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Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Feb. 15, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	Kadant Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	0000886346
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-29
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 29, 2018
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2018
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		11,121,503
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Public Float			$ 1,039,763

Consolidated Balance Sheet - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 45,830	$ 75,425
Restricted cash	287	1,421
Accounts receivable, less allowances of $2,897 and $2,879	92,624	89,624
Inventories	86,373	84,933
Unbilled revenues	15,741	2,374
Other current assets	11,906	12,246
Total Current Assets	252,761	266,023
Property, Plant, and Equipment, at Cost, Net	80,157	79,723
Other Assets (Note 5)	21,310	14,311
Intangible Assets, Net	113,347	133,036
Goodwill	258,174	268,001
Total Assets	725,749	761,094
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term obligations (Note 6)	1,668	696
Accounts payable	35,720	35,461
Accrued payroll and employee benefits	30,902	29,616
Customer deposits	26,987	30,103
Advanced billings	5,534	7,316
Other current liabilities	28,178	29,038
Total Current Liabilities	128,989	132,230
Long-Term Obligations (Note 6)	174,153	241,384
Long-Term Deferred Income Taxes (Note 5)	22,962	29,085
Other Long-Term Liabilities (Note 3)	25,074	25,891
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 7)
Stockholders' Equity (Notes 3 and 4):
Preferred stock, $.01 par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued	0	0
Common stock, $.01 par value, 150,000,000 shares authorized; 14,624,159 shares issued	146	146
Capital in excess of par value	104,731	103,221
Retained earnings	393,578	342,893
Treasury stock at cost, 3,514,163 and 3,613,838 shares	(86,111)	(88,554)
Accumulated other comprehensive items (Note 13)	(39,376)	(26,715)
Total Kadant Stockholders' Equity	372,968	330,991
Noncontrolling interest	1,603	1,513
Total Stockholders' Equity	374,571	332,504
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	$ 725,749	$ 761,094

Consolidated Balance Sheet (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, allowances	$ 2,897	$ 2,879
Preferred stock, par value (in usd per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, authorized (in shares)	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred stock, issued (in shares)	0	0
Common stock, par value (in usd per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, authorized (in shares)	150,000,000	150,000,000
Common stock, issued (in shares)	14,624,159	14,624,159
Treasury stock (in shares)	3,514,163	3,613,838

Consolidated Statement of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues (Note 11)	$ 633,786	$ 515,033	$ 414,126
Costs and Operating Expenses:
Cost of revenues	355,505	283,886	225,587
Selling, general, and administrative expenses	177,414	159,756	134,834
Research and development expenses	10,552	9,563	7,380
Restructuring costs and other income (Note 8)	1,717	203	(317)
Total Costs and Operating Expenses	545,188	453,408	367,484
Operating Income	88,598	61,625	46,642
Interest income	379	447	269
Interest expense	(7,032)	(3,547)	(1,293)
Other expense, net (Note 3)	(2,417)	(872)	(1,069)
Income from Continuing Operations Before Provision for Income Taxes	79,528	57,653	44,549
Provision for income taxes (Note 5)	18,482	26,070	12,083
Income from Continuing Operations	61,046	31,583	32,466
Income from discontinued operation (net of income tax provision of $2)	0	0	3
Net Income	61,046	31,583	32,469
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(633)	(491)	(392)
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	60,413	31,092	32,077
Amounts Attributable to Kadant
Income from Continuing Operations	60,413	31,092	32,074
Income from Discontinued Operation	0	0	3
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$ 60,413	$ 31,092	$ 32,077
Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations Attributable to Kadant (Note 12)
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 5.45	$ 2.83	$ 2.95
Diluted (in dollars per share)	5.30	2.75	2.88
Earnings per Share Attributable to Kadant (Note 12)
Basic (in dollars per share)	5.45	2.83	2.95
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 5.30	$ 2.75	$ 2.88
Weighted Average Shares (Note 12)
Basic (in shares)	11,086	10,991	10,869
Diluted (in shares)	11,400	11,312	11,149
Cash Dividends Declared per Common Share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.88	$ 0.84	$ 0.76

Consolidated Statement of Income (Parenthetical) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Income Statement [Abstract]
Income from discontinued operation, income tax provision	$ 2

- Definition

Amount of tax expense (benefit) related to a discontinued operation. Includes, but is not limited to, tax expense (benefit) related to income (loss) from operations during the phase-out period, tax expense (benefit) related to gain (loss) on disposal, tax expense (benefit) related to gain (loss) for reversal of write-down (write-down) to fair value, less cost to sell, and tax expense (benefit) related to adjustments of a prior period gain (loss) on disposal.

+ References + Details

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net Income	$ 61,046	$ 31,583	$ 32,469
Other Comprehensive Items:
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(17,381)	23,847	(13,240)
Pension and other post-retirement liability adjustments, net (net of tax of $412, $(150), and $125)	1,248	(738)	256
Effect of pension and other post-retirement plan amendments (net of tax of $351)	(1,087)	0	0
Effect of pension and other post-retirement plan curtailments (net of tax of $1,183)	3,679	0	0
Pension and other post-retirement curtailment loss (net of tax of $347)	1,078	0	0
Deferred (loss) gain on cash flow hedges (net of tax of $(93), $39, and $(67))	(276)	67	241
Other Comprehensive Items	(12,739)	23,176	(12,743)
Comprehensive Income	48,307	54,759	19,726
Comprehensive Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(555)	(745)	(314)
Comprehensive Income Attributable to Kadant	$ 47,752	$ 54,014	$ 19,412

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Other Comprehensive Items:
Pension and other post-retirement liability adjustments, net	$ 412	$ (150)	$ 125
Effect of pension and other post-retirement plan amendments	(351)	0	0
Effect of pension and other post-retirement plan curtailments	1,183	0	0
Pension and other post-retirement curtailment loss	347	0	0
Deferred (loss) on cash flow hedges	$ (93)	$ 39	$ (67)

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Operating Activities
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$ 60,413	$ 31,092	$ 32,077
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	633	491	392
Income from discontinued operation	0	0	(3)
Income from continuing operations	61,046	31,583	32,466
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	23,568	19,375	14,326
Stock-based compensation expense	7,027	5,803	5,069
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	355	436	453
Loss (gain) on sale of property, plant, and equipment	110	42	(350)
Deferred income tax (benefit) provision	(4,240)	578	(613)
Other items, net	2,735	1,420	1,362
Contributions to U.S. pension plan	0	(1,080)	(1,080)
Changes in current assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisitions:
Accounts receivable	(7,016)	(10,907)	1,003
Unbilled revenues	(11,350)	1,310	3,407
Inventories	(6,577)	1,163	3,553
Other current assets	3,820	(130)	753
Accounts payable	5,419	(522)	(5,238)
Other current liabilities	(11,912)	16,093	(4,111)
Net cash provided by continuing operations	62,985	65,164	51,000
Net cash provided by discontinued operation	0	0	3
Net cash provided by operating activities	62,985	65,164	51,003
Investing Activities
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (Note 2)	0	(204,731)	(56,617)
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	(16,559)	(17,281)	(5,804)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	195	130	428
Net cash used in continuing operations for investing activities	(16,364)	(221,882)	(61,993)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from issuance of debt (Note 6)	50,055	232,019	51,046
Repayment of debt	(109,642)	(67,696)	(18,429)
Dividends paid	(9,644)	(9,011)	(8,038)
Tax withholding payments related to stock-based compensation	(3,886)	(2,206)	(2,572)
Payment of debt issuance costs (Note 6)	(934)	(1,257)	(27)
Dividend paid to noncontrolling interest	(465)	(882)	0
Proceeds from issuance of Company common stock	813	0	2,350
Payment of contingent consideration	0	0	(1,091)
Other financing activities	(452)	(491)	216
Net cash (used in) provided by continuing operations for financing activities	(74,155)	150,476	23,455
Exchange Rate Effect on Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash from Continuing Operations	(3,195)	9,519	(5,827)
Decrease in Cash from Discontinued Operation	0	0	(5)
(Decrease) Increase in Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash from Continuing Operations	(30,729)	3,277	6,633
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash at Beginning of Year	76,846	73,569	66,936
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash at End of Year	$ 46,117	$ 76,846	$ 73,569

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Capital in Excess of Par Value	Retained Earnings	Treasury Stock	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items	Noncontrolling Interest
Beginning balance (in shares) at Jan. 02, 2016		14,624,159			3,850,779
Beginning balance at Jan. 02, 2016	$ 267,945	$ 146	$ 100,536	$ 297,258	$ (94,359)	$ (36,972)	$ 1,336
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net Income	32,469			32,077			392
Dividends declared	(8,285)			(8,285)
Activity under stock plans (in shares)					(164,247)
Activity under stock plans	4,893		869		$ 4,024
Other comprehensive items	(12,743)					(12,665)	(78)
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016		14,624,159			3,686,532
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2016	284,279	$ 146	101,405	321,050	$ (90,335)	(49,637)	1,650
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net Income	31,583			31,092			491
Dividends declared	(9,249)			(9,249)
Dividend paid to noncontrolling interest	(882)						(882)
Activity under stock plans (in shares)					(72,694)
Activity under stock plans	3,597		1,816		$ 1,781
Other comprehensive items	23,176					22,922	254
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 30, 2017		14,624,159			3,613,838
Ending balance at Dec. 30, 2017	332,504	$ 146	103,221	342,893	$ (88,554)	(26,715)	1,513
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect of new accounting principle \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09	119			119
Cumulative effect of new accounting principle \| Accounting Standards Update 2016-16	(75)			(75)
Net Income	61,046			60,413			633
Dividends declared	(9,772)			(9,772)
Dividend paid to noncontrolling interest	(465)						(465)
Activity under stock plans (in shares)					(99,675)
Activity under stock plans	3,953		1,510		$ 2,443
Other comprehensive items	(12,739)					(12,661)	(78)
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 29, 2018		14,624,159			3,514,163
Ending balance at Dec. 29, 2018	$ 374,571	$ 146	$ 104,731	$ 393,578	$ (86,111)	$ (39,376)	$ 1,603

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Operations

Continuing Operations

Kadant Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in November 1991 and currently trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "KAI."

Kadant Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the Company) is a leading global supplier of equipment and critical components used in process industries worldwide. In addition, the Company manufactures granules made from papermaking by-products. The Company has a diverse and large customer base, including most of the world's major paper, lumber and oriented strand board (OSB) manufacturers, and its products, technologies, and services play an integral role in enhancing process efficiency, optimizing energy utilization, and maximizing productivity in resource-intensive industries.

The Company's continuing operations include two reportable operating segments, Papermaking Systems and Wood Processing Systems, and a separate product line, Fiber-based Products. See Note 11, Business Segment and Geographical Information, for further details.

Discontinued Operation

In 2005, the Company's Kadant Composites LLC subsidiary sold substantially all of its assets to a third party. All activity related to this business is classified in the results of the discontinued operation in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Noncontrolling Interest

One of the Company's foreign subsidiaries that manufactures fluid-handling products is part of a joint venture agreement with an Italian company in which each holds a 50 percent ownership interest. The agreement provides the Company's subsidiary with the option to purchase the remaining 50 percent interest in the joint venture.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of its wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Fiscal Year

The Company has adopted a fiscal year ending on the Saturday nearest to December 31. References to 2018, 2017, and 2016 are for the fiscal years ended December 29, 2018, December 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively.

Financial Statement Presentation

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior periods to conform with current reporting. As a result of the adoption of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715), Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Post-retirement Benefit Cost, certain components of net benefit cost have been reclassified from operating income to non-operating expenses and included in other expense, net in the accompanying consolidated statement of income in the 2017 and 2016 periods. In addition, as a result of the adoption of the FASB's ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), Restricted Cash, the change in restricted cash has been reclassified from financing activities and exchange rate effect on cash and included in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash in the accompanying consolidated statement of cash flows in the 2017 and 2016 periods.

Effective at the beginning of fiscal 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (Topic 606), using the modified retrospective method. See Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements in this note for further discussion. Results for fiscal 2018 are presented under Topic 606, while prior period amounts are not adjusted and are reported under the Company's prior method of reporting revenue recognition in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC), Revenue Recognition (Topic 605) (Topic 605). The impact on any financial statement line item arising from the application of Topic 606 compared to Topic 605 on the Company's results for the 2018 period is not material.

Use of Estimates and Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.

Critical accounting policies are defined as those that entail significant judgments and estimates, and could potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. The Company believes that the most critical accounting policies upon which its financial position depends, and which involve the most complex or subjective decisions or assessments, concern revenue recognition, income taxes, the valuation of goodwill and intangible assets, inventories, and pension obligations. A discussion of the application of these and other accounting policies is included in Notes 1 and 3.

Although the Company makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements or in the application of accounting policies, if business conditions were different, or if the Company were to use different estimates and assumptions, it is possible that materially different amounts could be reported in the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

Effective at the beginning of fiscal 2018, the Company adopted Topic 606, using a modified retrospective method. See Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements in this note for further discussion. Results for fiscal 2018 are presented under Topic 606, while prior period amounts are not adjusted and are reported in accordance with Topic 605. The impact on any financial statement line item arising from the application of Topic 606 compared to Topic 605 on the Company's results for the 2018 period is not material.

In 2018, approximately 91% of the Company’s revenue was recognized at a point in time for each performance obligation under the contract when the customer obtains control of the goods or service. The majority of the Company’s parts and consumables products and capital products with minimal customization are accounted for at a point in time. The Company has made a policy election to not treat the obligation to ship as a separate performance obligation under the contract and, as a result, the associated shipping costs are accrued when revenue is recognized.

The remaining 9% of the Company’s revenue in 2018 was recognized on an over time basis based on an input method that compares the costs incurred to date to the total expected costs required to satisfy the performance obligation. Contracts are accounted for on an over time basis when they include products which have no alternative use and an enforceable right to payment over time. The majority of the contracts recognized on an over time basis are for large capital projects within the Company's Stock-Preparation product line and, to a lesser extent, its Fluid-Handling and Doctoring, Cleaning, & Filtration product lines. These projects are highly customized for the customer and, as a result, would include a significant cost to rework in the event of cancellation.

The following table presents revenue by revenue recognition method:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018
Point in Time	$	577,506
Over Time	56,280
	$	633,786

The transaction price is typically based on the amount billed to the customer and includes estimated variable consideration where applicable. Such variable consideration relates to certain performance guarantees and rights to return the product. The Company estimates variable consideration as the most likely amount to which it expects to be entitled based on the terms of the contracts with customers and historical experience, where relevant. For contracts with multiple performance obligations, the transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation based on the relative stand-alone selling price.

The Company's contracts covering the sale of its products include warranty provisions that provide assurance to its customers that the products will comply with agreed-upon specifications. The Company negotiates the terms regarding warranty coverage and length of warranty depending on the products and applications.

The Company disaggregates its revenue from contracts with customers by product line, product type and geography as this best depicts how its revenue is affected by economic factors.

The following table presents the disaggregation of revenues by product type and geography:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Revenues by Product Type:
Parts and Consumables	$	374,433	$	316,506	$	258,171
Capital	259,353		198,527		155,955
	$	633,786	$	515,033	$	414,126
Revenues by Geography:
North America	$	305,618	$	238,483	$	203,063
Europe	174,681		157,994		115,233
Asia	109,688		78,443		62,703
Rest of World	43,799		40,113		33,127
	$	633,786	$	515,033	$	414,126

See Note 11, Business Segment and Geographical Information, for information on how the Company disaggregates its revenue from contracts with customers by product line.

The following tables presents contract balances from contracts with customers:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Accounts receivable	$	92,624	$	89,624
Contract assets	$	15,741	$	2,374
Contract liabilities	$	34,774	$	38,702

Contract assets represent unbilled revenues associated with revenue recognized on contracts accounted for on an over time basis, which will be billed in future periods based on the contract terms. Contract assets increased from $2,374,000 at December 30, 2017 to $15,741,000 at December 29, 2018 due to the timing of progress payments associated with the shipment of large capital projects in the second half of 2018. Contract liabilities consist of customer deposits and advanced billings, and deferred revenue which is included in other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. Contract liabilities will be recognized as revenue in future periods once the revenue recognition criteria are met. The majority of the contract liabilities relate to advanced payments on contracts accounted for at a point in time. These advance payments will be recognized as revenue when the Company's performance obligations have been satisfied, which typically occurs when the product has been shipped and control of the asset has transferred to the customer. The Company recognized revenue of $36,556,000 in 2018 that was included in the contract liabilities balance at the beginning of fiscal 2018.

Customers in China will often settle their accounts receivable with a banker's acceptance draft, in which case cash settlement will be delayed until the banker's acceptance draft matures or is settled prior to maturity. For customers outside of China, final payment for the majority of the Company's products is received in the quarter following the product shipment. Certain of the Company's contracts include a longer period before final payment is due, which is typically within one year of final shipment or transfer of control to the customer.

The Company includes in revenue amounts invoiced for shipping and handling with the corresponding costs reflected in cost of revenues. Provisions for discounts, warranties, returns and other adjustments are provided for in the period in which the related sales was recorded. Sales taxes, value-added taxes and certain excise taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are accounted for on a net basis and therefore are excluded from revenue.

In 2017 and 2016, the Company recognized revenue under ASC 605, "Revenue Recognition," (ASC 605) when the following criteria had been met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement existed, delivery had occurred or service had been rendered, the sales price was fixed or determinable, and collectability was reasonably assured. When the terms of the sale included customer acceptance provisions, and compliance with those provisions could not be demonstrated until customer acceptance, revenue was recognized upon such acceptance.

Most of the Company's revenue in 2017 and 2016 was recognized in accordance with the accounting policies in the preceding paragraph. However, when a sale arrangement involved multiple elements, such as equipment and installation, the Company considered the guidance in ASC 605. Such transactions were evaluated to determine whether the deliverables in the arrangement represented separate units of accounting based on the following criteria: the delivered item had value to the customer on a stand-alone basis, and if the contract included a general right of return relative to the delivered item, delivery or performance of the undelivered item was considered probable and substantially under the control of the Company. Revenue was allocated to each unit of accounting or element based on relative selling prices and was recognized as each element was delivered or completed. The Company determined relative selling prices by using either vendor-specific objective evidence (VSOE) if that existed, or third-party evidence of selling price. When neither VSOE nor third-party evidence of selling price existed for a deliverable, the Company used its best estimate of the selling price for that deliverable. In cases in which elements could not be treated as separate units of accounting, the elements were combined into a single unit of accounting for revenue recognition purposes.

In addition in 2017 and 2016, revenues and profits on certain long-term contracts were recognized using the percentage-of-completion method or the completed-contract method of accounting pursuant to ASC 605. Revenues recorded under the percentage-of-completion method were $27,676,000 in 2017 and $23,300,000 in 2016. The percentage of completion was determined by comparing the actual costs incurred to date to an estimate of total costs to be incurred on each contract. If a loss was indicated on any contract in process, a provision was made currently for the entire estimated loss. The Company's contracts generally provided for billing of customers upon the attainment of certain milestones specified in each contract. Revenues earned on contracts in process in excess of billings are classified as unbilled revenues and amounts billed in excess of revenues earned are classified as advanced billings.

For long-term contracts that did not meet the criteria under ASC 605 to be accounted for under the percentage-of-completion method in 2017 and 2016, the Company recognized revenue using the completed-contract method. When using the completed-contract method, the Company recognized revenue when the contract was substantially complete, the product was delivered and, if applicable, the customer acceptance criteria were met. Customer deposits included $2,945,000 at year-end 2017 of advance payments, net of accumulated costs, on long-term contracts accounted for under the completed-contract method.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. The Company exercises judgment in determining its allowance for doubtful accounts, which is based on its historical collection experience, current trends, credit policies, specific customer collection issues, and accounts receivable aging categories. In determining this allowance, the Company looks at historical write-offs of its receivables. The Company also looks at current trends in the credit quality of its customer base as well as changes in its credit policies. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and adjusts credit limits based upon payment history and each customer's current creditworthiness. The Company continuously monitors collections and payments from its customers. Account balances are charged off against the allowance when the Company believes it is probable the receivable will not be recovered. In some instances, the Company utilizes letters of credit to mitigate its credit exposure.

The changes in the allowance for doubtful accounts are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Balance at Beginning of Year	$	2,879		$	2,395		$	2,163
Provision charged to expense	355			436			453
Accounts written off	(165		)	(159		)	(128		)
Currency translation	(172		)	207			(93		)
Balance at End of Year	$	2,897		$	2,879		$	2,395

The Company's Chinese subsidiaries may receive banker's acceptance drafts from customers as payment for their trade accounts receivable. The drafts are noninterest-bearing obligations of the issuing bank and mature within six months of the origination date. The Company's subsidiaries may sell the drafts at a discount to a third-party financial institution or transfer the drafts to vendors in settlement of current accounts payable prior to the scheduled maturity date. These drafts, which totaled $7,976,000 at year-end 2018 and $15,960,000 at year-end 2017, are included in accounts receivable in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet until the subsidiary sells the drafts to a bank and receives a discounted amount, transfers the banker's acceptance drafts in settlement of current accounts payable prior to maturity, or obtains cash payment on the scheduled maturity date.

Warranty Obligations

The Company provides for the estimated cost of product warranties at the time of sale based on the historical occurrence rates and repair costs, as well as knowledge of any specific warranty problems that indicate projected warranty costs may vary from historical patterns. The Company typically negotiates the terms regarding warranty coverage and length of warranty depending on the products and applications. While the Company engages in extensive product quality programs and processes, the Company's warranty obligation is affected by product failure rates, repair costs, service delivery costs incurred in correcting a product failure, and supplier warranties on parts delivered to the Company. Should these factors or actual results differ from the Company's estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty liability would be required.

The changes in the carrying amount of accrued warranty costs included in other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Balance at Beginning of Year	$	5,498		$	3,843
Provision charged to expense	3,708			2,652
Usage	(3,140		)	(2,225		)
Acquisitions	—			790
Currency translation	(340		)	438
Balance at End of Year	$	5,726		$	5,498

Income Taxes

In accordance with ASC 740, "Income Taxes," (ASC 740), the Company recognizes deferred income taxes based on the expected future tax consequences of differences between the financial statement basis and the tax basis of assets and liabilities, calculated using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which these differences are expected to reverse. A tax valuation allowance is established, as needed, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. In the period in which it becomes more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized, the valuation allowance will be adjusted.

It is the Company's policy to provide for uncertain tax positions and the related interest and penalties based upon management's assessment of whether a tax benefit is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in the provision for income taxes. At December 29, 2018, the Company believes that it has appropriately accounted for any liability for unrecognized tax benefits. To the extent the Company prevails in matters for which a liability for an unrecognized tax benefit is established, the statute of limitations expires for a tax jurisdiction year, or the Company is required to pay amounts in excess of the liability, its effective tax rate in a given financial statement period may be affected.

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share (EPS) is computed by dividing net income attributable to Kadant by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the year. Diluted EPS is computed using the treasury stock method assuming the effect of all potentially dilutive securities, including stock options, restricted stock units (RSUs) and employee stock purchase plan shares.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

At year-end 2018 and year-end 2017, the Company's cash equivalents included investments in money market funds and other marketable securities, which had maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase. The carrying amounts of cash equivalents approximate their fair values due to the short-term nature of these instruments.

Restricted Cash

The Company's restricted cash serves as collateral for bank guarantees primarily associated with providing assurance to customers that the Company will fulfill certain customer obligations entered into in the normal course of business. The majority of the bank guarantees will expire over the next twelve months.

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the Company's consolidated balance sheet that are shown in aggregate in the consolidated statement of cash flows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Cash and cash equivalents	$	45,830	$	75,425	$	71,487
Restricted cash	287		1,421		2,082
Total Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash	$	46,117	$	76,846	$	73,569

Supplemental Cash Flow Information



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Cash Paid for Interest	$	7,550	$	2,624		$	1,183
Cash Paid for Income Taxes, Net of Refunds	$	25,654	$	20,559		$	15,632

Non-Cash Investing Activities:
Estimated post-closing adjustment (a)	$	397	$	—		$	—

Fair value of assets of acquired	$	—	$	242,048		$	84,969
Cash paid for acquired businesses	—		(206,950		)	(58,894		)
Liabilities Assumed of Acquired Businesses	$	—	$	35,098		$	26,075

Non-cash additions to property, plant, and equipment	$	917	$	4,620		$	379

Non-Cash Financing Activities:
Issuance of Company common stock upon vesting of RSUs	$	4,231	$	3,192		$	3,463
Dividends declared but unpaid	$	2,444	$	2,316		$	2,078

(a) Represents an estimated post-closing purchase price adjustment related to the 2017 acquisition of certain assets of Unaflex, LLC, which is expected to be settled in early 2019.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (on a first-in, first-out; or weighted average basis) or net realizable value and include materials, labor, and manufacturing overhead. The Company regularly reviews its quantities of inventories on hand and compares these amounts to the historical and forecasted usage of and demand for each particular product or product line. The Company records a charge to cost of revenues for excess and obsolete inventory to reduce the carrying value of inventories to net realizable value.

