Astec Industries (ASTE) 10-Q 12 May 14 2014 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Apr. 24, 2014
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'ASTEC INDUSTRIES INC	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0000792987	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	'No	'
Entity Voluntary Filers	'No	'
Entity Current Reporting Status	'Yes	'
Entity Filer Category	'Large Accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	22,909,379
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q1	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-14	'

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$44,969	$35,564
Short-term investments	1,462	17,176
Trade receivables, net	105,939	92,055
Other receivables	3,141	2,734
Inventories	361,209	342,313
Prepaid expenses and other	15,416	17,645
Deferred income tax assets	13,301	14,924
Total current assets	545,437	522,411
Property and equipment, net	187,895	184,520
Investments	11,842	12,085
Goodwill	15,056	15,057
Other long-term assets	14,474	15,218
Total assets	774,704	749,291
Current liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable	59,364	45,845
Federal income taxes payable	4,717	768
Accrued product warranty	13,494	12,716
Customer deposits	36,681	37,498
Accrued payroll and related liabilities	15,960	16,988
Accrued loss reserves	3,520	3,328
Other current liabilities	19,224	16,388
Total current liabilities	152,960	133,531
Deferred income tax liabilities	14,025	17,455
Other long-term liabilities	18,465	17,794
Total liabilities	185,450	168,780
Shareholders' equity	584,448	576,876
Non-controlling interest	4,806	3,635
Total equity	589,254	580,511
Total liabilities and equity	$774,704	$749,291

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited) [Abstract]	'	'
Net sales	$238,673	$247,833
Cost of sales	181,916	189,266
Gross profit	56,757	58,567
Selling, general, administrative and engineering expenses	43,424	40,367
Income from operations	13,333	18,200
Interest expense	73	70
Other income, net of expenses	814	752
Income from operations before income taxes	14,074	18,882
Income taxes	4,527	5,631
Net income	9,547	13,251
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest	2	80
Net income attributable to controlling interest	$9,545	$13,171
Net income attributable to controlling interest	'	'
Basic (in dollars per share)	$0.42	$0.58
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$0.41	$0.57
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:	'	'
Basic (in shares)	22,786	22,723
Diluted (in shares)	23,102	23,080
Dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share)	$0.10	$0

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (unaudited) [Abstract]	'	'
Net income	$9,547	$13,251
Other comprehensive income	'	'
Change in unrecognized pension and post-retirement benefit costs	0	-123
Income tax (provision) benefit on change in unrecognized pension and post-retirement benefit costs	-15	70
Foreign currency translation adjustments	250	-2,169
Income tax benefit on foreign currency translation adjustments	64	310
Other comprehensive income (loss)	299	-1,912
Comprehensive income	9,846	11,339
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	131	-45
Comprehensive income attributable to controlling interest	$9,715	$11,384

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'
Net income	$9,547	$13,251
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation and amortization	5,528	5,428
Provision for doubtful accounts	10	388
Provision for warranties	3,671	2,760
Deferred compensation provision	585	186
Sale (purchase) of trading securities, net	-18	109
Stock-based compensation	363	435
Tax expense (benefit) from stock incentive plans	-412	76
Deferred income tax benefit	-1,662	-249
Gain on disposition of fixed assets	-62	-65
(Increase) decrease in:	'	'
Trade and other receivables	-14,050	-15,788
Inventories	-18,896	-13,385
Prepaid expenses	1,628	-5,784
Other assets	-222	-1,070
Increase (decrease) in:	'	'
Accounts payable	13,519	4,571
Accrued product warranty	-2,917	-2,482
Customer deposits	-816	10,255
Prepaid and income taxes payable	5,007	5,638
Other liabilities	301	-3,488
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,104	786
Cash flows from investing activities:	'	'
Expenditures for property and equipment	-8,364	-9,339
Sale of short-term investments	16,249	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	84	77
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	7,969	-9,262
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'
Payment of dividends	-2,291	0
Borrowings under bank line of credit	2,104	0
Tax (expense) benefit from stock issued under incentive plans	412	-76
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan transactions, net	46	60
Withholding tax paid upon vesting of restricted stock units	-802	-783
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0	36
Sale of subsidiaries shares to minority shareholders	1,384	1,673
Net cash provided by financing activities	853	910
Effect of exchange rates on cash	-521	-188
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	9,405	-7,754
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	35,564	80,929
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$44,969	$73,715

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme3

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Equity (unaudited) (USD $)	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Company Shares held by SERP [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Total
In Thousands
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$4,572	$134,730	($4,894)	($2,786)	$445,254	$3,635	$580,511
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013	22,859	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net income	0	0	0	0	9,545	2	9,547
Other comprehensive income	0	0	299	0	0	-129	170
Dividends declared	0	2	0	0	-2,293	0	-2,291
Change in ownership percentage of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0	0	-86	-86
Capital contribution by minority shareholder	0	0	0	0	0	1,384	1,384
Stock-based compensation	1	362	0	0	0	0	363
Stock-based compensation (in shares)	1	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stock issued under incentive plans	8	404	0	0	0	0	412
Stock issued under incentive plans (in shares)	43	'	'	'	'	'	'
Withholding tax paid upon vesting of RSUs	0	-802	0	0	0	0	-802
SERP transactions, net	0	31	0	15	0	0	46
Balance at Mar. 31, 2014	$4,581	$134,727	($4,595)	($2,771)	$452,506	$4,806	$589,254
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2014	22,903	'	'	'	'	'	'

