Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 Segment	Sep. 30, 2011
Selected financial details regarding the Company's reportable segments
Revenue	$ 11,725	$ 13,704	$ 39,029	$ 37,200
Gross profit	1,689	2,183	5,634	4,887
Income (loss) from domestic operations	123	52	92	(1,821)
Net equity income from foreign joint ventures' operations	723	709	2,325	961
Income (loss) from domestic operations and net equity income from foreign joint ventures' operations	846	761	2,417	(860)
Segment Information (Textual) [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments			3
Technical Products and Services [Member]
Selected financial details regarding the Company's reportable segments
Revenue	8,903	8,123	27,373	19,907
Gross profit	1,507	1,487	4,464	2,830
Income (loss) from domestic operations	1,389	1,140	3,941	1,754
Electrical and Instrumentation Construction [Member]
Selected financial details regarding the Company's reportable segments
Revenue	1,495	3,561	7,102	11,839
Gross profit	61	214	593	830
Income (loss) from domestic operations	61	214	593	830
American Access Technologies [Member]
Selected financial details regarding the Company's reportable segments
Revenue	1,327	2,020	4,554	5,454
Gross profit	121	482	577	1,227
Income (loss) from domestic operations	(227)	66	(530)	55
Corporate and other unallocated expenses [Member]
Selected financial details regarding the Company's reportable segments
Income (loss) from domestic operations	(1,100)	(1,368)	(3,912)	(4,460)
Equity income from BOMAY [Member]
Selected financial details regarding the Company's reportable segments
Net equity income from foreign joint ventures' operations	624	666	2,385	1,343
Equity income (loss) from MIEFE [Member]
Selected financial details regarding the Company's reportable segments
Net equity income from foreign joint ventures' operations	(1)	66	19	(72)
Equity income (loss) from AAG [Member]
Selected financial details regarding the Company's reportable segments
Net equity income from foreign joint ventures' operations	123	90	167	49
Foreign operations expenses [Member]
Selected financial details regarding the Company's reportable segments
Net equity income from foreign joint ventures' operations	$ (23)	$ (113)	$ (246)	$ (359)

Income (loss) from domestic operations and net equity income from foreign joint ventures.

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Net equity income from foreign joint ventures.

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Aggregate revenue less cost of goods and services sold or operating expenses directly attributable to the revenue generation activity.

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- Definition

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

+ References

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- Definition

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

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- Definition

Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6880815&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Article 5

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