The components of inventories are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Raw Materials	$	44,522	$	38,952
Work in Process	15,876		18,203
Finished Goods (includes $494 and $1,883 at customer locations)	25,975		27,778
	$	86,373	$	84,933

Property, Plant, and Equipment

Property, plant, and equipment are stated at cost. The costs of additions and improvements are capitalized, while maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. The Company provides for depreciation and amortization primarily using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the property as follows: buildings, 10 to 40 years; machinery and equipment, 2 to 10 years; and leasehold improvements, the shorter of the term of the lease or the life of the asset. For construction in progress, no provision for depreciation is made until the assets are available and ready for use.

Property, plant, and equipment consist of the following:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Land	$	7,614	$	7,894
Buildings	58,866		48,094
Machinery, Equipment, and Leasehold Improvements	100,453		94,779
Construction in Progress	3,764		14,464
	170,697		165,231
Less: Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	90,540		85,508
	$	80,157	$	79,723

At year-end 2017, construction in progress primarily related to the construction of a manufacturing facility in the U.S. that was completed in the first half of 2018. Following completion, the assets were transferred to building and machinery, equipment and leasehold improvements and depreciated over their estimated useful lives.

Property, plant, and equipment at year-end 2018 and year-end 2017 included assets under capital leases. The gross amount of property, plant, and equipment under capital leases was $5,674,000 at year-end 2018 and $6,038,000 at year-end 2017. Accumulated amortization associated with capital leases was $764,000 at year-end 2018 and $550,000 at year-end 2017. Depreciation and amortization expense, including amortization of assets under capital lease, was $9,386,000 in 2018, $7,418,000 in 2017, and $6,194,000 in 2016.

Intangible Assets, Net

Acquired intangible assets by major asset class are as follows:



(In thousands)	Gross		Currency Translation			Accumulated Amortization			Net
December 29, 2018
Definite-Lived
Customer relationships	$	113,283	$	(4,520	)	$	(38,160	)	$	70,603
Product technology	46,501		(1,677		)	(23,563		)	21,261
Tradenames	5,227		(390		)	(1,980		)	2,857
Other	13,744		(127		)	(11,476		)	2,141
	178,755		(6,714		)	(75,179		)	96,862
Indefinite-Lived
Tradenames	16,600		(115		)	—			16,485
Acquired Intangible Assets	$	195,355	$	(6,829	)	$	(75,179	)	$	113,347

December 30, 2017
Definite-Lived
Customer relationships	$	113,301	$	(621	)	$	(28,789	)	$	83,891
Product technology	46,501		(737		)	(19,841		)	25,923
Tradenames	5,227		(262		)	(1,504		)	3,461
Other	13,754		(35		)	(10,863		)	2,856
	178,783		(1,655		)	(60,997		)	116,131
Indefinite-Lived
Tradenames	16,600		305			—			16,905
Acquired Intangible Assets	$	195,383	$	(1,350	)	$	(60,997	)	$	133,036

Intangible assets are initially recorded at fair value at the date of acquisition. Definite-lived intangible assets are stated net of accumulated amortization and currency translation in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. The Company amortizes definite-lived intangible assets over lives that have been determined based on the anticipated cash flow benefits of the intangible asset. Definite-lived intangible assets have a weighted average amortization period of 12 years. Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets was $14,182,000 in 2018, $11,957,000 in 2017, and $8,132,000 in 2016. The estimated future amortization expense of definite-lived intangible assets is $12,869,000 in 2019; $12,299,000 in 2020; $11,784,000 in 2021; $11,011,000 in 2022; $9,610,000 in 2023; and $39,289,000 in the aggregate thereafter.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquisition over the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the acquired business at the date of acquisition. The Company’s acquisitions have historically been made at prices above the fair value of the acquired net assets, resulting in goodwill, due to the expectation of synergies from combining the businesses.

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by segment are as follows:



(In thousands)	Papermaking Systems Segment			Wood Processing Systems Segment			Total
Balance as of December 31, 2016
Gross balance	$	219,699		$	17,265		$	236,964
Accumulated impairment losses	(85,509		)	—			(85,509		)
Net balance	134,190			17,265			151,455
2017 Adjustments
Acquisitions (Note 2)	16,373			85,508			101,881
Currency translation	10,942			3,723			14,665
Total 2017 Adjustments	27,315			89,231			116,546
Balance at December 30, 2017
Gross balance	247,014			106,496			353,510
Accumulated impairment losses	(85,509		)	—			(85,509		)
Net balance	161,505			106,496			268,001
2018 Adjustments
Acquisitions (Note 2)	(17		)	(75		)	(92		)
Currency translation	(5,085		)	(4,650		)	(9,735		)
Total 2018 Adjustments	(5,102		)	(4,725		)	(9,827		)
Balance at December 29, 2018
Gross balance	241,912			101,771			343,683
Accumulated impairment losses	(85,509		)	—			(85,509		)
Net balance	$	156,403		$	101,771		$	258,174

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates the recoverability of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets as of the end of each fiscal year, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances, such as a significant decline in sales, earnings, or cash flows, or material adverse changes in the business climate, indicate that the carrying value of an asset might be impaired.

At year-end 2018, the Company performed a quantitative goodwill impairment assessment (Step 1) for all of its reporting units, which indicated that the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its carrying value, and determined that the asset was not impaired.

At year-end 2017, the Company performed a qualitative impairment analysis (Step 0) of its goodwill and determined that the asset was not impaired. The impairment analysis included an assessment of certain qualitative factors including, but not limited to, the results of prior fair value calculations, the movement of the Company's share price and market capitalization, the reporting unit and overall financial performance, and macroeconomic and industry conditions. The Company considered the qualitative factors and weighed the evidence obtained, and determined that it was not more likely than not that the fair value of any of the assets was less than its carrying amount. Although the Company believes the factors considered in the impairment analysis are reasonable, significant changes in any one of the assumptions used could have produced a different result.

Goodwill by reporting unit is as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Stock-Preparation	$	58,142	$	60,275
Fluid-Handling	64,052		65,289
Doctoring, Cleaning, & Filtration	34,209		35,941
Wood Processing Systems	101,771		106,496
	$	258,174	$	268,001

At year-end 2018, the Company performed a quantitative impairment analysis on its indefinite-lived intangible assets and determined that the assets were not impaired. At year-end 2017, the Company performed a qualitative impairment analysis on its indefinite-lived intangible assets and determined that the assets were not impaired.

The Company assesses its long-lived assets, other than goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, for impairment whenever facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be fully recoverable. To analyze recoverability, the Company projects undiscounted net future cash flows over the remaining lives of such assets or asset groups. If these projected cash flows were to be less than the carrying amounts, an impairment loss would be recognized, resulting in a write-down of the assets with a corresponding charge to earnings. The impairment loss would be measured based upon the difference between the carrying amounts of the assets and their fair values calculated using projected cash flows. No indicators of impairment were identified in 2018 or 2017.

Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions

All assets and liabilities of the Company's foreign subsidiaries are translated at fiscal year-end exchange rates, and revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates for each quarter in accordance with ASC 830, Foreign Currency Matters. Resulting translation adjustments are reflected in the "accumulated other comprehensive items" (AOCI) component of stockholders' equity (see Note 13). Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in the accompanying consolidated statement of income and are not material in the three years presented.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes compensation cost for all stock-based awards granted to employees and directors based on the grant date estimate of fair value for those awards. The fair value of RSUs is based on the grant date price of the Company's common stock, reduced by the present value of estimated dividends foregone during the requisite service period. The fair value of stock options is based on the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. For stock options and time-based RSUs, compensation expense is recognized ratably over the requisite service period for the entire award and net of actual forfeitures recorded when they occur. For performance-based RSUs, compensation expense is recognized ratably over the requisite service period for each separately-vesting portion of the award based on the grant date fair value, net of actual forfeitures and remeasured at each reporting period until the total number of RSUs to be issued is known. Compensation expense related to any modified stock-based awards is based on the fair value for those awards as of the modification date with any remaining incremental compensation expense recognized ratably over the remaining requisite service period.

Derivatives

The Company uses derivative instruments primarily to reduce its exposure to changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates. When the Company enters into a derivative contract, the Company makes a determination as to whether the transaction is deemed to be a hedge for accounting purposes. If a contract is deemed a hedge, the Company formally documents the relationship between the derivative instrument and the risk being hedged. In this documentation, the Company specifically identifies the asset, liability, forecasted transaction, cash flow, or net investment that has been designated as the hedged item, and evaluates whether the derivative instrument is expected to reduce the risks associated with the hedged item. To the extent these criteria are not met, the Company does not use hedge accounting for the derivative. The change in the fair value of a derivative not deemed to be a hedge is recorded currently in earnings. The Company does not hold or engage in transactions involving derivative instruments for purposes other than risk management.

ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, requires that all derivatives be recognized on the balance sheet at fair value. For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, the related gains or losses on these contracts are deferred as a component of AOCI. These deferred gains and losses are recognized in the statement of income in the period in which the underlying anticipated transaction occurs. For derivatives designated as fair value hedges, the unrealized gains and losses resulting from the impact of currency exchange rate movements are recognized in earnings in the period in which the exchange rates change and offset the currency gains and losses on the underlying exposures being hedged. The Company performs an evaluation of the effectiveness of the hedge both at inception and on an ongoing basis. The ineffective portion of a hedge, if any, and changes in the fair value of a derivative not deemed to be a hedge, are recorded in the accompanying consolidated statement of income.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), Section A-Summary and Amendments That Create Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and Other Assets and Deferred Costs-Contracts with Customers (Subtopic 340-40). In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The Company adopted this ASU (as modified by subsequently issued clarifying guidance) using the modified retrospective transition approach effective at the beginning of fiscal 2018. The guidance applies to all new contracts initiated in fiscal 2018. For existing contracts that had remaining obligations as of the beginning of fiscal 2018, any difference between the recognition criteria in this ASU and the Company's previous revenue recognition practices under Topic 605 was recognized using a cumulative-effect adjustment that increased retained earnings by $119,000. The increase in retained earnings primarily related to contracts which met the over time criteria under the new revenue standard and, as a result, the portion of the contract completed as of the beginning of fiscal 2018 was recognized immediately in retained earnings. Partially offsetting this increase was a reduction of retained earnings associated with certain contracts which were previously accounted for under the percentage-of-completion method of accounting, but did not meet the requirements for over time recognition under Topic 606. Amounts previously recognized in fiscal 2017 based on the percentage-of-completion method of accounting were deferred at the beginning of fiscal 2018 and were recognized along with the remaining revenue and costs in fiscal 2018 when control of the asset was transferred to the customer.

The Company implemented certain modifications to its existing internal controls to support the recognition criteria and disclosure requirements of this ASU. See Revenue Recognition in this note for further disclosures required by this ASU.

Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, which simplifies the diversity in practice related to the presentation and classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments in the statement of cash flows under Topic 230. The Company adopted this ASU at the beginning of fiscal 2018 with no impact on the Company's consolidated statement of cash flows.

Income Taxes (Topic 740), Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, which requires an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs and eliminates the exception for an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory. The Company adopted this ASU at the beginning of fiscal 2018 on a modified retrospective basis, which resulted in an immaterial adjustment to retained earnings. The impact of the adoption of this standard on future periods will be dependent on future asset transfers, which generally occur in connection with acquisitions and other business structuring activities.

Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), Restricted Cash. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, which requires inclusion of restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents within cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted this ASU at the beginning of fiscal 2018. Prior period amounts related to the Company's "cash flows from financing activities," "exchange rate effect on cash," and "cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash" were restated as required by this ASU, which did not have a material effect on the Company's consolidated statement of cash flows. See Restricted Cash in this note for further disclosures required by this ASU.

Business Combinations (Topic 805), Clarifying the Definition of a Business. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, which clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions or disposals of assets or businesses. The Company adopted this ASU on a prospective basis at the beginning of fiscal 2018. The adoption of this ASU will impact how the Company assesses acquisitions and disposals of businesses in the future.

Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715), Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Post-retirement Benefit Cost. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, which requires employers to include only the service cost component of net periodic pension cost and net periodic post-retirement benefit cost within costs and operating expenses in the same income statement line item as the related employees' compensation costs. The other components of net benefit cost are required to be included within non-operating expenses. The Company adopted this ASU at the beginning of fiscal 2018 and prior period amounts were reclassified with no impact on the Company’s consolidated net income. As a result of the adoption, the Company reclassified $872,000 in 2017 and $1,069,000 in 2016 from operating income to other expense, net in the accompanying consolidated statement of income.

Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Scope of Modification Accounting. In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, which provides clarity on which changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards require entities to apply the modification accounting provisions required in Topic 718. The Company adopted this ASU on a prospective basis at the beginning of fiscal 2018. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Income Taxes (Topic 740), Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118. In March 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-05, an amendment to the December 2017 SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (SAB 118), which allowed SEC registrants to record provisional amounts in earnings due to the complexities involved in accounting for the December 22, 2017 enactment of The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (2017 Tax Act). Those provisional amounts would be subject to adjustment during the measurement period, which is limited to no more than one year beyond the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act. The Company recorded provisional amounts based on reasonable estimates in its 2017 consolidated financial statements and has made adjustments to those provisional amounts in its 2018 consolidated financial statements.

Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40), Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal-use software license). The Company elected to early adopt this ASU on a prospective basis in the third quarter of 2018. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

Leases (Topic 842). In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, which requires a lessee to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for operating leases, initially measured at the present value of the future lease payments, in its balance sheet. This ASU also requires a lessee to recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term, generally on a straight-line basis. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842), Targeted Improvements, which provides an additional transition method that allows entities to recognize a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. The Company elected this new transition method upon adoption of this ASU at the beginning of the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Consequently, financial information will not be updated, and disclosures required under the new standard will not be provided for dates and periods before the beginning of fiscal 2019.

The Company has completed the evaluation of its lease population and has implemented a third-party software solution to assist with the accounting under the new standard. The new standard provides for a number of optional practical expedients in transition. The Company elected the "package of practical expedients" upon adoption, which permits the Company to not reassess its prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification and initial direct costs under the new standard. The Company did not elect the "use-of hindsight" practical expedient to determine the lease term or in assessing the likelihood that a lease purchase option will be exercised. The new standard also provides practical expedients for an entity's ongoing accounting. The Company elected the short-term lease recognition exemption for all leases that qualify that allows it not to recognize right-of-use assets or lease liabilities for short-term leases, including not recognizing right-of-use assets or lease liabilities for existing short-term leases in transition. The Company also elected the practical expedient, as a policy election, to not separate lease and non-lease components for all leases except vehicle leases. Based on its lease portfolio at year-end 2018, the Company anticipates recognizing a lease liability of approximately $15,500,000 to $17,500,000 and a related right-of-use asset of approximately $18,500,000 to $20,500,000 on its consolidated balance sheet upon adoption. When determinable, the Company will utilize the rate implicit in the lease as the discount rate to determine the lease liability. However, if this rate is not determinable, the Company will use its incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate, which is the rate the Company would incur to borrow over a similar term the funds needed to purchase the leased asset. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on its results of operations or cash flows.

Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, which significantly changes the way entities recognize impairment of many financial assets by requiring immediate recognition of estimated credit losses expected to occur over their remaining lives. This new guidance is effective for the Company in fiscal 2020 with early adoption permitted beginning in fiscal 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the effects that the adoption of this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), Targeted Improvements in Accounting for Hedging Activity. In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, which provides improvements to current hedge accounting to better portray the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities and to simplify the application of current hedge accounting guidance. The Company will adopt this new guidance on a prospective basis at the beginning of the first quarter of fiscal 2019. The Company does not believe that adoption of this ASU will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220), Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, which allows a reclassification from AOCI to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the 2017 Tax Act. The reclassification is elective and would allow the income tax effects on items that were originally recorded in AOCI to be reclassified from AOCI to retained earnings. This ASU is effective for the Company in fiscal year 2019 and interim periods therein and should be applied either at the beginning of the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period in which the income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act are recognized. The Company does not believe that adoption of this ASU will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

Compensation-Retirement Benefits - Defined Benefit Plans - General (Subtopic 715-20), Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, which removes, adds and clarifies several disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement plans. This new guidance is effective on a retrospective basis for the Company beginning in fiscal 2021. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not believe that the adoption of this ASU will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

Acquisitions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Business Combinations [Abstract]

Acquisitions

The Company’s acquisitions are accounted for using the purchase method of accounting and their results are included in the accompanying financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition. Historically, the Company’s acquisitions have been made at prices above the fair value of identifiable net assets, resulting in goodwill. Acquisition transaction costs are included in selling, general, and administrative expenses (SG&A) in the accompanying consolidated statement of income as incurred. The Company recorded acquisition transaction costs of $1,321,000 in 2018 (see Note 15, Subsequent Events), $5,375,000 in 2017, and $1,832,000 in 2016.

2017

On August 14, 2017, the Company acquired certain assets of Unaflex, LLC (Unaflex) for $31,274,000 in cash, subject to a post-closing adjustment. The Company expects to pay additional consideration of $397,000 to the sellers in 2019. The Company funded the acquisition through borrowings under its revolving credit facility. Unaflex, located principally in South Carolina, is a leading manufacturer of expansion joints and related products for process industries. This acquisition complemented the Company’s existing Fluid-Handling product line within its Papermaking Systems segment. The Company anticipated and continues to achieve several synergies in connection with this acquisition, including the expansion of sales by Unaflex through leveraging the Company’s sales efforts, as well as sourcing and manufacturing efficiencies. Goodwill from the Unaflex acquisition was $15,640,000, all of which is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. For 2017, the Company recorded revenues of $7,335,000 and operating income of $187,000 for Unaflex from its date of acquisition, including amortization expense of $176,000 associated with acquired profit in inventory.

On July 5, 2017, the Company acquired the forest products business of NII FPG Company (NII FPG) pursuant to a Stock and Asset Purchase Agreement dated May 24, 2017, for $170,792,000, net of cash acquired. In connection with the acquisition, the Company borrowed an aggregate $170,018,000 under its revolving credit facility, including $62,690,000 of Canadian dollar-denominated and $61,769,000 of euro-denominated borrowings. NII FPG, which has two primary manufacturing facilities located in Canada and Finland, is a global leader in the design and manufacture of equipment used by sawmills, veneer mills, and other manufacturers in the forest products industry. NII FPG also designs and manufactures logging equipment used in harvesting timber from forest plantations. This acquisition extended the Company's presence deeper into the forest products industry and complemented its existing Wood Processing Systems segment. Goodwill from the NII FPG acquisition was $85,432,000, of which $33,993,000 is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. For 2017, the Company recorded revenues of $48,363,000 and operating income of $1,238,000 for NII FPG from its date of acquisition, including amortization expense of $6,399,000 associated with acquired profit in inventory and backlog.

In addition, the Company paid $2,500,000 in cash for another acquisition within the Fluid-Handling product line in the Company's Papermaking Systems segment.

The following table summarizes the estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and the purchase price of the Company's 2017 acquisitions.



		NII FPG		Unaflex		Other
(In thousands)		July 5, 2017		August 14, 2017		October 30, 2017		Total
Net Assets Acquired:
Cash and Cash Equivalents		$	2,219	$	—	$	—	$	2,219
Accounts Receivable		6,542		2,079		—		8,621
Inventories		25,304		2,033		—		27,337
Property, Plant, and Equipment		12,912		1,279		284		14,475
Other Assets		2,375		72		—		2,447
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets
Customer relationships		44,682		8,000		1,500		54,182
Product technology		17,100		2,300		—		19,400
Other		2,530		900		—		3,430
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets
Tradenames		8,500		—		—		8,500
Goodwill		85,432		15,640		716		101,788
Total assets acquired		207,596		32,303		2,500		242,399

Accounts Payable		4,970		358		—		5,328
Customer Deposits		7,396		100		—		7,496
Long-Term Deferred Income Taxes		16,622		—		—		16,622
Other Liabilities		5,597		174		—		5,771
Total liabilities assumed		34,585		632		—		35,217
Net assets acquired		$	173,011	$	31,671	$	2,500	$	207,182

Purchase Price:
Cash Paid		$	2,993	$	—	$	—	$	2,993
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility		170,018		31,274		2,500		203,792
Estimated Post-closing Adjustment	—	—		397		—		397
Total purchase price		$	173,011	$	31,671	$	2,500	$	207,182

For NII FPG, the weighted-average amortization period for definite-lived intangible assets acquired is 12 years, including weighted-average amortization periods of 15 years for product technology, 11 years for customer relationships, and 4 years for other intangible assets. For Unaflex, the weighted average amortization period for definite-lived intangible assets acquired, including customer relationships, product technology and other intangible assets, is 10 years. For the other acquisition, the amortization period for customer relationships is 11 years.

Unaudited Supplemental Pro Forma Information

Had the acquisitions of NII FPG and Unaflex been completed as of the beginning of 2016, the Company’s pro forma results of operations for 2017 and 2016 would have been as follows:



(In thousands, except per share amounts)	December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Revenues	$	565,710	$	508,832

Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	44,159	$	30,638

Earnings per Share Attributable to Kadant
Basic	$	4.02	$	2.82
Diluted	$	3.90	$	2.75

Pro forma results include the following non-recurring pro forma adjustments that were directly attributable to the business combinations:


•	Pre-tax charge to SG&A expenses of $5,360,000 in 2016 and reversal in 2017, for acquisition transaction costs.


•	Pre-tax charge to cost of revenues of $5,137,000 in 2016 and reversal in 2017, for the sale of inventory revalued at the date of acquisition.


•	Pre-tax charge to SG&A expenses of $1,669,000 in 2016 and reversal of $1,438,000 in 2017, for intangible asset amortization related to acquired backlog.


•	Reversal of pre-tax income of $852,000 in 2017, related to NII FPG's gain on the sale of a building.

These pro forma results of operations have been prepared for comparative purposes only, and they do not purport to be indicative of the results of operations that would have resulted had the acquisitions of NII FPG and Unaflex occurred as of the beginning of 2016, or that may result in the future. The Company's pro forma results above exclude its other 2017 acquisitions as those results would not have been materially different then the results presented above had they occurred at the beginning of 2016.

2016

On April 4, 2016, the Company acquired all the outstanding shares of RT Holding GmbH, the parent corporation of a group of companies known as the PAALGROUP (PAAL) for 49,713,000 euros, net of cash acquired, or $56,617,000, pursuant to a post-closing adjustment. The Company paid additional consideration of $165,000 to the sellers in 2017. In connection with the acquisition, the Company borrowed $29,866,000 of euro-denominated borrowings under its revolving credit facility. The remainder of the purchase price was funded from the Company's internal overseas cash.

PAAL, which has operations in Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Spain, manufactures balers and related equipment used in the processing of recyclable and waste materials. This acquisition, which is included in the Company's Papermaking Systems segment's Stock-Preparation product line, broadened the Company's product portfolio and extended its presence deeper into recycling and waste management. The Company anticipated and continues to achieve several synergies in connection with this acquisition, including expanding sales of the products of the acquired business by leveraging the Company's geographic presence to enter or further penetrate existing markets, as well as sourcing and manufacturing efficiencies. Goodwill from the PAAL acquisition was $38,552,000, which is not deductible for tax purposes. For 2016, Company recorded revenues of $40,783,000 and operating income of $2,372,000 for PAAL from its date of acquisition, which included amortization expense of $1,926,000 associated with acquired inventory and backlog.

The following table summarizes the estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and the purchase price of PAAL.



	PAAL
(In thousands)	April 4, 2016
Net Assets Acquired:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$	2,277
Accounts Receivable	5,441
Inventories	3,947
Property, Plant, and Equipment	7,179
Other Assets	2,882
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets
Customer relationships	15,831
Product technology	4,203
Tradenames	2,278
Other	2,379
Goodwill	38,552
Total assets acquired	84,969

Accounts Payable	5,536
Customer Deposits	2,471
Obligations Under Capital Lease	4,842
Long-Term Deferred Income Taxes	6,148
Other Liabilities	6,913
Total liabilities assumed	25,910
Net assets acquired	$	59,059

Purchase Price:
Cash	$	29,193
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility	29,866
Total purchase price	$	59,059

For the PAAL acquisition, the weighted-average amortization period for definite-lived intangible assets acquired is 12 years, including weighted-average amortization periods of 13 years for customer relationships, 9 years for product technology, 14 years for tradenames, and 7 years for other intangible assets.

Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

Stock-Based Compensation Plans

The Company maintains stock-based compensation plans primarily for its key employees and directors, although the plans permit awards to others expected to make significant contributions to the future of the Company. The plans authorize the compensation committee of the Company's board of directors (the board committee) to award a variety of stock and stock-based incentives, such as restricted stock, RSUs, nonqualified and incentive stock options, stock bonus shares, or performance-based shares. The award recipients and the terms of awards, including price, granted under these plans are determined by the board committee. Upon a change of control, as defined in the plans, all options or other awards become fully vested and all restrictions lapse. The Company had 451,441 shares available for grant under stock-based compensation plans at year-end 2018. The Company generally issues its common stock out of treasury stock, to the extent available, for share issuances related to its stock-based compensation plans.

