View Filing Data

1,561.1

1,414.3

1,251.5

1,145.6

979.2

837.6

756.9

680.3

607.6

12.4

(0.2)

8.5

376.3

299.1

221.5

Other Expense (Income):

Interest expense, net

31.5

32.1

31.2

1.2

1.3

(2.8)

Total Other Expense

32.7

33.4

28.4

343.6

265.7

193.1

121.5

89.9

65.7

Basic Earnings per Share (in dollars per share)

$ 222.1

$ 175.8

$ 127.4

Earnings Per Share:

$ 5.13

$ 4.07

$ 2.97

Basic Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding (in shares)

43.1

42.8

42.2

Diluted Earnings per Share (in dollars per share)

$ 5.09

$ 4.05

$ 2.95

Diluted Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding (in shares)

43.4

43.0

42.5

Dividends Declared per Share (in dollars per share)

$ 0.52

$ (24.0)

$ 0.7

$ (1.9)

Other Comprehensive (Expense) Income Items, net of tax

(14.5)

(10.0)

24.0

(38.5)

(9.3)

22.1

$ 183.6

$ 166.5

$ 149.5

[1]	Net sales are attributed to each country based on the selling location.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Cash Provided by (Used for) Operating Activities:
Net income	$ 222.1	$ 175.8	$ 127.4
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	45.8	43.4	40.8
Share-based compensation expense	18.2	17.7	16.5
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	(17.6)	(10.4)	(8.6)
Loss (gain) on the sale or disposal of property, plant, and equipment	0.7	0.3	(2.5)
Asset impairments	0.0	0.1	0.3
Deferred income taxes	2.8	(0.2)	6.5
Loss on financial instruments, net	2.6	0.0	0.0
Change in assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions, divestitures and effect of exchange rate changes:
Accounts receivable	(46.1)	(55.4)	(54.8)
Inventories	(15.1)	(9.0)	(6.5)
Prepayments and other current assets	0.7	(6.6)	1.9
Accounts payable	23.1	37.6	15.2
Other current liabilities	59.3	59.8	7.7
Other	(7.6)	(20.0)	(11.6)
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	288.9	233.1	132.3
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	(56.5)	(35.3)	(40.6)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	1.3	1.0	7.6
Acquisitions of businesses and intangible assets	(14.6)	0.0	(25.5)
Other investing activities	(2.6)	0.0	0.0
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	(72.4)	(34.3)	(58.5)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	11.6	8.4	14.9
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	17.6	10.4	8.6
Dividends paid	(22.7)	(22.5)	(22.4)
Other financing activities	(10.4)	(2.6)	0.0
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Financing Activities	(3.9)	(6.3)	1.1
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	(8.3)	0.9	(0.3)
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	204.3	193.4	74.6
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	552.5	359.1	284.5
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	756.8	552.5	359.1
Supplemental Cash Flow Information:
Income taxes paid during the period	106.3	77.4	46.8
Interest paid during the period	$ 32.2	$ 32.5	$ 31.3

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Common Stock	Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Treasury Stock
Balance, Beginning of Period at Aug. 31, 2012	$ 834.0	$ 0.5	$ 703.1	$ 635.3	$ (84.7)	$ (420.2)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	127.4			127.4
Other comprehensive income (loss)	22.1				22.1
Amortization, issuance, and forfeitures of restricted stock grants	8.9		8.9
Employee Stock Purchase Plan issuances	0.4		0.4
Cash dividends of $0.52 per share paid on common stock	(22.4)			(22.4)
Stock options exercised	14.5		14.5
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	8.6		8.6
Balance, End of Period at Aug. 31, 2013	993.5	0.5	735.5	740.3	(62.6)	(420.2)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	175.8			175.8
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(9.3)				(9.3)
Amortization, issuance, and forfeitures of restricted stock grants	7.2		7.2
Employee Stock Purchase Plan issuances	0.4		0.4
Cash dividends of $0.52 per share paid on common stock	(22.5)			(22.5)
Stock options exercised	8.0		8.0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	10.4		10.4
Balance, End of Period at Aug. 31, 2014	1,163.5	0.5	761.5	893.6	(71.9)	(420.2)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	222.1			222.1
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(38.5)				(38.5)
Amortization, issuance, and forfeitures of restricted stock grants	6.4		6.4
Employee Stock Purchase Plan issuances	0.5		0.5
Cash dividends of $0.52 per share paid on common stock	(22.7)			(22.7)
Stock options exercised	11.1		11.1
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	17.6		17.6
Balance, End of Period at Aug. 31, 2015	$ 1,360.0	$ 0.5	$ 797.1	$ 1,093.0	$ (110.4)	$ (420.2)

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

Significant Accounting Policies

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Cash dividends per share paid	$ 0.52	$ 0.52	$ 0.52

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	Aug. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	Description of Business and Basis of Presentation Acuity Brands, Inc. (“Acuity Brands”) is the parent company of Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. (“ABL”) and other subsidiaries (Acuity Brands, ABL, and such other subsidiaries are collectively referred to herein as the "Company”). The Company designs, produces, and distributes a broad array of lighting solutions and services for commercial, institutional, industrial, infrastructure, and residential applications for various markets throughout North America and select international markets. The Company's lighting solutions include devices such as luminaires, lighting controls, power supplies, prismatic skylights, drivers, and integrated lighting systems for indoor and outdoor applications utilizing a combination of light sources, including daylight, and other devices controlled by software that monitors and manages light levels while optimizing energy consumption (collectively referred to herein as “lighting solutions”). The Company has one reportable segment serving the North American lighting market and select international markets. The Company continues to expand and enhance its portfolio of lighting solutions, including the following recent acquisitions: During the quarter ended May 31, 2015, using cash on hand, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets and assumed certain liabilities of ByteLight, Inc. (“ByteLight”), a provider of indoor location software for light-emitting diode (“LED”) lighting. ByteLight is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The operating results of ByteLight have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. In addition, during fiscal 2015, the Company made a strategic, non-controlling investment in a company specializing in light sensory networks. This investment was accounted for using the cost method and is reflected in Other long term assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. On March 13, 2013, the Company acquired for cash, including additional cash payments made under earn-out provisions, all of the ownership interests in eldoLAB Holding B.V. (“eldoLED”), a leading provider of high-performance drivers for LED lighting systems based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The operating results of eldoLED have been included in the Company's consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. On December 20, 2012, the Company acquired for cash all of the ownership interests in Adura Technologies ("Adura"), a leading developer of radio frequency (RF) mesh networking technology that allows individual light fixtures to communicate in a wireless mesh network with switches, sensors and system management software. The operating results of Adura have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared by the Company in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and present the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of Acuity Brands and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. References made to years are for fiscal year periods, unless noted otherwise.

Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Acuity Brands and its wholly-owned subsidiaries after elimination of intercompany transactions and accounts.

Revenue Recognition

The Company records revenue when the following criteria are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the Company’s price to the customer is fixed and determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured. Delivery is not considered to have occurred until the customer assumes the risks and rewards of ownership. Customers take delivery at the time of shipment for terms designated free on board shipping point. For sales designated free on board destination, customers take delivery when the product is delivered to the customer’s delivery site. Provisions for certain rebates, sales incentives, product returns, and discounts to customers are recorded in the same period the related revenue is recorded. The Company also maintains one-time or on-going marketing and trade-promotion programs with certain customers that require the Company to estimate and accrue the expected costs of such programs. These arrangements include cooperative marketing programs, merchandising of the Company’s products, introductory marketing funds for new products, and other trade-promotion activities conducted by the customer. Costs associated with these programs are reflected within the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 605, Revenue Recognition (“ASC 605”), which in most instances requires such costs be recorded as a reduction of revenue.

The Company's standard terms and conditions of sale allow returns of certain products within four months of the date of shipment. The Company also provides for limited product return rights to certain distributors and other customers, primarily for slow moving or damaged items subject to certain defined criteria. The limited product return rights generally allow customers to return resalable products purchased within a specified time period and subject to certain limitations, including, at times, when accompanied by a replacement order of equal or greater value. At the time revenue is recognized, the Company records a provision for the estimated amount of future returns primarily based on historical experience, specific notification of pending returns, or based on contractual terms with the respective customers. Although historical product returns generally have been within expectations, there can be no assurance that future product returns will not exceed historical amounts. A significant increase in product returns could have a material adverse impact on the Company's operating results in future periods.

Revenue is earned on services and the sale of products. Revenue is recognized for the sale of products when the above criteria are met and for services rendered in the period of performance.

Revenue Recognition for Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables

A small portion of the Company's revenues are derived from the combination of any or all of: (i) the sale and license of its products, (ii) fees associated with training, installation, and technical support services, and (iii) monitoring and lighting control services. Certain agreements, particularly related to lighting controls systems, represent multiple-element arrangements that include tangible products that contain software that is essential to the functionality of the systems and undelivered elements that primarily relate to installation, monitoring, and lighting control services. The undelivered elements associated with installation, monitoring, and lighting control services are reviewed and analyzed to determine separability in relation to the delivered elements and appropriate pricing treatment based on (a) vendor-specific objective evidence, (b) third-party evidence, or (c) management estimates. If deemed separate units of accounting, the revenue and associated cost of sales related to the delivered elements are recognized at the time of delivery, while those related to the undelivered elements are recognized appropriately based on the period of performance. If the separation criterion for the undelivered elements is not met because the undelivered elements are essential to the functionality of the lighting controls systems, all revenue and cost of sales attributable to the contract are deferred at the time of sale and are both generally recognized on a straight-line basis over the respective contract periods.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash in excess of daily requirements is invested in time deposits and marketable securities and is included in the accompanying balance sheets at fair value. Acuity Brands considers time deposits and marketable securities with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.

Accounts Receivable

The Company records accounts receivable at net realizable value. This value includes an allowance for estimated uncollectible accounts to reflect losses anticipated on accounts receivable balances. The allowance is based on historical write-offs, an analysis of past due accounts based on the contractual terms of the receivables, and economic status of customers, if known. Management believes that the allowance is sufficient to cover uncollectible amounts; however, there can be no assurance that unanticipated future business conditions of customers will not have a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Concentrations of credit risk with respect to receivables, which are typically unsecured, are generally limited due to the wide variety of customers and markets using the Company’s lighting solutions as well as their dispersion across many different geographic areas. Receivables from The Home Depot were approximately $59.9 and $53.3 at August 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. No other single customer accounted for more than 10% of consolidated receivables at August 31, 2015 or 2014. Additionally, net sales to The Home Depot accounted for approximately 11% of net sales of the Company in fiscal 2015, 12% in fiscal 2014, and 13% in fiscal 2013.

Reclassifications

Certain prior-period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation, including the reclassification of deferred debt issuance costs related to the adoption of ASU 2015-03. See the New Accounting Pronouncements footnote for more information.

Subsequent Events

The Company has evaluated subsequent events for recognition and disclosure for occurrences and transactions after the date of the consolidated financial statements as of August 31, 2015. See the Acquisitions and Investments footnote for more information.

Inventories

Inventories include materials, direct labor, in-bound freight, and related manufacturing overhead, are stated at the lower of cost (on a first-in, first-out or average cost basis) or market, and consist of the following:



	August 31,
	2015			2014
Raw materials, supplies, and work in process⁽¹⁾	$	125.7		$	125.7
Finished goods	113.9			97.6
	239.6			223.3
Less: Reserves	(14.8		)	(11.3		)
Total Inventory	$	224.8		$	212.0

_______________________________________


⁽¹⁾	Due to the immaterial amount of estimated work in process and the short lead times for the conversion of raw materials to finished goods, the Company does not believe the segregation of raw materials and work in process to be meaningful information.

Management reviews inventory quantities on hand and records a provision for excess or obsolete inventory primarily based on estimated future demand and current market conditions. A significant change in customer demand or market conditions could render certain inventory obsolete and thus could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s operating results in the period the change occurs.

Assets Held for Sale

The Company classifies assets as held for sale upon the development of a plan for disposal and in accordance with applicable U.S. GAAP and ceases the depreciation and amortization of the assets at that date. The Company is actively marketing the property classified as held for sale. As of August 31, 2015, the carrying value of the property held for sale was $1.0, which is included in Prepayments and other current assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Goodwill and Other Intangibles

Goodwill amounted to $565.0 and $569.4 as of August 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The change in the carrying amount of goodwill during fiscal 2015 is due to foreign currency translation adjustments. Summarized information for the Company’s acquired intangible assets is as follows:



	August 31,
	2015					2014
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization
Definite-lived intangible assets:
Patents and patented technology	$	72.7	$	(30.3	)	$	69.2	$	(26.4	)
Trademarks and trade names	25.4		(9.7		)	25.4		(8.6		)
Distribution network	61.8		(30.8		)	61.8		(29.7		)
Customer relationships	55.2		(20.8		)	55.2		(16.3		)
Other	5.1		(4.7		)	5.3		(4.3		)
Total	$	220.2	$	(96.3	)	$	216.9	$	(85.3	)
Indefinite-lived trade names	$	99.5				$	100.0

Through multiple acquisitions, the Company acquired intangible assets consisting primarily of trademarks and trade names associated with specific products with finite lives, definite-lived distribution networks, patented technology, non-compete agreements, and customer relationships, which are amortized over their estimated useful lives. Indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of trade names that are expected to generate cash flows indefinitely. Significant estimates and assumptions were used to determine the initial fair value of these acquired intangible assets, including estimated future net sales, customer attrition rates, royalty rates, and discount rates. The current year increase in the gross carrying amounts for the acquired intangible assets was due primarily to the acquisition of ByteLight (refer to the Acquisitions and Investments footnote), while decreases were due to foreign currency translation adjustments.