Significant_Accounting_Policie

Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Significant Accounting Policies	'
	Note 1.  Significant Accounting Policies
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.  Operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014.  It is suggested that these condensed financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Astec Industries, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.
	The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2013 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements.
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-08, “Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity,” which raises the previous threshold for disposals to qualify as discontinued operations and requires new disclosures for individually material disposal transactions that do not meet the definition of a discontinued operation.  The standard also allows companies to have significant continuing involvement and continuing cash flows with the discontinued operation.  The standard also requires the reclassification of assets and liabilities of a discontinued operation in the balance sheet for all periods presented.  The standard is effective for public entities for annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014 and is to be implemented prospectively.  The Company does not expect the adoption of this statement to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

Earnings_per_Share

Earnings per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings per Share [Abstract]	'
Earnings per Share	'
	Note 2.  Earnings per Share
	Basic earnings per share are determined by dividing earnings by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period.  Diluted earnings per share include the potential dilutive effects of options, restricted stock units and shares held in the Company’s Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan.
	The following table sets forth the computation of net income attributable to controlling interest and the number of basic and diluted shares used in the computation of earnings per share (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014		2013
	Numerator:
	Net income attributable to controlling interest	$	9,545	$	13,171
	Denominator:
	Denominator for basic earnings per share		22,786		22,723
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Employee stock options and restricted stock units		207		243
	Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan		109		114
	Denominator for diluted earnings per share		23,102		23,080
	Antidilutive options are not included in the diluted earnings per share computation.  The number of antidilutive options in the three month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 were not material.

Receivables

Receivables	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]	'
Receivables	'
	Note 3.  Receivables
	Receivables are net of allowances for doubtful accounts of $1,650,000 and $1,708,000 as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.

Inventories

Inventories	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Inventories [Abstract]	'
Inventories	'
	Note 4.  Inventories
	Inventories consist of the following (in thousands):
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Raw materials and parts	$	139,246	$	139,372
	Work-in-process		84,027		74,663
	Finished goods		108,575		99,812
	Used equipment		29,361		28,466
	Total	$	361,209	$	342,313

Property_and_Equipment

Property and Equipment	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Property and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Property and Equipment	'
	Note 5.  Property and Equipment
	Property and equipment is stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation of $212,635,000 and $207,986,000 as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]	'
Fair Value Measurements	'
	Note 6.  Fair Value Measurements
	The Company has various financial instruments that must be measured at fair value on a recurring basis, including marketable debt and equity securities held by Astec Insurance Company (“Astec Insurance”), the Company’s captive insurance company, and marketable equity securities held in an unqualified Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”).  The obligations of the Company associated with the financial assets held in the SERP also constitute a liability of the Company for financial reporting purposes and are included in other long-term liabilities in the accompanying balance sheets.  The Company’s subsidiaries also occasionally enter into foreign currency exchange contracts to mitigate exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
	The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, trade receivables, other receivables, revolving debt and accounts payable approximates their fair value because of the short-term nature of these instruments.  Investments are carried at their fair value based on quoted market prices for identical or similar assets or, where no quoted prices exist, other observable inputs for the asset.  The fair values of foreign currency exchange contracts are based on quotations from various banks for similar instruments using models with market based inputs.
	Financial assets and liabilities are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair value.  The inputs used to measure the fair value are identified in the following hierarchy:
		Level 1 -	Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
		Level 2 -	Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities; or unadjusted
			quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; or
			inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability.
		Level 3 -	Inputs reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing
			the asset or liability at the measurement date. Consideration is given to the risk inherent in
			the valuation technique and the risk inherent in the inputs to the model.
	As indicated in the tables below (which excludes the Company’s pension assets), the Company has determined that all of its financial assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are level 1 and level 2 in the fair value hierarchy as defined above (in thousands):
			31-Mar-14
			Level 1		Level 2		Total
	Financial Assets:
	Trading equity securities:
	SERP money market fund		$	740	$	-	$	740
	SERP mutual funds			2,913		-		2,913
	Preferred stocks			1,029		-		1,029
	Trading debt securities:
	Corporate bonds			3,915		1,152		5,067
	Municipal bonds			-		1,907		1,907
	Floating rate notes			102		444		546
	U.S. Treasury bonds and bills			250		-		250
	Other			-		852		852
	Total financial assets		$	8,949	$	4,355	$	13,304
	Financial Liabilities:
	SERP liabilities		$	-	$	8,423	$	8,423
	Derivative financial instruments			-		141		141
	Total financial liabilities		$	-	$	8,564	$	8,564
			31-Dec-13
			Level 1		Level 2		Total
	Financial Assets:
	Trading equity securities:
	SERP money market fund		$	783	$	-	$	783
	SERP mutual funds			2,813		-		2,813
	Preferred stocks			1,170		-		1,170
	Short-term investments in mutual funds			16,073		-		16,073
	Trading debt securities:
	Corporate bonds			3,696		1,155		4,851
	Municipal bonds			-		1,908		1,908
	Floating rate notes			103		446		549
	U.S. treasury bonds			250		-		250
	Other			-		864		864
	Derivative financial instruments			-		452		452
	Total financial assets		$	24,888	$	4,825	$	29,713
	Financial Liabilities:
	SERP liabilities		$	-	$	7,828	$	7,828
	Total financial liabilities		$	-	$	7,828	$	7,828
	The Company reevaluates the volume of trading activity for each of its investments at the end of each quarter and adjusts the level within the fair value hierarchy as needed.  There were no changes in fair value hierarchy level designations between December 31, 2013 and March 31, 2014.
	The trading equity investments noted above are valued at their fair value based on their quoted market prices, and the debt securities are valued based upon a mix of observable market prices and model driven prices derived from a matrix of observable market prices for assets with similar characteristics obtained with the assistance of a nationally recognized first party pricing service.  Additionally, a significant portion of the SERP’s investments in trading equity securities are in money market and mutual funds.  As these money market and mutual funds are held in a SERP, they are also included in the Company’s liability under its SERP.
	Trading debt securities are comprised of marketable debt securities held by Astec Insurance. Astec Insurance has an investment strategy that focuses on providing regular and predictable interest income from a diversified portfolio of high-quality fixed income securities.
	Net unrealized gains or losses incurred during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 on investments still held as of the end of each reporting period amounted to gains of $54,000 and $134,000, respectively.

