Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]
Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements	In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-04, “Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”).” This pronouncement was issued to provide a consistent definition of fair value and ensure that the fair value measurement and disclosure requirements are similar between U.S. GAAP and IFRS. ASU 2011-04 changes certain fair value measurement principles and enhances the disclosure requirements, particularly for Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2011-04 is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2011 on a prospective basis. The adoption of ASU 2011-04 effective January 1, 2012 did not have a significant impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements or disclosures.
Comprehensive Income	In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-12 Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Deferral of the effective date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update ASU 2011-05. ASU No. 2011-12 defers the effective date for provisions of ASU No. 2011-05 requiring entities to present the effects of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the components of net income and other comprehensive income on the face of the financial statements for all periods presented. All other requirements in ASU No. 2011-05 are not affected by ASU No. 2011-12. ASU No. 2011-12 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011 and reinstates the requirement that reclassifications must be either disclosed on the face of the financial statements or in the notes. The adoption of ASU 2011-12, effective January 1, 2012 did not have a significant impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements or disclosures.
Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities	In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-11, Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities. ASU no. 2011-11 was issued to provide enhanced disclosures that will enable users of the financial statements to evaluate the effects or potential effect of netting arrangements on an entity’s financial position. The amendments under ASU No. 2011-11 require enhanced disclosures by requiring entities to disclose both gross information and net information about both instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. This scope would include derivatives, sales and repurchase agreements, reverse sale and repurchase agreements, and securities borrowing and lending arrangements. ASU No. 2011-11 is effective retrospectively for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those periods. The adoption of ASU No. 2011-11 is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
Intangibles - Goodwill and Other	In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-08, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Goodwill for Impairment.” ASU No. 2011-08 permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. The more likely than not threshold is defined as having a likelihood of more than 50 percent. Under ASU No. 2011-08, an entity is not required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless the entity determines that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. ASU No. 2011-08 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of ASU No. 2011-08 effective January 1, 2012 did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial position or result of operations.
Segment Reporting	The Company follows the guidance prescribed by ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting, which governs the way the Company reports information about its operating segments. Management has organized the Company around its products and services and has three reportable segments: Technical Products and Services (“TP&S”), Electrical and Instrumentation Construction (“E&I”) and American Access Technologies (“AAT”). TP&S develops, manufactures, provides and markets power distribution equipment including switchgear, motor control centers, and other power distribution products, as well as power conversion equipment such as Analog and Digital SCR drives and AV variable frequency drives. The company also manufactures power control buildings (PCRs) which house the power distribution and power conversion equipment deployed at a customer’s operation site. The service component of this segment includes retrofitting equipment upgrades, startups, testing and troubleshooting electrical substations, switchgear, drives and control systems. The primary markets for the TP&S solutions include oil & gas (land and offshore drilling, offshore production, pipeline and fractionation, and refining/petrochem) as well as the power generation and distribution and marine and industrial segments. Equity income from foreign joint ventures and joint venture management related expenses are included in the TP&S segment because their operations are exclusively involved in TP&S activities. The E&I segment installs electrical equipment for the same oil & gas, power generation and distribution, water/wastewater and marine and industrialmarkets. The AAT segment manufactures and markets zone cabling and customed formed metal products of varying designs for the industrial marketplace.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]

Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements

In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-04, “Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”).” This pronouncement was issued to provide a consistent definition of fair value and ensure that the fair value measurement and disclosure requirements are similar between U.S. GAAP and IFRS. ASU 2011-04 changes certain fair value measurement principles and enhances the disclosure requirements, particularly for Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2011-04 is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2011 on a prospective basis. The adoption of ASU 2011-04 effective January 1, 2012 did not have a significant impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

Comprehensive Income

In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-12 Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Deferral of the effective date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update ASU 2011-05. ASU No. 2011-12 defers the effective date for provisions of ASU No. 2011-05 requiring entities to present the effects of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the components of net income and other comprehensive income on the face of the financial statements for all periods presented. All other requirements in ASU No. 2011-05 are not affected by ASU No. 2011-12. ASU No. 2011-12 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011 and reinstates the requirement that reclassifications must be either disclosed on the face of the financial statements or in the notes. The adoption of ASU 2011-12, effective January 1, 2012 did not have a significant impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities

In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-11, Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities. ASU no. 2011-11 was issued to provide enhanced disclosures that will enable users of the financial statements to evaluate the effects or potential effect of netting arrangements on an entity’s financial position. The amendments under ASU No. 2011-11 require enhanced disclosures by requiring entities to disclose both gross information and net information about both instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. This scope would include derivatives, sales and repurchase agreements, reverse sale and repurchase agreements, and securities borrowing and lending arrangements. ASU No. 2011-11 is effective retrospectively for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those periods. The adoption of ASU No. 2011-11 is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

Intangibles - Goodwill and Other

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-08, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Goodwill for Impairment.” ASU No. 2011-08 permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. The more likely than not threshold is defined as having a likelihood of more than 50 percent. Under ASU No. 2011-08, an entity is not required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless the entity determines that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. ASU No. 2011-08 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of ASU No. 2011-08 effective January 1, 2012 did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial position or result of operations.

Segment Reporting

The Company follows the guidance prescribed by ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting, which governs the way the Company reports information about its operating segments.

Management has organized the Company around its products and services and has three reportable segments: Technical Products and Services (“TP&S”), Electrical and Instrumentation Construction (“E&I”) and American Access Technologies (“AAT”). TP&S develops, manufactures, provides and markets power distribution equipment including switchgear, motor control centers, and other power distribution products, as well as power conversion equipment such as Analog and Digital SCR drives and AV variable frequency drives. The company also manufactures power control buildings (PCRs) which house the power distribution and power conversion equipment deployed at a customer’s operation site. The service component of this segment includes retrofitting equipment upgrades, startups, testing and troubleshooting electrical substations, switchgear, drives and control systems. The primary markets for the TP&S solutions include oil & gas (land and offshore drilling, offshore production, pipeline and fractionation, and refining/petrochem) as well as the power generation and distribution and marine and industrial segments. Equity income from foreign joint ventures and joint venture management related expenses are included in the TP&S segment because their operations are exclusively involved in TP&S activities. The E&I segment installs electrical equipment for the same oil & gas, power generation and distribution, water/wastewater and marine and industrialmarkets. The AAT segment manufactures and markets zone cabling and customed formed metal products of varying designs for the industrial marketplace.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for goodwill and intangible assets. This accounting policy also may address how an entity assesses and measures impairment of goodwill and intangible assets.

+ References+ Details