The Company recorded amortization expense of $11.0, $11.2, and $10.9 related to intangible assets with finite lives during fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. Amortization expense is generally recorded on a straight-line basis and is expected to be approximately $10.8 in fiscal 2016, $10.5 in fiscal 2017, $10.3 in fiscal 2018, $10.3 in fiscal 2019, and $9.9 in fiscal 2020. Since the Distech Controls acquisition was not completed during fiscal 2015, these projections exclude any impact to amortization expense related to intangible assets associated with that transaction.

The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis or more frequently as facts and circumstances change, as required by ASC Topic 350, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”). The goodwill impairment test has three steps: a qualitative review and a two-step quantitative method. The preliminary step (“Step 0”) allows for a qualitative analysis to determine the likelihood of impairment. If the qualitative review results in a more likely than not probability of impairment, the first quantitative step is required. The first step identifies potential impairments by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying value, including goodwill. The fair values can be determined based on a combination of valuation techniques including the expected present value of future cash flows, a market multiple approach, and a comparable transaction approach. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds the carrying value, goodwill is not considered impaired and the second step is not necessary. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds the fair value, the second step calculates the possible impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of goodwill with the carrying value. If the implied fair value of the goodwill is less than the carrying value, an impairment charge is recorded. In fiscal 2015, a qualitative fair value analysis was used to determine the likelihood of goodwill impairment for the Company’s one reporting unit. The analysis for goodwill did not result in an impairment charge during fiscal 2015, 2014, or 2013.

The impairment test for indefinite-lived trade names consists of comparing the fair value of the asset with its carrying value. The Company estimates the fair value of indefinite-lived trade names using a fair value model based on discounted future cash flows. If the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value, an impairment loss would be recorded in the amount of the excess. Significant assumptions, including estimated future net sales, royalty rates, and discount rates, are used in the determination of estimated fair value for indefinite-lived trade names. None of the analyses for the indefinite-lived trade names resulted in an impairment charge during fiscal 2015, 2014, or 2013.

Other Long-Term Assets

Other long-term assets consist of the following:



	August 31,
	2015		2014
Deferred contract costs	$	10.7	$	15.0
Capitalized software costs⁽¹⁾	1.6		2.3
Investment in noncontrolling affiliate⁽²⁾	8.0		—
Other⁽³⁾	6.8		6.2
Total	$	27.1	$	23.5

_______________________________________


⁽¹⁾	The Company recorded amortization expense related to capitalized software costs of $0.4, $0.4, and $0.9 in fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.


⁽²⁾	The Company holds an equity investment in an unconsolidated affiliate. This strategic investment represents less than a 20% ownership interest in the privately-held affiliate, and the Company does not maintain power over or control of the entity. The Company accounts for this investment using the cost method.

⁽³⁾

Other - Amounts primarily include deferred debt issuance costs related to its revolving credit facility and company-owned life insurance investments. The Company maintains life insurance policies on 75 former employees primarily to satisfy obligations under certain deferred compensation plans. These company-owned life insurance policies are presented net of loans that are secured by these policies. This program is frozen and no new policies were issued in the three-year period ended August 31, 2015.

Other Long-Term Liabilities

Other long-term liabilities consist of the following:



	August 31,
	2015		2014
Deferred compensation and postretirement benefits other than pensions⁽¹⁾	$	34.3	$	32.6
Long-term warranty obligations	2.5		—
Acquisition-related liabilities⁽²⁾	—		5.3
Unrecognized tax position liabilities, including interest⁽³⁾	5.2		3.5
Other⁽⁴⁾	9.2		8.8
Total	$	51.2	$	50.2

_______________________________________

⁽¹⁾

Deferred compensation and postretirement benefits other than pensions — The Company maintains several non-qualified retirement plans for the benefit of eligible employees, primarily deferred compensation plans. The deferred compensation plans provide for elective deferrals of an eligible employee’s compensation and, in some cases, matching contributions by the Company. In addition, one plan provides for an automatic contribution by the Company of 3% of an eligible employee’s compensation. The Company maintains certain long-term investments that offset a portion of the deferred compensation liability. The Company maintains life insurance policies on certain current and former officers and other key employees as a means of satisfying a portion of these obligations.


⁽²⁾	Acquisition-related liabilities - Amounts represent contingent payments and other obligations, including holdback liabilities, related to recent acquisitions.


⁽³⁾	See the Income Taxes footnote for more information.


⁽⁴⁾	Other - Amount primarily includes deferred revenue and deferred rent.

Shipping and Handling Fees and Costs

The Company includes shipping and handling fees billed to customers in Net Sales. Shipping and handling costs associated with inbound freight and freight between manufacturing facilities and distribution centers are generally recorded in Cost of Products Sold. Other shipping and handling costs are included in Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses and totaled $105.6, $100.9, and $86.4 in fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions in the financial statements based on the estimated fair value of the equity or liability instrument issued. The Company accounts for stock options, restricted shares, and share units representing certain deferrals into the Director Deferred Compensation Plan or the Supplemental Deferred Savings Plan (both of which are discussed further in the Share-Based Payments footnote) based on the grant-date fair value estimated under the current provisions of ASC Topic 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”).

Share-based expense includes expense related to restricted stock and options issued, as well as share units deferred into the Director Deferred Compensation Plan. The Company recorded $18.2, $17.7, and $16.5 of share-based expense for the years ending August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. The total income tax benefit recognized for share-based compensation arrangements was $6.4, $6.0, and $5.6 for the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. The Company accounts for any awards with graded vesting on a straight-line basis. Additionally, forfeitures of share-based awards are estimated based on historical experience at the time of grant and are revised in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from initial estimates. The Company did not capitalize any expense related to share-based payments and has recorded share-based expense, net of estimated forfeitures, in Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses.

Benefits of tax deductions in excess of recognized share-based compensation cost are reported as a financing cash flow, rather than as an operating cash flow, in the Company’s Statements of Cash Flows and amounted to $17.6, $10.4, and $8.6 for fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

See the Share-Based Payments footnote for more information.

Depreciation

For financial reporting purposes, depreciation is determined principally on a straight-line basis using estimated useful lives of plant and equipment (10 to 40 years for buildings and related improvements and 3 to 15 years for machinery and equipment), while accelerated depreciation methods are used for income tax purposes. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the life of the lease or the estimated useful life of the improvement. Depreciation expense amounted to $34.4, $31.8, and $29.0 during fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Research and Development

Research and development (“R&D”) expense, which is expensed as incurred, consists of compensation, payroll taxes, employee benefits, materials, supplies, and other administrative costs, but does not include all new product development costs, and is included in Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. R&D expense amounted to $41.1, $35.3, and $32.7 during fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Advertising

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and are included within Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. These costs totaled $12.0, $13.3, and $12.1 during fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Service Arrangements with Customers

The Company maintains a service program with one of its retail customers that affords the Company certain in-store benefits, including lighting display maintenance. Costs associated with this program totaled $6.6, $6.1, and $5.7 in fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. These costs have been included within Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Interest Expense, Net

Interest expense, net, is comprised primarily of interest expense on long-term debt, revolving credit facility borrowings, and loans collateralized by assets related to a company-owned life insurance program, partially offset by interest income on cash and cash equivalents.

The following table summarizes the components of interest expense, net:



	Years Ended August 31,
	2015			2014			2013
Interest expense	$	32.6		$	32.6		$	31.9
Interest income	(1.1		)	(0.5		)	(0.7		)
Interest expense, net	$	31.5		$	32.1		$	31.2

Foreign Currency Translation

The functional currency for the foreign operations of the Company is the local currency. The translation of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars is performed for balance sheet accounts using exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet dates and for revenue and expense accounts using a weighted average exchange rate each month during the year. The gains or losses resulting from the balance sheet translation are included in Foreign currency translation adjustments in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and are excluded from net income.

Miscellaneous Expense (Income), Net

Miscellaneous expense (income), net, is composed primarily of gains or losses on foreign currency items and other non-operating items. Gains or losses relating to foreign currency items consisted of expense of $0.7 in fiscal 2015, $1.5 in fiscal 2014, and $0.2 in fiscal 2013.

Income Taxes

The Company is taxed at regular corporate rates after adjusting income reported for financial statement purposes for certain items that are treated differently for income tax purposes. Deferred income tax expenses or benefits result from changes during the year in cumulative temporary differences between the tax basis and book basis of assets and liabilities.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income represents a measure of all changes in equity that result from recognized transactions and other economic events other than transactions with owners in their capacity as owners. Other comprehensive income for the Company includes foreign currency translation and pension adjustments.

The following table presents the changes in each component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Items, net of tax.



	Foreign Currency Items			Defined Benefit Pension Plans			Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Items
Balance at August 31, 2014	$	(18.1	)	$	(53.8	)	$	(71.9	)
Other Comprehensive Expense before reclassifications	(24.0		)	(17.2		)	(41.2		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	—			2.7			2.7
Net current-period Other Comprehensive Expense	(24.0		)	(14.5		)	(38.5		)
Balance at August 31, 2015	$	(42.1	)	$	(68.3	)	$	(110.4	)

The following table presents the tax (expense)/benefit allocated to each component of other comprehensive income (expense).



	Years Ended August 31,
	2015									2014									2013
	Before Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) or Benefit			Net of Tax Amount			Before Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) or Benefit			Net of Tax Amount			Before Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) or Benefit			Net of Tax Amount
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	$	(24.0	)	$	—		$	(24.0	)	$	0.7		$	—		$	0.7		$	(1.9	)	$	—		$	(1.9	)
Defined Benefit Pension Plans:
Actuarial gains (losses)	(27.9		)	10.7			(17.2		)	(18.2		)	5.6			(12.6		)	29.0			(9.5		)	19.5
Amortization of defined benefit pension items:
Prior service cost ⁽¹⁾	1.4			(0.6		)	0.8			0.8			(0.3		)	0.5			0.7			(0.3		)	0.4
Actuarial losses ⁽¹⁾	4.1			(2.2		)	1.9			3.1			(1.0		)	2.1			6.2			(2.1		)	4.1
Total Defined Benefit Plans, net	(22.4		)	7.9			(14.5		)	(14.3		)	4.3			(10.0		)	35.9			(11.9		)	24.0
Other Comprehensive Income/(Expense)	$	(46.4	)	$	7.9		$	(38.5	)	$	(13.6	)	$	4.3		$	(9.3	)	$	34.0		$	(11.9	)	$	22.1

_______________________________________


⁽¹⁾	The before tax amount of these accumulated other comprehensive income components is included in net periodic pension cost. See the Pension and Defined Contribution Plans footnote for additional details.

New Accounting Pronouncements	12 Months Ended
New Accounting Pronouncements	Aug. 31, 2015
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements	New Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Standards Adopted in Fiscal 2015 In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-05, Foreign Currency Matters (Topic 830): Parent’s Accounting for the Cumulative Translation Adjustment upon Derecognition of Certain Subsidiaries or Groups of Assets within a Foreign Entity or of an Investment in a Foreign Entity (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force) (“ASU 2013-05”), which applies to the release of the cumulative translation adjustment into net income when a parent either sells a part or all of its investment in a foreign entity or no longer holds a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets that is a business (other than a sale of in substance real estate or conveyance of oil and gas mineral rights) within a foreign entity. ASU 2013-05 is effective prospectively for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2013. The provisions of ASU 2013-05 did not have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force) (“ASU 2013-11”), which applies to the presentation of unrecognized tax benefits as a liability on the balance sheet when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward is not available at the reporting date under the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position or the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction does not require the entity to use, and the entity does not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose. ASU 2013-11 is effective prospectively for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2013. The provisions of ASU 2013-11 did not have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Simplifying The Presentation Of Debt Issuance Costs (“ASU 2015-03”), which changes the presentation of debt issuance costs in financial statements. ASU 2015-03 is effective for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company adopted ASU 2015-03 in fiscal 2015, the provisions of which did not have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Accounting Standards Yet to Be Adopted In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue From Contracts With Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of ASU 2014-09. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05, Customer's Accounting For Fees Paid In A Cloud Computing Arrangement (“ASU 2015-05”), which provides guidance for a customer's accounting for cloud computing costs. ASU 2015-05 is effective for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2015. The provisions of ASU 2015-05 are not expected to have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-12, Plan Accounting: Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Topic 960), Defined Contribution Pension Plans (Topic 962), and Health and Welfare Benefit Plans (Topic 965) - I. Fully Benefit-Responsive Investment Contracts; II. Plan Investment Disclosures, and III. Measurement Date Practical Expedient ("ASU 2015-12"). ASU 2015-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The provisions of ASU 2015-12 are not expected to have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments ("ASU 2015-16"), which simplifies the accounting for measurement-period adjustments to provisional amounts recognized in a business combination. ASU 2015-16 is effective for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2016. The provisions of ASU 2015-16 are not expected to have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

The entire disclosure of changes in accounting principles, including adoption of new accounting pronouncements, that describes the new methods, amount and effects on financial statement line items.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Change in Accounting Principle
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507316

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Direct Effects of a Change in Accounting Principle
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510796

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-SubTopic 10
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-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56949863&loc=d3e22583-107794

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Indirect Effects of a Change in Accounting Principle
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6515603

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.10-01.(b)(6))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27015980&loc=d3e46468-122699

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Accounting Change
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6503790

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Retrospective Application
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6523989

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 270
-SubTopic 10
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-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51655806&loc=d3e765-108305

Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51655806&loc=d3e725-108305

Acquisitions and Investments	12 Months Ended
Acquisitions and Investments	Aug. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions and Investments	Acquisitions and Investments The Company has actively pursued opportunities for growth through acquisitions and investments. In recent years, the Company has acquired or made investments in a number of businesses that participate in the lighting and related markets, including the businesses discussed below. The acquisitions and investments were made with the intent to further expand and complement the Company’s lighting solutions portfolio. The purchased companies were fully incorporated into the Company’s operations. None of the business combinations-individually or in the aggregate-represented a material transaction. During the quarter ended May 31, 2015, using cash on hand, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets and assumed certain liabilities of ByteLight, Inc. (“ByteLight”), a provider of indoor location software for light-emitting diode (“LED”) lighting. The operating results of ByteLight have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. Management finalized the acquisition accounting for ByteLight during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 and the amounts are reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. In addition, the Company made a strategic, non-controlling investment in a company specializing in light sensory networks. This investment was accounted for using the cost method and is reflected in Other long term assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. On March 13, 2013, the Company acquired for cash, including additional cash payments under earn-out provisions, all of the outstanding capital stock of eldoLED, a leading provider of high-performance drivers for LED lighting systems based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Cash payments related to the earn-out provisions were payable beginning in fiscal 2014 and ending in fiscal 2017 subject to achievement of those provisions. These provisions were substantially achieved in fiscal 2014 and 2015 and payments were issued. The operating results of eldoLED have been included in the Company's consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition and were not material to the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows at the time of acquisition. Management finalized the acquisition accounting for eldoLED during the second quarter of fiscal 2014 and the amounts are reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. On December 20, 2012, the Company acquired for cash all of the ownership interests in Adura, a leading developer of radio frequency (RF) mesh networking technology that allows individual light fixtures to communicate in a wireless mesh network with switches, sensors and system management software. The operating results of Adura have been included in the Company's consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition and are not material to the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Management finalized the acquisition accounting for Adura during the first quarter of fiscal 2014 and the amounts are reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The entire disclosure for a business combination (or series of individually immaterial business combinations) completed during the period, including background, timing, and recognized assets and liabilities. The disclosure may include leverage buyout transactions (as applicable).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Topic 805
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-Section 50
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56956791&loc=d3e4845-128472

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6996-128479

Fair Value Measurements

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements

The Company determines a fair value measurement based on the assumptions a market participant would use in pricing an asset or liability. ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures ("ASC 820"), establishes a three level hierarchy making a distinction between market participant assumptions based on (i) unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market (Level 1), (ii) quoted prices in markets that are not active or inputs that are observable either directly or indirectly for substantially the full term of the asset or liability (Level 2), and (iii) prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement (Level 3).

The following table presents information about assets and liabilities required to be carried at fair value and measured on a recurring basis as of August 31, 2015 and 2014:



	Fair Value Measurements as of:
	August 31, 2015								August 31, 2014
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total Fair Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total Fair Value
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	756.8	$	—	$	—	$	756.8	$	552.5	$	—	$	—	$	552.5
Other	0.5		—		—		0.5		0.6		—		—		0.6
Liabilities:
Other	$	0.5	$	—	$	0.5	$	1.0	$	0.6	$	—	$	11.6	$	12.2

The Company utilizes valuation methodologies to determine the fair values of its financial assets and liabilities in conformity with the concepts of “exit price” and the fair value hierarchy as prescribed in ASC 820. All valuation methods and assumptions are validated at least quarterly to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the fair values. There were no material changes to the valuation methods or assumptions used to determine fair values during the current period.

The Company used the following valuation methods and assumptions in estimating the fair value of the following assets and liabilities:

The fair value of Level 1 assets and liabilities is determined based on quoted market prices.

The fair value of Level 3 liabilities is estimated using a discounted cash flow technique with significant inputs that are not observable in the market, appropriately discounted considering the uncertainties associated with the obligation. Changes in these inputs, including probability assessments or the discount rate, could result in a higher or lower fair value measurement. Any reasonably likely change in the assumptions used in the analysis would not result in a material change to the fair value of these liabilities.

No transfers between the levels of the fair value hierarchy occurred during the current fiscal period. In the event of a transfer in or out of a level within the fair value hierarchy, the transfers would be recognized on the date of occurrence.

The Company's Level 3 liabilities consist of certain acquisition-related liabilities. The change in these liabilities during fiscal 2015 was due to a $2.1 increase in the estimated fair value, an $11.6 decrease due to payments, and a $1.6 decrease due to currency rate fluctuations in the period. The expense associated with the change in the estimated fair value was included in Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses within the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Disclosures of fair value information about financial instruments (whether or not recognized in the balance sheet), for which it is practicable to estimate that value, are required each reporting period in addition to any financial instruments carried at fair value on a recurring basis as prescribed by ASC Topic 825, Financial Instruments (“ASC 825”). In cases where quoted market prices are not available, fair values are based on estimates using present value or other valuation techniques. Those techniques are significantly affected by the assumptions used, including the discount rate and estimates of future cash flows.

The carrying values and estimated fair values of certain of the Company’s financial instruments were as follows at August 31, 2015 and 2014:



	August 31, 2015				August 31, 2014
	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value
Assets:
Investment in noncontrolling affiliate	$	8.0	$	8.0	$	—	$	—
Liabilities:
Senior unsecured public notes, net of unamortized discount and deferred costs	$	348.4	$	386.4	$	347.9	$	391.2
Industrial revenue bond	4.0		4.0		4.0		4.0

Investment in noncontrolling affiliate represents a strategic investment accounted for using the cost method. The Company estimates that the historical cost of the acquired shares represents the fair value of the investment (Level 3).

The senior unsecured public notes are carried at the outstanding balance, including bond discounts and deferred costs, as of the end of the reporting period. Fair value is estimated based on discounted future cash flows using rates currently available for debt of similar terms and maturity (Level 2).

The industrial revenue bond is carried at the outstanding balance as of the end of the reporting period. The industrial revenue bond is a tax-exempt, variable-rate instrument that resets on a weekly basis; therefore, the Company estimates that the face amount of the bond approximates fair value as of August 31, 2015 based on bonds of similar terms and maturity (Level 2).

ASC 825 excludes certain financial instruments and all nonfinancial instruments from its disclosure requirements. Accordingly, the aggregate fair value amounts presented do not represent the underlying value to the Company. In many cases, the fair value estimates cannot be substantiated by comparison to independent markets, nor can the disclosed value be realized in immediate settlement of the instruments. In evaluating the Company’s management of liquidity and other risks, the fair values of all assets and liabilities should be taken into consideration, not only those presented above.

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.

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension and Defined Contribution Plans

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Pension and Defined Contribution Plans

Company-sponsored Pension Plans

The Company has several pension plans, both qualified and non-qualified, covering certain hourly and salaried employees. Benefits paid under these plans are based generally on employees’ years of service and/or compensation during the final years of employment. The Company makes annual contributions to the plans to the extent indicated by actuarial valuations and statutory requirements. Plan assets are invested primarily in equity and fixed income securities.

The following tables reflect the status of the Company’s domestic (U.S.-based) and international pension plans at August 31, 2015 and 2014:



	Domestic Plans						International Plans
	August 31,						August 31,
	2015			2014			2015			2014
Change in Benefit Obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	171.5		$	151.5		$	52.5		$	40.2
Service cost	3.1			2.4			0.1			0.1
Interest cost	6.8			7.0			1.8			1.9
Amendments	10.5			—			—			—
Actuarial loss	7.6			17.6			0.5			8.6
Plan settlements	—			—			—			(0.1		)
Benefits paid	(7.3		)	(7.0		)	(1.0		)	(1.0		)
Other	—			—			(4.1		)	2.8
Benefit obligation at end of year	192.2			171.5			49.8			52.5
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	122.5		$	105.7		$	35.2		$	30.1
Actual return on plan assets	0.7			15.1			(0.1		)	2.9
Employer contributions	8.0			8.7			1.1			1.1
Benefits paid	(7.3		)	(7.0		)	(1.0		)	(1.0		)
Other	—			—			(2.6		)	2.1
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	123.9			122.5			32.6			35.2
Funded status at the end of year	$	(68.3	)	$	(49.0	)	$	(17.2	)	$	(17.3	)
Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Consist of:
Current liabilities	$	(1.5	)	$	(1.2	)	$	(0.1	)	$	—
Non-current liabilities	(66.8		)	(47.8		)	(17.1		)	(17.3		)
Net amount recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheets	$	(68.3	)	$	(49.0	)	$	(17.2	)	$	(17.3	)
Accumulated Benefit Obligation	$	189.2		$	170.7		$	49.8		$	52.3
Pre-tax amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income:
Prior service cost	$	(13.9	)	$	(4.5	)	$	—		$	—
Net actuarial loss	(71.1		)	(57.5		)	(19.4		)	(20.5		)
Amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income	$	(85.0	)	$	(62.0	)	$	(19.4	)	$	(20.5	)
Estimated amounts that will be amortized from accumulated comprehensive income over the next fiscal year:
Prior service cost	$	3.1		$	0.8		$	—		$	—
Net actuarial loss	3.1			2.4			2.9			1.9

During fiscal 2015, the domestic plans recognized $10.5 related to the following amendments to the Acuity Brands, Inc. 2002 Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan:

•

An incremental benefit was added for participants who were actively employed by the Company on June 26, 2015 (or who first become a participant on or after June 26, 2015). The incremental benefit provides a monthly benefit for 180 months commencing at age 60 equal to 1.4% of the participant's "average annual compensation" multiplied by his years of credited service not to exceed 10 years, divided by 12. Participants may elect to receive the actuarial equivalent of the incremental benefit in the form of a lump sum cash payment.

•

The definition of actuarial equivalent (with respect to accrued benefits other than the participant’s vested accrued benefit as of December 31, 2004) was changed. Prior to the amendment, the definition of actuarial equivalent used an interest rate equal to the lesser of 7% per annum or the yield on 10-Year U.S. Treasury Bonds plus 1.50%; after the amendment, an interest rate equal to the lesser of 2.5% per annum or the yield on 10-Year U.S. Treasury Bonds will be used.

•

Upon the occurrence of a Section 409A change in control event (as defined in the SERP), the SERP shall be terminated consistent with the requirements of Treasury Regulation section 1.409A-3(j)(4)(ix)(B), and the Company shall, within five (5) days of such an event, pay to each participant a lump sum cash payment equal to the lump sum actuarial equivalent of the participant’s accrued benefit as of such date.

Components of net periodic pension cost for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 included the following:



	Domestic Plans									International Plans
	2015			2014			2013			2015			2014			2013
Service cost	$	3.1		$	2.4		$	3.4		$	0.1		$	0.1		$	0.1
Interest cost	6.8			7.0			6.3			1.8			1.9			1.7
Expected return on plan assets	(9.2		)	(8.0		)	(7.1		)	(1.8		)	(2.0		)	(1.5		)
Amortization of prior service cost	1.4			0.8			0.7			—			—			—
Settlement	—			—			—			—			(0.1		)	—
Recognized actuarial loss	2.2			2.0			4.4			1.9			1.1			1.8
Net periodic pension cost	$	4.3		$	4.2		$	7.7		$	2.0		$	1.0		$	2.1

Weighted average assumptions used in computing the benefit obligation are as follows:



	Domestic Plans				International Plans
	2015		2014		2015		2014
Discount rate	4.3	%	4.0	%	3.7	%	3.6	%
Rate of compensation increase	5.5	%	5.5	%	3.1	%	3.1	%

Weighted average assumptions used in computing net periodic benefit cost are as follows:



	Domestic Plans						International Plans
	2015		2014		2013		2015		2014		2013
Discount rate	4.0	%	4.8	%	3.8	%	3.6	%	4.5	%	3.7	%
Expected return on plan assets	7.5	%	7.5	%	7.5	%	5.6	%	6.2	%	5.5	%
Rate of compensation increase	5.5	%	5.5	%	5.5	%	3.1	%	3.3	%	2.5	%

It is the Company’s policy to adjust, on an annual basis, the discount rate used to determine the projected benefit obligation to approximate rates on high-quality, long-term obligations based on the Company’s estimated benefit payments available as of the measurement date. The Company uses a publicly published yield curve to assist in the development of its discount rates. The Company estimates that each 100 basis point increase in the discount rate would result in reduced net periodic pension cost of approximately $0.8 and $1.1 for domestic plans and international plans, respectively. The expected return on plan assets is derived from a periodic study of long-term historical rates of return on the various asset classes included in the Company’s targeted pension plan asset allocation. The Company estimates that each 100 basis point reduction in the expected return on plan assets would result in additional net periodic pension cost of $1.2 and $0.3 for domestic plans and international plans, respectively. The rate of compensation increase is also evaluated and is adjusted by the Company, if necessary, annually.

The Company’s investment objective for domestic plan assets is to earn a rate of return sufficient to match or exceed the long-term growth of the plans’ liabilities without subjecting plan assets to undue risk. The plan assets are invested primarily in high quality equity and debt securities. The Company conducts a periodic strategic asset allocation study to form a basis for the allocation of pension assets between various asset categories. Specific allocation percentages are assigned to each asset category with minimum and maximum ranges established for each. The assets are then managed within these ranges. During fiscal 2015, the U.S. targeted asset allocation was 55% equity securities, 40% fixed income securities, and 5% real estate securities. The Company’s investment objective for the international plan assets is also to add value by matching or exceeding the long-term growth of the plans’ liabilities. During fiscal 2015, the international asset target allocation approximated 60% equity securities, 25% fixed income securities, 10% multi-strategy funds, and 5% real estate securities.

The Company’s pension plan asset allocation at August 31, 2015 and 2014 by asset category is as follows:



	% of Plan Assets
	Domestic Plans				International Plans
	2015		2014		2015		2014
Equity securities	55.8	%	59.2	%	64.1	%	64.0	%
Fixed income securities	39.1	%	36.2	%	21.5	%	21.9	%
Multi-strategy investments	—	%	—	%	9.5	%	9.4	%
Real estate	5.1	%	4.6	%	4.9	%	4.7	%
Total	100.0	%	100.0	%	100.0	%	100.0	%

The Company’s pension plan assets are stated at fair value from quoted market prices in an active market, quoted redemption values, or estimates based on reasonable assumptions as of the most recent measurement period. See the Fair Value Measurements footnote for a description of the fair value guidance.