The components of pre-tax stock-based compensation expense included in SG&A expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of income are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
RSU Awards	$	6,838	$	5,621	$	4,848
Employee Stock Purchase Plan Awards	189		182		170
Stock Option Awards	—		—		51
Total	$	7,027	$	5,803	$	5,069

The Company grants RSUs to non-employee directors and certain employees. Holders of RSUs have no voting rights and are not entitled to receive cash dividends.

Non-Employee Director Restricted Stock Units

The Company granted RSUs of 2,700 in 2018, 3,000 in 2017 and 5,000 in 2016 to each of its non-employee directors. Each RSU represents the right to receive one share of the Company's common stock upon vesting. Of the RSUs granted in 2018, half of the RSUs vested on June 1, 2018 and the remaining RSUs vested ratably on the last day of the remaining two fiscal quarters of 2018. The 2017 and 2016 RSUs vested ratably on the last day of each fiscal quarter within the year.

Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units

The Company grants performance-based RSUs to certain officers of the Company. Each performance-based RSU represents the right to receive one share of the Company's common stock upon vesting. The RSUs are subject to adjustment based on the achievement of a performance measure selected for the fiscal year, which historically has been a specified target for adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (adjusted EBITDA) generated from continuing operations. Following the adjustment, the RSUs are subject to additional time-based vesting, and vest in three equal annual installments, provided that the officer is employed by the Company on the applicable vesting dates.

The Company recognizes compensation expense associated with performance-based RSUs ratably over the requisite service period for each separately-vesting portion of the award based on the grant date fair value, and net of actual forfeitures recorded when they occur. Compensation expense recognized is remeasured each reporting period until the total number of RSUs to be issued is known. Unrecognized compensation expense related to the unvested performance-based RSUs totaled $2,164,000 at year-end 2018, and will be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.4 years.

The performance-based RSU agreements provide for forfeiture in certain events, such as voluntary or involuntary termination of employment, and for acceleration of vesting in certain events, such as death, disability or a change in control of the Company. If death, disability, or a change in control occurs prior to the end of the performance period, the officer will receive the target RSU amount; otherwise, the officer will receive the number of deliverable RSUs based on the achievement of the performance goal, as stated in the RSU agreements.

Time-Based Restricted Stock Units

The Company grants time-based RSUs to its officers and other employees of the Company. Each time-based RSU represents the right to receive one share of the Company's common stock upon vesting. The Company recognizes compensation expense associated with these time-based RSUs ratably over the requisite service period for the entire award based on the grant date fair value, and net of actual forfeitures recorded when they occur. The time-based RSU agreement provides for forfeiture in certain events, such as voluntary or involuntary termination of employment, and for acceleration of vesting in certain events, such as death, disability, or a change in control of the Company. Unrecognized compensation expense related to the time-based RSUs totaled $2,937,000 at year-end 2018, and will be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.8 years.

A summary of the activity of the Company's unvested RSUs in 2018 is as follows:



	Units (In thousands)		Weighted Average Grant- Date Fair Value
Unvested RSUs at December 30, 2017	199		$	49.32
Granted	73		$	98.12
Vested	(116	)	$	54.11
Unvested RSUs at December 29, 2018	156		$	68.57

The weighted-average grant date fair value of RSUs granted was $98.12 in 2018, $59.30 in 2017, and $40.41 in 2016. The total fair value of shares vested was $11,932,000 in 2018, $6,719,000 in 2017, and $6,233,000 in 2016.

Stock Options

The Company has not granted stock options since 2013. Prior to 2014, the Company granted nonqualified stock options to its executive officers that vested over three years and were not exercisable until vested. All options awarded in prior periods were granted at an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Company's common stock on the date of grant. Stock options vested in three equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date, provided that the recipient remained employed by the Company on the applicable vesting dates and expire on the tenth anniversary of the grant date. All outstanding stock options are fully vested. The Company recognized compensation expense associated with these stock options ratably over the requisite service period for the entire award based on the grant date fair value, net of forfeitures. There was no unrecognized compensation expense related to these stock options at year-end 2018.

The Company used the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value of stock options, which was developed for use in estimating the fair value of traded options, which have no vesting restrictions and are fully transferable. Option-pricing models require the input of highly subjective assumptions, including expected stock price volatility. Expected stock price volatility was calculated based on a review of the Company's actual historic stock prices commensurate with the expected life of the award. The expected option life was derived based on a review of the Company's historic option holding periods, including consideration of the holding period inherent in currently vested but unexercised options. The expected annual dividend rate was calculated by dividing the Company's annual dividend by the closing stock price on the grant date. The risk-free interest rate is based on the yield on zero-coupon U.S. Treasury securities for a period that is commensurate with the expected term of the option. The compensation expense recognized for these equity-based awards was net of estimated forfeitures. Forfeitures were estimated based on an analysis of actual option forfeitures.

A summary of the Company's stock option activity in 2018 is as follows:



(In thousands, except per share amounts)	Number of Shares		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	Aggregate Intrinsic Value (a)
Options Outstanding at December 30, 2017	307		$	20.72
Exercised	(8	)	$	15.51
Options Outstanding at December 29, 2018	299		$	20.86	2.5 years	$	18,029
Vested and Exercisable at December 29, 2018	299		$	20.86	2.5 years	$	18,029


(a)	The closing price per share on the last trading day prior to year-end 2018 was $81.12.

There were no stock option exercises in 2017. A summary of the Company's stock option exercises in 2018 and 2016 are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 31, 2016
Total Intrinsic Value of Options Exercised	$	515	$	1,341
Cash Received from Options Exercised	$	127	$	1,189

Modified Awards

On September 20, 2017, the Company entered into an executive transition agreement with its vice president, general counsel and secretary in connection with her retirement on July 1, 2018. This agreement included provisions for post-employment compensation and modifications to outstanding equity awards. The Company recognized $374,000 of post-employment compensation ratably through the retirement date. Pursuant to this agreement, all unvested RSUs vested at the retirement date. As of September 20, 2017, 4,254 RSUs were remeasured at a fair value of $93.82 per unit. The remaining compensation expense associated with the modified RSUs totaled $332,000 as of September 20, 2017, which was recognized ratably through the retirement date.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

The Company's eligible U.S. employees may elect to participate in its employee stock purchase plan. Under the plan, shares of the Company's common stock may be purchased at a 15% discount from the fair market value at the beginning or end of the purchase period, whichever is lower. Shares purchased under the plan are subject to a one-year resale restriction and are purchased through payroll deductions of up to 10% of each participating employee's gross wages. The Company issued 10,439 shares for 2018 (issued in 2019), 13,156 shares for 2017 (issued in 2018), and 17,874 shares in 2016 of its common stock under this plan.

401(k) Savings and Other Defined Contribution Plans

The Company's U.S. subsidiaries participate in the Kadant Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan sponsored by the Company. Contributions to the plan are made by both the employee and the Company and are immediately vested. Company contributions are based upon the level of employee contributions.

Certain of the Company's subsidiaries offer other retirement plans, the majority of which are defined contribution plans. Company contributions to these plans are based on formulas determined by the Company.

For these plans, the Company contributed and charged to expense $3,705,000 in 2018, $3,327,000 in 2017, and $3,005,000 in 2016.

Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefits Plans

The Company sponsors a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan, which is closed to new participants, for eligible employees at one of its U.S. divisions and its corporate office. Certain of the Company’s non-U.S. subsidiaries also sponsor defined benefit pension plans covering certain employees at those subsidiaries. Funds for the U.S. pension plan (Retirement Plan) and one of the non-U.S. pension plans are contributed to a trustee as necessary to provide for current service and for any unfunded projected benefit obligation over a reasonable period. The remaining non-U.S. pension plans are unfunded as permitted under their plans and applicable laws. Benefits under the Company’s pension plans are based on years of service and employee compensation.

The Company also provides other post-retirement benefits under plans in the United States and at one of its non-U.S. subsidiaries. In addition, the Company provides for a restoration plan (Restoration Plan) for certain executive officers which fully supplements benefits lost under the noncontributory defined benefit retirement plan as a consequence of applicable Internal Revenue Service limits and restores benefits for the limitation of years of service under the retirement plan.

In accordance with ASC 715, Compensation-Retirement Benefits, (ASC 715), the Company recognizes the funded status of its defined benefit pension and other post-retirement benefit plans as an asset or liability and changes in the funded status through AOCI, net of tax. The amounts in AOCI are recognized as net periodic pension cost pursuant to the Company's historical accounting policy for amortizing such amounts. Further, actuarial gains and losses that arise in subsequent periods and are not recognized as net periodic benefit cost will be recognized as a component of AOCI, net of tax. The actuarial loss included in AOCI and expected to be recognized in net periodic benefit cost in 2019 is $65,000.

Effective at the beginning of fiscal 2018, the Company retrospectively adopted ASU No. 2017-07. See Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements in Note 1 for further discussion. As a result, only the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost is included in operating income. All other components are included in other expense, net in the accompanying consolidated statement of income.

In 2018, the Company's board of directors and its compensation committee approved amendments to freeze and terminate the Retirement Plan and Restoration Plan as of December 29, 2018 and, as a result, incurred a curtailment loss of $1,425,000 which was reclassified from AOCI and included in other expense, net in the accompanying consolidated statement of income in the fourth quarter of 2018. Additionally, an effect of curtailment of $4,862,000 was recognized as a reclassification from AOCI and a reduction in the accrued pension liability in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet at year-end 2018.

Procedures for plan settlement and distribution of the Retirement Plan assets will be initiated once the plan termination satisfies certain regulatory requirements, which is expected to occur in late 2019 or early 2020. At the settlement date, the Company will recognize a loss based on the difference between the unrecognized actuarial loss, unfunded benefit obligation, and any additional cash required to be paid. Participants in the Retirement Plan will have the option to receive either a lump sum payment or an annuity. Retirees will continue to receive payments pursuant to their current annuity elections. The Company will settle liabilities under the Restoration Plan by paying a lump sum to plan participants at least twelve and no more than twenty-four months following the termination date. The Company expects to settle the liabilities under the Restoration Plan in 2020. The Company has included the 2018 Retirement Plan liability in accrued payroll and employee benefits and the 2018 Restoration Plan liability in other long-term liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

The following table summarizes the change in benefit obligation; the change in plan assets; the unfunded status; and the amounts recognized in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet for the Company's U.S. and non-U.S. pension benefit plans and other post-retirement benefit plans. In accordance with ASU No. 2015-04, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715), the Company elects to measure its plan assets and benefit obligations as of December 31.



	U.S. Pension						Non-U.S. Pension						Other Post-Retirement
(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Change in Projected Benefit Obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	34,757		$	31,935		$	4,270		$	3,341		$	4,704		$	3,894
Acquisition	—			—			—			241			—			—
Service cost	699			685			173			148			213			175
Interest cost	1,193			1,231			126			114			172			170
Actuarial (gain) loss	(2,674		)	2,626			(368		)	270			(508		)	635
Benefits paid	(1,589		)	(1,720		)	(394		)	(265		)	(157		)	(175		)
Plan amendment	1,116			—			—			—			322			—
Effect of curtailment	(3,787		)	—			—			—			(1,075		)	—
Currency translation	—			—			(136		)	421			1			5
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	$	29,715		$	34,757		$	3,671		$	4,270		$	3,672		$	4,704
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	31,754		$	28,985		$	557		$	426		$	35		$	28
Actual return on plan assets	(1,436		)	3,409			38			23			2			1
Employer contributions	—			1,080			528			355			164			179
Benefits paid	(1,589		)	(1,720		)	(394		)	(265		)	(157		)	(175		)
Currency translation	—			—			(3		)	18			—			2
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	28,729		$	31,754		$	726		$	557		$	44		$	35
Unfunded Status	$	(986	)	$	(3,003	)	$	(2,945	)	$	(3,713	)	$	(3,628	)	$	(4,669	)
Accumulated Benefit Obligation at End of Year	$	29,715		$	30,311		$	2,604		$	3,047		$	—		$	—

Amounts Included in the Balance Sheet:
Current liability	$	(986	)	$	—		$	(58	)	$	(205	)	$	(144	)	$	(173	)
Non-current liability	$	—		$	(3,003	)	$	(2,887	)	$	(3,508	)	$	(3,484	)	$	(4,496	)

Amounts Included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items Before Tax:
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	$	(3,205	)	$	(7,485	)	$	(674	)	$	(1,085	)	$	(69	)	$	(1,424	)
Unrecognized prior service cost	—			—			(45		)	(52		)	—			(439		)
	$	(3,205	)	$	(7,485	)	$	(719	)	$	(1,137	)	$	(69	)	$	(1,863	)



	U.S. Pension						Non-U.S. Pension						Other Post-Retirement
(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Changes in Amounts Included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items Before Tax:
Net actuarial (loss) gain	$	(48	)	$	(544	)	$	368		$	(277	)	$	508		$	(634	)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	541			442			63			38			136			83
Amortization of prior service cost	—			53			6			6			86			88
Plan amendment	(1,116		)	—			—			—			(322		)	—
Effect of curtailment	3,787			—			—			—			1,075			—
Curtailment loss	1,116			—			—			—			309			—
Currency translation	—			—			(19		)	(78		)	2			(3		)
	$	4,280		$	(49	)	$	418		$	(311	)	$	1,794		$	(466	)

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation are as follows:



	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension				Other Post-Retirement
	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension				Other Post-Retirement
	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Discount rate	4.10	%	3.51	%	3.56	%	3.16	%	4.32	%	3.71	%
Rate of compensation increase	—		3.00	%	3.24	%	3.33	%	5.57	%	3.11	%

The discount rates for pension and other post-retirement plans are based on market yields on high-quality corporate bonds currently available and expected to be available during the period to maturity of the benefits. For pension and post-retirement plans that have been closed to new participants thereby shortening the duration, the discount rate is determined based on discounting the projected benefit streams against the Citigroup Pension discount curve.

The projected benefit obligations and fair values of plan assets for the Company's pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets are as follows:



	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension
	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension
(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Pension Plans with Projected Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets:
Projected benefit obligation	$	29,715	$	34,757	$	3,671	$	4,270
Fair value of plan assets	$	28,729	$	31,754	$	726	$	557

The accumulated benefit obligations and fair values of plan assets for the Company's pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets are as follows:



	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension
	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension
(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Pension Plans with Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets:
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	29,715	$	—	$	2,604	$	3,047
Fair value of plan assets	$	28,729	$	—	$	726	$	557

The components of net periodic benefit cost are as follows:



	U.S. Pension									Non-U.S. Pension									Other Post-Retirement
	U.S. Pension									Non-U.S. Pension									Other Post-Retirement
(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Service cost	$	699		$	685		$	723		$	173		$	148		$	102		$	213		$	175		$	130
Interest cost	1,193			1,231			1,273			126			114			107			172			170			156
Expected return on plan assets	(1,286		)	(1,326		)	(1,288		)	(42		)	(25		)	(25		)	(3		)	(2		)	(2		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	541			442			498			63			38			39			136			83			50
Amortization of prior service cost	—			53			55			6			6			4			86			88			88
Settlement loss	—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—			114
Curtailment loss	1,116			—			—			—			—			—			309			—			—
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	2,263		$	1,085		$	1,261		$	326		$	281		$	227		$	913		$	514		$	536

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost are as follows:



	U.S. Pension						Non-U.S. Pension						Other Post-Retirement
	U.S. Pension						Non-U.S. Pension						Other Post-Retirement
	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Discount Rate	3.51	%	4.03	%	4.22	%	3.49	%	3.45	%	3.87	%	3.58	%	4.10	%	4.28	%
Expected Long-Term Return on Plan Assets	4.50	%	5.00	%	5.00	%	7.43	%	7.53	%	7.72	%	7.43	%	7.53	%	7.72	%
Rate of Compensation Increase	3.00	%	3.00	%	3.00	%	3.97	%	3.65	%	3.67	%	3.05	%	3.08	%	3.05	%

In developing the overall expected long-term return on plan assets assumption, a building block approach was used in which rates of return in excess of inflation were considered separately for equity securities, debt securities, and other assets. The excess returns were weighted by the representative target allocation and added along with an appropriate rate of inflation to develop the overall expected long-term return on plan assets assumption. The Company believes this determination is consistent with ASC 715, Compensation – Retirement Benefits.

Plan Assets

The fair values of the Company's noncontributory defined benefit retirement plan assets at year-end 2018 and year-end 2017 by asset category are as follows:



	December 29, 2018 Fair Value Measurement
(In thousands)	Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Retirement Plan Assets:
Mutual funds:
Money market funds	$	12,852	$	—	$	—	$	12,852
Fixed income funds	11,581		—		—		11,581
Investments measured at NAV							4,296
Total assets at fair value							$	28,729

Non-U.S. Pension Plan Assets:
Mutual funds	$	726	$	—	$	—	$	726
Total assets at fair value							$	726



	December 30, 2017 Fair Value Measurement
(In thousands)	Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Retirement Plan Assets:
Mutual funds:
Fixed income funds	$	17,560	$	—	$	—	$	17,560
Equity funds	4,763		—		—		4,763
Investments measured at NAV							9,431
Total assets at fair value							$	31,754

Non-U.S. Pension Plan Assets:
Mutual funds	$	557	$	—	$	—	$	557
Total assets at fair value							$	557

Description of Fair Value Measurements

Level 1 – Quoted, active market prices for identical assets.

Level 2 – Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, based on model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs are observable in active markets.

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the Company's own assumptions.

The following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for assets measured at fair value. There were no changes in valuation techniques during 2018 or 2017.

Mutual funds - Investments in money market, common stock index and fixed income funds. Share prices of the funds, referred to as a fund's Net Asset Value (NAV), are calculated daily based on the closing market prices and accruals of securities in the fund's total portfolio (total value of the fund) divided by the number of fund shares currently issued and outstanding. There are no redemption restrictions.

Investments measured at NAV - Investments in common collective trusts that invest in a diversified blend of investment and non-investment grade fixed income securities and are valued at NAV provided by the fund administrator. The NAV is used as the practical expedient to estimate fair value. The NAVs of the funds are calculated monthly based on the closing market prices and accruals of securities in the fund's total portfolio (total value of the fund) divided by the number of fund shares currently issued and outstanding. Redemptions of the investments occur by contract at the respective fund's redemption date NAV.

The Company's investment policy for its U.S. noncontributory defined benefit retirement plan is to emphasize the preservation of capital. The investment policy takes into consideration the benefit obligations, including timing of distributions.

The following target asset allocation has been established for the plan:



Asset Category	Minimum		Neutral		Maximum
Money market funds	0	%	45	%	100	%
Debt Securities	0	%	55	%	100	%
Total			100	%

Debt securities are weighted to reflect a portfolio duration to that of the plan's liabilities anticipated to be paid out as annuities. The credit quality must equal or exceed high investment grade quality ("Baa" or better).

Cash Flows

Contributions

The Company does not plan to make any material cash contributions to its pension and post-retirement benefit plans in 2019 other than to fund current benefit payments, as well as fund amounts related to the settlement of the Retirement Plan, which is expected to occur in late 2019 or early 2020.

Estimated Future Benefit Payments

Expected benefit payments are based on the same assumptions used to measure the Company's benefit obligation at year-end 2018. Estimated future benefit payments during the next five years and in aggregate for the five years thereafter are as follows:



					Other Post-retirement
(In thousands)	U.S. Pension		Non-U.S. Pension		Other Post-retirement
2019	$	29,715	$	194	$	151
2020	—		142		2,871
2021	—		211		133
2022	—		312		127
2023	—		330		114
2024-2028	—		2,117		480

The estimated future benefit payments associated with the Retirement Plan are reflected in the table above in 2019. The actual settlement of the Retirement Plan's benefit obligation is dependent on the satisfaction of certain regulatory requirements, which is expected to occur in late 2019 or early 2020.

Stockholders' Equity	12 Months Ended
Stockholders' Equity	Dec. 29, 2018
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Stockholder's Equity	Stockholders' Equity Preferred Stock The Company's Certificate of Incorporation authorizes up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $.01 par value per share, for issuance by the Company's board of directors without further shareholder approval. Common Stock At year-end 2018, the Company reserved 945,279 unissued shares of its common stock for possible issuance under its stock-based compensation plans.

Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (2017 Tax Act) was signed into law on December 22, 2017 and its provisions are generally effective for tax years beginning January 1, 2018. The most significant impacts of the 2017 Tax Act to the Company include a decrease in the federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, and a one-time mandatory transition tax on deemed repatriation of previously tax-deferred and unremitted foreign earnings. On December 22, 2017, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (SAB 118) related to the income tax accounting implications of the 2017 Tax Act, which provides guidance on accounting for the 2017 Tax Act’s impact. In accordance with SAB 118, the Company recorded a provisional net income tax expense of $7,487,000, including the impact of state taxes, in the fourth quarter of 2017, which consisted of a provisional amount for the one-time mandatory transition tax of $10,303,000, partially offset by a provisional net tax benefit of $2,816,000 for the re-measurement of the Company's deferred income tax assets and liabilities at the 21% federal corporate income tax rate. During 2018, the Company completed its accounting for the 2017 Tax Act under the SAB 118 guidance and recorded a net reduction of $138,000 to the 2017 provisional amount related to the one-time mandatory transition tax.

While the 2017 Tax Act provides for a territorial tax system, beginning in 2018, it includes two new U.S. tax base erosion provisions, Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) and Base Erosion Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT). The Company has elected to account for the GILTI tax in the period in which it is incurred and, therefore, has not provided the deferred income tax impact of GILTI in its consolidated financial statements. In addition, the Company does not expect to be subject to the minimum tax pursuant to the BEAT provisions.

The components of income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Domestic	$	(397	)	$	2,797	$	6,196
Foreign	79,925			54,856		38,353
	$	79,528		$	57,653	$	44,549

The components of the provision for income taxes from continuing operations are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Current Provision:
Federal	$	724		$	7,835		$	535
Foreign	21,829			17,372			11,323
State	169			285			838
	22,722			25,492			12,696
Deferred (Benefit) Provision:
Federal	(2,551		)	4,682			1,738
Foreign	(1,761		)	(3,563		)	(1,818		)
State	72			(541		)	(533		)
	(4,240		)	578			(613		)
	$	18,482		$	26,070		$	12,083

The provision for income taxes included in the accompanying consolidated statement of income is as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Continuing Operations	$	18,482	$	26,070	$	12,083
Discontinued Operation	—		—		2
	$	18,482	$	26,070	$	12,085

The Company receives a tax deduction upon the exercise of nonqualified stock options and the vesting of RSUs. In 2016, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. This ASU requires that excess income tax benefits and tax deficiencies related to stock-based compensation arrangements be recognized as discrete items within the provision for income taxes instead of capital in excess of par value in the reporting period in which they occur. The Company recognized an income tax benefit of $1,097,000 in 2018, $608,000 in 2017 and $582,000 in 2016 in the Company's accompanying consolidated statement of income.

The provision for income taxes from continuing operations in the accompanying statement of income differs from the provision calculated by applying the statutory federal income tax rate to income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes due to the following:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Provision for Income Taxes at Statutory Rate (21% in 2018 and 35% in 2017 and 2016)	$	16,701		$	20,179		$	15,592
Increases (Decreases) Resulting From:
State income taxes, net of federal tax	164			151			189
U.S. tax cost of foreign earnings	1,215			761			192
Foreign tax rate differential	3,158			(3,747		)	(3,921		)
(Reversal of) provision for tax benefit reserves, net	(1,785		)	1,517			(76		)
Change in valuation allowance	141			(341		)	(131		)
Nondeductible expenses	781			1,177			1,090
Research and development tax credits	(445		)	(297		)	(229		)
Excess tax benefit related to stock-based compensation	(967		)	(581		)	(553		)
Impact of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act	(106		)	7,093			—
Other	(375		)	158			(70		)
	$	18,482		$	26,070		$	12,083

Net deferred tax liability in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet consists of the following:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Deferred Tax Asset:
Foreign, state, and alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards	$	184		$	185
Reserves and accruals	3,555			4,455
Net operating loss carryforwards	12,785			15,161
Inventory basis difference	3,692			3,265
Research and development	—			88
Employee compensation	4,382			2,610
Allowance for doubtful accounts	482			505
Other	294			59
Deferred tax asset, gross	25,374			26,328
Less: valuation allowance	(9,946		)	(10,835		)
Deferred tax asset, net	15,428			15,493
Deferred Tax Liability:
Goodwill and intangible assets	(28,060		)	(32,120		)
Fixed asset basis difference	(3,565		)	(4,213		)
Provision for unremitted foreign earnings	(1,124		)	(2,718		)
Research and development	(54		)	—
Other	(619		)	(554		)
Deferred tax liability	(33,422		)	(39,605		)
Net deferred tax liability	$	(17,994	)	$	(24,112	)

The deferred tax assets and liabilities are presented in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet within other assets and long-term deferred income taxes on a net basis by tax jurisdiction. The Company has established valuation allowances related to certain domestic and foreign deferred tax assets on deductible temporary differences, tax losses, and tax credit carryforwards. The valuation allowance at year-end 2018 was $9,946,000, consisting of $418,000 in the United States and $9,528,000 in foreign jurisdictions. The decrease in the valuation allowance in 2018 of $889,000 related primarily to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and tax rate changes. Compliance with ASC 740 requires the Company to periodically evaluate the necessity of establishing or adjusting a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets depending on whether it is more likely than not that a related tax benefit will be realized in future periods. When assessing the need for a valuation allowance in a tax jurisdiction, the Company evaluates the weight of all available evidence to determine whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. As part of this evaluation, the Company considers its cumulative three-year history of earnings before income taxes, taxable income in prior carryback years, future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, prudent and feasible tax planning strategies, and expected future results of operations. As of year-end 2018, the Company continued to maintain a valuation allowance in the United States against a portion of its state net operating loss carryforwards due to the uncertainty of future profitability in state jurisdictions. As of year-end 2018, the Company maintained valuation allowances in certain foreign jurisdictions because of the uncertainty of future profitability.