Debt

Debt	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Debt [Abstract]	'
Debt	'
	Note 7.  Debt
	On April 12, 2012, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries entered into an amended and restated credit agreement with Wells Fargo whereby Wells Fargo extended to the Company an unsecured line of credit of up to $100,000,000, including a sub-limit for letters of credit of up to $25,000,000. The amended and restated credit agreement replaced the expiring $100,000,000 credit facility between the Company and Wells Fargo. As of March 31, 2014, there was $2,104,000 outstanding under the line of credit facility, which is included in other current liabilities in the accompanying balance sheet.  There were no outstanding borrowings under the credit facility at December 31, 2013. Letters of credit totaling $5,989,000 were outstanding under the credit facility as of March 31, 2014, resulting in additional borrowing ability of $91,907,000 under the credit facility as of March 31, 2014. The credit agreement has a five-year term expiring in April 2017. Borrowings under the agreement are subject to an interest rate equal to the daily one-month LIBOR rate plus a 0.75% margin, resulting in a rate of 0.91% as of March 31, 2014. The unused facility fee is 0.175%. Interest only payments are due monthly. The amended and restated credit agreement contains certain financial covenants, including provisions concerning required levels of annual net income, minimum tangible net worth and maximum allowed capital expenditures. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of March 31, 2014.
	The Company’s South African subsidiary, Osborn Engineered Products SA (Pty) Ltd (“Osborn”), has a credit facility of $7,055,000 (ZAR 75,000,000) to finance short-term working capital needs, as well as to cover performance letters of credit, advance payment and retention guarantees. As of March 31, 2014, Osborn had no cash borrowings but did have $821,000 in performance, advance payment and retention guarantees outstanding under the facility. The facility is unsecured and no unused facility fees are charged. As of March 31, 2014, Osborn had available credit under the facility of $6,234,000. The interest rate is 0.25% less than the South Africa prime rate, resulting in a rate of 8.75% as of March 31, 2014.

Product_Warranty_Reserves

Product Warranty Reserves	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Product Warranty Reserves [Abstract]	'
Product Warranty Reserves	'
	Note 8.  Product Warranty Reserves
	The Company warrants its products against manufacturing defects and performance to specified standards. The warranty period and performance standards vary by market and uses of its products, but generally range from three months to one year or up to a specified number of hours of operations. The Company estimates the costs that may be incurred under its warranties and records a liability at the time product sales are recorded.  The product warranty liability is primarily based on historical claim rates, nature of claims and the associated cost.
	Changes in the Company’s product warranty liability for the three-month period ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014			2013
	Reserve balance, beginning of the period	$	12,716		$	11,052
	Warranty liabilities accrued		3,671			2,760
	Warranty liabilities settled		(2,917	)		(2,482	)
	Other		24			(76	)
	Reserve balance, end of the period	$	13,494		$	11,254