The following tables present the fair value of the domestic pension plan assets by major category as of August 31, 2015 and 2014:



			Fair Value Measurements
	Fair Value as of		Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Significant Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
Assets	August 31, 2015		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Mutual Funds:
Domestic large cap equity fund	$	44.9	$	44.9	$	—	$	—
Foreign equity fund	11.9		11.9		—		—
Real Estate Fund	6.3		—		—		6.3
Short-Term Fixed Income Investments	6.6		6.6		—		—
Fixed-Income Investments	41.8		—		41.8		—
Collective Trust: Domestic small cap equities	12.4		—		12.4		—
	$	123.9



			Fair Value Measurements
	Fair Value as of		Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Significant Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
Assets	August 31, 2014		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Mutual Funds:
Domestic large cap equity fund	$	46.7	$	46.7	$	—	$	—
Foreign equity fund	12.4		12.4		—		—
Real Estate Fund	5.6		—		—		5.6
Short-Term Fixed Income Investments	6.0		6.0		—		—
Fixed-Income Investments	38.3		—		38.3		—
Collective Trust: Domestic small cap equities	13.5		—		13.5		—
	$	122.5

The following tables present the fair value of the international pension plan assets by major category as of August 31, 2015 and 2014:



			Fair Value Measurements
	Fair Value as of		Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Significant Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
Assets	August 31, 2015		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Equity Securities	$	20.9	$	—	$	20.9	$	—
Real Estate Fund	1.6		—		—		1.6
Multi-Strategy Investments	3.1		—		3.1		—
Fixed-Income Investments	7.0		—		7.0		—
	$	32.6



			Fair Value Measurements
	Fair Value as of		Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Significant Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
Assets	August 31, 2014		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Equity Securities	$	22.5	$	—	$	22.5	$	—
Real Estate Fund	1.7		—		—		1.7
Multi-Strategy Investments	3.3		—		3.3		—
Fixed-Income Investments	7.7		—		7.7		—
	$	35.2

Publicly-traded securities are valued at the last reported sales price on the last business day of the period. Investments traded in the over-the-counter market and listed securities for which no sale was reported on the last day of the period are valued at the last reported bid price.

Investments in real estate are stated at estimated fair values based on the fund management’s valuations and upon appraisal reports prepared periodically by independent real estate appraisers. These investments are classified as Level 3 assets within the fair value hierarchy. The purpose of the appraisal is to estimate the fair value of the real estate as of a specific date based on the most probable price for which the appraised real estate will sell in a competitive market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale. Estimated fair value is based on (i) discounted cash flows using certain market assumptions, including holding period, discount rates, capitalization rates, rent and expense growth rates, future capital expenditures and the ultimate sale of the property at the end of the holding period; (ii) direct capitalization method; or (iii) comparable sales method.

The tables below present a rollforward of the domestic and international pension plans’ Level 3 assets for the years ended August 31, 2015 and 2014:



	Domestic Real Estate Fund
	Years Ended August 31,
	2015		2014
Balance, beginning of year	$	5.6	$	5.1
Net unrealized gain relating to instruments still held at the reporting date	0.5		0.3
Shares purchased, including from dividend reinvestment	0.2		0.2
Balance, end of year	$	6.3	$	5.6



	International Real Estate Fund
	Years Ended August 31,
	2015			2014
Balance, beginning of year	$	1.7		$	1.4
Purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements	(0.1		)	0.3
Balance, end of year	$	1.6		$	1.7

The Company expects to contribute approximately $4.1 and $1.1 during fiscal 2016 to its domestic and international defined benefit plans, respectively. These amounts are based on the total contributions required during fiscal 2016 to satisfy current legal minimum funding requirements for qualified plans and estimated benefit payments for non-qualified plans.

Benefit payments are made primarily from funded benefit plan trusts. Benefit payments are expected to be paid as follows for the years ending August 31:



	Domestic Plans		International Plans
2016	$	7.9	$	1.0
2017	8.2		1.0
2018	13.2		1.0
2019	11.5		1.1
2020	9.6		1.1
2021-2025	57.8		5.9

Multi-employer Pension Plans

The Company contributes to three multi-employer defined benefit pension plans under the terms of collective-bargaining agreements that cover certain of its union-represented employees. The risks of participating in these multi-employer plans are different from single-employer plans in the following aspects:


•	Assets contributed to the multi-employer plan by one employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.


•	If a participating employer stops contributing to the plan, the unfunded obligations of the plan may be shared by the remaining participating employers.


•	If a participating employer chooses to stop participating in some of its multi-employer plans, the employer may be required to pay those plans an amount based on the underfunded status of the plan, referred to as a withdrawal liability.

The Company’s contributions to these plans were $0.5, $0.4, and $0.3 for the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Defined Contribution Plans

The Company also has defined contribution plans to which both employees and the Company make contributions. The cost to the Company for these plans was $5.6, $5.3, and $4.7 for the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. Employer matching amounts are allocated in accordance with the participants’ investment elections for elective deferrals. At August 31, 2015, assets of the domestic defined contribution plans included shares of the Company’s common stock with a market value of approximately $17.0, which represented approximately 6.3% of the total fair market value of the assets in the Company’s domestic defined contribution plans.

Debt and Lines of Credit

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt and Lines of Credit

Debt

The Company’s debt at August 31, 2015 and 2014 consisted of the following:



	August 31,
	2015			2014
Senior unsecured public notes due December 2019, principal	$	350.0		$	350.0
Senior unsecured public notes due December 2019, unamortized discount and deferred costs	(1.6		)	(2.1		)
Industrial revenue bond due 2021	4.0			4.0
Total debt outstanding	$	352.4		$	351.9

All future annual principal payments of long-term debt in the amount of $354.0 will become due after fiscal 2019.

On December 1, 2009, the Company announced a private offering by ABL, Acuity Brands’ wholly-owned principal operating subsidiary, of $350.0 aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes due in fiscal 2020 (the “Notes”). The Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Acuity Brands and ABL IP Holding LLC (“ABL IP Holding”, and, together with Acuity Brands, the “Guarantors”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Acuity Brands. The Notes are senior unsecured obligations of ABL and rank equally in right of payment with all of ABL’s existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness. The guarantees of Acuity Brands and ABL IP Holding are senior unsecured obligations of Acuity Brands and ABL IP Holding and rank equally in right of payment with their other senior unsecured indebtedness. The Notes bear interest at a rate of 6% per annum and were issued at a price equal to 99.797% of their face value and for a term of 10 years. Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually on June 15 and December 15. Additionally, the Company capitalized $3.1 of deferred issuance costs related to the Notes that are being amortized over the 10-year term of the Notes.

In accordance with the registration rights agreement by and between ABL and the Guarantors and the initial purchasers of the Notes, ABL and the Guarantors filed a registration statement with the SEC for an offer to exchange the Notes for SEC-registered notes with substantially identical terms. The registration became effective on August 17, 2010, and all of the Notes were exchanged.

The $4.0 industrial revenue bond matures in 2021. The interest rate on the $4.0 bond was approximately 0.1% at August 31, 2015 and 0.2% at August 31, 2014.

Lines of Credit

On August 27, 2014, the Company executed a new $250.0 revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”). The Revolving Credit Facility replaced the Company’s prior $250.0 revolving credit facility (the “prior facility”), which was scheduled to mature on January 31, 2017. The Revolving Credit Facility will mature and all amounts outstanding will be due and payable on August 27, 2019.

The Revolving Credit Facility contains financial covenants, including a minimum interest coverage ratio (“Minimum Interest Coverage Ratio”) and a leverage ratio (“Maximum Leverage Ratio”) of total indebtedness to EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization expense), as such terms are defined in the Revolving Credit Facility agreement. These ratios are computed at the end of each fiscal quarter for the most recent 12-month period. The Revolving Credit Facility allows for a Maximum Leverage Ratio of 3.50 and a Minimum Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.50, subject to certain conditions defined in the financing agreement. Generally, amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at a “Eurocurrency Rate”. Eurocurrency rate advances can be denominated in a variety of currencies, including U.S. dollars, and amounts outstanding bear interest at a periodic fixed rate equal to the London Inter Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) for the applicable currency plus a margin as determined by Acuity Brands' leverage ratio (“Applicable Margin”). The Applicable Margin is based on the Company’s leverage ratio, as defined in the Revolving Credit Facility, with such margin ranging from 1.000% to 1.575%. Additionally, the Company is required to pay certain fees in connection with the Revolving Credit Facility, including administrative service fees and an annual facility fee. The annual facility fee is payable quarterly in arrears and is determined by the Company’s leverage ratio as defined in the Revolving Credit Facility. This facility fee ranges from 0.125% to 0.300% of the aggregate $250.0 commitment of the lenders under the Revolving Credit Facility.

The Company was compliant with all financial covenants under the Revolving Credit Facility as of August 31, 2015. As of August 31, 2015, the Company had outstanding letters of credit totaling $10.3, primarily for securing collateral requirements under the casualty insurance programs for Acuity Brands and providing credit support for the Company’s industrial revenue bond (not an outstanding amount under the Revolving Credit Facility). At August 31, 2015, the Company had additional borrowing capacity under the Revolving Credit Facility of $243.9 under the most restrictive covenant in effect at the time, which represents the full amount of the Revolving Credit Facility less outstanding letters of credit of $6.1 issued under the Revolving Credit Facility.

None of the Company’s existing debt instruments include provisions that would require an acceleration of repayments based solely on changes in the Company’s credit ratings.

Common Stock and Related Matters

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Common Stock and Related Matters [Abstract]

Common Stock and Related Matters

(share data presented in whole units except where otherwise indicated)

Common Stock

Changes in common stock for the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 were as follows:



	Common Stock
	Shares	Amount
(Amounts and shares in millions)		(At par)
Balance at August 31, 2012	51.5	$	0.5
Issuance of restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures	0.2	—
Stock options exercised	0.5	—
Balance at August 31, 2013	52.2	$	0.5
Issuance of restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures	0.2	—
Stock options exercised	0.2	—
Balance at August 31, 2014	52.6	$	0.5
Issuance of restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures	0.2	—
Stock options exercised	0.2	—
Balance at August 31, 2015	53.0	$	0.5

As of August 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had 9.7 million repurchased shares recorded as treasury stock at an original repurchase cost of $420.2.

In September 2011, the Company's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of two million shares of the Company's outstanding common stock. No shares have been repurchased under this plan.

Preferred Stock

The Company has 50 million shares of preferred stock authorized. No shares of preferred stock were issued in fiscal 2015 or 2014 and no shares of preferred stock are outstanding.

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net earnings available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, which has been modified to include the effects of all participating securities (unvested share-based payment awards with a right to receive nonforfeitable dividends) as prescribed by the two-class method under ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share (“ASC 260”), during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed similarly but reflects the potential dilution that would occur if dilutive options were exercised and restricted stock awards were vested. Stock options of approximately 44,000 and 41,000 were excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation for the years ended August 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, as the effect of inclusion would have been antidilutive. Approximately 26,000 and 9,000 shares of restricted stock were excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation for the years ended August 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

The following table calculates basic earnings per common share and diluted earnings per common share for the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013:



	Years Ended August 31,
(Amounts and shares in millions, except earnings per share)	2015			2014			2013
Basic Earnings per Share:
Net income	$	222.1		$	175.8		$	127.4
Less: Income attributable to participating securities	(1.0		)	(1.6		)	(2.0		)
Net income available to common shareholders	$	221.1		$	174.2		$	125.4
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	43.1			42.8			42.2
Basic earnings per share	$	5.13		$	4.07		$	2.97
Diluted Earnings per Share:
Net income	$	222.1		$	175.8		$	127.4
Less: Income attributable to participating securities	(1.0		)	(1.6		)	(2.0		)
Net income available to common shareholders	$	221.1		$	174.2		$	125.4
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	43.1			42.8			42.2
Common stock equivalents	0.3			0.2			0.3
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	43.4			43.0			42.5
Diluted earnings per share	$	5.09		$	4.05		$	2.95

Share-Based Payments

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Share-based Compensation [Abstract]

Share-Based Payments

(share data presented in whole units except where otherwise indicated)

Omnibus Stock Compensation Incentive and Directors’ Equity Plans

In January 2013, the Company’s stockholders approved the Acuity Brands, Inc. 2012 Omnibus Stock Compensation Incentive Plan (“2012 Plan”) to replace the Amended and Restated 2007 Acuity Brands, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan (“2007 Plan”). An aggregate of 2.3 million shares are authorized for issuance under the new plan including 1.9 million previously issuable shares under the 2007 Plan and 400,000 newly authorized shares. In addition, 1.7 million shares that were previously approved by the Company’s stockholders and that are subject to outstanding awards granted under the 2007 Plan are issuable under the 2012 Plan.

In November 2001, the Company adopted the Acuity Brands, Inc., 2001 Nonemployee Directors’ Stock Option Plan (the “Directors’ Plan”), under which 300,000 shares were authorized for issuance. In January 2007, the Directors’ Plan was amended to provide that no further annual grants of stock options would be made to nonemployee directors. The Directors’ Plan expired on November 1, 2011. As of August 31, 2015, no previously approved options remained issuable under the Directors’ Plan.

Shares available for grant under all plans were approximately 1.8 million, 2.1 million, and 2.3 million at August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. Forfeited shares are returned to the pool of shares available for grant.