At year-end 2018, the Company had domestic state net operating loss carryforwards of $25,852,000 and foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $44,495,000. The domestic state net operating loss carryforwards will expire in the years 2019 through 2037. Their utilization is limited to future taxable income from the Company's domestic subsidiaries. The foreign net operating loss carryforwards do not expire.

At year-end 2018, the Company had approximately $283,922,000 of unremitted foreign earnings. The Company intends to repatriate the distributable reserves of select foreign subsidiaries back to the United States and has recognized $830,000 of net tax expense on the estimated repatriation amount during 2018. Except for these select foreign subsidiaries, the Company intends to indefinitely reinvest $272,846,000 of these earnings of its international subsidiaries in order to support the current and future capital needs of their operations in the foreign jurisdictions, including the repayment of the Company’s foreign debt. The related foreign withholding taxes, which would be required if the Company were to remit these foreign earnings to the United States, would be approximately $4,949,000.

The Company operates within multiple tax jurisdictions and could be subject to audit in those jurisdictions. Such audits can involve complex income tax issues, which may require an extended period of time to resolve and may cover multiple years. In management's opinion, adequate provisions for income taxes have been made for all years subject to audit.

As of year-end 2018, the Company had $12,364,000 of unrecognized tax benefits which, if recognized, would reduce the effective tax rate. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits at year-end 2018 and year-end 2017 is as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Beginning of Year	$	7,843		$	5,467
Gross Increases—Tax Positions in Prior Periods	1,019			4
Gross Decreases—Tax Positions in Prior Periods	(390		)	(22		)
Gross Increases—Current-period Tax Positions	7,344			2,229
Settlements	(131		)	—
Lapses of Statutes of Limitations	(3,190		)	(11		)
Currency Translation	(131		)	176
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, End of Year	$	12,364		$	7,843

The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in the provision for income taxes. The Company has accrued $2,087,000 at year-end 2018 and $1,523,000 at year-end 2017 for the potential payment of interest and penalties. The interest and penalties included in the accompanying consolidated statement of income was an expense of $544,000 in 2018 and $199,000 in 2017.

The Company is currently under audit in certain tax jurisdictions. It is reasonably possible that over the next fiscal year the amount of liability for unrecognized tax benefits may be reduced by up to $841,000 primarily from the expiration of tax statutes of limitations.

The Company remains subject to U.S. Federal income tax examinations for the tax years 2015 through 2018, and to non-U.S. income tax examinations for the tax years 2004 through 2018. In addition, the Company remains subject to state and local income tax examinations in the United States for the tax years 2004 through 2018.

Long-Term Obligations

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Long-Term Obligations

Long-term obligations are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Revolving Credit Facility, due 2023	$	141,106		$	237,011
Commercial Real Estate Loan, due 2019 to 2028	20,475			—
Senior Promissory Notes, due 2023 to 2028	10,000			—
Obligations Under Capital Lease, due 2019 to 2022	4,144			4,633
Other Borrowings, due 2019 to 2023	244			436
Unamortized Debt Issuance Costs	(148		)	—
Total	175,821			242,080
Less: Current Maturities of Long-Term Obligations	(1,668		)	(696		)
Long-Term Obligations	$	174,153		$	241,384

See Note 10 for the fair value information related to the Company's long-term obligations.

Revolving Credit Facility

In December 2018, the Company entered into a second amendment (Second Amendment) to its existing amended and restated five-year, unsecured multi-currency revolving credit facility (Credit Agreement), dated as of March 1, 2017. Pursuant to the Second Amendment, the Credit Agreement was amended to, among other changes, increase its borrowing capacity from $300,000,000 to $400,000,000, increase its uncommitted unsecured incremental borrowing facility from $100,000,000 to $150,000,000 and extend its maturity date from March 1, 2022 to December 14, 2023. Interest on borrowings outstanding accrues and is payable quarterly in arrears calculated at one of the following rates selected by the Company: (i) the Base Rate, calculated as the highest of (a) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, (b) the prime rate as published by Citizens Bank, and (c) the thirty-day London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) rate, as defined, plus 0.50%; or (ii) the LIBOR rate (with a zero percent floor), as defined, plus an applicable margin of 1% to 2.25%. The applicable margin is determined based upon the ratio of the Company's total debt, net of unrestricted cash up to $30,000,000 and certain debt obligations, to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) as defined in the Credit Agreement.

The obligations of the Company under the Credit Agreement may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an event of default, which includes customary events of defaults under such financing arrangements. In addition, as amended by the Second Amendment, the Credit Agreement contains negative covenants applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries, including financial covenants requiring the Company to maintain a maximum consolidated leverage ratio of 3.75 to 1.00, or for the quarter during which a material acquisition occurs and for the three fiscal quarters thereafter, 4.00 to 1.00, and limitations on making certain restricted payments (including dividends and stock repurchases).

Loans under the Credit Agreement are guaranteed by certain domestic subsidiaries of the Company. In addition, one of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries entered into a separate guarantee agreement limited to certain obligations of two foreign subsidiary borrowers.

At year-end 2018, the outstanding balance under the Credit Agreement was $141,106,000, and included $41,612,000 of Canadian dollar-denominated borrowings and $19,494,000 of euro-denominated borrowings. The Company had $258,864,000 of borrowing capacity available under the Credit Agreement at year-end 2018, which was calculated by translating its foreign-denominated borrowings using borrowing date foreign exchange rates. The weighted average interest rate for the outstanding balance under the Credit Agreement was 3.47% as of year-end 2018. See Note 15, Subsequent Events, for the additional borrowings under the Credit Agreement related to the Company's acquisition that occurred on January 2, 2019.

During 2018, the Company incurred $741,000 of debt issuance costs related to the Second Amendment of the Credit Agreement. Unamortized debt issuance costs related to the Credit Agreement, included in other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet, were $1,735,000 at year-end 2018 and $1,285,000 at year-end 2017 and are being amortized to interest expense using the straight-line method.

Commercial Real Estate Loan

In July 2018, the Company and certain domestic subsidiaries borrowed $21,000,000 under a promissory note (Real Estate Loan) which is repayable in quarterly principal installments of $262,500 over a ten-year period with the remaining principal balance of $10,500,000 due upon maturity. Interest accrues and is payable quarterly in arrears at a fixed rate of 4.45% per annum. The Company is not permitted to prepay any amount in the first twelve months of the term of the Real Estate Loan. Any voluntary prepayments are subject to a 2% prepayment fee if paid in the second twelve months of the term of the Real Estate Loan and are subject to a 1% prepayment fee if paid in the third twelve months of the term of the Real Estate Loan. Thereafter, no prepayment fee will be applied to voluntary prepayment by the Company.

The Real Estate Loan is secured by real estate and related personal property of the Company and certain of its domestic subsidiaries, pursuant to the mortgage and security agreements dated July 6, 2018 (Mortgage and Security Agreements). The obligations of the Company under the Real Estate Loan may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an event of default under the Real Estate Loan and the Mortgage and Security Agreements, which includes customary events of default for financings of this type. In addition, a default under the Credit Agreement or any successor credit facility would be an event of default under the Real Estate Loan. The Company used the proceeds from the Real Estate Loan to repay a portion of its U.S. dollar-denominated debt under the Credit Agreement.

The Company incurred $158,000 of debt issuance costs related to the Real Estate Loan. The effective interest rate for the Real Estate Loan, including amortization of debt issuance costs, was 4.60% as of December 29, 2018.

Senior Promissory Notes

In December 2018, the Company entered into an uncommitted, unsecured Multi-Currency Note Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement (Note Purchase Agreement). Simultaneous with the execution of the Note Purchase Agreement, the Company issued senior promissory notes (Initial Notes) in an aggregate principal amount of $10,000,000, with a per annum interest rate of 4.90% payable semiannually, and a maturity date of December 14, 2028. The Company is required to prepay a portion of the principal of the Initial Notes beginning on December 14, 2023 and each year thereafter, and may optionally prepay the principal on the Initial Notes, together with any prepayment premium, at any time (in a minimum amount of $1,000,000, or the foreign currency equivalent thereof, if applicable) in accordance with the Note Purchase Agreement. The obligations of Initial Notes may be accelerated upon an event of default as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement, which includes customary events of defaults under such financing arrangements.

In accordance with the Note Purchase Agreement, the Company may also issue additional senior promissory notes (together with the Initial Notes, the Senior Promissory Notes) up to an additional $115,000,000 until the earlier of December 14, 2021 or the thirtieth day after written notice to terminate the issuance and sale of additional notes pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement. The Senior Promissory Notes will be pari passu with the Company’s indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, and any other senior debt of the Company, subject to certain specified exceptions, and will participate in a sharing agreement with respect to the obligations of the Company and its subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement. The Senior Promissory Notes are guaranteed by certain of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries.

The Company incurred $193,000 of debt issuance costs related to the Note Purchase Agreement.

The following schedule presents the annual repayment requirements for the Company’s Credit Agreement, Real Estate Loan and Initial Notes as of year-end 2018.



(In thousands)
2019	$	1,050
2020	1,050
2021	1,050
2022	1,050
2023	143,823
2024 and Thereafter	23,558
	$	171,581

Debt Compliance

At year-end 2018, the Company was in compliance with the covenants related to its debt obligations.

Obligations Under Capital Lease

The Company's obligations under capital leases include a sale-leaseback financing arrangement for a manufacturing facility in Germany. Under this arrangement, the quarterly lease payment includes principal, interest, and a payment to the landlord toward a loan receivable. The interest rate on the outstanding obligation is 1.79%. The secured loan receivable, which is included in other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet, was $692,000 at year-end 2018. The lease arrangement provides for a fixed price purchase option, net of the projected loan receivable, of $1,524,000 at the end of the lease term in 2022. If the Company does not exercise the purchase option for the facility, the Company will receive cash from the landlord to settle the loan receivable. As of year-end 2018, $4,082,000 was outstanding under this capital lease obligation and $62,000 was outstanding under other capital lease obligations.

The following schedule presents future minimum lease payments under the Company's capital lease obligations and the present value of the minimum lease payments as of year-end 2018.



(In thousands)
2019	$	571
2020	578
2021	542
2022	1,099
Total Minimum Lease Payments	$	2,790
Less: Imputed Interest	(170		)
Present Value of Minimum Lease Payments	$	2,620

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
Commitments and Contingencies	Dec. 29, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Operating Leases The Company occupies office and operating facilities under various operating leases. The accompanying consolidated statement of income includes expenses from operating leases of $5,575,000 in 2018, $4,955,000 in 2017, and $4,298,000 in 2016. The future minimum payments due under noncancelable operating leases at year-end 2018 are $4,507,000 in 2019; $3,275,000 in 2020; $2,230,000 in 2021; $1,579,000 in 2022; $987,000 in 2023 and $1,713,000 thereafter. Total future minimum lease payments are $14,291,000. Letters of Credit and Bank Guarantees Outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees issued on behalf of the Company, principally relating to performance obligations and customer deposit guarantees, totaled $18,320,000 at year-end 2018. Certain of the Company's contracts, particularly for stock-preparation and systems orders, require the Company to provide a standby letter of credit or bank guarantee to a customer as beneficiary, limited in amount to a negotiated percentage of the total contract value, in order to guarantee warranty and performance obligations of the Company under the contract. Typically, these standby letters of credit and bank guarantees expire without being drawn by the beneficiary. Right of Recourse In the ordinary course of business, the Company's subsidiaries in China may receive banker's acceptance drafts from customers as payment for their trade accounts receivable. The drafts are noninterest-bearing obligations of the issuing bank and mature within six months of the origination date. The Company's subsidiaries in China may use these banker's acceptance drafts prior to the scheduled maturity date to settle outstanding accounts payable with vendors. Banker's acceptance drafts transferred to vendors are subject to customary right of recourse provisions prior to their scheduled maturity dates. The Company had $12,406,000 at year-end 2018 and $10,035,000 at year-end 2017 of banker's acceptance drafts subject to recourse, which were transferred to vendors and had not reached their scheduled maturity dates. Historically, the banker's acceptance drafts have settled upon maturity without any claim of recourse against the Company. Contingencies In the ordinary course of business, the Company is, at times, required to issue limited performance guarantees, some of which do not require the issuance of letters of credit to customers in support of these guarantees, relating to its equipment and systems. The Company generally limits its liability under these guarantees to amounts typically capped at 10% or less of the value of the contract. The Company believes that it has adequate reserves for any potential liability in connection with such guarantees. Litigation From time to time, the Company is subject to various claims and legal proceedings covering a range of matters that arise in the ordinary course of business. Such litigation may include, but is not limited to, claims and counterclaims by and against the Company for breach of contract or warranty, canceled contracts, product liability, or bankruptcy-related claims. For legal proceedings in which a loss is probable and estimable, the Company accrues a loss based on the low end of the range of estimated loss when there is no better estimate within the range. If the Company were found to be liable for any of the claims or counterclaims against it, the Company would incur a charge against earnings for amounts in excess of legal accruals.

Restructuring Costs and Other Income

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Restructuring Costs and Other Income

Restructuring Costs

In 2017, the Company constructed a 160,000 square foot manufacturing facility in the United States that integrated its U.S. and Swedish papermaking stock-preparation product lines into a single manufacturing facility to achieve economies of scale and greater efficiencies. As a result of the consolidation and integration of these facilities, the Company developed a restructuring plan totaling $1,920,000, primarily related to costs for the relocation of machinery and equipment and administrative offices, severance, and abandonment of leased facilities in the Papermaking Systems segment. As a result of this plan, the Company recorded restructuring charges of $203,000 in 2017 associated with severance costs for the reduction of four employees in the United States and six employees in Sweden. In 2018, the Company recorded additional restructuring costs of $1,717,000 related to this plan, including $1,318,000 primarily for the relocation of machinery and equipment and administrative offices, $454,000 associated with employee retention costs and abandonment of excess facility and other closure costs, and a reversal of $55,000 of severance costs no longer required. The Company does not expect to incur additional charges related to this restructuring plan.

A summary of the changes in accrued restructuring costs included in other accrued expenses in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet are as follows:



(In thousands)	Severance			Relocation			Other (a)			Total
2017 Restructuring Plan
Provision	$	203		$	—		$	—		$	203
Balance at December 30, 2017	203			—			—			203
(Reversal) Provision	(55		)	1,318			454			1,717
Usage	(77		)	(1,315		)	(448		)	(1,840		)
Currency translation	(8		)	(3		)	(6		)	(17		)
Balance at December 29, 2018	$	63		$	—		$	—		$	63

(a) Includes employee retention costs that are accrued ratably over the period through which employees must work to qualify for a payment and facility closure and clean-up costs.

Other Income

In 2016, other income consisted of a pre-tax gain of $317,000 from the sale of real estate in Sweden for cash proceeds of $368,000.

Derivatives

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivatives

Interest Rate Swap Agreements

In May 2018, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement (2018 Swap Agreement) which has a $15,000,000 notional value and expires on June 30, 2023. In 2015, the Company also entered into an interest rate swap agreement (2015 Swap Agreement) which has a $10,000,000 notional value and expires on March 27, 2020. The swap agreements hedge the Company’s exposure to movements in the three-month LIBOR rate on U.S. dollar-denominated debt. On a quarterly basis, the Company receives a three-month LIBOR rate and pays a fixed rate of interest of 3.15% plus an applicable margin as defined in the Credit Agreement on the 2018 Swap Agreement and 1.50% plus an applicable margin as defined in the Credit Agreement on the 2015 Swap Agreement. The 2018 Swap Agreement is subject to a zero percent floor on the three-month LIBOR rate. The interest rate swap agreements are designated as cash flow hedges and, accordingly, unrecognized gains and losses are recorded to AOCI, net of tax.

The Company has structured the interest rate swap agreements to be 100% effective and, as a result, there is no current impact to earnings resulting from hedge ineffectiveness. Management believes that any credit risk associated with the interest rate swap agreements is remote based on the Company's financial position and the creditworthiness of the financial institution that issued those agreements.

The counterparty to the interest rate swap agreements could demand an early termination of those agreements if the Company were to be in default under the Credit Agreement, or any agreement that amends or replaces the Credit Agreement in which the counterparty is a member, and if the Company were to be unable to cure the default (see Note 6). The fair values of the interest rate swap agreements represent the estimated amounts that the Company would receive from or pay to the counterparty in the event of an early termination.

Forward Currency-Exchange Contracts

The Company uses forward currency-exchange contracts primarily to hedge exposures resulting from fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Such exposures result primarily from portions of the Company's operations and assets and liabilities that are denominated in currencies other than the functional currencies of the businesses conducting the operations or holding the assets and liabilities. The Company typically manages its level of exposure to the risk of currency-exchange fluctuations by hedging a portion of its anticipated currency exposures over the ensuing 12-month period, using forward currency-exchange contracts that have maturities of twelve months or less.

Forward currency-exchange contracts that hedge forecasted accounts receivable or accounts payable are designated as cash flow hedges and unrecognized gains and losses are recorded to AOCI, net of tax. For forward currency-exchange contracts that are designated as fair value hedges, the gain or loss on the derivative, as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item are recognized currently in earnings. The fair values of forward currency-exchange contracts that are not designated as hedges are recorded currently in earnings. The Company recognized within SG&A expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of income losses of $27,000 in 2018, $1,367,000 in 2017 and $797,000 in 2016, associated with forward currency-exchange contracts that were not designated as hedges. Management believes that any credit risk associated with forward currency-exchange contracts is remote based on the Company's financial position and the creditworthiness of the financial institutions issuing the contracts.

The following table summarizes the fair value of the Company's derivative instruments in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet:



		December 29, 2018					December 30, 2017
(In thousands)	Balance Sheet Location	Asset (Liability) (a)			Notional Amount (b)		Asset (Liability) (a)			Notional Amount
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments:
Derivatives in an Asset Position:
2015 Swap Agreement	Other Long-Term Assets	$	148		$	10,000	$	126		$	10,000
Forward currency-exchange contract	Other Long Term Assets	$	11		$	842	$	—		$	—
Derivatives in a Liability Position:
Forward currency-exchange contract	Other Current Liabilities	$	(50	)	$	2,946	$	—		$	—
2018 Swap Agreement	Other Long-Term Liabilities	$	(352	)	$	15,000	$	—		$	—
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments:
Derivatives in an Asset Position:
Forward currency-exchange contracts	Other Current Assets	$	9		$	1,192	$	17		$	1,244
Derivatives in a Liability Position:
Forward currency-exchange contracts	Other Current Liabilities	$	(31	)	$	1,384	$	(16	)	$	2,049


(a)	See Note 10 for the fair value measurements relating to these financial instruments.


(b)	The total 2018 notional amounts are indicative of the level of the Company's recurring derivative activity.

The following table summarizes the activity in AOCI associated with the Company's derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges as of and for the year ended December 29, 2018:



(In thousands)	Interest Rate Swap Agreements			Forward Currency- Exchange Contracts			Total
Unrealized Gain, Net of Tax, at December 30, 2017	$	79		$	—		$	79
Loss (gain) reclassified to earnings (a)	8			(16		)	(8		)
Loss recognized in AOCI	(257		)	(11		)	(268		)
Unrealized Loss, Net of Tax, at December 29, 2018	$	(170	)	$	(27	)	$	(197	)


(a)	See Note 13 for the income statement classification.

At year-end 2018, the Company expects to reclassify $8,000 from AOCI to earnings over the next twelve months based on the estimated cash flows of the interest rate swap agreements and the maturity dates of the forward currency- exchange contracts.

Fair Value Measurements and Fair Value of Financial Instruments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements and Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair value measurement is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. A fair value hierarchy is established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value into three broad levels as follows:


•	Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.


•	Level 2—Inputs, other than quoted prices in active markets, that are observable either directly or indirectly.


•	Level 3—Unobservable inputs based on the Company's own assumptions.

The following table presents the fair value hierarchy for those assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:



	Fair Value as of December 29, 2018
(In thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Money market funds and time deposits	$	6,902	$	—	$	—	$	6,902
Banker's acceptance drafts (a)	$	—	$	7,976	$	—	$	7,976
2015 Swap Agreement	$	—	$	148	$	—	$	148
Forward currency-exchange contracts	$	—	$	20	$	—	$	20
Liabilities:
2018 Swap Agreement	$	—	$	352	$	—	$	352
Forward currency-exchange contracts	$	—	$	81	$	—	$	81



	Fair Value as of December 30, 2017
(In thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Money market funds and time deposits	$	17,728	$	—	$	—	$	17,728
Banker's acceptance drafts (a)	$	—	$	15,960	$	—	$	15,960
2015 Swap Agreement	$	—	$	126	$	—	$	126
Forward currency-exchange contracts	$	—	$	17	$	—	$	17
Liabilities:
Forward currency-exchange contracts	$	—	$	16	$	—	$	16


(a)	Included in accounts receivable in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

The Company uses the market approach technique to value its financial assets and liabilities, and there were no changes in valuation techniques during 2018. The Company's financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are cash equivalents, banker's acceptance drafts, derivative instruments used to hedge the Company's foreign currency and interest rate risks, variable rate debt, and capital lease obligations. The Company's cash equivalents are comprised of money market funds and bank deposits which are highly liquid and readily tradable. These cash equivalents are valued using inputs observable in active markets for identical securities. The carrying value of banker's acceptance drafts approximates their fair value due to the short-term nature of the negotiable instrument. The fair values of the Company's forward currency-exchange contracts are based on quoted forward foreign exchange rates at the reporting date. The fair values of the Company's interest rate swap agreements is based on LIBOR yield curves at the reporting date. The forward currency-exchange contracts and interest rate swap agreements are hedges of either recorded assets or liabilities or anticipated transactions. Changes in values of the underlying hedged assets and liabilities or anticipated transactions are not reflected in the table above.

The carrying value and fair value of the Company's debt obligations are as follows:



	December 29, 2018				December 30, 2017
(In thousands)	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value
Debt Obligations:
Revolving credit facility	$	141,106	$	141,106	$	237,011	$	237,011
Commercial real estate loan	20,475		20,575		—		—
Senior promissory notes	10,000		10,120		—		—
Capital lease obligations	4,144		4,144		4,633		4,633
Other borrowings	244		244		436		436
	$	175,969	$	176,189	$	242,080	$	242,080

The carrying value of the Company's revolving credit facility approximates the fair value as the obligation bears variable rates of interest, which adjust quarterly based on prevailing market rates. The fair values of the commercial real estate loan and senior promissory notes were calculated based on quoted market rates, plus an applicable margin available to the Company at the end of the quarter, which represents a Level 2 measurement. The carrying values of the Company's capital lease obligations and other borrowings approximate fair value as the stipulated interest rates are comparable to prevailing market rates for those obligations.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details

Business Segment and Geographical Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Business Segment and Geographical Information

The Company has combined its operating entities into two reportable operating segments, Papermaking Systems and Wood Processing Systems, and a separate product line, Fiber-based Products. In classifying operational entities into a particular segment, the Company has aggregated businesses with similar economic characteristics, products and services, production processes, customers, and methods of distribution.

The Papermaking Systems segment develops, manufactures, and markets a range of equipment and products for the global papermaking, paper recycling, recycling and waste management, and other process industries. The Company's principal products include custom-engineered stock-preparation systems and equipment for the preparation of wastepaper for conversion into recycled paper and balers and related equipment used in the processing of recyclable and waste materials; fluid-handling systems and equipment used in industrial piping systems to compensate for movement and to efficiently transfer fluid, power, and data; doctoring systems and equipment and related consumables important to the efficient operation of paper machines and other industrial processes; and filtration and cleaning systems essential for draining, purifying, and recycling process water and cleaning fabrics, belts, and rolls in various process industries.

The Wood Processing Systems segment develops, manufactures, and markets stranders, debarkers, chippers, and logging machinery used in the harvesting and production of lumber and OSB. Through this segment, the Company also provides refurbishment and repair of pulping equipment for the pulp and paper industry.