Accrued_Loss_Reserves

Accrued Loss Reserves	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Accrued Loss Reserves [Abstract]	'
Accrued Loss Reserves	'
	Note 9.  Accrued Loss Reserves
	The Company accrues reserves for losses related to known workers’ compensation and general liability claims that have been incurred but not yet paid or are estimated to have been incurred but not yet reported to the Company.  The undiscounted reserves are actuarially determined based on the Company’s evaluation of the type and severity of individual claims and historical information, primarily its own claims experience, along with assumptions about future events.  Changes in assumptions, as well as changes in actual experience, could cause these estimates to change in the future.  Total accrued loss reserves were $7,472,000 as of March 31, 2014 compared to $7,344,000 as of December 31, 2013, of which $3,952,000 and $4,016,000 were included in other long-term liabilities as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Taxes [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	Note 10.  Income Taxes
	The Company’s combined effective income tax rates were 32.2% and 29.8% for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.  The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2014 includes the effect of state income taxes and other discrete items but did not include benefits for research and development tax credits given that the tax credits expired as of December 31, 2013 and  have not been renewed by Congress as of March 31, 2014.  The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2013 included a benefit for research and development tax credits on eligible expenses incurred from January 1, 2012 through March 31, 2013 as the legislation enacting the research and development tax credits for 2012 and 2013 was not approved by Congress until January 2013.
	The Company's liability recorded for uncertain tax positions as of March 31, 2014 has not changed significantly in amount or composition since December 31, 2013.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Segment Information [Abstract]	'
Segment Information	'
	Note 11.  Segment Information
	Due to the recent sale of a Company subsidiary and other Company product lines as well as responsibility for other product lines transferring between Company subsidiaries, the composition of the Company’s reportable segments has been changed as of March 31, 2014.  Historical segment information presented for the three months ended March 31, 2013 has been reclassified to reflect the new segment structure.  The Company now has three reportable segments which are combinations of business units that offer similar products and services and meet the requirements of aggregation. A brief description of each segment is as follows:
	Infrastructure Group - This segment consists of five business units, three of which design, engineer, manufacture and market a complete line of portable, stationary and relocatable hot-mix asphalt plants, asphalt pavers, material transfer vehicles, milling machines and paver screeds. Two of the business units in this segment operate as Company-owned dealers in the foreign countries in which they are domiciled.  These two business units sell, service and install products produced by the manufacturing subsidiaries of the Company with the majority of the sales to the infrastructure industry. The principal purchasers of the products produced by this group are asphalt producers, highway and heavy equipment contractors and foreign and domestic governmental agencies.
	Aggregate and Mining Group - This segment consists of seven business units that design, engineer, manufacture and market a complete line of jaw crushers, cone crushers, horizontal shaft impactors, vertical shaft impactors and roll rock crushers, stationary rockbreaker systems, vibrating feeders and high frequency vibrating screens, conveyors, inclined, vertical and horizontal screens and sand classifying and washing equipment. The principal purchasers of products produced by this group are distributors, open mine operators, quarry operators, highway and heavy equipment contractors and foreign and domestic governmental agencies.
	Energy Group - This segment consists of five business units that design, engineer, manufacture and market a complete line of drilling rigs for the oil and gas, geothermal and water well industries, high pressure diesel pump trailers for fracking and cleaning oil and gas wells, a variety of industrial heaters to fit a broad range of applications including heating equipment for refineries, oil sands and energy related processing, heat transfer processing equipment, thermal fluid storage tanks, waste heat recovery equipment, and whole-tree pulpwood and biomass chippers and horizontal grinders. The principal purchasers of products produced by this group are oil, gas and water well drilling industry contractors, processors of oil, gas and biomass for energy production and contractors in the construction and demolition recycling markets.
	Corporate - This category consists of business units that do not meet the requirements for separate disclosure as an operating segment and includes the Company’s parent company, Astec Industries, Inc. and Astec Insurance Company, a Company-owned captive insurance company. The Company evaluates performance and allocates resources to its operating segments based on profit or loss from operations before U.S. federal income taxes and corporate overhead and thus these costs are included in the Corporate category.
	Segment Information:
		(in thousands)
		Three Months Ended
		31-Mar-14
		Infrastructure			Aggregate			Energy			Corporate			Total
		Group			and Mining			Group
					Group
	Net sales to external	$	98,791		$	93,108		$	46,774		$	-		$	238,673
	customers
	Intersegment sales		4,557			7,840			3,463			-			15,860
	Gross profit		22,679			23,424			10,642			12			56,757
	Gross profit percent		23	%		25.2	%		22.8	%		-			23.8	%
	Segment profit (loss)	$	8,796		$	9,101		$	1,923		$	(9,117	)	$	10,703
		(in thousands)
		Three Months Ended
		31-Mar-13
		Infrastructure			Aggregate			Energy			Corporate			Total
		Group			and Mining			Group
					Group
	Net sales to external	$	109,320		$	90,762		$	47,751		$	-		$	247,833
	customers
	Intersegment sales		9,313			8,255			2,362			-			19,930
	Gross profit (loss)		26,685			23,040			8,844			(2	)		58,567
	Gross profit percent		24.4	%		25.4	%		18.5	%		-			23.6	%
	Segment profit (loss)	$	12,878		$	9,057		$	1,191		$	(9,260	)	$	13,866
	A reconciliation of total segment profits to the Company’s consolidated totals is as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014			2013
	Total segment profits	$	10,703		$	13,866
	Elimination of intersegment profit		(1,156	)		(615	)
	Net income		9,547			13,251
	Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries		2			80
	Net income attributable to controlling interest	$	9,545		$	13,171

Contingent_Matters

Contingent Matters	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Contingent Matters [Abstract]	'
Contingent Matters	'
	Note 12.  Contingent Matters
	Certain customers have financed purchases of Company products through arrangements in which the Company is contingently liable for customer debt of $817,000 and $693,000 as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.  The maximum potential amount of future payments for which the Company would be liable was equal to $817,000 as of March 31, 2014.  These arrangements also provide that the Company will receive the lender’s full security interest in the equipment financed if the Company is required to fulfill its contingent liability under these arrangements.  The Company has recorded a liability of $120,000 related to these guarantees as of March 31, 2014.
	In addition, the Company is contingently liable under letters of credit issued by Wells Fargo totaling $5,989,000 as of March 31, 2014, including a $1,600,000 letter of credit issued on behalf of Astec Australia, one of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries.  The outstanding letters of credit expire at various dates through November 2017.  As of March 31, 2014, Osborn is contingently liable for a total of $821,000 in performance letters of credit, advance payments and retention guarantees.  As of March 31, 2014, Astec Australia is contingently liable for a total of $867,000 in performance bank guarantees.  The maximum potential amount of future payments under these letters of credit and guarantees for which the Company could be liable is $7,677,000 as of March 31, 2014.
	The Company is currently a party to various claims and legal proceedings that have arisen in the ordinary course of business.  If management believes that a loss arising from such claims and legal proceedings is probable and can reasonably be estimated, the Company records the amount of the loss (excluding estimated legal fees) or the minimum estimated liability when the loss is estimated using a range and no point within the range is more probable than another.  As management becomes aware of additional information concerning such contingencies, any potential liability related to these matters is assessed and the estimates are revised, if necessary.  If management believes that a loss arising from such claims and legal proceedings is either (i) probable but cannot be reasonably estimated or (ii) reasonably possible but not probable, the Company does not record the amount of the loss, but does make specific disclosure of such matter.  Based upon currently available information and with the advice of counsel, management believes that the ultimate outcome of its current claims and legal proceedings, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, cash flows or results of operations.  However, claims and legal proceedings are subject to inherent uncertainties and rulings unfavorable to the Company could occur.  If an unfavorable ruling were to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, cash flows or results of operations.
	During 2004, the Company received notice from the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) that it may be responsible for a portion of the costs incurred in connection with an environmental cleanup in Illinois. The discharge of hazardous materials and associated cleanup relate to activities occurring prior to the Company’s acquisition of Barber-Greene in 1986. The Company believes that over 300 other parties have received similar notices. At this time, the Company cannot predict whether the EPA will seek to hold the Company liable for a portion of the cleanup costs or the amount of any such liability.  The Company has not recorded a liability with respect to this matter because no estimate of the amount of any such liability can be made at this time.