Restricted Stock Awards

As of August 31, 2015, the Company had approximately 501,000 shares outstanding of restricted stock to officers, directors, and other key employees under the 2012 Plan, including restricted stock units granted to foreign employees. The shares vest primarily over a four-year period and are valued at the closing stock price on the date of the grant. Compensation expense recognized related to the awards under the equity incentive plans was $14.8, $14.2, and $13.2 in fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Activity related to restricted stock awards during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 was as follows:



	Number of Shares (in millions)		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Outstanding at August 31, 2014	0.5		$	70.73
Granted	0.2		$	156.35
Vested	(0.2)		$	61.89
Forfeited	—	*	$	86.55
Outstanding at August 31, 2015	0.5		$	116.02

_______________________________________


*	Represents shares of less than 0.1.

As of August 31, 2015, there was $43.1 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.0 years. The total fair value of shares vested during the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, was approximately $14.3, $13.0, and $13.4, respectively.

Stock Options

As of August 31, 2015, the Company had approximately 453,000 options outstanding to officers and other key employees under the 2012 Plan. Options issued under the 2012 Plan are generally granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Company’s stock on the date of grant (but never less than the fair market value on the grant date) and expire 10 years from the date of grant. These options generally vest and become exercisable over a three-year period. The stock options granted under the Directors’ Plan vested and became exercisable one year from the date of grant. Options under the Directors' Plan have an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Company’s stock on the date of the grant and expire 10 years from that date. As of August 31, 2015, there were no options outstanding under the Director’s Plan. Compensation expense recognized related to the awards under the current and prior equity incentive plans was $2.4, $2.4, and $2.5 in fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. There was no expense related to the director plan in fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013.

The fair value of each option was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes model. The dividend yield was calculated based on annual dividends paid and the trailing 12-month average closing stock price at the time of grant. Expected volatility was based on historical volatility of the Company’s stock, calculated using the most recent time period equal to the expected life of the options. The risk-free interest rate was based on the U.S. Treasury yield for a term equal to the expected life of the options at the time of grant. The Company used historical exercise behavior data of similar employee groups to determine the expected life of options. All inputs into the Black-Scholes model are estimates made at the time of grant. Actual realized value of each option grant could materially differ from these estimates, without impact to future reported net income.

The following weighted average assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of stock options granted in the fiscal years ended August 31:



	2015	2014	2013
Dividend yield	0.4%	0.7%	0.9%
Expected volatility	33.9%	38.4%	43.8%
Risk-free interest rate	1.5%	1.3%	0.8%
Expected life of options	4 years	5 years	5 years
Weighted-average fair value of options	$37.43	$34.37	$22.32

Stock option activity during the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 was as follows:



	Outstanding			Exercisable
	Number of Shares (in millions)		Weighted Average Exercise Price	Number of Shares (in millions)		Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at August 31, 2012	1.1		$36.25	1.0		$33.06
Granted	0.1		$62.54
Exercised	(0.4)		$30.72
Outstanding at August 31, 2013	0.8		$43.16	0.5		$38.00
Granted	0.1		$103.74
Exercised	(0.2)		$40.31
Outstanding at August 31, 2014	0.7		$50.58	0.5		$41.05
Granted	0.1		$135.63
Exercised	(0.3)		$39.35
Outstanding at August 31, 2015	0.5		$71.95	0.3		$51.05
Range of option exercise prices:
$00.00 - $40.00 (average life - 4.2 years)	—	*	$33.49	—	*	$33.49
$40.01 - $60.00 (average life - 5.6 years)	0.2		$48.28	0.2		$48.28
$60.01 - $80.00 (average life - 7.1 years)	0.1		$62.54	—	*	$62.54
$80.01 - $136.00 (average life - 8.7 years)	0.2		$121.36	—	*	$103.74

_______________________________________


*	Represents shares of less than 0.1.

The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 was $33.3, $16.3, and $19.2, respectively. As of August 31, 2015, the total intrinsic value of options outstanding was $55.6, the total intrinsic value of options expected to vest was $55.5, and the total intrinsic value of options exercisable was $42.2. As of August 31, 2015, there was $3.1 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested options. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.3 years.

Employee Deferred Share Units

The Company previously allowed employees to defer a portion of restricted stock awards granted in fiscal 2003 and fiscal 2004 into the Supplemental Deferred Savings Plan (“SDSP”) as share units. The share units are payable in shares of stock at the time of distribution from the SDSP. As of August 31, 2015, approximately 13,000 fully vested share units remain deferred, but undistributed, under the 2012 Plan. There was no compensation expense related to these share units during fiscal years 2015, 2014, and 2013.

Director Deferred Share Units

The Company previously required its Directors to defer at least 50% of their annual retainer into the 2006 Nonemployee Director Deferred Compensation Plan ("2006 Plan"). Shares deferred under the 2006 Plan are to be paid in shares at retirement from the Board. In January 2012, the Company's stockholders approved the 2011 Nonemployee Director Deferred Compensation Plan ("2011 Plan"), following the expiration of the 2006 Plan on November 30, 2011. Pursuant to the 2011 Plan, fees deferred by nonemployee directors can be invested in deferred stock units to be paid in shares or credited to an interest-bearing account to be paid in cash at retirement from the Board. 300,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance under the 2011 Plan, which incorporated approximately 86,000 shares previously available for grant under the 2006 Plan. Beginning in fiscal year 2013, the deferral requirement was adjusted to 55% of the annual director fees. On September 28, 2012, the 2011 Plan was amended to allow for stock grants in lieu of mandatory deferrals for the non-cash component of a nonemployee director's annual fee if a director exceeds the stock ownership requirement of five-times the annual cash retainer fee. Shares available for issuance under both plans were approximately 400,000 at August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013. As of August 31, 2015, approximately 134,000 share units were deferred, but undistributed, under the 2006 Plan and the 2011 Plan.

Compensation expense recognized related to the share units under these plans was $1.0 million, $0.8 million, and $0.8 million in fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Employees are able to purchase, through payroll deduction, common stock at a 5% discount on a monthly basis. There were 1.5 million shares of the Company’s common stock reserved for purchase under the plan, of which approximately 1.0 million shares remain available as of August 31, 2015. Employees may participate at their discretion.

Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Self-Insurance

It is the policy of the Company to self-insure — up to certain limits — traditional risks, including workers’ compensation, comprehensive general liability, and auto liability. The Company’s self-insured retention for each claim involving workers’ compensation, comprehensive general liability (including product liability claims), and auto liability is limited per occurrence of such claims. A provision for claims under this self-insured program, based on the Company’s estimate of the aggregate liability for claims incurred, is revised and recorded annually. The estimate is derived from both internal and external sources including, but not limited to, the Company’s independent actuary. The Company is also self-insured up to certain limits for certain other insurable risks, primarily physical loss to property and business interruptions resulting from such loss lasting two days or more in duration. Insurance coverage is maintained for catastrophic property and casualty exposures, as well as those risks required to be insured by law or contract. The Company is fully self-insured for certain other types of liabilities, including environmental, product recall, warranty, and patent infringement. The actuarial estimates are subject to uncertainty from various sources including, among others, changes in claim reporting patterns, claim settlement patterns, judicial decisions, legislation, and economic conditions. Although the Company believes that the actuarial estimates are reasonable, significant differences related to the items noted above could materially affect the Company’s self-insurance obligations, future expense, and cash flow. The Company is also self-insured for the majority of its medical benefit plans. The Company estimates its aggregate liability for claims incurred by applying a lag factor to the Company’s historical claims and administrative cost experience. The appropriateness of the Company’s lag factor is evaluated and revised annually, as necessary.

Leases

The Company leases certain of its buildings and equipment under noncancelable lease agreements. Future minimum annual lease payments under noncancelable leases are $14.2, $12.5, $9.8, $6.8, $4.7, and $4.7 for fiscal 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and after 2020, respectively.

Total rent expense was $16.0, $16.5, and $16.2 in fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Purchase Obligations

The Company has incurred purchase obligations in the ordinary course of business that are enforceable and legally binding. Obligations for years subsequent to August 31, 2015 include $147.2 in fiscal 2016. As of August 31, 2015, the Company had no purchase obligations extending beyond August 31, 2016.

Collective Bargaining Agreements

Approximately 69% of the Company’s total work force is covered by collective bargaining agreements. Collective bargaining agreements representing approximately 62% of the Company’s work force will expire within one year.

Litigation

The Company is subject to various legal claims arising in the normal course of business, including patent infringement and product recall claims. Based on information currently available, it is the opinion of management that the ultimate resolution of pending and threatened legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows of the Company. However, in the event of unexpected future developments, it is possible that the ultimate resolution of any such matters, if unfavorable, could have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows of the Company in future periods. The Company establishes reserves for legal claims when associated costs become probable and can be reasonably estimated. The actual costs of resolving legal claims may be substantially higher than the amounts reserved for such claims. However, the Company cannot make a meaningful estimate of actual costs to be incurred that could possibly be higher or lower than the amounts reserved.

Environmental Matters

The operations of the Company are subject to numerous comprehensive laws and regulations relating to the generation, storage, handling, transportation, and disposal of hazardous substances, as well as solid and hazardous wastes, and to the remediation of contaminated sites. In addition, permits and environmental controls are required for certain of the Company’s operations to limit air and water pollution, and these permits are subject to modification, renewal, and revocation by issuing authorities. On an ongoing basis, the Company invests capital and incurs operating costs relating to environmental compliance. Environmental laws and regulations have generally become stricter in recent years. The Company is not aware of any pending legislation or proposed regulation related to environmental issues that would have a material adverse effect on the Company. The cost of responding to future changes may be substantial. The Company establishes reserves for known environmental claims when the associated costs become probable and can be reasonably estimated. The actual cost of environmental issues may be substantially higher than that reserved due to difficulty in estimating such costs.

Guarantees and Indemnities

The Company is a party to contracts entered into in the normal course of business in which it is common for the Company to agree to indemnify third parties for certain liabilities that may arise out of or relate to the subject matter of the contract. In most cases, the Company cannot estimate the potential amount of future payments under these indemnities until events arise that would result in a liability under the indemnities.

Acuity Brands completed the spin-off of its specialty products business (the “Spin-off”), Zep Inc. (“Zep”) on October 31, 2007, by distributing all of the shares of Zep common stock, par value $0.01 per share, to the Company's stockholders of record as of October 17, 2007. In conjunction with the separation of their businesses (the “Distribution”), Acuity Brands and Zep entered into various agreements that addressed the allocation of assets and liabilities and defined the Company’s relationship with Zep after the Distribution, including a tax disaffiliation agreement. The tax disaffiliation agreement provides that Acuity Brands will indemnify Zep for certain taxes and liabilities that may arise related to the Distribution and generally for deficiencies, if any, with respect to federal, state, local, or foreign taxes of Zep for periods before the Distribution. Liabilities determined under the tax disaffiliation agreement terminate upon the expiration of the applicable statutes of limitation for such liabilities. There is no stated maximum potential liability included in the tax disaffiliation agreement. The Company does not believe that any amounts it is likely to be required to pay under these indemnities will be material to the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flow. The Company cannot estimate the potential amount of future payments under these indemnities because claims that would result in a liability under the indemnities are not fully known.

Acquisition-Related Liabilities

During the negotiations related to business combinations, the previous owners of the acquired entity (“acquiree”) typically indemnify the Company for specific unrecognized liabilities of the acquiree in existence as of the date of acquisition. For some acquisitions of businesses, the Company acts in the place of escrow agents in the holding of funds, including accrued interest (collectively, the “holdback funds”), used to fulfill pre-acquisition obligations agreed to be paid by the acquiree. These funds represent consideration given to the previous owners of the businesses acquired and are payable to them, net of any pre-acquisition obligations satisfied within a stated amount of time, at a future date. Any potential pre-acquisition obligations for which the Company may be reimbursed through the holdback funds are usually uncertain as of the date of the change of control. In certain circumstances, the Company is capable of the identification and quantification of particular liabilities including, but not limited to, uncertain tax positions, legal issues, and other outstanding obligations not recognized in the financial statements of the acquired entity. Under ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations, these unrecognized liabilities are recorded as obligations of the Company with a corresponding receivable due from the previous owners as of the date of acquisition and are included as part of the acquisition accounting. The actual costs of resolving pre-acquisition obligations may be substantially higher than the holdback funds or amounts reserved. The Company does not believe that any amounts it is likely to be required to pay under these acquisition-related liabilities, including net holdback funds, will be material to the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flow.

Product Warranty and Recall Costs

Acuity Brands records an allowance for the estimated amount of future warranty costs when the related revenue is recognized. Estimated costs related to product recalls based on a formal campaign soliciting repair or return of that product are accrued when they are deemed to be probable and can be reasonably estimated. Estimated future warranty and recall costs are primarily based on historical experience of identified warranty and recall claims. However, there can be no assurance that future warranty or recall costs will not exceed historical amounts or new technology products, which may include extended warranties, may not generate unexpected costs. If actual future warranty or recall costs exceed historical amounts, additional allowances may be required, which could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations and cash flow.

The changes in product warranty and recall reserves (included in Other accrued liabilities and Other long-term liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets) during the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 are summarized as follows:



	2015			2014			2013
Balance at September 1	$	8.5		$	5.9		$	4.0
Warranty and recall costs	16.1			19.5			14.3
Payments and other deductions	(15.0		)	(16.9		)	(12.4		)
Balance at August 31	$	9.6		$	8.5		$	5.9

Special Charge

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Supplemental Disaggregated Information

Fiscal 2013 Actions

During fiscal 2013, the Company continued efforts to streamline the organization through the planned closure of certain production facilities as well as the realignment of responsibilities primarily within various selling, distribution, and administrative departments. The Company expects that these actions to streamline its business activities, in addition to those taken in previous fiscal years, will allow it to reduce costs and enhance customer service capabilities, while permitting continued investment in future growth initiatives, such as new products, expanded market presence, and technology and innovation.