The Fiber-based Products business manufactures and sells biodegradable, absorbent granules derived from papermaking by-products for use primarily as carriers for agricultural, home lawn and garden, and professional lawn, turf and ornamental applications, as well as for oil and grease absorption.



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Business Segment Information
Revenues by Product Line:
Papermaking Systems:
Stock-Preparation	$	221,933	$	193,838	$	171,378
Fluid-Handling	131,830		104,136		89,145
Doctoring, Cleaning, & Filtration	116,136		109,631		105,938
Papermaking Systems	$	469,899	$	407,605	$	366,461
Wood Processing Systems	151,366		95,053		36,850
Fiber-based Products	12,521		12,375		10,815
	$	633,786	$	515,033	$	414,126



Income from Continuing Operations Before Provision for Income Taxes:
Papermaking Systems (a)	$	83,454		$	73,069		$	58,025
Wood Processing Systems (b)	31,237			10,005			8,327
Corporate and Fiber-based Products (c)	(26,093		)	(21,449		)	(19,710		)
Total operating income	88,598			61,625			46,642
Interest expense, net (d)	(6,653		)	(3,100		)	(1,024		)
Other expense, net (d, e)	(2,417		)	(872		)	(1,069		)
	$	79,528		$	57,653		$	44,549
Total Assets:
Papermaking Systems	$	462,297		$	494,919		$	407,538
Wood Processing Systems	247,553			257,467			52,407
Other (f)	15,899			8,708			10,746
	$	725,749		$	761,094		$	470,691
Depreciation and Amortization:
Papermaking Systems	$	12,561		$	11,239		$	11,513
Wood Processing Systems	10,317			7,515			2,188
Other	690			621			625
	$	23,568		$	19,375		$	14,326
Capital Expenditures:
Papermaking Systems	$	12,717		$	14,359		$	5,504
Wood Processing Systems	3,272			2,333			29
Other	570			589			271
	$	16,559		$	17,281		$	5,804
Geographical Information
Revenues (g):
United States	$	234,487		$	182,788		$	165,335
China	89,645			63,910			43,299
Canada	61,096			47,611			28,888
Germany	26,577			32,026			18,095
Finland	10,934			8,607			3,885
Other	211,047			180,091			154,624
	$	633,786		$	515,033		$	414,126
Long-lived Assets (h):
United States	$	35,446		$	32,852		$	18,482
China	11,069			11,685			10,714
Canada	8,193			9,449			1,125
Finland	6,998			5,841			—
Germany	6,223			6,452			5,792
Other	12,228			13,444			11,591
	$	80,157		$	79,723		$	47,704


(a)	Includes $787,000 in 2017 and $3,491,000 in 2016 of acquisition-related expenses. Acquisition-related expenses include acquisition transaction costs and amortization of acquired profit in inventory and backlog. Includes restructuring costs of $1,717,000 in 2018 and $203,000 in 2017, and other income of $317,000 in 2016 (see Note 8).


(b)	Includes $252,000 in 2018 and $11,163,000 in 2017 of acquisition-related expenses.


(c)	Corporate primarily includes general and administrative expenses, including $1,321,000 in 2018 of acquisition-related expenses.


(d)	The Company does not allocate interest and other expense, net to its segments.


(e)	Includes a curtailment loss of $1,425,000 in 2018 (see Note 3, Employee Benefit Plans, under Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefits Plans).


(f)	Primarily includes Corporate and Fiber-based Products' cash and cash equivalents, tax assets, and property, plant, and equipment.


(g)	Revenues are attributed to countries based on customer location.


(h)	Represents property, plant, and equipment, net.

Earnings per Share

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings Per Share

Earnings per Share

Basic and diluted EPS were calculated as follows:



(In thousands, except per share amounts)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Amounts Attributable to Kadant
Income from Continuing Operations	$	60,413	$	31,092	$	32,074
Income from Discontinued Operation	—		—		3
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	60,413	$	31,092	$	32,077
Basic Weighted Average Shares	11,086		10,991		10,869
Effect of Stock Options, Restricted Stock Units and Employee Stock Purchase Plan Shares	314		321		280
Diluted Weighted Average Shares	11,400		11,312		11,149
Basic EPS
Continuing Operations	$	5.45	$	2.83	$	2.95
Discontinued Operation	$	—	$	—	$	—
Earnings per Basic Share	$	5.45	$	2.83	$	2.95
Diluted EPS
Continuing Operations	$	5.30	$	2.75	$	2.88
Discontinued Operation	$	—	$	—	$	—
Earnings per Diluted Share	$	5.30	$	2.75	$	2.88

The dilutive effect of the outstanding and unvested RSUs totaling 18,700 shares in 2018, 15,600 shares in 2017, and 36,700 shares in 2016 of the Company's common stock was not included in the computation of diluted EPS, as the effect would have been antidilutive or, for unvested performance-based RSUs, the performance conditions had not been met as of the end of the reporting periods during the year.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items

Comprehensive income combines net income and other comprehensive items, which represent certain amounts that are reported as components of stockholders' equity in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

Changes in each component of AOCI, net of tax, are as follows:



(In thousands)	Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment			Unrecognized Prior Service (Cost) Income on Retirement Benefit Plans			Net Actuarial Loss on Retirement Benefit Plans			Deferred Gain (Loss) on Cash Flow Hedges			Total
Balance at December 30, 2017	$	(17,501	)	$	(319	)	$	(8,974	)	$	79		$	(26,715	)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(17,303		)	(810		)	4,020			(268		)	(14,361		)
Reclassifications from AOCI	—			1,149			559			(8		)	1,700
Net current period other comprehensive (loss) income	(17,303		)	339			4,579			(276		)	(12,661		)
Balance at December 29, 2018	$	(34,804	)	$	20		$	(4,395	)	$	(197	)	$	(39,376	)

Amounts reclassified out of AOCI are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016			Statement of Income Line Item
Retirement Benefit Plans (a)
Recognized net actuarial loss	$	(740	)	$	(563	)	$	(701	)	Other expense, net
Amortization of prior service cost	(92		)	(147		)	(147		)	Other expense, net
Curtailment loss	(1,425		)	—			—			Other expense, net
Total expense before income taxes	(2,257		)	(710		)	(848		)
Income tax benefit	549			246			295			Provision for income taxes
	(1,708		)	(464		)	(553		)
Cash Flow Hedges (b)
Interest rate swap agreements	(11		)	(30		)	(174		)	Interest expense
Forward currency-exchange contracts	—			—			(14		)	Revenues
Forward currency-exchange contracts	22			(97		)	(186		)	Cost of revenues
Total income (expense) before income taxes	11			(127		)	(374		)
Income tax (provision) benefit	(3		)	43			(37		)	Provision for income taxes
	8			(84		)	(411		)
Total Reclassifications	$	(1,700	)	$	(548	)	$	(964	)


(a)	Included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost. See Note 3 for additional information.


(b)	See Note 9 for additional information.

Unaudited Quarterly Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Unaudited Quarterly Information



2018 (In thousands, except per share amounts)	First		Second		Third		Fourth
Revenues	$	149,193	$	154,913	$	165,745	$	163,935
Gross Profit	$	66,079	$	68,164	$	73,093	$	70,945

Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	10,858	$	12,349	$	18,784	$	18,422
Basic Earnings per Share:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	0.98	$	1.11	$	1.69	$	1.66
Diluted Earnings per Share:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	0.96	$	1.08	$	1.64	$	1.61
Cash Dividends Declared per Common Share	$	0.22	$	0.22	$	0.22	$	0.22

2017 (In thousands, except per share amounts)	First		Second		Third		Fourth
Revenues	$	102,857	$	110,242	$	152,794	$	149,140
Gross Profit	49,017		52,852		64,655		64,623

Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	8,951	$	8,096	$	13,285	$	760
Basic Earnings per Share:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	0.82	$	0.74	$	1.21	$	0.07
Diluted Earnings per Share:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	0.80	$	0.72	$	1.17	$	0.07
Cash Dividends Declared per Common Share	$	0.21	$	0.21	$	0.21	$	0.21

Subsequent Events	12 Months Ended
Subsequent Events	Dec. 29, 2018
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events Acquisition On January 2, 2019, the Company acquired Syntron Material Handling Group, LLC and certain of its affiliates (SMH) pursuant to an equity purchase agreement, dated December 9, 2018, for approximately $179,000,000, subject to certain customary adjustments. The Company funded the acquisition through borrowings under its Credit Agreement and recognized acquisition costs of $1,321,000 within SG&A expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of income in 2018. SMH is a leading provider of material handling equipment and systems to various process industries, including mining, aggregates, food processing, packaging, and pulp and paper and manufactures conveying equipment, with revenue of $89,365,000 for the twelve months ended October 31, 2018 and approximately 250 employees worldwide. This acquisition extends the Company's breadth of premier offerings to process industries, and also gives the Company access to new industries that offer potential avenues for growth. The Company expects several synergies in connection with this acquisition, including expansion of product sales into new markets by leveraging SMH's existing presence, strengthening of SMH's relationships in the pulp and paper industry, and sourcing efficiencies. The excess of the purchase price for the acquisition of SMH over the net assets acquired will be recorded as goodwill. The Company is currently evaluating its segment classification of the SMH business. The Company has not yet completed its preliminary assessment of the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the SMH acquisition, including the valuation of intangible assets and goodwill, due to the proximity of the acquisition to the issuance of these consolidated financial statements. Accordingly and as permitted by ASC 805, Business Combinations, we are unable to provide further disclosures, including the allocation of the purchase price and pro forma financial information, for this acquisition at this time. In connection with the acquisition of SMH, the Company assumed multiple leased properties and is currently evaluating the effect these leases will have on its consolidated financial statements upon the adoption of ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) as described in Note 1, under Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted. Borrowings Under the Credit Agreement On December 31, 2018, the Company borrowed an aggregate amount of $180,000,000, primarily used to finance the acquisition of SMH, under its existing revolving credit facility pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement. See Note 6, Long-Term Obligations, for further details.

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

Fiscal Year

Use of Estimates and Critical Accounting Policies

Revenue Recognition

The following table presents revenue by revenue recognition method:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018
Point in Time	$	577,506
Over Time	56,280
	$	633,786

The Company disaggregates its revenue from contracts with customers by product line, product type and geography as this best depicts how its revenue is affected by economic factors.

The following table presents the disaggregation of revenues by product type and geography:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Revenues by Product Type:
Parts and Consumables	$	374,433	$	316,506	$	258,171
Capital	259,353		198,527		155,955
	$	633,786	$	515,033	$	414,126
Revenues by Geography:
North America	$	305,618	$	238,483	$	203,063
Europe	174,681		157,994		115,233
Asia	109,688		78,443		62,703
Rest of World	43,799		40,113		33,127
	$	633,786	$	515,033	$	414,126

See Note 11, Business Segment and Geographical Information, for information on how the Company disaggregates its revenue from contracts with customers by product line.

The following tables presents contract balances from contracts with customers:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Accounts receivable	$	92,624	$	89,624
Contract assets	$	15,741	$	2,374
Contract liabilities	$	34,774	$	38,702

Accounts Receivable

The changes in the allowance for doubtful accounts are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Balance at Beginning of Year	$	2,879		$	2,395		$	2,163
Provision charged to expense	355			436			453
Accounts written off	(165		)	(159		)	(128		)
Currency translation	(172		)	207			(93		)
Balance at End of Year	$	2,897		$	2,879		$	2,395

Warranty Obligations

Income Taxes

Earnings per Share

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Restricted Cash

Inventories

Property, Plant, and Equipment

Intangible Assets

ntangible assets are initially recorded at fair value at the date of acquisition. Definite-lived intangible assets are stated net of accumulated amortization and currency translation in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. The Company amortizes definite-lived intangible assets over lives that have been determined based on the anticipated cash flow benefits of the intangible asset. Definite-lived intangible assets have a weighted average amortization period of 12 years.

Goodwill

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions

Stock-Based Compensation

Derivatives

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

Acquisitions

Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefits Plans

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Revenue Recognition by Product Line, Product Type, Geography and Revenue Recognition Method

The Company disaggregates its revenue from contracts with customers by product line, product type and geography as this best depicts how its revenue is affected by economic factors.

The following table presents the disaggregation of revenues by product type and geography:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Revenues by Product Type:
Parts and Consumables	$	374,433	$	316,506	$	258,171
Capital	259,353		198,527		155,955
	$	633,786	$	515,033	$	414,126
Revenues by Geography:
North America	$	305,618	$	238,483	$	203,063
Europe	174,681		157,994		115,233
Asia	109,688		78,443		62,703
Rest of World	43,799		40,113		33,127
	$	633,786	$	515,033	$	414,126

See Note 11, Business Segment and Geographical Information, for information on how the Company disaggregates its revenue from contracts with customers by product line.

The following table presents revenue by revenue recognition method:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018
Point in Time	$	577,506
Over Time	56,280
	$	633,786

Revenue from Contract with Customers

The following tables presents contract balances from contracts with customers:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Accounts receivable	$	92,624	$	89,624
Contract assets	$	15,741	$	2,374
Contract liabilities	$	34,774	$	38,702

Changes in Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The changes in the allowance for doubtful accounts are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Balance at Beginning of Year	$	2,879		$	2,395		$	2,163
Provision charged to expense	355			436			453
Accounts written off	(165		)	(159		)	(128		)
Currency translation	(172		)	207			(93		)
Balance at End of Year	$	2,897		$	2,879		$	2,395

Changes in Estimated Product Warranty Liability

The changes in the carrying amount of accrued warranty costs included in other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Balance at Beginning of Year	$	5,498		$	3,843
Provision charged to expense	3,708			2,652
Usage	(3,140		)	(2,225		)
Acquisitions	—			790
Currency translation	(340		)	438
Balance at End of Year	$	5,726		$	5,498

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Cash and cash equivalents	$	45,830	$	75,425	$	71,487
Restricted cash	287		1,421		2,082
Total Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash	$	46,117	$	76,846	$	73,569

Supplemental Cash Flow Information



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Cash Paid for Interest	$	7,550	$	2,624		$	1,183
Cash Paid for Income Taxes, Net of Refunds	$	25,654	$	20,559		$	15,632

Non-Cash Investing Activities:
Estimated post-closing adjustment (a)	$	397	$	—		$	—

Fair value of assets of acquired	$	—	$	242,048		$	84,969
Cash paid for acquired businesses	—		(206,950		)	(58,894		)
Liabilities Assumed of Acquired Businesses	$	—	$	35,098		$	26,075

Non-cash additions to property, plant, and equipment	$	917	$	4,620		$	379

Non-Cash Financing Activities:
Issuance of Company common stock upon vesting of RSUs	$	4,231	$	3,192		$	3,463
Dividends declared but unpaid	$	2,444	$	2,316		$	2,078

(a) Represents an estimated post-closing purchase price adjustment related to the 2017 acquisition of certain assets of Unaflex, LLC, which is expected to be settled in early 2019.

Components of Inventory

The components of inventories are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Raw Materials	$	44,522	$	38,952
Work in Process	15,876		18,203
Finished Goods (includes $494 and $1,883 at customer locations)	25,975		27,778
	$	86,373	$	84,933

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant, and equipment consist of the following:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Land	$	7,614	$	7,894
Buildings	58,866		48,094
Machinery, Equipment, and Leasehold Improvements	100,453		94,779
Construction in Progress	3,764		14,464
	170,697		165,231
Less: Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	90,540		85,508
	$	80,157	$	79,723

Acquired Intangible Assets

Acquired intangible assets by major asset class are as follows:



(In thousands)	Gross		Currency Translation			Accumulated Amortization			Net
December 29, 2018
Definite-Lived
Customer relationships	$	113,283	$	(4,520	)	$	(38,160	)	$	70,603
Product technology	46,501		(1,677		)	(23,563		)	21,261
Tradenames	5,227		(390		)	(1,980		)	2,857
Other	13,744		(127		)	(11,476		)	2,141
	178,755		(6,714		)	(75,179		)	96,862
Indefinite-Lived
Tradenames	16,600		(115		)	—			16,485
Acquired Intangible Assets	$	195,355	$	(6,829	)	$	(75,179	)	$	113,347

December 30, 2017
Definite-Lived
Customer relationships	$	113,301	$	(621	)	$	(28,789	)	$	83,891
Product technology	46,501		(737		)	(19,841		)	25,923
Tradenames	5,227		(262		)	(1,504		)	3,461
Other	13,754		(35		)	(10,863		)	2,856
	178,783		(1,655		)	(60,997		)	116,131
Indefinite-Lived
Tradenames	16,600		305			—			16,905
Acquired Intangible Assets	$	195,383	$	(1,350	)	$	(60,997	)	$	133,036

Changes in the Carrying Amount of Goodwill

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by segment are as follows:



(In thousands)	Papermaking Systems Segment			Wood Processing Systems Segment			Total
Balance as of December 31, 2016
Gross balance	$	219,699		$	17,265		$	236,964
Accumulated impairment losses	(85,509		)	—			(85,509		)
Net balance	134,190			17,265			151,455
2017 Adjustments
Acquisitions (Note 2)	16,373			85,508			101,881
Currency translation	10,942			3,723			14,665
Total 2017 Adjustments	27,315			89,231			116,546
Balance at December 30, 2017
Gross balance	247,014			106,496			353,510
Accumulated impairment losses	(85,509		)	—			(85,509		)
Net balance	161,505			106,496			268,001
2018 Adjustments
Acquisitions (Note 2)	(17		)	(75		)	(92		)
Currency translation	(5,085		)	(4,650		)	(9,735		)
Total 2018 Adjustments	(5,102		)	(4,725		)	(9,827		)
Balance at December 29, 2018
Gross balance	241,912			101,771			343,683
Accumulated impairment losses	(85,509		)	—			(85,509		)
Net balance	$	156,403		$	101,771		$	258,174

Goodwill by Reporting Unit

Goodwill by reporting unit is as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Stock-Preparation	$	58,142	$	60,275
Fluid-Handling	64,052		65,289
Doctoring, Cleaning, & Filtration	34,209		35,941
Wood Processing Systems	101,771		106,496
	$	258,174	$	268,001

Acquisitions (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Business Combinations [Abstract]

Purchase Price Allocation

The following table summarizes the estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and the purchase price of the Company's 2017 acquisitions.



		NII FPG		Unaflex		Other
(In thousands)		July 5, 2017		August 14, 2017		October 30, 2017		Total
Net Assets Acquired:
Cash and Cash Equivalents		$	2,219	$	—	$	—	$	2,219
Accounts Receivable		6,542		2,079		—		8,621
Inventories		25,304		2,033		—		27,337
Property, Plant, and Equipment		12,912		1,279		284		14,475
Other Assets		2,375		72		—		2,447
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets
Customer relationships		44,682		8,000		1,500		54,182
Product technology		17,100		2,300		—		19,400
Other		2,530		900		—		3,430
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets
Tradenames		8,500		—		—		8,500
Goodwill		85,432		15,640		716		101,788
Total assets acquired		207,596		32,303		2,500		242,399

Accounts Payable		4,970		358		—		5,328
Customer Deposits		7,396		100		—		7,496
Long-Term Deferred Income Taxes		16,622		—		—		16,622
Other Liabilities		5,597		174		—		5,771
Total liabilities assumed		34,585		632		—		35,217
Net assets acquired		$	173,011	$	31,671	$	2,500	$	207,182

Purchase Price:
Cash Paid		$	2,993	$	—	$	—	$	2,993
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility		170,018		31,274		2,500		203,792
Estimated Post-closing Adjustment	—	—		397		—		397
Total purchase price		$	173,011	$	31,671	$	2,500	$	207,182

The following table summarizes the estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and the purchase price of PAAL.



	PAAL
(In thousands)	April 4, 2016
Net Assets Acquired:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$	2,277
Accounts Receivable	5,441
Inventories	3,947
Property, Plant, and Equipment	7,179
Other Assets	2,882
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets
Customer relationships	15,831
Product technology	4,203
Tradenames	2,278
Other	2,379
Goodwill	38,552
Total assets acquired	84,969

Accounts Payable	5,536
Customer Deposits	2,471
Obligations Under Capital Lease	4,842
Long-Term Deferred Income Taxes	6,148
Other Liabilities	6,913
Total liabilities assumed	25,910
Net assets acquired	$	59,059

Purchase Price:
Cash	$	29,193
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility	29,866
Total purchase price	$	59,059

Unaudited Supplemental Pro Forma Information

Had the acquisitions of NII FPG and Unaflex been completed as of the beginning of 2016, the Company’s pro forma results of operations for 2017 and 2016 would have been as follows:



(In thousands, except per share amounts)	December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Revenues	$	565,710	$	508,832

Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	44,159	$	30,638

Earnings per Share Attributable to Kadant
Basic	$	4.02	$	2.82
Diluted	$	3.90	$	2.75

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Components of Pre-Tax Stock-Based Compensation Expense

The components of pre-tax stock-based compensation expense included in SG&A expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of income are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
RSU Awards	$	6,838	$	5,621	$	4,848
Employee Stock Purchase Plan Awards	189		182		170
Stock Option Awards	—		—		51
Total	$	7,027	$	5,803	$	5,069

Summary of Activity of the Unvested Restricted Stock Units

A summary of the activity of the Company's unvested RSUs in 2018 is as follows:



	Units (In thousands)		Weighted Average Grant- Date Fair Value
Unvested RSUs at December 30, 2017	199		$	49.32
Granted	73		$	98.12
Vested	(116	)	$	54.11
Unvested RSUs at December 29, 2018	156		$	68.57

Stock Option Activity

A summary of the Company's stock option activity in 2018 is as follows:



(In thousands, except per share amounts)	Number of Shares		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	Aggregate Intrinsic Value (a)
Options Outstanding at December 30, 2017	307		$	20.72
Exercised	(8	)	$	15.51
Options Outstanding at December 29, 2018	299		$	20.86	2.5 years	$	18,029
Vested and Exercisable at December 29, 2018	299		$	20.86	2.5 years	$	18,029


(a)	The closing price per share on the last trading day prior to year-end 2018 was $81.12.