Shareholders_Equity

Shareholders' Equity	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Shareholders' Equity [Abstract]	'
Shareholders' Equity	'
	Note 13.  Shareholders’ Equity
	Beginning in 2006 and again in 2011, the Company implemented five-year plans to award key members of management restricted stock units (“RSUs”) each year based upon annual financial performance of the Company and its subsidiaries. Each five-year plan allows up to 700,000 of newly issued shares of Company stock to be granted to employees. The number of RSUs granted each year is determined based upon the performance of individual subsidiaries and consolidated annual financial performance, with additional RSUs available for cumulative five-year results. Generally, each award vests at the end of five years from the date of grant, or at the time a recipient retires after reaching age 65, if earlier. A total of 62,036 and 68,629 RSUs vested during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The Company withheld 19,849 and 22,330 shares due to statutory payroll tax withholding requirements upon the vesting of the RSUs in the first three months of 2014 and 2013, respectively, and used Company funds to remit the related required minimum withholding taxes to the various tax authorities. The vesting date fair value of the RSUs that vested during the first quarter of 2014 and 2013 was $2,504,000 and $2,405,000, respectively. Compensation expense of $305,000 and $377,000 was recorded in the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, to reflect the fair value of RSUs granted (or anticipated to be granted for 2014 and cumulative five-year performance) less estimated forfeitures, amortized over the portion of the vesting period occurring during the periods.

Other_Income_net_of_expenses

Other Income, net of expenses	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Other Income, net of expenses [Abstract]	'
Other Income, net of expenses	'
	Note 14.  Other Income, net of expenses
	Other income, net of expenses for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 is presented below (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014		2013
	Interest income	$	211	$	339
	Gain on investments		207		48
	License fee income		385		214
	Other		11		151
	Total	$	814	$	752

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen

Derivative Financial Instruments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Derivative Financial Instruments [Abstract]	'
Derivative Financial Instruments	'
	Note 15.  Derivative Financial Instruments
	The Company is exposed to certain risks related to its ongoing business operations. The primary risk managed by using derivative instruments is foreign currency risk.  From time to time the Company’s foreign subsidiaries enter into foreign currency exchange contracts to mitigate exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.  The fair value of the derivative financial instrument is recorded on the Company’s balance sheet and is adjusted to fair value at each measurement date.  The changes in fair value are recognized in the consolidated statements of income in the current period.  The Company does not engage in speculative transactions nor does it hold or issue financial instruments for trading purposes.  The average U.S. dollar equivalent notional amount of outstanding foreign currency exchange contracts was $9,527,000 during the three-month period ended March 31, 2014. The Company reported $141,000 of derivative liabilities in other accrued liabilities at March 31, 2014.  At December 31, 2013, the Company reported $452,000 of derivative assets in other current assets.  The Company recognized, as a component of cost of sales, a net loss of $530,000 on the change in fair value of derivative financial instruments in the three-month period ended March 31, 2014.  In the three-month period ended March 31, 2013, the Company recognized, as a component of cost of sales, a net gain of $337,000 on the change in fair value of derivative financial instruments.  There were no derivatives that were designated as hedges at March 31, 2014.

Subsequent_Event

Subsequent Event	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Subsequent Event [Abstract]	'
Subsequent Event	'
	Note 16.  Subsequent Event
	On April 1, 2014, the Company purchased 100% of the stock of Telestack Limited (“Telestack”) for a total purchase price of $36,000,000. The purchase price was paid in cash with $2,500,000 deposited into escrow for a period of time not to exceed one year and is subject to certain post-closing adjustments.  Telestack’s operating results will be included in the Aggregate and Mining Group beginning in the second quarter of 2014.
	Telestack, located in Omagh, Northern Ireland, began operations in 1999 and specializes in the complete in-house design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of a complete line of material handling systems used extensively in the port, aggregate and mining industries. Telestack markets their products throughout the world by a combination of direct sales and distribution through dealers. The Company anticipates the synergies between Telestack and the Company’s existing aggregate and wood pellet product lines will benefit both companies.

Significant_Accounting_Policie1

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Basis of Presentation	'
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.  Operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014.  It is suggested that these condensed financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Astec Industries, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.
	The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2013 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	'
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-08, “Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity,” which raises the previous threshold for disposals to qualify as discontinued operations and requires new disclosures for individually material disposal transactions that do not meet the definition of a discontinued operation.  The standard also allows companies to have significant continuing involvement and continuing cash flows with the discontinued operation.  The standard also requires the reclassification of assets and liabilities of a discontinued operation in the balance sheet for all periods presented.  The standard is effective for public entities for annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014 and is to be implemented prospectively.  The Company does not expect the adoption of this statement to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