During fiscal 2013, the Company recorded a pre-tax special charge of $7.8 consisting of severance and employee-related costs of $7.6 and lease termination costs of $0.2, which are included in Special Charge in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. During fiscal 2014, the Company recognized a reversal of pre-tax special charges of $0.2 due primarily to lower-than-anticipated costs related to severance and employee-related expenses of $0.6 partially offset by production transfer costs of $0.4. During fiscal 2015, the Company recognized a reversal of pre-tax special charges of $0.5 due primarily to lower-than-anticipated costs related to severance and employee-related expenses.

Fiscal 2015 Actions

During fiscal 2015, the Company continued efforts to streamline the organization by realigning certain responsibilities primarily within various selling, distribution, and administrative departments and the consolidation of certain production activities. The Company expects that these actions to streamline its business activities, in addition to those taken in previous fiscal years, will allow it to reduce spending in certain areas while permitting continued investment in future growth initiatives, such as new products, expanded market presence, and technology and innovation. During fiscal 2015, the Company recorded a pre-tax special charge of $12.9, consisting primarily of severance and employee-related costs of $11.9 as well as production transfer costs of $0.5 and lease termination costs of $0.5.

As of August 31, 2015, remaining reserves were $4.9 and are included in Accrued Compensation on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The changes in the reserves related to these programs during the year ended August 31, 2015 are summarized as follows:



	Fiscal 2013 Actions			Fiscal 2015 Actions			Total
Balance as of August 31, 2014	$	0.8		$	—		$	0.8
Special charge	(0.5		)	12.4			11.9
Payments made during the period	(0.3		)	(7.5		)	(7.8		)
Balance as of August 31, 2015	$	—		$	4.9		$	4.9

Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability approach as prescribed by ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). This approach requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Using the enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse, deferred tax liabilities and assets are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and the tax basis of an asset or liability.

The provision for income taxes consists of the following components:



	Years Ended August 31,
	2015		2014			2013
Provision for current federal taxes	$	101.5	$	77.1		$	48.4
Provision for current state taxes	13.1		9.0			6.9
Provision for current foreign taxes	4.3		4.3			4.2
Provision for deferred taxes	2.6		(0.5		)	6.2
Total provision for income taxes	$	121.5	$	89.9		$	65.7

A reconciliation of the federal statutory rate to the total provision for income taxes is as follows:



	Years Ended August 31,
	2015			2014			2013
Federal income tax computed at statutory rate	$	120.3		$	93.0		$	67.6
State income tax, net of federal income tax benefit	8.6			6.7			4.8
Foreign permanent differences and rate differential	(1.4		)	(1.0		)	(1.1		)
Other, net	(6.0		)	(8.8		)	(5.6		)
Total provision for income taxes	$	121.5		$	89.9		$	65.7

Components of the net deferred income taxes at August 31, 2015 and 2014 include:



	August 31,
	2015			2014
Deferred Income Tax Liabilities:
Depreciation	$	(9.6	)	$	(6.1	)
Goodwill and intangibles	(105.1		)	(101.8		)
Other liabilities	(4.2		)	(5.3		)
Total deferred income tax liabilities	(118.9		)	(113.2		)
Deferred Income Tax Assets:
Self-insurance	3.9			3.8
Pension	29.2			21.1
Deferred compensation	27.5			27.0
Bonuses	1.7			1.3
Net operating losses	15.7			18.1
Other accruals not yet deductible	18.8			15.9
Other assets	8.9			5.7
Total deferred income tax assets	105.7			92.9
Valuation Allowance	(15.0		)	(13.6		)
Net deferred income tax liabilities	$	(28.2	)	$	(33.9	)

The Company currently intends to indefinitely reinvest all undistributed earnings of and original investments in foreign subsidiaries, which amounted to approximately $68.6 at August 31, 2015; however, this amount could fluctuate due to changes in business, economic, or other conditions. Earnings is the most significant component of the basis difference which is indefinitely reinvested. If these earnings were distributed to the U.S. in the form of dividends or otherwise or if the shares of the relevant foreign subsidiaries were sold or otherwise transferred, the Company would be subject to additional U.S. income taxes (subject to an adjustment for foreign tax credits) and foreign withholding taxes. Determination of the amount of unrecognized deferred income tax liability related to these earnings or investments is not practicable.

At August 31, 2015, the Company had state tax credit carryforwards of approximately $1.2, which will expire between 2018 and 2024. At August 31, 2015, the Company had federal net operating loss carryforwards of $25.7 that expire beginning in 2027, state net operating loss carryforwards of $17.0 that begin expiring in 2028, and foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $23.8 that begin expiring in 2016.

The gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits as of August 31, 2015 and 2014 totaled $4.5 and $3.0, respectively, which includes $3.3 and $2.2, respectively, of net unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the annual effective tax rate. The Company recognizes potential interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense; such accrued interest and penalties are not material. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to United States federal, state, and local income tax examinations for years ended before 2011 or for foreign income tax examinations before 2009. The Company does not anticipate unrecognized tax benefits will significantly increase or decrease within the next twelve months.

A reconciliation of the change in the unrecognized income tax benefit (reported in Other long-term liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets) for the years ended August 31, 2015 and 2014 is as follows:



	2015			2014
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at September 1	$	3.0		$	5.0
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	0.8			0.4
Additions for tax positions of prior years	1.5			—
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	—			(0.6		)
Reductions due to settlements	—			—
Reductions due to lapse of statute of limitations	(0.8		)	(1.8		)
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at August 31	$	4.5		$	3.0

Total accrued interest was $0.7 and $0.5 as of August 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. There were no accruals related to income tax penalties during fiscal 2015. Interest, net of tax benefits, and penalties are included in income tax expense. The classification of interest and penalties did not change during the current fiscal year.

Subsequent Event	12 Months Ended
Subsequent Event	Aug. 31, 2015
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Event	Subsequent Event Distech Controls Acquisition On September 1, 2015, subsequent to year-end, using cash on hand, the Company acquired all of the outstanding capital stock of Distech Controls Inc. ("Distech Controls"), a provider of building automation solutions that allow for the integration of lighting, HVAC, access control, closed circuit television, and related systems. Distech Controls is headquartered in Quebec, Canada. The terms of the agreement reflect a cash purchase price totaling $318.0 Canadian dollars, or approximately $255.0 U.S. dollars. Subsequent to the announcement of the transaction in March 2015, Distech Controls discovered shipments by it and its subsidiaries during the past five years of standard commercial building control products directly or indirectly to customers in a country that may constitute violations of U.S. and Canadian sanctions or export regulations, including those administered by the U.S. Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) and the Export Controls Division of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development ("DFATD") . Distech Controls estimates that it received total revenue of approximately $0.3 from these shipments. Distech Controls has voluntarily self-reported the potential violations to OFAC and DFATD and retained outside counsel that conducted an investigation of the matter and filed a full voluntary disclosure with these agencies. Now that the Company has acquired Distech Controls, the Company has greater access to information regarding Distech Controls’ prior operations and will continue to assess the matter and implement related ongoing compliance and remediation efforts. The Company intends to fully cooperate with respect to any investigations by governmental agencies of the potential violations. Distech Controls has represented to the Company that Distech Controls has substantially completed its investigation into the potential violations and that it has provided the Company with all relevant facts identified to date that are material to this matter. The former shareholders of Distech Controls have also jointly agreed to indemnify the Company for damages, if any, as a result of, in respect of, connected with or arising out of the potential violations or any inaccuracy or breach of the representations made by Distech Controls to the Company related thereto, up to a specified aggregate amount, which is not material to the Company's consolidated financial statements. These indemnity obligations are supported by an escrow account containing proceeds from the transaction equal to the specified aggregate amount. The Company currently believes that this indemnity will be sufficient to cover any damages related to the potential violations and the costs and expenses related to the investigation thereof and any related remedial actions. The Company therefore does not expect this matter to have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, cash flow, or results of operations of the Company. There can be no assurance, however, that actual damages, costs and expenses will not be in excess of the indemnity or that the Company and its affiliates will not be subject to other damages, including but not limited to damage to the Company's reputation or monetary or non-monetary penalties as permitted under applicable trade laws, that may not be fully covered by the indemnity. Due to the volatility in exchange rates, the Company entered into a foreign currency contracts in an effort to mitigate nearly all of the foreign currency exposure associated with the Canadian dollar purchase price. In accordance with U.S. GAAP, a firm commitment to enter into a business combination shall not be designated as a hedged item. As such, the net pre-tax loss on these contracts totaling $2.6 was recognized in Miscellaneous (Income) Expense, net within the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Supplemental Disaggregated Information

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

The Company has one reportable segment. Sales of lighting solutions, excluding services, accounted for approximately 99% of total consolidated net sales for Acuity Brands in fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013. The geographic distribution of the Company’s net sales, operating profit, income before provision for income taxes, and long-lived assets is summarized in the following table for the years ended August 31:



	2015		2014		2013
Net sales⁽¹⁾
Domestic⁽²⁾	$	2,450.1	$	2,155.0	$	1,854.9
International	256.6		238.5		234.2
Total	$	2,706.7	$	2,393.5	$	2,089.1
Operating profit
Domestic⁽²⁾	$	364.0	$	287.8	$	207.2
International	12.3		11.3		14.3
Total	$	376.3	$	299.1	$	221.5
Income before Provision for Income Taxes
Domestic⁽²⁾	$	329.4	$	257.1	$	181.2
International	14.2		8.6		11.9
Total	$	343.6	$	265.7	$	193.1
Long-lived assets⁽³⁾
Domestic⁽²⁾	$	179.1	$	147.8	$	144.4
International	25.6		31.2		30.9
Total	$	204.7	$	179.0	$	175.3

_______________________________________


⁽¹⁾	Net sales are attributed to each country based on the selling location.


⁽²⁾	Domestic amounts include net sales (including export sales), operating profit, income before provision for income taxes, and long-lived assets for U.S. based operations.


⁽³⁾	Long-lived assets include net property, plant, and equipment, long-term deferred income tax assets, and other long-term assets.

The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.

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Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements [Abstract]

Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements

In December 2009, ABL, the 100% owned and principal operating subsidiary of the Company, refinanced the then current outstanding debt through the issuance of the Notes. See Debt and Lines of Credit footnote for further information.

In accordance with the registration rights agreement by and between ABL and the guarantors to the Notes and the initial purchasers of the Notes, ABL and the guarantors to the Notes filed a registration statement with the SEC for an offer to exchange the Notes for an issue of SEC-registered notes with identical terms. Due to the filing of the registration statement and offer to exchange, the Company determined the need for compliance with Rule 3-10 of SEC Regulation S-X (“Rule 3-10”). In lieu of providing separate audited financial statements for ABL and ABL IP Holding, the Company has included the accompanying Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements in accordance with Rule 3-10(d) of SEC Regulation S-X since the Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Acuity Brands and ABL IP Holding. The column marked “Parent” represents the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of Acuity Brands. The column marked “Subsidiary Issuer” represents the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of ABL. The column entitled “Subsidiary Guarantor” represents the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of ABL IP Holding. Lastly, the column listed as “Non-Guarantors” includes the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of the non-guarantor direct and indirect subsidiaries of Acuity Brands, which consist primarily of foreign subsidiaries. Eliminations were necessary in order to arrive at consolidated amounts. In addition, the equity method of accounting was used to calculate investments in subsidiaries. Accordingly, this basis of presentation is not intended to present our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows for any purpose other than to comply with the specific requirements for parent-subsidiary guarantor reporting.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEETS



	At August 31, 2015
	Parent		Subsidiary Issuer		Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors		Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	479.9	$	—	$	—	$	276.9	$	—		$	756.8
Accounts receivable, net	—		365.5		—		46.2		—			411.7
Inventories	—		208.6		—		16.2		—			224.8
Other current assets	8.0		27.0		—		8.2		—			43.2
Total Current Assets	487.9		601.1		—		347.5		—			1,436.5
Property, Plant, and Equipment, net	0.3		139.8		—		34.5		—			174.6
Goodwill	—		524.2		2.7		38.1		—			565.0
Intangible assets	—		87.4		117.3		18.7		—			223.4
Deferred income taxes	35.5		—		—		3.9		(36.4		)	3.0
Other long-term assets	1.3		23.8		—		2.0		—			27.1
Investments in and amounts due from affiliates	934.7		333.5		168.5		—		(1,436.7		)	—
Total Assets	$	1,459.7	$	1,709.8	$	288.5	$	444.7	$	(1,473.1	)	$	2,429.6

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	0.9	$	291.6	$	—	$	18.6	$	—		$	311.1
Accrued liabilities	20.4		162.7		—		26.7		—			209.8
Total Current Liabilities	21.3		454.3		—		45.3		—			520.9
Long-Term Debt	—		352.4		—		—		—			352.4
Deferred Income Taxes	—		90.7		—		—		(36.4		)	54.3
Other Long-Term Liabilities	78.4		42.7		—		20.9		—			142.0
Amounts due to affiliates	—		—		—		77.5		(77.5		)	—
Total Stockholders’ Equity	1,360.0		769.7		288.5		301.0		(1,359.2		)	1,360.0
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	$	1,459.7	$	1,709.8	$	288.5	$	444.7	$	(1,473.1	)	$	2,429.6