Summary of Stock Option Exercises

A summary of the Company's stock option exercises in 2018 and 2016 are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 31, 2016
Total Intrinsic Value of Options Exercised	$	515	$	1,341
Cash Received from Options Exercised	$	127	$	1,189

Changes In Projected Benefit Obligations, Plan Assets, Unfunded Status, and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items



	U.S. Pension						Non-U.S. Pension						Other Post-Retirement
(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Change in Projected Benefit Obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	34,757		$	31,935		$	4,270		$	3,341		$	4,704		$	3,894
Acquisition	—			—			—			241			—			—
Service cost	699			685			173			148			213			175
Interest cost	1,193			1,231			126			114			172			170
Actuarial (gain) loss	(2,674		)	2,626			(368		)	270			(508		)	635
Benefits paid	(1,589		)	(1,720		)	(394		)	(265		)	(157		)	(175		)
Plan amendment	1,116			—			—			—			322			—
Effect of curtailment	(3,787		)	—			—			—			(1,075		)	—
Currency translation	—			—			(136		)	421			1			5
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	$	29,715		$	34,757		$	3,671		$	4,270		$	3,672		$	4,704
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	31,754		$	28,985		$	557		$	426		$	35		$	28
Actual return on plan assets	(1,436		)	3,409			38			23			2			1
Employer contributions	—			1,080			528			355			164			179
Benefits paid	(1,589		)	(1,720		)	(394		)	(265		)	(157		)	(175		)
Currency translation	—			—			(3		)	18			—			2
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	28,729		$	31,754		$	726		$	557		$	44		$	35
Unfunded Status	$	(986	)	$	(3,003	)	$	(2,945	)	$	(3,713	)	$	(3,628	)	$	(4,669	)
Accumulated Benefit Obligation at End of Year	$	29,715		$	30,311		$	2,604		$	3,047		$	—		$	—

Amounts Included in the Balance Sheet:
Current liability	$	(986	)	$	—		$	(58	)	$	(205	)	$	(144	)	$	(173	)
Non-current liability	$	—		$	(3,003	)	$	(2,887	)	$	(3,508	)	$	(3,484	)	$	(4,496	)

Amounts Included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items Before Tax:
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	$	(3,205	)	$	(7,485	)	$	(674	)	$	(1,085	)	$	(69	)	$	(1,424	)
Unrecognized prior service cost	—			—			(45		)	(52		)	—			(439		)
	$	(3,205	)	$	(7,485	)	$	(719	)	$	(1,137	)	$	(69	)	$	(1,863	)



	U.S. Pension						Non-U.S. Pension						Other Post-Retirement
(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Changes in Amounts Included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items Before Tax:
Net actuarial (loss) gain	$	(48	)	$	(544	)	$	368		$	(277	)	$	508		$	(634	)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	541			442			63			38			136			83
Amortization of prior service cost	—			53			6			6			86			88
Plan amendment	(1,116		)	—			—			—			(322		)	—
Effect of curtailment	3,787			—			—			—			1,075			—
Curtailment loss	1,116			—			—			—			309			—
Currency translation	—			—			(19		)	(78		)	2			(3		)
	$	4,280		$	(49	)	$	418		$	(311	)	$	1,794		$	(466	)

Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine the Benefit Obligation and Net Periodic Benefit Cost

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation are as follows:



	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension				Other Post-Retirement
	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension				Other Post-Retirement
	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Discount rate	4.10	%	3.51	%	3.56	%	3.16	%	4.32	%	3.71	%
Rate of compensation increase	—		3.00	%	3.24	%	3.33	%	5.57	%	3.11	%

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost are as follows:



	U.S. Pension						Non-U.S. Pension						Other Post-Retirement
	U.S. Pension						Non-U.S. Pension						Other Post-Retirement
	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Discount Rate	3.51	%	4.03	%	4.22	%	3.49	%	3.45	%	3.87	%	3.58	%	4.10	%	4.28	%
Expected Long-Term Return on Plan Assets	4.50	%	5.00	%	5.00	%	7.43	%	7.53	%	7.72	%	7.43	%	7.53	%	7.72	%
Rate of Compensation Increase	3.00	%	3.00	%	3.00	%	3.97	%	3.65	%	3.67	%	3.05	%	3.08	%	3.05	%

Benefit Obligations in Excess of Fair Value of Plan Assets

The projected benefit obligations and fair values of plan assets for the Company's pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets are as follows:



	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension
	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension
(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Pension Plans with Projected Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets:
Projected benefit obligation	$	29,715	$	34,757	$	3,671	$	4,270
Fair value of plan assets	$	28,729	$	31,754	$	726	$	557

Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets

The accumulated benefit obligations and fair values of plan assets for the Company's pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets are as follows:



	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension
	U.S. Pension				Non-U.S. Pension
(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017
Pension Plans with Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets:
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	29,715	$	—	$	2,604	$	3,047
Fair value of plan assets	$	28,729	$	—	$	726	$	557

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income)

The components of net periodic benefit cost are as follows:



	U.S. Pension									Non-U.S. Pension									Other Post-Retirement
	U.S. Pension									Non-U.S. Pension									Other Post-Retirement
(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016			December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Service cost	$	699		$	685		$	723		$	173		$	148		$	102		$	213		$	175		$	130
Interest cost	1,193			1,231			1,273			126			114			107			172			170			156
Expected return on plan assets	(1,286		)	(1,326		)	(1,288		)	(42		)	(25		)	(25		)	(3		)	(2		)	(2		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	541			442			498			63			38			39			136			83			50
Amortization of prior service cost	—			53			55			6			6			4			86			88			88
Settlement loss	—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—			114
Curtailment loss	1,116			—			—			—			—			—			309			—			—
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	2,263		$	1,085		$	1,261		$	326		$	281		$	227		$	913		$	514		$	536

Fair Values of Plan Assets

The fair values of the Company's noncontributory defined benefit retirement plan assets at year-end 2018 and year-end 2017 by asset category are as follows:



	December 29, 2018 Fair Value Measurement
(In thousands)	Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Retirement Plan Assets:
Mutual funds:
Money market funds	$	12,852	$	—	$	—	$	12,852
Fixed income funds	11,581		—		—		11,581
Investments measured at NAV							4,296
Total assets at fair value							$	28,729

Non-U.S. Pension Plan Assets:
Mutual funds	$	726	$	—	$	—	$	726
Total assets at fair value							$	726



	December 30, 2017 Fair Value Measurement
(In thousands)	Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Retirement Plan Assets:
Mutual funds:
Fixed income funds	$	17,560	$	—	$	—	$	17,560
Equity funds	4,763		—		—		4,763
Investments measured at NAV							9,431
Total assets at fair value							$	31,754

Non-U.S. Pension Plan Assets:
Mutual funds	$	557	$	—	$	—	$	557
Total assets at fair value							$	557

Target Asset Allocation of Plan Assets

The following target asset allocation has been established for the plan:



Asset Category	Minimum		Neutral		Maximum
Money market funds	0	%	45	%	100	%
Debt Securities	0	%	55	%	100	%
Total			100	%

Estimated Future Benefit Payments

Estimated future benefit payments during the next five years and in aggregate for the five years thereafter are as follows:



					Other Post-retirement
(In thousands)	U.S. Pension		Non-U.S. Pension		Other Post-retirement
2019	$	29,715	$	194	$	151
2020	—		142		2,871
2021	—		211		133
2022	—		312		127
2023	—		330		114
2024-2028	—		2,117		480

Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Components of Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes

The components of income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Domestic	$	(397	)	$	2,797	$	6,196
Foreign	79,925			54,856		38,353
	$	79,528		$	57,653	$	44,549

Components of the Provision for Income Taxes from Continuing Operations

The components of the provision for income taxes from continuing operations are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Current Provision:
Federal	$	724		$	7,835		$	535
Foreign	21,829			17,372			11,323
State	169			285			838
	22,722			25,492			12,696
Deferred (Benefit) Provision:
Federal	(2,551		)	4,682			1,738
Foreign	(1,761		)	(3,563		)	(1,818		)
State	72			(541		)	(533		)
	(4,240		)	578			(613		)
	$	18,482		$	26,070		$	12,083

Provision for Income Taxes by Continuing and Discontinued Operation

The provision for income taxes included in the accompanying consolidated statement of income is as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Continuing Operations	$	18,482	$	26,070	$	12,083
Discontinued Operation	—		—		2
	$	18,482	$	26,070	$	12,085

Income Tax Reconciliation



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Provision for Income Taxes at Statutory Rate (21% in 2018 and 35% in 2017 and 2016)	$	16,701		$	20,179		$	15,592
Increases (Decreases) Resulting From:
State income taxes, net of federal tax	164			151			189
U.S. tax cost of foreign earnings	1,215			761			192
Foreign tax rate differential	3,158			(3,747		)	(3,921		)
(Reversal of) provision for tax benefit reserves, net	(1,785		)	1,517			(76		)
Change in valuation allowance	141			(341		)	(131		)
Nondeductible expenses	781			1,177			1,090
Research and development tax credits	(445		)	(297		)	(229		)
Excess tax benefit related to stock-based compensation	(967		)	(581		)	(553		)
Impact of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act	(106		)	7,093			—
Other	(375		)	158			(70		)
	$	18,482		$	26,070		$	12,083

Net Deferred Tax (Liability) Asset

Net deferred tax liability in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet consists of the following:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Deferred Tax Asset:
Foreign, state, and alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards	$	184		$	185
Reserves and accruals	3,555			4,455
Net operating loss carryforwards	12,785			15,161
Inventory basis difference	3,692			3,265
Research and development	—			88
Employee compensation	4,382			2,610
Allowance for doubtful accounts	482			505
Other	294			59
Deferred tax asset, gross	25,374			26,328
Less: valuation allowance	(9,946		)	(10,835		)
Deferred tax asset, net	15,428			15,493
Deferred Tax Liability:
Goodwill and intangible assets	(28,060		)	(32,120		)
Fixed asset basis difference	(3,565		)	(4,213		)
Provision for unremitted foreign earnings	(1,124		)	(2,718		)
Research and development	(54		)	—
Other	(619		)	(554		)
Deferred tax liability	(33,422		)	(39,605		)
Net deferred tax liability	$	(17,994	)	$	(24,112	)

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits at year-end 2018 and year-end 2017 is as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Beginning of Year	$	7,843		$	5,467
Gross Increases—Tax Positions in Prior Periods	1,019			4
Gross Decreases—Tax Positions in Prior Periods	(390		)	(22		)
Gross Increases—Current-period Tax Positions	7,344			2,229
Settlements	(131		)	—
Lapses of Statutes of Limitations	(3,190		)	(11		)
Currency Translation	(131		)	176
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, End of Year	$	12,364		$	7,843

Long-Term Obligations (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Long-Term Obligations

Long-term obligations are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017
Revolving Credit Facility, due 2023	$	141,106		$	237,011
Commercial Real Estate Loan, due 2019 to 2028	20,475			—
Senior Promissory Notes, due 2023 to 2028	10,000			—
Obligations Under Capital Lease, due 2019 to 2022	4,144			4,633
Other Borrowings, due 2019 to 2023	244			436
Unamortized Debt Issuance Costs	(148		)	—
Total	175,821			242,080
Less: Current Maturities of Long-Term Obligations	(1,668		)	(696		)
Long-Term Obligations	$	174,153		$	241,384

Schedule of repayments of long-term debt

The following schedule presents the annual repayment requirements for the Company’s Credit Agreement, Real Estate Loan and Initial Notes as of year-end 2018.



(In thousands)
2019	$	1,050
2020	1,050
2021	1,050
2022	1,050
2023	143,823
2024 and Thereafter	23,558
	$	171,581

Future minimum lease payments under capital lease obligations

The following schedule presents future minimum lease payments under the Company's capital lease obligations and the present value of the minimum lease payments as of year-end 2018.



(In thousands)
2019	$	571
2020	578
2021	542
2022	1,099
Total Minimum Lease Payments	$	2,790
Less: Imputed Interest	(170		)
Present Value of Minimum Lease Payments	$	2,620

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of long-debt instruments or arrangements, including identification, terms, features, collateral requirements and other information necessary to a fair presentation. These are debt arrangements that originally required repayment more than twelve months after issuance or greater than the normal operating cycle of the entity, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775744&loc=d3e28541-108399

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21506-112644

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(e),(f))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 5: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775744&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 6: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21521-112644

Reference 7: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21538-112644

Reference 8: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
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-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=75038535&loc=d3e64711-112823

Reference 9: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775985&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 10: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21475-112644

+ Details

Restructuring Costs and Other Income (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Summary of Changes in Accrued Restructuring Costs

A summary of the changes in accrued restructuring costs included in other accrued expenses in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet are as follows:



(In thousands)	Severance			Relocation			Other (a)			Total
2017 Restructuring Plan
Provision	$	203		$	—		$	—		$	203
Balance at December 30, 2017	203			—			—			203
(Reversal) Provision	(55		)	1,318			454			1,717
Usage	(77		)	(1,315		)	(448		)	(1,840		)
Currency translation	(8		)	(3		)	(6		)	(17		)
Balance at December 29, 2018	$	63		$	—		$	—		$	63

Derivatives (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Fair Value of Derivative Instruments

The following table summarizes the fair value of the Company's derivative instruments in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet:



		December 29, 2018					December 30, 2017
(In thousands)	Balance Sheet Location	Asset (Liability) (a)			Notional Amount (b)		Asset (Liability) (a)			Notional Amount
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments:
Derivatives in an Asset Position:
2015 Swap Agreement	Other Long-Term Assets	$	148		$	10,000	$	126		$	10,000
Forward currency-exchange contract	Other Long Term Assets	$	11		$	842	$	—		$	—
Derivatives in a Liability Position:
Forward currency-exchange contract	Other Current Liabilities	$	(50	)	$	2,946	$	—		$	—
2018 Swap Agreement	Other Long-Term Liabilities	$	(352	)	$	15,000	$	—		$	—
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments:
Derivatives in an Asset Position:
Forward currency-exchange contracts	Other Current Assets	$	9		$	1,192	$	17		$	1,244
Derivatives in a Liability Position:
Forward currency-exchange contracts	Other Current Liabilities	$	(31	)	$	1,384	$	(16	)	$	2,049


(a)	See Note 10 for the fair value measurements relating to these financial instruments.


(b)	The total 2018 notional amounts are indicative of the level of the Company's recurring derivative activity.

Activity in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items (OCI)

The following table summarizes the activity in AOCI associated with the Company's derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges as of and for the year ended December 29, 2018:



(In thousands)	Interest Rate Swap Agreements			Forward Currency- Exchange Contracts			Total
Unrealized Gain, Net of Tax, at December 30, 2017	$	79		$	—		$	79
Loss (gain) reclassified to earnings (a)	8			(16		)	(8		)
Loss recognized in AOCI	(257		)	(11		)	(268		)
Unrealized Loss, Net of Tax, at December 29, 2018	$	(170	)	$	(27	)	$	(197	)


(a)	See Note 13 for the income statement classification.

Fair Value Measurements and Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis

The following table presents the fair value hierarchy for those assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:



	Fair Value as of December 29, 2018
(In thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Money market funds and time deposits	$	6,902	$	—	$	—	$	6,902
Banker's acceptance drafts (a)	$	—	$	7,976	$	—	$	7,976
2015 Swap Agreement	$	—	$	148	$	—	$	148
Forward currency-exchange contracts	$	—	$	20	$	—	$	20
Liabilities:
2018 Swap Agreement	$	—	$	352	$	—	$	352
Forward currency-exchange contracts	$	—	$	81	$	—	$	81



	Fair Value as of December 30, 2017
(In thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Money market funds and time deposits	$	17,728	$	—	$	—	$	17,728
Banker's acceptance drafts (a)	$	—	$	15,960	$	—	$	15,960
2015 Swap Agreement	$	—	$	126	$	—	$	126
Forward currency-exchange contracts	$	—	$	17	$	—	$	17
Liabilities:
Forward currency-exchange contracts	$	—	$	16	$	—	$	16


(a)	Included in accounts receivable in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

Carrying Value and Fair Value of Debt Obligations

The carrying value and fair value of the Company's debt obligations are as follows:



	December 29, 2018				December 30, 2017
(In thousands)	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value
Debt Obligations:
Revolving credit facility	$	141,106	$	141,106	$	237,011	$	237,011
Commercial real estate loan	20,475		20,575		—		—
Senior promissory notes	10,000		10,120		—		—
Capital lease obligations	4,144		4,144		4,633		4,633
Other borrowings	244		244		436		436
	$	175,969	$	176,189	$	242,080	$	242,080

Business Segment and Geographical Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Business Segment Information



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Business Segment Information
Revenues by Product Line:
Papermaking Systems:
Stock-Preparation	$	221,933	$	193,838	$	171,378
Fluid-Handling	131,830		104,136		89,145
Doctoring, Cleaning, & Filtration	116,136		109,631		105,938
Papermaking Systems	$	469,899	$	407,605	$	366,461
Wood Processing Systems	151,366		95,053		36,850
Fiber-based Products	12,521		12,375		10,815
	$	633,786	$	515,033	$	414,126



Income from Continuing Operations Before Provision for Income Taxes:
Papermaking Systems (a)	$	83,454		$	73,069		$	58,025
Wood Processing Systems (b)	31,237			10,005			8,327
Corporate and Fiber-based Products (c)	(26,093		)	(21,449		)	(19,710		)
Total operating income	88,598			61,625			46,642
Interest expense, net (d)	(6,653		)	(3,100		)	(1,024		)
Other expense, net (d, e)	(2,417		)	(872		)	(1,069		)
	$	79,528		$	57,653		$	44,549
Total Assets:
Papermaking Systems	$	462,297		$	494,919		$	407,538
Wood Processing Systems	247,553			257,467			52,407
Other (f)	15,899			8,708			10,746
	$	725,749		$	761,094		$	470,691
Depreciation and Amortization:
Papermaking Systems	$	12,561		$	11,239		$	11,513
Wood Processing Systems	10,317			7,515			2,188
Other	690			621			625
	$	23,568		$	19,375		$	14,326
Capital Expenditures:
Papermaking Systems	$	12,717		$	14,359		$	5,504
Wood Processing Systems	3,272			2,333			29
Other	570			589			271
	$	16,559		$	17,281		$	5,804
Geographical Information
Revenues (g):
United States	$	234,487		$	182,788		$	165,335
China	89,645			63,910			43,299
Canada	61,096			47,611			28,888
Germany	26,577			32,026			18,095
Finland	10,934			8,607			3,885
Other	211,047			180,091			154,624
	$	633,786		$	515,033		$	414,126
Long-lived Assets (h):
United States	$	35,446		$	32,852		$	18,482
China	11,069			11,685			10,714
Canada	8,193			9,449			1,125
Finland	6,998			5,841			—
Germany	6,223			6,452			5,792
Other	12,228			13,444			11,591
	$	80,157		$	79,723		$	47,704


(a)	Includes $787,000 in 2017 and $3,491,000 in 2016 of acquisition-related expenses. Acquisition-related expenses include acquisition transaction costs and amortization of acquired profit in inventory and backlog. Includes restructuring costs of $1,717,000 in 2018 and $203,000 in 2017, and other income of $317,000 in 2016 (see Note 8).


(b)	Includes $252,000 in 2018 and $11,163,000 in 2017 of acquisition-related expenses.


(c)	Corporate primarily includes general and administrative expenses, including $1,321,000 in 2018 of acquisition-related expenses.


(d)	The Company does not allocate interest and other expense, net to its segments.


(e)	Includes a curtailment loss of $1,425,000 in 2018 (see Note 3, Employee Benefit Plans, under Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefits Plans).


(f)	Primarily includes Corporate and Fiber-based Products' cash and cash equivalents, tax assets, and property, plant, and equipment.


(g)	Revenues are attributed to countries based on customer location.


(h)	Represents property, plant, and equipment, net.

Earnings per Share (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share

Basic and diluted EPS were calculated as follows:



(In thousands, except per share amounts)	December 29, 2018		December 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Amounts Attributable to Kadant
Income from Continuing Operations	$	60,413	$	31,092	$	32,074
Income from Discontinued Operation	—		—		3
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	60,413	$	31,092	$	32,077
Basic Weighted Average Shares	11,086		10,991		10,869
Effect of Stock Options, Restricted Stock Units and Employee Stock Purchase Plan Shares	314		321		280
Diluted Weighted Average Shares	11,400		11,312		11,149
Basic EPS
Continuing Operations	$	5.45	$	2.83	$	2.95
Discontinued Operation	$	—	$	—	$	—
Earnings per Basic Share	$	5.45	$	2.83	$	2.95
Diluted EPS
Continuing Operations	$	5.30	$	2.75	$	2.88
Discontinued Operation	$	—	$	—	$	—
Earnings per Diluted Share	$	5.30	$	2.75	$	2.88

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]

Components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items in the Balance Sheet

Changes in each component of AOCI, net of tax, are as follows:



(In thousands)	Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment			Unrecognized Prior Service (Cost) Income on Retirement Benefit Plans			Net Actuarial Loss on Retirement Benefit Plans			Deferred Gain (Loss) on Cash Flow Hedges			Total
Balance at December 30, 2017	$	(17,501	)	$	(319	)	$	(8,974	)	$	79		$	(26,715	)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(17,303		)	(810		)	4,020			(268		)	(14,361		)
Reclassifications from AOCI	—			1,149			559			(8		)	1,700
Net current period other comprehensive (loss) income	(17,303		)	339			4,579			(276		)	(12,661		)
Balance at December 29, 2018	$	(34,804	)	$	20		$	(4,395	)	$	(197	)	$	(39,376	)

Reclassification Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items

Amounts reclassified out of AOCI are as follows:



(In thousands)	December 29, 2018			December 30, 2017			December 31, 2016			Statement of Income Line Item
Retirement Benefit Plans (a)
Recognized net actuarial loss	$	(740	)	$	(563	)	$	(701	)	Other expense, net
Amortization of prior service cost	(92		)	(147		)	(147		)	Other expense, net
Curtailment loss	(1,425		)	—			—			Other expense, net
Total expense before income taxes	(2,257		)	(710		)	(848		)
Income tax benefit	549			246			295			Provision for income taxes
	(1,708		)	(464		)	(553		)
Cash Flow Hedges (b)
Interest rate swap agreements	(11		)	(30		)	(174		)	Interest expense
Forward currency-exchange contracts	—			—			(14		)	Revenues
Forward currency-exchange contracts	22			(97		)	(186		)	Cost of revenues
Total income (expense) before income taxes	11			(127		)	(374		)
Income tax (provision) benefit	(3		)	43			(37		)	Provision for income taxes
	8			(84		)	(411		)
Total Reclassifications	$	(1,700	)	$	(548	)	$	(964	)


(a)	Included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost. See Note 3 for additional information.


(b)	See Note 9 for additional information.

Unaudited Quarterly Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Unaudited Quarterly Financial Information



2018 (In thousands, except per share amounts)	First		Second		Third		Fourth
Revenues	$	149,193	$	154,913	$	165,745	$	163,935
Gross Profit	$	66,079	$	68,164	$	73,093	$	70,945

Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	10,858	$	12,349	$	18,784	$	18,422
Basic Earnings per Share:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	0.98	$	1.11	$	1.69	$	1.66
Diluted Earnings per Share:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	0.96	$	1.08	$	1.64	$	1.61
Cash Dividends Declared per Common Share	$	0.22	$	0.22	$	0.22	$	0.22

2017 (In thousands, except per share amounts)	First		Second		Third		Fourth
Revenues	$	102,857	$	110,242	$	152,794	$	149,140
Gross Profit	49,017		52,852		64,655		64,623

Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	8,951	$	8,096	$	13,285	$	760
Basic Earnings per Share:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	0.82	$	0.74	$	1.21	$	0.07
Diluted Earnings per Share:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$	0.80	$	0.72	$	1.17	$	0.07
Cash Dividends Declared per Common Share	$	0.21	$	0.21	$	0.21	$	0.21

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($) Segment	Dec. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments \| Segment	2
Contract assets	$ 15,741,000	$ 2,374,000
Revenue recognized	36,556,000
Percentage of completion revenue		27,676,000	$ 23,300,000
Advance payments on long-term contracts		2,945,000
Due from bankers acceptances drafts	7,976,000	15,960,000
Restricted cash	$ 287,000	1,421,000	2,082,000
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets	12 years
Amortization expense of acquired intangible assets	$ 14,182,000	11,957,000	8,132,000
Estimated Future Amortization Expense [Abstract]
2019	12,869,000
2020	12,299,000
2021	11,784,000
2022	11,011,000
2023	9,610,000
Thereafter	39,289,000
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment [Abstract]
Goodwill impairment	0	0
Impairment of intangible assets	0	0
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]
Retained earnings	393,578,000	342,893,000
Operating income reclassed to other expense	$ 88,598,000	61,625,000	46,642,000
Accounting Standards Update 2017-07
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]
Operating income reclassed to other expense		$ (872,000)	$ (1,069,000)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 \| Minimum \| Subsequent event
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]
Operating lease, liability				$ 15,500,000
Operating lease, right-of-use asset				18,500,000
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 \| Maximum \| Subsequent event
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]
Operating lease, liability				17,500,000
Operating lease, right-of-use asset				$ 20,500,000
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]
Retained earnings					$ 119,000
Joint Venture with an Italian Company
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Remaining ownership interest with an option to purchase	50.00%
Italian Company \| Joint Venture with an Italian Company
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Ownership interest	50.00%
Point in Time
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Revenue, performance obligation, percentage recognized	91.00%
Over Time
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Revenue, performance obligation, percentage recognized	9.00%

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Revenue Recognition by Product Type, Geography and Revenue Recognition Method (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Sep. 29, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jul. 01, 2017	Apr. 01, 2017	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 163,935	$ 165,745	$ 154,913	$ 149,193	$ 149,140	$ 152,794	$ 110,242	$ 102,857	$ 633,786	$ 515,033	$ 414,126
Parts and Consumables
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									374,433	316,506	258,171
Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									259,353	198,527	155,955
Papermaking Systems \| Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									469,899	407,605	366,461
Wood Processing Systems \| Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									151,366	95,053	36,850
North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									305,618	238,483	203,063
Europe
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									174,681	157,994	115,233
Asia
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									109,688	78,443	62,703
Rest of World
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									43,799	$ 40,113	$ 33,127
Point in Time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									577,506
Over Time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									$ 56,280

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Revenue from Contract with Customers (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Accounts receivable	$ 92,624	$ 89,624
Contract assets	15,741	2,374
Contract liabilities	$ 34,774	$ 38,702

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Changes in the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Year	$ 2,879	$ 2,395	$ 2,163
Provision charged to expense	355	436	453
Accounts written off	(165)	(159)	(128)
Currency translation	(172)	207	(93)
Balance at End of Year	$ 2,897	$ 2,879	$ 2,395

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Product Warranty (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Changes in the carrying amount of accrued warranty costs [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Year	$ 5,498	$ 3,843
Provision charged to expense	3,708	2,652
Usage	(3,140)	(2,225)
Acquisitions	0	790
Currency translation	(340)	438
Balance at End of Year	$ 5,726	$ 5,498

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jan. 02, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 45,830	$ 75,425	$ 71,487
Restricted cash	287	1,421	2,082
Total Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash	$ 46,117	$ 76,846	$ 73,569	$ 66,936

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Cash Paid for Interest	$ 7,550	$ 2,624	$ 1,183
Cash Paid for Income Taxes, Net of Refunds	25,654	20,559	15,632
Non-Cash Investing Activities:
Estimated post-closing adjustment	397	0	0
Fair value of assets of acquired	0	242,048	84,969
Cash paid for acquired businesses	0	(206,950)	(58,894)
Liabilities Assumed of Acquired Businesses	0	35,098	26,075
Non-cash additions to property, plant, and equipment	917	4,620	379
Non-Cash Financing Activities:
Issuance of Company common stock upon vesting of RSUs	4,231	3,192	3,463
Dividends declared but unpaid	$ 2,444	$ 2,316	$ 2,078

