | 20,815 |  | 17,286 |  |
Middle East | 12,721 |  | 31,927 |  |
Canada | 6,894 |  | 6,936 |  |
All other Asia | 3,513 |  | 3,809 |  |
India | 2,259 |  | 9,772 |  |
Africa | 385 |  | 817 |  |
Other | 1,435 |  | 379 |  |
Total net sales | $233,496 | $218,598 |
Long-lived assets |  |  |
United States | $30,366 | $31,375 |
Middle East | 11,417 |  | 6,050 |  |
Denmark | 4,623 |  | 4,585 |  |
India | 1,436 |  | 1,645 |  |
Total long-lived assets | $47,842 | $43,655 |

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- Definition The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8595-108599 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8538-108599 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 33 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8971-108599 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 34 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8981-108599 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 29 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8864-108599 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8380-108599 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 35 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8984-108599 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 41 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9038-108599 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 32 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8933-108599 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 131 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 30 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8906-108599 Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 26 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8844-108599 Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 40 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9031-108599 Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 42 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9054-108599 Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 31 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8924-108599 + Details
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