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEETS



	At August 31, 2014
	Parent		Subsidiary Issuer		Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors		Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	516.0	$	3.1	$	—	$	33.4	$	—		$	552.5
Accounts receivable, net	—		331.0		—		42.4		—			373.4
Inventories	—		196.8		—		15.2		—			212.0
Other current assets	9.4		31.3		—		7.8		—			48.5
Total Current Assets	525.4		562.2		—		98.8		—			1,186.4
Property, Plant, and Equipment, net	0.4		121.4		—		30.7		—			152.5
Goodwill	—		524.2		2.7		42.5		—			569.4
Intangible assets	—		86.6		121.5		23.5		—			231.6
Deferred income taxes	33.4		—		—		0.1		(30.5		)	3.0
Other long-term assets	1.2		16.6		—		5.7		—			23.5
Investments in and amounts due from subsidiaries	692.6		130.2		142.3		—		(965.1		)	—
Total Assets	$	1,253.0	$	1,441.2	$	266.5	$	201.3	$	(995.6	)	$	2,166.4

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	1.1	$	268.2	$	—	$	18.1	$	—		$	287.4
Other accrued liabilities	25.0		129.5		—		28.6		—			183.1
Total Current Liabilities	26.1		397.7		—		46.7		—			470.5
Long-Term Debt	—		351.9		—		—		—			351.9
Deferred Income Taxes	—		88.9		—		—		(30.5		)	58.4
Other Long-Term Liabilities	63.4		34.4		—		24.3		—			122.1
Amounts due to affiliates	—		—		—		52.3		(52.3		)	—
Total Stockholders’ Equity	1,163.5		568.3		266.5		78.0		(912.8		)	1,163.5
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	$	1,253.0	$	1,441.2	$	266.5	$	201.3	$	(995.6	)	$	2,166.4

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME



	Year Ended August 31, 2015
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
Net Sales:
External sales	$	—		$	2,446.9		$	—	$	259.8		$	—		$	2,706.7
Intercompany sales	—			—			41.2		105.5			(146.7		)	—
Total Sales	—			2,446.9			41.2		365.3			(146.7		)	2,706.7
Cost of Products Sold	—			1,388.0			—		276.5			(103.4		)	1,561.1
Gross Profit	—			1,058.9			41.2		88.8			(43.3		)	1,145.6
Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses	34.0			684.4			4.0		77.8			(43.3		)	756.9
Intercompany charges	(45.4		)	39.7			—		5.7			—			—
Special Charge	—			12.4			—		—			—			12.4
Operating Profit	11.4			322.4			37.2		5.3			—			376.3
Interest expense (income), net	9.9			21.8			—		(0.2		)	—			31.5
Equity earnings in subsidiaries	(221.2		)	(5.2		)	—		—			226.4			—
Miscellaneous (income) expense, net	—			2.8			—		(1.6		)	—			1.2
Income (Loss) before Provision for Income Taxes	222.7			303.0			37.2		7.1			(226.4		)	343.6
Provision for Income Taxes	0.6			103.5			14.9		2.5			—			121.5
Net Income (Loss)	222.1			199.5			22.3		4.6			(226.4		)	222.1

Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items:
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	(24.0		)	(24.0		)	—		—			24.0			(24.0		)
Defined Benefit Pension Plans, net	(14.5		)	6.3			—		0.5			(6.8		)	(14.5		)
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items after Provision for Income Taxes	(38.5		)	(17.7		)	—		0.5			17.2			(38.5		)
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense)	$	183.6		$	181.8		$	22.3	$	5.1		$	(209.2	)	$	183.6

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME



	Year Ended August 31, 2014
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
Net Sales:
External sales	$	—		$	2,150.6		$	—	$	242.9		$	—		$	2,393.5
Intercompany sales	—			—			37.2		94.8			(132.0		)	—
Total Sales	—			2,150.6			37.2		337.7			(132.0		)	2,393.5
Cost of Products Sold	—			1,255.5			—		250.5			(91.7		)	1,414.3
Gross Profit	—			895.1			37.2		87.2			(40.3		)	979.2
Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses	27.8			612.5			4.1		76.2			(40.3		)	680.3
Intercompany charges	(39.6		)	34.7			—		4.9			—			—
Special Charges	—			(0.2		)	—		—			—			(0.2		)
Operating Profit	11.8			248.1			33.1		6.1			—			299.1
Interest expense (income), net	10.0			22.2			—		(0.1		)	—			32.1
Equity earnings in subsidiaries	(174.2		)	(4.0		)	—		—			178.2			—
Miscellaneous (income) expense, net	—			(1.6		)	—		1.8			1.1			1.3
Income (Loss) before Provision for Income Taxes	176.0			231.5			33.1		4.4			(179.3		)	265.7
Provision for Income Taxes	0.2			75.5			13.1		1.1			—			89.9
Net Income (Loss)	175.8			156.0			20.0		3.3			(179.3		)	175.8

Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items:
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	0.7			0.7			—		—			(0.7		)	0.7
Defined Benefit Pension Plans, net	(10.0		)	(3.7		)	—		(5.2		)	8.9			(10.0		)
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items after Provision for Income Taxes	(9.3		)	(3.0		)	—		(5.2		)	8.2			(9.3		)
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense)	$	166.5		$	153.0		$	20.0	$	(1.9	)	$	(171.1	)	$	166.5

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME



	Year Ended August 31, 2013
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
Net Sales:
External sales	$	—		$	1,851.4		$	—	$	237.7		$	—		$	2,089.1
Intercompany sales	—			—			31.8		85.0			(116.8		)	—
Total Sales	—			1,851.4			31.8		322.7			(116.8		)	2,089.1
Cost of Products Sold	—			1,088.6			—		247.9			(85.0		)	1,251.5
Gross Profit	—			762.8			31.8		74.8			(31.8		)	837.6
Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses	28.0			542.6			2.9		65.9			(31.8		)	607.6
Intercompany charges	(37.5		)	32.8			—		4.7			—			—
Special Charge	—			6.5			—		2.0			—			8.5
Operating Profit	9.5			180.9			28.9		2.2			—			221.5
Interest expense (income), net	9.4			22.1			—		(0.3		)	—			31.2
Equity earnings in subsidiaries	(127.4		)	(2.1		)	—		—			129.5			—
Miscellaneous income, net	—			(1.0		)	—		(1.8		)	—			(2.8		)
Income (Loss) before Provision for Income Taxes	127.5			161.9			28.9		4.3			(129.5		)	193.1
Provision for Income Taxes	0.1			51.5			11.6		2.5			—			65.7
Net Income (Loss)	127.4			110.4			17.3		1.8			(129.5		)	127.4

Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items:
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	(1.9		)	(1.9		)	—		—			1.9			(1.9		)
Defined Benefit Pension Plans, net	24.0			17.3			—		7.2			(24.5		)	24.0
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items after Provision for Income Taxes	22.1			15.4			—		7.2			(22.6		)	22.1
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense)	$	149.5		$	125.8		$	17.3	$	9.0		$	(152.1	)	$	149.5

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS



	Year Ended August 31, 2015
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	$	212.1		$	55.2		$	—	$	21.6		$	—		$	288.9
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	—			(41.9		)	—		(14.6		)	—			(56.5		)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	—			1.3			—		—			—			1.3
Investments in subsidiaries	(254.7		)	(245.2		)	—		—			499.9			—
Acquisitions of businesses and intangible assets	—			(14.6		)	—		—			—			(14.6		)
Other investing activities	—			(2.6		)	—		—			—			(2.6		)
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Investing Activities	(254.7		)	(303.0		)	—		(14.6		)	499.9			(72.4		)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	11.6			—			—		—			—			11.6
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	17.6			—			—		—			—			17.6
Intercompany capital	—			245.2			—		254.7			(499.9		)	—
Dividends paid	(22.7		)	—			—		—			—			(22.7		)
Other financing activities	—			—			—		(10.4		)	—			(10.4		)
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities	6.5			245.2			—		244.3			(499.9		)	(3.9		)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	—			(0.5		)	—		(7.8		)	—			(8.3		)
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(36.1		)	(3.1		)	—		243.5			—			204.3
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	516.0			3.1			—		33.4			—			552.5
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	$	479.9		$	—		$	—	$	276.9		$	—		$	756.8

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS



	Year Ended August 31, 2014
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments		Consolidated
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	$	188.7		$	35.1		$	—	$	9.3		$	—	$	233.1
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	—			(29.2		)	—		(6.1		)	—		(35.3		)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	—			1.0			—		—			—		1.0
Investments in subsidiaries	—			(4.5		)	—		4.5			—		—
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	—			(32.7		)	—		(1.6		)	—		(34.3		)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	8.4			—			—		—			—		8.4
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	10.4			—			—		—			—		10.4
Dividends paid	(22.5		)	—			—		—			—		(22.5		)
Other financing activities	—			—			—		(2.6		)	—		(2.6		)
Net Cash Used for Financing Activities	(3.7		)	—			—		(2.6		)	—		(6.3		)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	—			(0.1		)	—		1.0			—		0.9
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	185.0			2.3			—		6.1			—		193.4
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	331.0			0.8			—		27.3			—		359.1
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	$	516.0		$	3.1		$	—	$	33.4		$	—	$	552.5

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS



	Year Ended August 31, 2013
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Operating Activities	$	83.7		$	46.4		$	—	$	14.3		$	(12.1	)	$	132.3
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	(0.4		)	(36.9		)	—		(3.3		)	—			(40.6		)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	—			7.6			—		—			—			7.6
Investments in subsidiaries	—			(13.1		)	—		—			13.1			—
Acquisition of business	—			(3.7		)	—		(21.8		)	—			(25.5		)
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Investing Activities	(0.4		)	(46.1		)	—		(25.1		)	13.1			(58.5		)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	14.9			—			—		—			—			14.9
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	8.6			—			—		—			—			8.6
Intercompany dividends	—			—			—		(12.1		)	12.1			—
Intercompany capital	—			—			—		13.1			(13.1		)	—
Dividends paid	(22.4		)	—			—		—			—			(22.4		)
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities	1.1			—			—		1.0			(1.0		)	1.1
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	—			0.5			—		(0.8		)	—			(0.3		)
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	84.4			0.8			—		(10.6		)	—			74.6
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	246.6			—			—		37.9			—			284.5
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	$	331.0		$	0.8		$	—	$	27.3		$	—		$	359.1

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)



	Fiscal Year 2015
	1st Quarter		2nd Quarter		3rd Quarter		4th Quarter
Net Sales	$	647.4	$	616.1	$	683.7	$	759.5
Gross Profit	$	273.0	$	255.7	$	295.6	$	321.3
Net Income	$	51.1	$	46.4	$	64.5	$	60.1
Basic Earnings per Share	$	1.18	$	1.07	$	1.49	$	1.39
Diluted Earnings per Share	$	1.17	$	1.07	$	1.48	$	1.37



	Fiscal Year 2014
	1st Quarter		2nd Quarter		3rd Quarter		4th Quarter
Net Sales	$	574.7	$	546.2	$	603.9	$	668.7
Gross Profit	$	237.1	$	215.2	$	243.4	$	283.5
Net Income	$	44.5	$	32.7	$	43.8	$	54.8
Basic Earnings per Share	$	1.03	$	0.76	$	1.01	$	1.27
Diluted Earnings per Share	$	1.03	$	0.75	$	1.01	$	1.26

Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]

Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

Schedule II

Acuity Brands, Inc.

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

For the Years Ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013

(In millions)



	Balance at		Additions and Reductions Charged to
	Beginning of Year		Costs and Expenses		Other Accounts	Deductions	Balance at End of Year
Year Ended August 31, 2015
Reserve for doubtful accounts	$	1.9	0.1		—	0.7	$	1.3
Reserve for estimated product returns, net	$	4.3	44.7		—	42.8	$	6.2
Reserve for estimated cash discounts	$	2.7	21.7		—	21.4	$	3.0
Reserve for estimated other deductions	$	1.3	9.1		—	9.1	$	1.3
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance	$	13.6	(0.4	)	1.8	—	$	15.0
Year Ended August 31, 2014
Reserve for doubtful accounts	$	1.5	0.8		—	0.4	$	1.9
Reserve for estimated product returns, net	$	1.5	35.9		—	33.1	$	4.3
Reserve for estimated cash discounts	$	2.2	19.5		—	19.0	$	2.7
Reserve for estimated other deductions	$	1.0	7.4		—	7.1	$	1.3
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance	$	12.4	0.4		0.8	—	$	13.6
Year Ended August 31, 2013
Reserve for doubtful accounts	$	1.4	0.2		—	0.1	$	1.5
Reserve for estimated product returns, net	$	1.3	24.1		—	23.9	$	1.5
Reserve for estimated cash discounts	$	1.8	17.4		—	17.0	$	2.2
Reserve for estimated other deductions	$	0.8	7.4		—	7.2	$	1.0
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance	$	10.2	1.1		1.1	—	$	12.4