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Inventory (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Raw Materials	$ 44,522	$ 38,952
Work in Process	15,876	18,203
Finished Goods (includes $494 and $1,883 at customer locations)	25,975	27,778
Inventories	86,373	84,933
Finished goods, at customer locations	$ 494	$ 1,883

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	$ 170,697	$ 165,231
Less: Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	90,540	85,508
Property, Plant and Equipment, at Cost, Net	80,157	79,723
Amortization of assets under capital leases	9,386	7,418	$ 6,194
Land
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	7,614	7,894
Buildings
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	58,866	48,094
Machinery, Equipment, and Leasehold Improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	100,453	94,779
Construction in Progress
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	3,764	14,464
Assets Held under Capital Leases
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	5,674	6,038
Less: Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	$ 764	$ 550
Minimum \| Buildings
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	10 years
Minimum \| Machinery and Equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	2 years
Maximum \| Buildings
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	40 years
Maximum \| Machinery and Equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	10 years

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	$ 178,755	$ 178,783
Currency Translation	(6,714)	(1,655)
Accumulated Amortization	(75,179)	(60,997)
Net	96,862	116,131
Acquired Intangible Assets
Gross	195,355	195,383
Currency Translation	(6,829)	(1,350)
Net	113,347	133,036
Tradenames
Acquired Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	16,600	16,600
Currency Translation	(115)	305
Net	16,485	16,905
Customer relationships
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	113,283	113,301
Currency Translation	(4,520)	(621)
Accumulated Amortization	(38,160)	(28,789)
Net	70,603	83,891
Product technology
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	46,501	46,501
Currency Translation	(1,677)	(737)
Accumulated Amortization	(23,563)	(19,841)
Net	21,261	25,923
Tradenames
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	5,227	5,227
Currency Translation	(390)	(262)
Accumulated Amortization	(1,980)	(1,504)
Net	2,857	3,461
Other
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	13,744	13,754
Currency Translation	(127)	(35)
Accumulated Amortization	(11,476)	(10,863)
Net	$ 2,141	$ 2,856

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Goodwill (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Gross Balance, Beginning Balance	$ 353,510	$ 236,964
Accumulated impairment losses	(85,509)	(85,509)
Net Balance, Beginning Balance	268,001	151,455
Increase Due to Acquisition	(92)	101,881
Currency translation	(9,735)	14,665
Goodwill period adjustments	(9,827)	116,546
Gross Balance, Ending Balance	343,683	353,510
Accumulated impairment losses	(85,509)	(85,509)
Net Balance, Ending Balance	258,174	268,001
Stock-Preparation
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Net Balance, Beginning Balance	60,275
Net Balance, Ending Balance	58,142	60,275
Doctoring, Cleaning, & Filtration
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Net Balance, Beginning Balance	35,941
Net Balance, Ending Balance	34,209	35,941
Fluid-Handling
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Net Balance, Beginning Balance	65,289
Net Balance, Ending Balance	64,052	65,289
Operating Segments \| Papermaking Systems
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Gross Balance, Beginning Balance	247,014	219,699
Accumulated impairment losses	(85,509)	(85,509)
Net Balance, Beginning Balance	161,505	134,190
Increase Due to Acquisition	(17)	16,373
Currency translation	(5,085)	10,942
Goodwill period adjustments	(5,102)	27,315
Gross Balance, Ending Balance	241,912	247,014
Accumulated impairment losses	(85,509)	(85,509)
Net Balance, Ending Balance	156,403	161,505
Operating Segments \| Wood Processing Systems
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Gross Balance, Beginning Balance	106,496	17,265
Accumulated impairment losses	0	0
Net Balance, Beginning Balance	106,496	17,265
Increase Due to Acquisition	(75)	85,508
Currency translation	(4,650)	3,723
Goodwill period adjustments	(4,725)	89,231
Gross Balance, Ending Balance	101,771	106,496
Accumulated impairment losses	0	0
Net Balance, Ending Balance	$ 101,771	$ 106,496

Acquisitions - Additional Information (Details) € in Thousands						5 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Aug. 14, 2017 USD ($)	Jul. 05, 2017 USD ($) facility	Apr. 04, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 04, 2016 EUR (€)	Dec. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition transaction costs									$ 1,321,000	$ 5,375,000	$ 1,832,000
Goodwill						$ 268,001,000	$ 268,001,000	$ 151,455,000	258,174,000	268,001,000	151,455,000
Payments to acquire businesses, net									$ 0	204,731,000	56,617,000
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets									12 years
Cash payments in acquisition									$ 0	206,950,000	$ 58,894,000
Revolving credit facility \| Euro-Denominated Borrowing
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Proceeds from revolving credit facility				$ 29,866,000
Unaflex
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility		$ 31,274,000
Business combination, additional consideration to be transferred									$ 397,000
Goodwill		$ 15,640,000
Revenue from the date of acquisition						7,335,000
Operating income from date of acquisition						187,000
Amortization expense						$ 176,000
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets		10 years
Cash payments in acquisition		$ 0
NII FPG
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility			$ 170,018,000
Goodwill			85,432,000
Revenue from the date of acquisition							48,363,000
Operating income from date of acquisition							1,238,000
Amortization expense							$ 6,399,000
Payments to acquire businesses, net			$ 170,792,000
Number of primary manufacturing facilities \| facility			2
Goodwill, expected tax deductible amount			$ 33,993,000
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets			12 years
Cash payments in acquisition			$ 2,993,000
NII FPG \| Product technology
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets			15 years
NII FPG \| Customer relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets			11 years
NII FPG \| Other intangibles
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets			4 years
NII FPG \| Revolving credit facility \| Canadian Denominated Borrowing
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility			$ 62,690,000
NII FPG \| Revolving credit facility \| Euro-Denominated Borrowing
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility			$ 61,769,000
Other
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility	$ 2,500,000									2,500,000
Goodwill	716,000
Cash payments in acquisition	$ 0
Other \| Customer relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets	11 years
PAAL
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility				29,866,000
Goodwill				38,552,000
Revenue from the date of acquisition								40,783,000
Operating income from date of acquisition								2,372,000
Amortization expense								$ 1,926,000
Payments to acquire businesses, net				56,617,000	€ 49,713
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets									12 years
Cash payments in acquisition				$ 29,193,000						$ 165,000
PAAL \| Product technology
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets									9 years
PAAL \| Customer relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets									13 years
PAAL \| Tradenames
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets									14 years
PAAL \| Other intangibles
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average useful life of acquired intangible assets									7 years

Acquisitions - Purchase Price Allocation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands					12 Months Ended
	Oct. 30, 2017	Aug. 14, 2017	Jul. 05, 2017	Apr. 04, 2016	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Net Assets Acquired:
Goodwill					$ 258,174	$ 268,001	$ 151,455
Purchase Price:
Cash					$ 0	206,950	$ 58,894
2017 Acquisitions
Net Assets Acquired:
Cash and Cash Equivalents						2,219
Accounts Receivable						8,621
Inventories						27,337
Property, Plant & Equipment						14,475
Other Assets						2,447
Goodwill						101,788
Total assets acquired						242,399
Accounts Payable						5,328
Customer Deposits						7,496
Long-Term Deferred Income Taxes						16,622
Other Liabilities						5,771
Total Liabilities Assumed						35,217
Net assets acquired						207,182
Purchase Price:
Cash						2,993
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility						203,792
Estimated Post-closing Adjustment						397
Total purchase price						207,182
2017 Acquisitions \| Tradenames
Net Assets Acquired:
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets						8,500
2017 Acquisitions \| Customer relationships
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets						54,182
2017 Acquisitions \| Product technology
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets						19,400
2017 Acquisitions \| Other
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets						3,430
NII FPG
Net Assets Acquired:
Cash and Cash Equivalents			$ 2,219
Accounts Receivable			6,542
Inventories			25,304
Property, Plant & Equipment			12,912
Other Assets			2,375
Goodwill			85,432
Total assets acquired			207,596
Accounts Payable			4,970
Customer Deposits			7,396
Long-Term Deferred Income Taxes			16,622
Other Liabilities			5,597
Total Liabilities Assumed			34,585
Net assets acquired			173,011
Purchase Price:
Cash			2,993
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility			170,018
Estimated Post-closing Adjustment			0
Total purchase price			173,011
NII FPG \| Tradenames
Net Assets Acquired:
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets			8,500
NII FPG \| Customer relationships
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets			44,682
NII FPG \| Product technology
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets			17,100
NII FPG \| Other
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets			$ 2,530
Unaflex
Net Assets Acquired:
Cash and Cash Equivalents		$ 0
Accounts Receivable		2,079
Inventories		2,033
Property, Plant & Equipment		1,279
Other Assets		72
Goodwill		15,640
Total assets acquired		32,303
Accounts Payable		358
Customer Deposits		100
Long-Term Deferred Income Taxes		0
Other Liabilities		174
Total Liabilities Assumed		632
Net assets acquired		31,671
Purchase Price:
Cash		0
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility		31,274
Estimated Post-closing Adjustment		397
Total purchase price		31,671
Unaflex \| Tradenames
Net Assets Acquired:
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets		0
Unaflex \| Customer relationships
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets		8,000
Unaflex \| Product technology
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets		2,300
Unaflex \| Other
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets		$ 900
Other
Net Assets Acquired:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$ 0
Accounts Receivable	0
Inventories	0
Property, Plant & Equipment	284
Other Assets	0
Goodwill	716
Total assets acquired	2,500
Accounts Payable	0
Customer Deposits	0
Long-Term Deferred Income Taxes	0
Other Liabilities	0
Total Liabilities Assumed	0
Net assets acquired	2,500
Purchase Price:
Cash	0
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility	2,500					2,500
Estimated Post-closing Adjustment	0
Total purchase price	2,500
Other \| Tradenames
Net Assets Acquired:
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets	0
Other \| Customer relationships
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets	1,500
Other \| Product technology
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets	0
Other \| Other
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets	$ 0
PAAL
Net Assets Acquired:
Cash and Cash Equivalents				$ 2,277
Accounts Receivable				5,441
Inventories				3,947
Property, Plant & Equipment				7,179
Other Assets				2,882
Goodwill				38,552
Total assets acquired				84,969
Accounts Payable				5,536
Customer Deposits				2,471
Obligations Under Capital Lease				4,842
Long-Term Deferred Income Taxes				6,148
Other Liabilities				6,913
Total Liabilities Assumed				25,910
Net assets acquired				59,059
Purchase Price:
Cash				29,193		$ 165
Cash Paid to Seller Borrowed Under the Revolving Credit Facility				29,866
Total purchase price				59,059
PAAL \| Customer relationships
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets				15,831
PAAL \| Product technology
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets				4,203
PAAL \| Tradenames
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets				2,278
PAAL \| Other
Net Assets Acquired:
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets				$ 2,379

Acquisitions - Pro Forma Information (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Sep. 29, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jul. 01, 2017	Apr. 01, 2017	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Earnings per Share Attributable to Kadant:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$ 18,422	$ 18,784	$ 12,349	$ 10,858	$ 760	$ 13,285	$ 8,096	$ 8,951	$ 60,413	$ 31,092	$ 32,077
NII FPG and Unaflex, LLC
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information, Nonrecurring Adjustment [Line Items]
Revenues										565,710	508,832
Net Income Attributable to Kadant										$ 44,159	$ 30,638
Earnings per Share Attributable to Kadant:
Basic (in dollars per share)										$ 4.02	$ 2.82
Diluted (in dollars per share)										$ 3.90	$ 2.75
NII FPG and Unaflex, LLC \| Acquisition-related transaction costs
Earnings per Share Attributable to Kadant:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant										$ 5,360	$ (5,360)
NII FPG and Unaflex, LLC \| Inventory revalued
Earnings per Share Attributable to Kadant:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant										5,137	(5,137)
NII FPG and Unaflex, LLC \| Intangible amortization related to acquired backlog
Earnings per Share Attributable to Kadant:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant										1,438	$ (1,669)
NII FPG and Unaflex, LLC \| Income related to gain on sale of building
Earnings per Share Attributable to Kadant:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant										$ (852)

Employee Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 20, 2017	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Number of shares available for grant		451,441	451,441
Share price (in dollars per share)		$ 81.12	$ 81.12
Cost recognized, defined contribution plan			$ 3,705	$ 3,327	$ 3,005
Curtailment gain (loss)			1,078	$ 0	$ 0
Pension benefits
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Future net periodic benefit cost		$ 65	65
Pension benefits \| U.S. Pension
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Estimated future employer contribution, next year		0	0
Former vice president, general counsel and secretary
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Compensation expense for arrangement with former vice president, general counsel and secretary			$ 374
Restricted stock units for non employee directors (RSUs)
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Grants in period			2,700	3,000	5,000
Performance-based restricted stock units
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Shares received upon vesting (in shares)			1
Award vesting period			3 years
Compensation cost not yet recognized		2,164	$ 2,164
Compensation cost not yet recognized, recognition period			1 year 4 months 24 days
Time-based restricted stock units
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Shares received upon vesting (in shares)			1
Compensation cost not yet recognized		$ 2,937	$ 2,937
Compensation cost not yet recognized, recognition period			1 year 9 months 18 days
Restricted stock unit awards
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Grants in period			73,000
Unvested RSU's at end of year (in shares)		156,000	156,000	199,000
Weighted average grant date fair value, granted (in dollars per share)			$ 98.12	$ 59.30	$ 40.41
Fair value of awards vested in period			$ 11,932	$ 6,719	$ 6,233
Weighted-average grant date fair value (in dollars per share)		$ 68.57	$ 68.57	$ 49.32
Restricted stock unit awards \| Former vice president, general counsel and secretary
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Grants in period	4,254
Weighted-average grant date fair value (in dollars per share)	$ 93.82
Compensation and options expense for arrangement with former vice president, general counsel and secretary	$ 332
Stock option awards
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Award vesting period			3 years
Award expiration period			10 years
Options exercised during the period (in shares)			8,000	0
Employee Stock Purchase Plan Awards
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Discount to market under the ESOP			15.00%
Maximum period of restriction on resale under ESOP			1 year
Maximum participation based on compensation percentage under ESOP		10.00%	10.00%
Stock issued during period under ESOP			10,439	13,156	17,874
Other long-term liabiltiies
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Curtailment gain (loss)		$ 4,862
Other expense, net
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Curtailment gain (loss)		$ (1,425)

Employee Benefit Plans - Components Stock-Based Compensation Expense (Details) - Selling, general and administrative expenses - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 7,027	$ 5,803	$ 5,069
RSU Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	6,838	5,621	4,848
Employee Stock Purchase Plan Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	189	182	170
Stock Option Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 0	$ 0	$ 51

Employee Benefit Plans - Activity of the Unvested RSUs (Details) - RSU Awards - $ / shares shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Units
Unvested RSUs at beginning of year (in shares)	199
Granted (in shares)	73
Vested (in shares)	(116)
Unvested RSU's at end of year (in shares)	156	199
Weighted Average Grant- Date Fair Value
Weighted average grant date fair value, balance at beginning of year (in dollars per share)	$ 49.32
Weighted average grant date fair value, granted (in dollars per share)	98.12	$ 59.30	$ 40.41
Weighted average grant date fair value, vested (in dollars per share)	54.11
Weighted average grant date fair value, balance at end of year (in dollars per share)	$ 68.57	$ 49.32

Employee Benefit Plans - Stock Option Activity (Details) - Stock Option Awards - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Number of Shares
Options Outstanding, Beginning Balance (in shares)	307,000
Exercised (in shares)	(8,000)	0
Options Outstanding, Ending Balance (in shares)	299,000	307,000
Vested and Exercisable at end of year (in shares)	299,000
Weighted Average Exercise Price
Options Outstanding, Beginning Balance (in dollars per share)	$ 20.72
Exercised (in dollars per share)	15.51
Options Outstanding, Ending Balance (in dollars per share)	20.86	$ 20.72
Vested and Exercisable at end of year (in dollars per share)	$ 20.86
Additional Information:
Weighted average remaining contractual life, options outstanding at end of year	2 years 6 months
Weighted average remaining contractual life, vested and exercisable at end of year	2 years 6 months
Aggregate intrinsic value, options outstanding at end of year	$ 18,029
Aggregate intrinsic value, vested and exercisable at end of year	$ 18,029

Employee Benefit Plans - Stock Option Exercises (Details) - Stock Option Awards - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 31, 2016
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total Intrinsic Value of Options Exercised	$ 515	$ 1,341
Cash Received from Options Exercised	$ 127	$ 1,189

Employee Benefit Plans - Changes in Plans and AOCI Impacts (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Pension benefits \| U.S. Pension
Change in Projected Benefit Obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$ 34,757	$ 31,935
Acquisition	0	0
Service cost	699	685	$ 723
Interest cost	1,193	1,231	1,273
Actuarial (gain) loss	(2,674)	2,626
Benefits paid	(1,589)	(1,720)
Plan amendment	1,116	0
Effect of curtailment	(3,787)	0
Currency translation	0	0
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	29,715	34,757	31,935
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	31,754	28,985
Actual return on plan assets	(1,436)	3,409
Employer contributions	0	1,080
Benefits paid	(1,589)	(1,720)
Currency translation	0	0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	28,729	31,754	28,985
Unfunded Status	(986)	(3,003)
Accumulated Benefit Obligation at End of Year	29,715	30,311
Current liability	(986)	0
Non-current liability	0	(3,003)
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	(3,205)	(7,485)
Unrecognized prior service cost	0	0
Total	(3,205)	(7,485)
Net actuarial (loss) gain	(48)	(544)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	541	442
Amortization of prior service cost	0	53
Plan amendment	(1,116)	0
Effect of curtailment	3,787	0
Curtailment loss	1,116	0
Currency translation	0	0
Total	4,280	(49)
Pension benefits \| Non-U.S. Pension
Change in Projected Benefit Obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	4,270	3,341
Acquisition	0	241
Service cost	173	148	102
Interest cost	126	114	107
Actuarial (gain) loss	(368)	270
Benefits paid	(394)	(265)
Plan amendment	0	0
Effect of curtailment	0	0
Currency translation	(136)	421
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	3,671	4,270	3,341
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	557	426
Actual return on plan assets	38	23
Employer contributions	528	355
Benefits paid	(394)	(265)
Currency translation	(3)	18
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	726	557	426
Unfunded Status	(2,945)	(3,713)
Accumulated Benefit Obligation at End of Year	2,604	3,047
Current liability	(58)	(205)
Non-current liability	(2,887)	(3,508)
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	(674)	(1,085)
Unrecognized prior service cost	(45)	(52)
Total	(719)	(1,137)
Net actuarial (loss) gain	368	(277)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	63	38
Amortization of prior service cost	6	6
Plan amendment	0	0
Effect of curtailment	0	0
Curtailment loss	0	0
Currency translation	(19)	(78)
Total	418	(311)
Other Post-Retirement
Change in Projected Benefit Obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	4,704	3,894
Acquisition	0	0
Service cost	213	175	130
Interest cost	172	170	156
Actuarial (gain) loss	(508)	635
Benefits paid	(157)	(175)
Plan amendment	322	0
Effect of curtailment	(1,075)	0
Currency translation	1	5
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	3,672	4,704	3,894
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	35	28
Actual return on plan assets	2	1
Employer contributions	164	179
Benefits paid	(157)	(175)
Currency translation	0	2
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	44	35	$ 28
Unfunded Status	(3,628)	(4,669)
Accumulated Benefit Obligation at End of Year	0	0
Current liability	(144)	(173)
Non-current liability	(3,484)	(4,496)
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	(69)	(1,424)
Unrecognized prior service cost	0	(439)
Total	(69)	(1,863)
Net actuarial (loss) gain	508	(634)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	136	83
Amortization of prior service cost	86	88
Plan amendment	(322)	0
Effect of curtailment	1,075	0
Curtailment loss	309	0
Currency translation	2	(3)
Total	$ 1,794	$ (466)

Employee Benefit Plans - Weighted-Average Assumptions Used (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Pension benefits \| U.S. Pension
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation
Discount rate	4.10%	3.51%
Rate of compensation increase	0.00%	3.00%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost
Discount Rate	3.51%	4.03%	4.22%
Expected Long-Term Return on Plan Assets	4.50%	5.00%	5.00%
Rate of Compensation Increase	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%
Pension benefits \| Non-U.S. Pension
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation
Discount rate	3.56%	3.16%
Rate of compensation increase	3.24%	3.33%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost
Discount Rate	3.49%	3.45%	3.87%
Expected Long-Term Return on Plan Assets	7.43%	7.53%	7.72%
Rate of Compensation Increase	3.97%	3.65%	3.67%
Other Post-Retirement
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation
Discount rate	4.32%	3.71%
Rate of compensation increase	5.57%	3.11%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost
Discount Rate	3.58%	4.10%	4.28%
Expected Long-Term Return on Plan Assets	7.43%	7.53%	7.72%
Rate of Compensation Increase	3.05%	3.08%	3.05%

Employee Benefit Plans - Plans with Projected Benefit Obligations in Excess of Fair Value of Plan Assets (Details) - Pension benefits - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
U.S. Pension
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Projected benefit obligation	$ 29,715	$ 34,757
Fair value of plan assets	28,729	31,754
Non-U.S. Pension
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Projected benefit obligation	3,671	4,270
Fair value of plan assets	$ 726	$ 557

Employee Benefit Plans - Plans with Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets (Details) - Pension benefits - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
U.S. Pension
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation	$ 29,715	$ 0
Fair value of plan assets	28,729	0
Non-U.S. Pension
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation	2,604	3,047
Fair value of plan assets	$ 726	$ 557

Employee Benefit Plans - Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Other Post-Retirement
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Service cost	$ 213	$ 175	$ 130
Interest cost	172	170	156
Expected return on plan assets	(3)	(2)	(2)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	136	83	50
Amortization of prior service cost	86	88	88
Settlement loss	0	0	114
Curtailment loss	309	0	0
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	913	514	536
U.S. Pension \| Pension benefits
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Service cost	699	685	723
Interest cost	1,193	1,231	1,273
Expected return on plan assets	(1,286)	(1,326)	(1,288)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	541	442	498
Amortization of prior service cost	0	53	55
Settlement loss	0	0	0
Curtailment loss	1,116	0	0
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	2,263	1,085	1,261
Non-U.S. Pension \| Pension benefits
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Service cost	173	148	102
Interest cost	126	114	107
Expected return on plan assets	(42)	(25)	(25)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	63	38	39
Amortization of prior service cost	6	6	4
Settlement loss	0	0	0
Curtailment loss	0	0	0
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$ 326	$ 281	$ 227

Employee Benefit Plans - Fair Value of Plan Assets (Details) - Pension benefits - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
U.S. Pension
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Investments measured at NAV	$ 4,296	$ 9,431
Total assets at fair value	28,729	31,754
U.S. Pension \| Money market funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	12,852	17,560
U.S. Pension \| Money market funds \| Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	12,852	17,560
U.S. Pension \| Money market funds \| Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	0	0
U.S. Pension \| Money market funds \| Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	0	0
U.S. Pension \| Equity funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value		4,763
U.S. Pension \| Equity funds \| Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value		4,763
U.S. Pension \| Fixed income funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	11,581
U.S. Pension \| Fixed income funds \| Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	11,581
U.S. Pension \| Fixed income funds \| Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	0
U.S. Pension \| Fixed income funds \| Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	0
Non-U.S. Pension
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	726	557	$ 426
Non-U.S. Pension \| Mutual funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	726	557
Non-U.S. Pension \| Mutual funds \| Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	726	557
Non-U.S. Pension \| Mutual funds \| Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension \| Mutual funds \| Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value	$ 0	$ 0

Employee Benefit Plans - Target Asset Allocation of Plan Assets (Details) - Pension benefits	Dec. 29, 2018
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target asset allocation	100.00%
Money market funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target asset allocation	45.00%
Money market funds \| Minimum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target asset allocation	0.00%
Money market funds \| Maximum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target asset allocation	100.00%
Debt Securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target asset allocation	55.00%
Debt Securities \| Minimum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target asset allocation	0.00%
Debt Securities \| Maximum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target asset allocation	100.00%

Employee Benefit Plans - Estimated Future Benefit Payments (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($)
Other Post-Retirement
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
2019	$ 151
2020	2,871
2021	133
2022	127
2023	114
2024-2028	480
U.S. Pension \| Pension benefits
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
2019	29,715
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
2023	0
2024-2028	0
Non-U.S. Pension \| Pension benefits
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
2019	194
2020	142
2021	211
2022	312
2023	330
2024-2028	$ 2,117

Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Details) - $ / shares	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Preferred Stock [Abstract]
Preferred stock, authorized (in shares)	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred stock, par value (in usd per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common Stock [Abstract]
Common stock reserved and unissued (in shares)	945,279