Earnings_per_Share_Tables

Earnings per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings per Share [Abstract]	'
Computation of earnings per share	'
	The following table sets forth the computation of net income attributable to controlling interest and the number of basic and diluted shares used in the computation of earnings per share (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014		2013
	Numerator:
	Net income attributable to controlling interest	$	9,545	$	13,171
	Denominator:
	Denominator for basic earnings per share		22,786		22,723
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Employee stock options and restricted stock units		207		243
	Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan		109		114
	Denominator for diluted earnings per share		23,102		23,080

Inventories_Tables

Inventories (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Inventories [Abstract]	'
Inventories	'
	Inventories consist of the following (in thousands):
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Raw materials and parts	$	139,246	$	139,372
	Work-in-process		84,027		74,663
	Finished goods		108,575		99,812
	Used equipment		29,361		28,466
	Total	$	361,209	$	342,313

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]	'
Schedule of financial assets and liabilities, at fair value	'
	As indicated in the tables below (which excludes the Company’s pension assets), the Company has determined that all of its financial assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are level 1 and level 2 in the fair value hierarchy as defined above (in thousands):
		31-Mar-14
		Level 1		Level 2		Total
	Financial Assets:
	Trading equity securities:
	SERP money market fund	$	740	$	-	$	740
	SERP mutual funds		2,913		-		2,913
	Preferred stocks		1,029		-		1,029
	Trading debt securities:
	Corporate bonds		3,915		1,152		5,067
	Municipal bonds		-		1,907		1,907
	Floating rate notes		102		444		546
	U.S. Treasury bonds and bills		250		-		250
	Other		-		852		852
	Total financial assets	$	8,949	$	4,355	$	13,304
	Financial Liabilities:
	SERP liabilities	$	-	$	8,423	$	8,423
	Derivative financial instruments		-		141		141
	Total financial liabilities	$	-	$	8,564	$	8,564
		31-Dec-13
		Level 1		Level 2		Total
	Financial Assets:
	Trading equity securities:
	SERP money market fund	$	783	$	-	$	783
	SERP mutual funds		2,813		-		2,813
	Preferred stocks		1,170		-		1,170
	Short-term investments in mutual funds		16,073		-		16,073
	Trading debt securities:
	Corporate bonds		3,696		1,155		4,851
	Municipal bonds		-		1,908		1,908
	Floating rate notes		103		446		549
	U.S. treasury bonds		250		-		250
	Other		-		864		864
	Derivative financial instruments		-		452		452
	Total financial assets	$	24,888	$	4,825	$	29,713
	Financial Liabilities:
	SERP liabilities	$	-	$	7,828	$	7,828
	Total financial liabilities	$	-	$	7,828	$	7,828

Product_Warranty_Reserves_Tabl

Product Warranty Reserves (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Product Warranty Reserves [Abstract]	'
Product warranty reserves	'
	Changes in the Company’s product warranty liability for the three-month period ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014			2013
	Reserve balance, beginning of the period	$	12,716		$	11,052
	Warranty liabilities accrued		3,671			2,760
	Warranty liabilities settled		(2,917	)		(2,482	)
	Other		24			(76	)
	Reserve balance, end of the period	$	13,494		$	11,254

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Segment Information [Abstract]	'
Segment information	'
	Segment Information:
		(in thousands)
		Three Months Ended
		31-Mar-14
		Infrastructure			Aggregate			Energy			Corporate			Total
		Group			and Mining			Group
					Group
	Net sales to external	$	98,791		$	93,108		$	46,774		$	-		$	238,673
	customers
	Intersegment sales		4,557			7,840			3,463			-			15,860
	Gross profit		22,679			23,424			10,642			12			56,757
	Gross profit percent		23	%		25.2	%		22.8	%		-			23.8	%
	Segment profit (loss)	$	8,796		$	9,101		$	1,923		$	(9,117	)	$	10,703
		(in thousands)
		Three Months Ended
		31-Mar-13
		Infrastructure			Aggregate			Energy			Corporate			Total
		Group			and Mining			Group
					Group
	Net sales to external	$	109,320		$	90,762		$	47,751		$	-		$	247,833
	customers
	Intersegment sales		9,313			8,255			2,362			-			19,930
	Gross profit (loss)		26,685			23,040			8,844			(2	)		58,567
	Gross profit percent		24.4	%		25.4	%		18.5	%		-			23.6	%
	Segment profit (loss)	$	12,878		$	9,057		$	1,191		$	(9,260	)	$	13,866
Schedule of segment profits to the Company's consolidated totals	'
	A reconciliation of total segment profits to the Company’s consolidated totals is as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014			2013
	Total segment profits	$	10,703		$	13,866
	Elimination of intersegment profit		(1,156	)		(615	)
	Net income		9,547			13,251
	Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries		2			80
	Net income attributable to controlling interest	$	9,545		$	13,171

Other_Income_net_of_expenses_T

Other Income, net of expenses (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Other Income, net of expenses [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Other income, net of expenses	'
	Other income, net of expenses for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 is presented below (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014		2013
	Interest income	$	211	$	339
	Gain on investments		207		48
	License fee income		385		214
	Other		11		151
	Total	$	814	$	752

Earnings_per_Share_Details

Earnings per Share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Numerator:	'	'
Net income attributable to controlling interest	$9,545	$13,171
Denominator:	'	'
Denominator for basic earnings per share (in shares)	22,786	22,723
Effect of dilutive securities [Abstract]	'	'
Employee stock options and restricted stock units (in shares)	207	243
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (in shares)	109	114
Denominator for diluted earnings per share (in shares)	23,102	23,080

Receivables_Details

Receivables (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Receivables [Abstract]	'	'
Allowances for doubtful accounts	$1,650,000	$1,708,000