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 - provisional net income tax expense		$ 7,487,000
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 - one-time transition tax		10,303,000
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 - tax benefit from remeasurement of deferred tax liabilities		2,816,000
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 - decrease in one-time transition tax	$ (138,000)
Excess tax benefit related to share-based compensation	1,097,000	608,000	$ 582,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred tax assets, Valuation allowance	9,946,000	10,835,000
Increase (decrease) of deferred tax asset valuation allowance	(889,000)
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries	283,922,000
Provision for unremitted foreign earnings	830,000
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries excluding those repatriated back domestically	272,846,000
Estimated withholding liability related to undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries	4,949,000
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate	12,364,000
Income tax penalties and accrued interest from unrecognized tax benefits	2,087,000	1,523,000
Income tax penalties and interest expense from unrecognized tax benefits	544,000	$ 199,000
Upper bound estimated range of change of significant decrease in unrecognized tax benefits	$ 841,000
Estimated time frame for significant change in unrecognized tax benefits	12 months
Internal revenue service (IRS)
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred tax assets, Valuation allowance	$ 418,000
Foreign tax authority
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred tax assets, Valuation allowance	9,528,000
Operating loss carryforwards	44,495,000
State and local jurisdiction
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforwards	$ 25,852,000

Income Taxes - Components of Income Before Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Domestic	$ (397)	$ 2,797	$ 6,196
Foreign	79,925	54,856	38,353
Total income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes	$ 79,528	$ 57,653	$ 44,549

Income Taxes - Components of Provision for Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current Provision:
Federal	$ 724	$ 7,835	$ 535
Foreign	21,829	17,372	11,323
State	169	285	838
Current provision	22,722	25,492	12,696
Deferred (Benefit) Provision:
Federal	(2,551)	4,682	1,738
Foreign	(1,761)	(3,563)	(1,818)
State	72	(541)	(533)
Deferred (benefit) provision	(4,240)	578	(613)
Continuing Operations	$ 18,482	$ 26,070	$ 12,083

Income Taxes - Continuing and Discontinued Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Continuing Operations	$ 18,482	$ 26,070	$ 12,083
Discontinued Operation	0	0	2
Provision for Income Taxes Including Discontinued Operation	$ 18,482	$ 26,070	$ 12,085

Income Taxes - Reconciliation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Provision for Income Taxes at Statutory Rate (21% in 2018 and 35% in 2017 and 2016)	$ 16,701	$ 20,179	$ 15,592
Increases (Decreases) Resulting From:
State income taxes, net of federal tax	164	151	189
U.S. tax cost of foreign earnings	1,215	761	192
Foreign tax rate differential	3,158	(3,747)	(3,921)
(Reversal of) provision for tax benefit reserves, net	(1,785)	1,517	(76)
Change in valuation allowance	141	(341)	(131)
Nondeductible expenses	781	1,177	1,090
Research and development tax credits	(445)	(297)	(229)
Excess tax benefit related to stock-based compensation	(967)	(581)	(553)
Impact of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act	(106)	7,093	0
Other	(375)	158	(70)
Continuing Operations	$ 18,482	$ 26,070	$ 12,083

Income Taxes - Net Deferred Tax Liability (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Deferred Tax Asset:
Foreign, state, and alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards	$ 184	$ 185
Reserves and accruals	3,555	4,455
Net operating loss carryforwards	12,785	15,161
Inventory basis difference	3,692	3,265
Research and development	0	88
Employee compensation	4,382	2,610
Allowance for doubtful accounts	482	505
Other	294	59
Deferred tax asset, gross	25,374	26,328
Less: valuation allowance	(9,946)	(10,835)
Deferred tax asset, net	15,428	15,493
Deferred Tax Liability:
Goodwill and intangible assets	(28,060)	(32,120)
Fixed asset basis difference	(3,565)	(4,213)
Provision for unremitted foreign earnings	(1,124)	(2,718)
Research and development	(54)	0
Other	(619)	(554)
Deferred tax liability	(33,422)	(39,605)
Net deferred tax liability	$ (17,994)	$ (24,112)

Income Taxes - Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Roll Forward]
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Beginning of Year	$ 7,843	$ 5,467
Gross Increases—Tax Positions in Prior Periods	1,019	4
Gross Decreases—Tax Positions in Prior Periods	(390)	(22)
Gross Increases—Current-period Tax Positions	7,344	2,229
Settlements	(131)	0
Lapses of Statutes of Limitations	(3,190)	(11)
Decrease from Currency Translation	(131)
Increase from Currency Translation		176
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, End of Year	$ 12,364	$ 7,843

Long-Term Obligations - Long-term Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Obligations Under Capital Lease, due 2019 to 2022	$ 4,144	$ 4,633
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense	(148)	0
Total	175,821	242,080
Less: Current Maturities of Long-Term Obligations	(1,668)	(696)
Long-Term Obligations	174,153	241,384
Revolving credit facility, due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	141,106	237,011
Commercial Real Estate Loan, due 2019 to 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	20,475	0
Senior Promissory Notes, due 2023 to 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	10,000
Other Borrowings, due 2019 to 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Other borrowings	$ 244	$ 436

Long-Term Obligations - Additional Information (Details)		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 06, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 01, 2018 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 04, 2016 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Payment of debt issuance costs			$ 934,000	$ 1,257,000	$ 27,000
Unamortized debt issuance costs		$ 148,000	148,000	0
Loans receivable		692,000	692,000
Outstanding capital lease obligations		$ 4,144,000	4,144,000	4,633,000
Commercial Real Estate Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Payment of debt issuance costs			$ 158,000
Effective interest rate		4.60%	4.60%
Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		$ 141,106,000	$ 141,106,000	$ 237,011,000
Remaining borrowing capacity		$ 258,864,000	$ 258,864,000
Weighted average interest rate for long-term obligations		3.47%	3.47%
Revolving credit facility \| 2017 Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term of debt agreement				5 years
Borrowing capacity available under committed portion						$ 400,000,000	$ 300,000,000
Additional borrowing capacity						$ 150,000,000	$ 100,000,000
Basis spread on variable rate floor (as a percentage)				0.00%
Maximum amount of unrestricted U.S. cash		$ 30,000,000	$ 30,000,000
Maximum consolidated leverage ratio		3.75
Minimum consolidated interest coverage ratio		4.00
Long-term debt		$ 141,106,000	141,106,000
Payment of debt issuance costs			741,000
Unamortized debt issuance costs		1,735,000	1,735,000	$ 1,285,000
Revolving credit facility \| Canadian Denominated Borrowing
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		41,612,000	41,612,000
Revolving credit facility \| Euro-Denominated Borrowing
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		$ 19,494,000	19,494,000
Revolving credit facility \| Federal funds rate \| 2017 Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percentage)		0.50%
Revolving credit facility \| LIBOR \| 2017 Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percentage)		0.50%
Revolving credit facility \| LIBOR \| Minimum \| 2017 Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percentage)		1.00%
Revolving credit facility \| LIBOR \| Maximum \| 2017 Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percentage)		2.25%
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		$ 10,000,000	10,000,000
Senior Notes \| Note Purchase Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Additional borrowing capacity		115,000,000	115,000,000
Payment of debt issuance costs			193,000
Principal amount		$ 10,000,000	$ 10,000,000
Fixed interest rate		4.90%	4.90%
Senior Notes \| Minimum \| Note Purchase Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt prepayment cost			$ 1,000,000
Secured Debt \| Commercial Real Estate Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 10,500,000
Principal amount	21,000,000
Quarterly installment amount	$ 262,500
Fixed interest rate	4.45%
Capital Lease Obligations \| Sale Leaseback Arrangement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Effective interest rate		1.79%	1.79%
Net purchase option								$ 1,524,000
Outstanding capital lease obligations		$ 4,082,000	$ 4,082,000
Capital Lease Obligations \| Other Capital Lease Obligations
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding capital lease obligations		$ 62,000	$ 62,000
Debt Covenant Period One \| Secured Debt \| Commercial Real Estate Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Prepayment fee	2.00%
Debt Covenant Period Two \| Secured Debt \| Commercial Real Estate Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Prepayment fee	1.00%

Long-Term Obligations - Future Repayments of Debt (Details) - Credit Facility, Real Estate Loan and Note Purchase Agreement $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
2019	$ 1,050
2020	1,050
2021	1,050
2022	1,050
2023	143,823
2024 and Thereafter	23,558
Long-term debt	$ 171,581

Long-Term Obligations - Future Minimum Capital Lease Payments (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
2019	$ 571
2020	578
2021	542
2022	1,099
Total minimum lease payments	2,790
Less: Imputed Interest	(170)
Present Value of Minimum Lease Payments	$ 2,620

Commitments and Contingencies - Operating Leases (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Expenses from operating leases	$ 5,575	$ 4,955	$ 4,298
2019	4,507
2020	3,275
2021	2,230
2022	1,579
2023	987
Due Thereafter	1,713
Future Minimum Payments Due	$ 14,291

Commitments and Contingencies - Letters of Credit and Bank Guarantees (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($)
Performance Obligations and Customer Deposit Guarantees
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees	$ 18,320

Commitments and Contingencies - Right of Recourse (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Banker's Acceptances Executed	$ 12,406	$ 10,035

Restructuring Costs and Other Income - Additional Information (Details) ft² in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($) Employee	Dec. 30, 2017 USD ($) ft²	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Manufacturing facility square footage (in sqft) \| ft²		160
Restructuring provision (reversal)	$ 1,717	$ 203
Loss (gain) on sale of property, plant, and equipment	(110)	(42)	$ 350
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	$ 195	130	$ 428
United States
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of positions eliminated related to restructuring \| Employee	4
Sweden
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of positions eliminated related to restructuring \| Employee	6
Loss (gain) on sale of property, plant, and equipment		317
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment		368
Employee severance
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring provision (reversal)	$ (55)	203
Restructuring Plan 2017
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring provision (reversal)	1,717
Restructuring Plan 2017 \| Employee severance
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring provision (reversal)	(55)	203
Restructuring Plan 2017 \| Facility-related closing costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Expected total costs		$ 1,920
Restructuring Plan 2017 \| Relocation Of Machinery And Equipment And Administrative Offices
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring provision (reversal)	1,318
Restructuring Plan 2017 \| Employee Retention, Facility Closing, And Other Closure Costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring provision (reversal)	$ 454

Restructuring Costs and Other Income - Changes in Accrued Restructuring (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	$ 203
(Reversal) Provision	1,717	$ 203
Usage	(1,840)
Currency translation	(17)
Balance at end of period	63	203
Restructuring Plan 2017
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
(Reversal) Provision	1,717
Severance Costs
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	203
(Reversal) Provision	(55)	203
Usage	(77)
Currency translation	(8)
Balance at end of period	63	203
Severance Costs \| Restructuring Plan 2017
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
(Reversal) Provision	(55)	203
Relocation
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	0
(Reversal) Provision	1,318
Usage	(1,315)
Currency translation	(3)
Balance at end of period	0	0
Other
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	0
(Reversal) Provision	454
Usage	(448)
Currency translation	(6)
Balance at end of period	$ 0	$ 0

Derivatives - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	May 31, 2018	Jan. 16, 2015
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Amounts to be reclassified into earnings	$ 8,000
Swap Agreement 2018
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, floor interest rate	0.00%
Forward Currency-Exchange Contracts \| Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Loss on foreign currency derivative instruments, not designated as hedging	$ 27,000	$ 1,367,000	$ 797,000
Cash Flow Hedging \| Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Rate of effectiveness of derivative agreement	100.00%
Cash Flow Hedging \| Swap Agreement 2018 \| Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amount				$ 15,000,000
Derivative, fixed interest rate				3.15%
Cash Flow Hedging \| Swap Agreement 2015 \| Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amount					$ 10,000,000
Cash Flow Hedging \| Swap Agreement 2015 \| Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments \| LIBOR
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, fixed interest rate					1.50%
Cash Flow Hedging \| Forward Currency-Exchange Contracts \| Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Period over which entity manages its level of exposure of risk	12 months

Derivatives - Fair Value (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments \| Swap Agreement 2015 \| Other Long-Term Assets
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	$ 148	$ 126
Derivative Asset, Notional Amount	10,000	10,000
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments \| Forward Currency-Exchange Contracts \| Other Long-Term Assets
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	11	0
Derivative Asset, Notional Amount	842	0
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments \| Forward Currency-Exchange Contracts \| Other Current Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	(50)	0
Derivative Liability, Notional Amount	2,946	0
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments \| Swap Agreement 2018 \| Other long-term liabiltiies
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	(352)	0
Derivative Liability, Notional Amount	15,000	0
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments \| Forward Currency-Exchange Contracts \| Other Current Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	(31)	(16)
Derivative Liability, Notional Amount	1,384	2,049
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments \| Forward Currency-Exchange Contracts \| Other Current Assets
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	9	17
Derivative Asset, Notional Amount	$ 1,192	$ 1,244

Derivatives - AOCI Activity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 332,504	$ 284,279	$ 267,945
Loss recognized in AOCI	(276)	67	241
Ending balance	374,571	332,504	$ 284,279
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments \| Cash Flow Hedging
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	79
Loss (gain) reclassified to earnings	(8)
Loss recognized in AOCI	(268)
Ending balance	(197)	79
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments \| Cash Flow Hedging \| Interest rate swap agreements
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	79
Loss (gain) reclassified to earnings	8
Loss recognized in AOCI	(257)
Ending balance	(170)	79
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments \| Cash Flow Hedging \| Forward Currency-Exchange Contracts
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0
Loss (gain) reclassified to earnings	(16)
Loss recognized in AOCI	(11)
Ending balance	$ (27)	$ 0

Fair Value Measurements and Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Assets and Liabilities, Recurring Basis (Details) - Recurring - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Assets:
Money market funds and time deposits	$ 6,902	$ 17,728
Banker's acceptance drafts	7,976	15,960
2015 Swap Agreement	148	126
Forward currency-exchange contracts	20	17
Liabilities:
2018 Swap Agreement	352
Forward currency-exchange contracts	81	16
Level 1
Assets:
Money market funds and time deposits	6,902	17,728
Banker's acceptance drafts	0	0
2015 Swap Agreement	0	0
Forward currency-exchange contracts	0	0
Liabilities:
2018 Swap Agreement	0
Forward currency-exchange contracts	0	0
Level 2
Assets:
Money market funds and time deposits	0	0
Banker's acceptance drafts	7,976	15,960
2015 Swap Agreement	148	126
Forward currency-exchange contracts	20	17
Liabilities:
2018 Swap Agreement	352
Forward currency-exchange contracts	81	16
Level 3
Assets:
Money market funds and time deposits	0	0
Banker's acceptance drafts	0	0
2015 Swap Agreement	0	0
Forward currency-exchange contracts	0	0
Liabilities:
2018 Swap Agreement	0
Forward currency-exchange contracts	$ 0	$ 0

Fair Value Measurements and Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Debt Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017
Carrying Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility	$ 141,106	$ 237,011
Commercial real estate loan	20,475	0
Senior promissory notes	10,000	0
Capital lease obligations	4,144	4,633
Other borrowings	244	436
Debt obligations	175,969	242,080
Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility	141,106	237,011
Commercial real estate loan	20,575	0
Senior promissory notes	10,120	0
Capital lease obligations	4,144	4,633
Other borrowings	244	436
Debt obligations	$ 176,189	$ 242,080

Business Segment and Geographical Information - Additional Information (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($) Segment	Dec. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments \| Segment	2
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Acquisition transaction costs	$ 1,321	$ 5,375	$ 1,832
Restructuring and other expense (income)	1,717	203	(317)
Curtailment gain (loss)	1,078	0	0
Operating Segments \| Papermaking Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Acquisition transaction costs		787	3,491
Restructuring and other expense (income)	1,717	203	$ (317)
Operating Segments \| Wood Processing Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Acquisition transaction costs	252	$ 11,163
General and Administrative Expense
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Acquisition transaction costs	$ 1,321

Business Segment and Geographical Information - Revenues and Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Sep. 29, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jul. 01, 2017	Apr. 01, 2017	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues	$ 163,935	$ 165,745	$ 154,913	$ 149,193	$ 149,140	$ 152,794	$ 110,242	$ 102,857	$ 633,786	$ 515,033	$ 414,126
Income from Continuing Operations Before Provision for Income Taxes:
Total operating income									88,598	61,625	46,642
Interest expense, net									(6,653)	(3,100)	(1,024)
Other expense, net									(2,417)	(872)	(1,069)
Income from Continuing Operations Before Provision for Income Taxes									79,528	57,653	44,549
Total Assets:
Total Assets	725,749				761,094				725,749	761,094	470,691
Depreciation and Amortization:
Depreciation and amortization									23,568	19,375	14,326
Capital Expenditures:
Capital expenditures									16,559	17,281	5,804
Long-lived assets	80,157				79,723				80,157	79,723	47,704
United States
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									234,487	182,788	165,335
Capital Expenditures:
Long-lived assets	35,446				32,852				35,446	32,852	18,482
China
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									89,645	63,910	43,299
Capital Expenditures:
Long-lived assets	11,069				11,685				11,069	11,685	10,714
Canada
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									61,096	47,611	28,888
Capital Expenditures:
Long-lived assets	8,193				9,449				8,193	9,449	1,125
Finland
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									10,934	8,607	3,885
Capital Expenditures:
Long-lived assets	6,998				5,841				6,998	5,841	0
Germany
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									26,577	32,026	18,095
Capital Expenditures:
Long-lived assets	6,223				6,452				6,223	6,452	5,792
Other
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									211,047	180,091	154,624
Capital Expenditures:
Long-lived assets	12,228				13,444				12,228	13,444	11,591
Operating Segments \| Papermaking Systems Segment
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									469,899	407,605	366,461
Income from Continuing Operations Before Provision for Income Taxes:
Total operating income									83,454	73,069	58,025
Total Assets:
Total Assets	462,297				494,919				462,297	494,919	407,538
Depreciation and Amortization:
Depreciation and amortization									12,561	11,239	11,513
Capital Expenditures:
Capital expenditures									12,717	14,359	5,504
Operating Segments \| Papermaking Systems Segment \| Stock-Preparation
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									221,933	193,838	171,378
Operating Segments \| Papermaking Systems Segment \| Fluid-Handling
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									131,830	104,136	89,145
Operating Segments \| Papermaking Systems Segment \| Doctoring, Cleaning, & Filtration
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									116,136	109,631	105,938
Operating Segments \| Wood Processing Systems
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									151,366	95,053	36,850
Income from Continuing Operations Before Provision for Income Taxes:
Total operating income									31,237	10,005	8,327
Total Assets:
Total Assets	247,553				257,467				247,553	257,467	52,407
Depreciation and Amortization:
Depreciation and amortization									10,317	7,515	2,188
Capital Expenditures:
Capital expenditures									3,272	2,333	29
Corporate and Fiber-based Products
Income from Continuing Operations Before Provision for Income Taxes:
Total operating income									(26,093)	(21,449)	(19,710)
Total Assets:
Total Assets	$ 15,899				$ 8,708				15,899	8,708	10,746
Depreciation and Amortization:
Depreciation and amortization									690	621	625
Capital Expenditures:
Capital expenditures									570	589	271
Corporate and Fiber-based Products \| Fiber-based Products
Revenues by Product Line:
Revenues									$ 12,521	$ 12,375	$ 10,815

Earnings per Share - Computation (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Sep. 29, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jul. 01, 2017	Apr. 01, 2017	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Income from Continuing Operations									$ 60,413	$ 31,092	$ 32,074
Income from Discontinued Operation									0	0	3
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$ 18,422	$ 18,784	$ 12,349	$ 10,858	$ 760	$ 13,285	$ 8,096	$ 8,951	$ 60,413	$ 31,092	$ 32,077
Basic Weighted Average Shares									11,086	10,991	10,869
Effect of Stock Options, Restricted Stock Units and Employee Stock Purchase Plan Shares									314	321	280
Diluted Weighted Average Shares									11,400	11,312	11,149
Basic EPS
Continuing Operations (in dollars per share)									$ 5.45	$ 2.83	$ 2.95
Discontinued Operation (in dollars per share)									0.00	0.00	0.00
Net Income per Basic Share (in dollars per share)	$ 1.66	$ 1.69	$ 1.11	$ 0.98	$ 0.07	$ 1.21	$ 0.74	$ 0.82	5.45	2.83	2.95
Diluted EPS
Continuing Operations (in dollars per share)									5.30	2.75	2.88
Discontinued Operation (in dollars per share)									0.00	0.00	0.00
Net Income per Diluted Share (in dollars per share)	$ 1.61	$ 1.64	$ 1.08	$ 0.96	$ 0.07	$ 1.17	$ 0.72	$ 0.80	$ 5.30	$ 2.75	$ 2.88

Earnings per Share - Additional Information (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Restricted stock unit awards
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Amount of antidilutive securities excluded from computation of EPS	18,700	15,600	36,700

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items - Components of AOCI on the Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 332,504	$ 284,279	$ 267,945
Ending balance	374,571	332,504	284,279
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(17,501)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(17,303)
Reclassifications from AOCI	0
Net current period other comprehensive (loss) income	(17,303)
Ending balance	(34,804)	(17,501)
Unrecognized Prior Service (Cost) Income on Retirement Benefit Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(319)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(810)
Reclassifications from AOCI	1,149
Net current period other comprehensive (loss) income	339
Ending balance	20	(319)
Net Actuarial Loss on Retirement Benefit Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(8,974)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	4,020
Reclassifications from AOCI	559
Net current period other comprehensive (loss) income	4,579
Ending balance	(4,395)	(8,974)
Deferred Gain (Loss) on Cash Flow Hedges
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	79
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(268)
Reclassifications from AOCI	(8)
Net current period other comprehensive (loss) income	(276)
Ending balance	(197)	79
Total
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(26,715)	(49,637)	(36,972)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(14,361)
Reclassifications from AOCI	1,700
Net current period other comprehensive (loss) income	(12,661)
Ending balance	$ (39,376)	$ (26,715)	$ (49,637)

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items - Reclassification Out of AOCI (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Other expense, net	$ (2,417)	$ (872)	$ (1,069)
Interest expense	(7,032)	(3,547)	(1,293)
Cost of revenues	(355,505)	(283,886)	(225,587)
Amortization of actuarial losses
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Total Reclassifications	(559)
Amortization of prior service costs
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Total Reclassifications	(1,149)
Cash Flow Hedges
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Total Reclassifications	8
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Total Reclassifications	(1,700)	(548)	(964)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income \| Amortization of actuarial losses
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Other expense, net	(740)	(563)	(701)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income \| Amortization of prior service costs
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Other expense, net	(92)	(147)	(147)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income \| Curtailment loss
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Other expense, net	(1,425)	0	0
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income \| Pension and Other Post-retirement Plans
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Total income (expense) before income taxes	(2,257)	(710)	(848)
Income tax (provision) benefit	549	246	295
Total Reclassifications	(1,708)	(464)	(553)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income \| Cash Flow Hedges
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Total income (expense) before income taxes	11	(127)	(374)
Income tax (provision) benefit	(3)	43	(37)
Total Reclassifications	8	(84)	(411)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income \| Cash Flow Hedges \| Interest Rate Swap
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Interest expense	(11)	(30)	(174)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income \| Cash Flow Hedges \| Forward Currency-Exchange Contracts
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Items [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0	(14)
Cost of revenues	$ 22	$ (97)	$ (186)

Unaudited Quarterly Information - Summary of Quarterly Information (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2018	Sep. 29, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jul. 01, 2017	Apr. 01, 2017	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 163,935	$ 165,745	$ 154,913	$ 149,193	$ 149,140	$ 152,794	$ 110,242	$ 102,857	$ 633,786	$ 515,033	$ 414,126
Gross Profit	70,945	73,093	68,164	66,079	64,623	64,655	52,852	49,017
Amounts Attributable to Kadant:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$ 18,422	$ 18,784	$ 12,349	$ 10,858	$ 760	$ 13,285	$ 8,096	$ 8,951	$ 60,413	$ 31,092	$ 32,077
Basic Earnings per Share:
Net Income Attributable to Kadant (in dollars per share)	$ 1.66	$ 1.69	$ 1.11	$ 0.98	$ 0.07	$ 1.21	$ 0.74	$ 0.82	$ 5.45	$ 2.83	$ 2.95
Earnings Per Share, Diluted [Abstract]
Net Income Attributable to Kadant (in dollars per share)	1.61	1.64	1.08	0.96	0.07	1.17	0.72	0.80	5.30	2.75	2.88
Cash Dividends Declared per Common Share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.22	$ 0.22	$ 0.22	$ 0.22	$ 0.21	$ 0.21	$ 0.21	$ 0.21	$ 0.88	$ 0.84	$ 0.76

Subsequent Events - (Details)			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Subsequent Events - (Details)	Jan. 02, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) Employee	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 29, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Acquisition transaction costs				$ 1,321,000	$ 5,375,000	$ 1,832,000
Syntron Material Handling Group, LLC \| Subsequent event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Purchase price	$ 179,000,000
Revenues		$ 89,365,000
Number of employees \| Employee		250
Selling, general and administrative expenses \| Syntron Material Handling Group, LLC
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Acquisition transaction costs			$ 1,321,000
Revolving credit facility \| 2018 Credit Agreement \| Subsequent event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Principal amount		$ 180,000,000