Inventories_Details

Inventories (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Inventories [Abstract]	'	'
Raw materials and parts	$139,246	$139,372
Work-in-process	84,027	74,663
Finished goods	108,575	99,812
Used equipment	29,361	28,466
Total	$361,209	$342,313

Property_and_Equipment_Details

Property and Equipment (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Property and Equipment [Abstract]	'	'
Accumulated depreciation	$212,635,000	$207,986,000

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail

Fair Value Measurements (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Trading equity securities [Abstract]	'	'	'
SERP money market fund	$740,000	'	$783,000
SERP mutual funds	2,913,000	'	2,813,000
Preferred stocks	1,029,000	'	1,170,000
Short-term investment in mutual funds	'	'	16,073,000
Trading debt securities [Abstract]	'	'	'
Corporate bonds	5,067,000	'	4,851,000
Municipal bonds	1,907,000	'	1,908,000
Floating rate notes	546,000	'	549,000
U.S. Treasury bonds and bills	250,000	'	250,000
Other	852,000	'	864,000
Derivative financial instruments	'	'	452,000
Total financial assets	13,304,000	'	29,713,000
Financial Liabilities [Abstract]	'	'	'
SERP liabilities	8,423,000	'	7,828,000
Derivative financial instruments	141,000	'	'
Total financial liabilities	8,564,000	'	7,828,000
Net unrealized gains (losses) incurred	54,000	134,000	'
Level 1 [Member]	'	'	'
Trading equity securities [Abstract]	'	'	'
SERP money market fund	740,000	'	783,000
SERP mutual funds	2,913,000	'	2,813,000
Preferred stocks	1,029,000	'	1,170,000
Short-term investment in mutual funds	'	'	16,073,000
Trading debt securities [Abstract]	'	'	'
Corporate bonds	3,915,000	'	3,696,000
Municipal bonds	0	'	0
Floating rate notes	102,000	'	103,000
U.S. Treasury bonds and bills	250,000	'	250,000
Other	0	'	0
Derivative financial instruments	'	'	0
Total financial assets	8,949,000	'	24,888,000
Financial Liabilities [Abstract]	'	'	'
SERP liabilities	0	'	0
Derivative financial instruments	0	'	'
Total financial liabilities	0	'	0
Level 2 [Member]	'	'	'
Trading equity securities [Abstract]	'	'	'
SERP money market fund	0	'	0
SERP mutual funds	0	'	0
Preferred stocks	0	'	0
Short-term investment in mutual funds	'	'	0
Trading debt securities [Abstract]	'	'	'
Corporate bonds	1,152,000	'	1,155,000
Municipal bonds	1,907,000	'	1,908,000
Floating rate notes	444,000	'	446,000
U.S. Treasury bonds and bills	0	'	0
Other	852,000	'	864,000
Derivative financial instruments	'	'	452,000
Total financial assets	4,355,000	'	4,825,000
Financial Liabilities [Abstract]	'	'	'
SERP liabilities	8,423,000	'	7,828,000
Derivative financial instruments	141,000	'	'
Total financial liabilities	$8,564,000	'	$7,828,000

Debt_Details

Debt (Details)	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
	USD ($)	Wells Fargo [Member]	Wells Fargo [Member]	Wells Fargo [Member]	Wells Fargo [Member]	Osborn [Member]	Osborn [Member]
		USD ($)	USD ($)	Minimum [Member]	Maximum [Member]	USD ($)	ZAR
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Amount of credit facility	'	$100,000,000	'	'	'	$7,055,000	75,000,000
Sub-limit for letters of credit	'	25,000,000	'	'	'	'	'
Original terms of credit facility	'	100,000,000	'	'	'	'	'
Borrowings outstanding	'	2,104,000	0	'	'	0	'
Letters of credit outstanding	7,677,000	5,989,000	'	'	'	'	'
Line of credit, additional borrowing capacity	'	91,907,000	'	'	'	'	'
Term of credit facility	'	'5 years	'	'	'	'	'
Maturity date	'	30-Apr-17	'	'	'	'	'
Interest rate description	'	'daily one month LIBOR rate plus a 0.75% marginor 0.91%.	'	'	'	'	'
Additional rate over base, percentage (in hundredths)	'	'	'	0.75%	'	'	'
Unused facility fee as a percentage of line of credit (in hundredths)	'	0.18%	'	'	'	'	'
Performance guarantees	'	'	'	'	'	821,000	'
Available credit under the facility	'	'	'	'	'	$6,234,000	'
Basis spread on variable rate (in hundredths)	'	'	'	'	'	-0.25%	-0.25%
Interest rate at period end (in hundredths)	'	'	'	'	0.91%	8.75%	8.75%

Product_Warranty_Reserves_Deta

Product Warranty Reserves (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Product Warranty Reserves [Abstract]	'	'
Product warranty reserve term, minimum	'3 months	'
Standard product warranty term, maximum	'1 year	'
Product warranty reserves [Roll Forward]	'	'
Reserve balance, beginning of the period	$12,716	$11,052
Warranty liabilities accrued	3,671	2,760
Warranty liabilities settled	-2,917	-2,482
Other	24	-76
Reserve balance, end of the period	$13,494	$11,254

Accrued_Loss_Reserves_Details

Accrued Loss Reserves (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Accrued Loss Reserves [Abstract]	'	'
Total accrued loss reserves	$7,472,000	$7,344,000
Accrued loss reserves included in other long-term liabilities	$3,952,000	$4,016,000

Income_Taxes_Details

Income Taxes (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Income Taxes [Abstract]	'	'
Effective income tax rate (in hundredths)	32.20%	29.80%

Segment_Information_Details

Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
	Segment
Segment Information [Abstract]	'	'
Number of reportable segments	3	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Net sales	$238,673	$247,833
Gross profit	56,757	58,567
Gross profit (in hundredths)	23.80%	23.60%
Segment profit (loss)	10,703	13,866
Reconciliation of total segment profits to the Company's consolidated totals [Abstract]	'	'
Total segment profits	10,703	13,866
Elimination of intersegment profit	-1,156	-615
Net income	9,547	13,251
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	2	80
Net income attributable to controlling interest	9,545	13,171
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Net sales	15,860	19,930
Infrastructure Group [Member]	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Number of business units	5	'
Number of business units that design, engineer, manufacture and market	3	'
Number of business units that operate as Company owned dealers in foreign countries	2	'
Net sales	98,791	109,320
Gross profit	22,679	26,685
Gross profit (in hundredths)	23.00%	24.40%
Segment profit (loss)	8,796	12,878
Reconciliation of total segment profits to the Company's consolidated totals [Abstract]	'	'
Total segment profits	8,796	12,878
Infrastructure Group [Member] | Intersegment Eliminations [Member]	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Net sales	4,557	9,313
Aggregate and Mining Group [Member]	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Number of business units	7	'
Net sales	93,108	90,762
Gross profit	23,424	23,040
Gross profit (in hundredths)	25.20%	25.40%
Segment profit (loss)	9,101	9,057
Reconciliation of total segment profits to the Company's consolidated totals [Abstract]	'	'
Total segment profits	9,101	9,057
Aggregate and Mining Group [Member] | Intersegment Eliminations [Member]	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Net sales	7,840	8,255
Energy Group [Member]	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Number of business units	5	'
Net sales	46,774	47,751
Gross profit	10,642	8,844
Gross profit (in hundredths)	22.80%	18.50%
Segment profit (loss)	1,923	1,191
Reconciliation of total segment profits to the Company's consolidated totals [Abstract]	'	'
Total segment profits	1,923	1,191
Energy Group [Member] | Intersegment Eliminations [Member]	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Net sales	3,463	2,362
Corporate [Member]	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Net sales	0	0
Gross profit	12	-2
Gross profit (in hundredths)	0.00%	0.00%
Segment profit (loss)	-9,117	-9,260
Reconciliation of total segment profits to the Company's consolidated totals [Abstract]	'	'
Total segment profits	-9,117	-9,260
Corporate [Member] | Intersegment Eliminations [Member]	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Net sales	$0	'

Contingent_Matters_Details

Contingent Matters (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
	Party
Contingent Matters [Abstract]	'	'
Contingent liability for customer debt	$817,000	$693,000
Maximum potential amount of future payments for customer debt	817,000	'
Liability recorded related to guarantees	120,000	'
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]	'	'
Contingent liabilities for letters of credit	7,677,000	'
Number of parties involved in EPA cleanup	300	'
Letter of Credit Wells Fargo [Member]	'	'
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]	'	'
Contingent liabilities for letters of credit	5,989,000	'
Letters of Credit Osborn [Member]	'	'
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]	'	'
Performance bank guarantee from Parent Securing subsidiary obligations to fulfill contracts	821,000	'
Letters of Credit Astec Australia [Member]	'	'
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]	'	'
Contingent liabilities for letters of credit issued on behalf of foreign subsidiaries	1,600,000	'
Performance bank guarantee from Parent Securing subsidiary obligations to fulfill contracts	$867,000	'

Shareholders_Equity_Details

Shareholders' Equity (Details) (Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Restricted stock units under the 2006 and 2011 Incentive Plan [Abstract]	'	'
Maximum shares granted to employees (in shares)	700,000	'
Terms for stock vesting if earlier than five years	'Each award vests at the end of five years from the date of grant, or at the time a recipient retires after reaching age 65, if earlier	'
Restricted Stock Units vested (in shares)	62,036	68,629
Shares withheld upon vesting (in shares)	19,849	22,330
Fair value of vested Restricted Stock Units	$2,504,000	$2,405,000
Compensation expense for 2006 and 2011 incentive plans	$305,000	$377,000
2006 Incentive Plan [Member]	'	'
Restricted stock units under the 2006 and 2011 Incentive Plan [Abstract]	'	'
Award vesting period	'5 years	'
2011 Incentive Plan [Member]	'	'
Restricted stock units under the 2006 and 2011 Incentive Plan [Abstract]	'	'
Award vesting period	'5 years	'

Other_Income_net_of_expenses_D

Other Income, net of expenses (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Other Income, net of expenses [Abstract]	'	'
Interest income	$211	$339
Gain on investments	207	48
License fee income	385	214
Other	11	151
Total	$814	$752

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen1

Derivative Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]	'	'
Derivative liabilities	$141,000	'
Derivative assets	'	452,000
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]	'	'
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]	'	'
Average notional amount	$9,527,000	'

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen2

Derivative Financial Instruments, Gain (Loss) recognized in income (Details) (Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member], Foreign Exchange Contract [Member], Cost of Sales [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Foreign Exchange Contract [Member] | Cost of Sales [Member]	'	'
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]	'	'
Gain (Loss) of derivative financial instruments recognized in income, net	($530,000)	$337,000

Subsequent_Event_Details

Subsequent Event (Details) (Subsequent Event [Member], USD $)	0 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2014
Subsequent Event [Member]	'
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'
Percentages of stock acquired of Telestack Limited (in hundredth)	100.00%
Total purchase price	$36,000,000
Purchase price deposited in escrow	$2,500,000