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Aug. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of Consolidation	The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Acuity Brands and its wholly-owned subsidiaries after elimination of intercompany transactions and accounts.
Revenue Recognition	The Company records revenue when the following criteria are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the Company’s price to the customer is fixed and determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured. Delivery is not considered to have occurred until the customer assumes the risks and rewards of ownership. Customers take delivery at the time of shipment for terms designated free on board shipping point. For sales designated free on board destination, customers take delivery when the product is delivered to the customer’s delivery site. Provisions for certain rebates, sales incentives, product returns, and discounts to customers are recorded in the same period the related revenue is recorded. The Company also maintains one-time or on-going marketing and trade-promotion programs with certain customers that require the Company to estimate and accrue the expected costs of such programs. These arrangements include cooperative marketing programs, merchandising of the Company’s products, introductory marketing funds for new products, and other trade-promotion activities conducted by the customer. Costs associated with these programs are reflected within the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 605, Revenue Recognition (“ASC 605”), which in most instances requires such costs be recorded as a reduction of revenue. The Company's standard terms and conditions of sale allow returns of certain products within four months of the date of shipment. The Company also provides for limited product return rights to certain distributors and other customers, primarily for slow moving or damaged items subject to certain defined criteria. The limited product return rights generally allow customers to return resalable products purchased within a specified time period and subject to certain limitations, including, at times, when accompanied by a replacement order of equal or greater value. At the time revenue is recognized, the Company records a provision for the estimated amount of future returns primarily based on historical experience, specific notification of pending returns, or based on contractual terms with the respective customers. Although historical product returns generally have been within expectations, there can be no assurance that future product returns will not exceed historical amounts. A significant increase in product returns could have a material adverse impact on the Company's operating results in future periods. Revenue is earned on services and the sale of products. Revenue is recognized for the sale of products when the above criteria are met and for services rendered in the period of performance.
Revenue Recognition for Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables	A small portion of the Company's revenues are derived from the combination of any or all of: (i) the sale and license of its products, (ii) fees associated with training, installation, and technical support services, and (iii) monitoring and lighting control services. Certain agreements, particularly related to lighting controls systems, represent multiple-element arrangements that include tangible products that contain software that is essential to the functionality of the systems and undelivered elements that primarily relate to installation, monitoring, and lighting control services. The undelivered elements associated with installation, monitoring, and lighting control services are reviewed and analyzed to determine separability in relation to the delivered elements and appropriate pricing treatment based on (a) vendor-specific objective evidence, (b) third-party evidence, or (c) management estimates. If deemed separate units of accounting, the revenue and associated cost of sales related to the delivered elements are recognized at the time of delivery, while those related to the undelivered elements are recognized appropriately based on the period of performance. If the separation criterion for the undelivered elements is not met because the undelivered elements are essential to the functionality of the lighting controls systems, all revenue and cost of sales attributable to the contract are deferred at the time of sale and are both generally recognized on a straight-line basis over the respective contract periods.
Use of Estimates	The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash in excess of daily requirements is invested in time deposits and marketable securities and is included in the accompanying balance sheets at fair value. Acuity Brands considers time deposits and marketable securities with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.
Accounts Receivable	The Company records accounts receivable at net realizable value. This value includes an allowance for estimated uncollectible accounts to reflect losses anticipated on accounts receivable balances. The allowance is based on historical write-offs, an analysis of past due accounts based on the contractual terms of the receivables, and economic status of customers, if known. Management believes that the allowance is sufficient to cover uncollectible amounts; however, there can be no assurance that unanticipated future business conditions of customers will not have a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations.
Concentrations of Credit Risk	Concentrations of credit risk with respect to receivables, which are typically unsecured, are generally limited due to the wide variety of customers and markets using the Company’s lighting solutions as well as their dispersion across many different geographic areas.
Reclassifications	Certain prior-period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation, including the reclassification of deferred debt issuance costs related to the adoption of ASU 2015-03.
Subsequent Events	The Company has evaluated subsequent events for recognition and disclosure for occurrences and transactions after the date of the consolidated financial statements as of August 31, 2015.
Inventories	Management reviews inventory quantities on hand and records a provision for excess or obsolete inventory primarily based on estimated future demand and current market conditions. A significant change in customer demand or market conditions could render certain inventory obsolete and thus could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s operating results in the period the change occurs. Inventories include materials, direct labor, in-bound freight, and related manufacturing overhead, are stated at the lower of cost (on a first-in, first-out or average cost basis) or market
Assets Held for Sale	The Company classifies assets as held for sale upon the development of a plan for disposal and in accordance with applicable U.S. GAAP and ceases the depreciation and amortization of the assets at that date. The Company is actively marketing the property classified as held for sale.
Goodwill and Other Intangibles	The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis or more frequently as facts and circumstances change, as required by ASC Topic 350, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”). The goodwill impairment test has three steps: a qualitative review and a two-step quantitative method. The preliminary step (“Step 0”) allows for a qualitative analysis to determine the likelihood of impairment. If the qualitative review results in a more likely than not probability of impairment, the first quantitative step is required. The first step identifies potential impairments by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying value, including goodwill. The fair values can be determined based on a combination of valuation techniques including the expected present value of future cash flows, a market multiple approach, and a comparable transaction approach. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds the carrying value, goodwill is not considered impaired and the second step is not necessary. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds the fair value, the second step calculates the possible impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of goodwill with the carrying value. If the implied fair value of the goodwill is less than the carrying value, an impairment charge is recorded. In fiscal 2015, a qualitative fair value analysis was used to determine the likelihood of goodwill impairment for the Company’s one reporting unit. The analysis for goodwill did not result in an impairment charge during fiscal 2015, 2014, or 2013. The impairment test for indefinite-lived trade names consists of comparing the fair value of the asset with its carrying value. The Company estimates the fair value of indefinite-lived trade names using a fair value model based on discounted future cash flows. If the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value, an impairment loss would be recorded in the amount of the excess. Significant assumptions, including estimated future net sales, royalty rates, and discount rates, are used in the determination of estimated fair value for indefinite-lived trade names.
Shipping and Handling Fees and Costs	The Company includes shipping and handling fees billed to customers in Net Sales. Shipping and handling costs associated with inbound freight and freight between manufacturing facilities and distribution centers are generally recorded in Cost of Products Sold. Other shipping and handling costs are included in Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses
Share-Based Compensation	The Company recognizes compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions in the financial statements based on the estimated fair value of the equity or liability instrument issued. The Company accounts for stock options, restricted shares, and share units representing certain deferrals into the Director Deferred Compensation Plan or the Supplemental Deferred Savings Plan (both of which are discussed further in the Share-Based Payments footnote) based on the grant-date fair value estimated under the current provisions of ASC Topic 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”).
Depreciation	For financial reporting purposes, depreciation is determined principally on a straight-line basis using estimated useful lives of plant and equipment (10 to 40 years for buildings and related improvements and 3 to 15 years for machinery and equipment), while accelerated depreciation methods are used for income tax purposes. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the life of the lease or the estimated useful life of the improvement.
Research and Development	Research and development (“R&D”) expense, which is expensed as incurred, consists of compensation, payroll taxes, employee benefits, materials, supplies, and other administrative costs, but does not include all new product development costs, and is included in Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.
Advertising	Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and are included within Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.
Service Arrangements with Customers	The Company maintains a service program with one of its retail customers that affords the Company certain in-store benefits, including lighting display maintenance.
Interest Expense, Net	Interest expense, net, is comprised primarily of interest expense on long-term debt, revolving credit facility borrowings, and loans collateralized by assets related to a company-owned life insurance program, partially offset by interest income on cash and cash equivalents.
Foreign Currency Transaction	The functional currency for the foreign operations of the Company is the local currency. The translation of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars is performed for balance sheet accounts using exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet dates and for revenue and expense accounts using a weighted average exchange rate each month during the year. The gains or losses resulting from the balance sheet translation are included in Foreign currency translation adjustments in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and are excluded from net income.
Miscellaneous Expense (Income), Net	Miscellaneous expense (income), net, is composed primarily of gains or losses on foreign currency items and other non-operating items.
Income Taxes	The Company is taxed at regular corporate rates after adjusting income reported for financial statement purposes for certain items that are treated differently for income tax purposes. Deferred income tax expenses or benefits result from changes during the year in cumulative temporary differences between the tax basis and book basis of assets and liabilities.
Comprehensive Income	Comprehensive income represents a measure of all changes in equity that result from recognized transactions and other economic events other than transactions with owners in their capacity as owners. Other comprehensive income for the Company includes foreign currency translation and pension adjustments.
New Accounting Pronouncements	Accounting Standards Adopted in Fiscal 2015 In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-05, Foreign Currency Matters (Topic 830): Parent’s Accounting for the Cumulative Translation Adjustment upon Derecognition of Certain Subsidiaries or Groups of Assets within a Foreign Entity or of an Investment in a Foreign Entity (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force) (“ASU 2013-05”), which applies to the release of the cumulative translation adjustment into net income when a parent either sells a part or all of its investment in a foreign entity or no longer holds a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets that is a business (other than a sale of in substance real estate or conveyance of oil and gas mineral rights) within a foreign entity. ASU 2013-05 is effective prospectively for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2013. The provisions of ASU 2013-05 did not have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force) (“ASU 2013-11”), which applies to the presentation of unrecognized tax benefits as a liability on the balance sheet when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward is not available at the reporting date under the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position or the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction does not require the entity to use, and the entity does not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose. ASU 2013-11 is effective prospectively for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2013. The provisions of ASU 2013-11 did not have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Simplifying The Presentation Of Debt Issuance Costs (“ASU 2015-03”), which changes the presentation of debt issuance costs in financial statements. ASU 2015-03 is effective for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company adopted ASU 2015-03 in fiscal 2015, the provisions of which did not have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Accounting Standards Yet to Be Adopted In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue From Contracts With Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of ASU 2014-09. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05, Customer's Accounting For Fees Paid In A Cloud Computing Arrangement (“ASU 2015-05”), which provides guidance for a customer's accounting for cloud computing costs. ASU 2015-05 is effective for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2015. The provisions of ASU 2015-05 are not expected to have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-12, Plan Accounting: Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Topic 960), Defined Contribution Pension Plans (Topic 962), and Health and Welfare Benefit Plans (Topic 965) - I. Fully Benefit-Responsive Investment Contracts; II. Plan Investment Disclosures, and III. Measurement Date Practical Expedient ("ASU 2015-12"). ASU 2015-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The provisions of ASU 2015-12 are not expected to have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments ("ASU 2015-16"), which simplifies the accounting for measurement-period adjustments to provisional amounts recognized in a business combination. ASU 2015-16 is effective for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2016. The provisions of ASU 2015-16 are not expected to have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Inventory



	August 31,
	2015			2014
Raw materials, supplies, and work in process⁽¹⁾	$	125.7		$	125.7
Finished goods	113.9			97.6
	239.6			223.3
Less: Reserves	(14.8		)	(11.3		)
Total Inventory	$	224.8		$	212.0

_______________________________________


⁽¹⁾	Due to the immaterial amount of estimated work in process and the short lead times for the conversion of raw materials to finished goods, the Company does not believe the segregation of raw materials and work in process to be meaningful information.

Schedule of Acquired Intangible Assets

Summarized information for the Company’s acquired intangible assets is as follows:



	August 31,
	2015					2014
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization
Definite-lived intangible assets:
Patents and patented technology	$	72.7	$	(30.3	)	$	69.2	$	(26.4	)
Trademarks and trade names	25.4		(9.7		)	25.4		(8.6		)
Distribution network	61.8		(30.8		)	61.8		(29.7		)
Customer relationships	55.2		(20.8		)	55.2		(16.3		)
Other	5.1		(4.7		)	5.3		(4.3		)
Total	$	220.2	$	(96.3	)	$	216.9	$	(85.3	)
Indefinite-lived trade names	$	99.5				$	100.0

Schedule of Other Long-Term Assets

Other long-term assets consist of the following:



	August 31,
	2015		2014
Deferred contract costs	$	10.7	$	15.0
Capitalized software costs⁽¹⁾	1.6		2.3
Investment in noncontrolling affiliate⁽²⁾	8.0		—
Other⁽³⁾	6.8		6.2
Total	$	27.1	$	23.5

_______________________________________


⁽¹⁾	The Company recorded amortization expense related to capitalized software costs of $0.4, $0.4, and $0.9 in fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.


⁽²⁾	The Company holds an equity investment in an unconsolidated affiliate. This strategic investment represents less than a 20% ownership interest in the privately-held affiliate, and the Company does not maintain power over or control of the entity. The Company accounts for this investment using the cost method.

⁽³⁾

Schedule of Other Long-Term Liabilities

Other long-term liabilities consist of the following:



	August 31,
	2015		2014
Deferred compensation and postretirement benefits other than pensions⁽¹⁾	$	34.3	$	32.6
Long-term warranty obligations	2.5		—
Acquisition-related liabilities⁽²⁾	—		5.3
Unrecognized tax position liabilities, including interest⁽³⁾	5.2		3.5
Other⁽⁴⁾	9.2		8.8
Total	$	51.2	$	50.2

_______________________________________

⁽¹⁾


⁽²⁾	Acquisition-related liabilities - Amounts represent contingent payments and other obligations, including holdback liabilities, related to recent acquisitions.


⁽³⁾	See the Income Taxes footnote for more information.


⁽⁴⁾	Other - Amount primarily includes deferred revenue and deferred rent.

Schedule of Interest Expense, Net

The following table summarizes the components of interest expense, net:



	Years Ended August 31,
	2015			2014			2013
Interest expense	$	32.6		$	32.6		$	31.9
Interest income	(1.1		)	(0.5		)	(0.7		)
Interest expense, net	$	31.5		$	32.1		$	31.2

Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The following table presents the changes in each component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Items, net of tax.



	Foreign Currency Items			Defined Benefit Pension Plans			Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Items
Balance at August 31, 2014	$	(18.1	)	$	(53.8	)	$	(71.9	)
Other Comprehensive Expense before reclassifications	(24.0		)	(17.2		)	(41.2		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	—			2.7			2.7
Net current-period Other Comprehensive Expense	(24.0		)	(14.5		)	(38.5		)
Balance at August 31, 2015	$	(42.1	)	$	(68.3	)	$	(110.4	)

Schedule of Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The following table presents the tax (expense)/benefit allocated to each component of other comprehensive income (expense).



	Years Ended August 31,
	2015									2014									2013
	Before Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) or Benefit			Net of Tax Amount			Before Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) or Benefit			Net of Tax Amount			Before Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) or Benefit			Net of Tax Amount
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	$	(24.0	)	$	—		$	(24.0	)	$	0.7		$	—		$	0.7		$	(1.9	)	$	—		$	(1.9	)
Defined Benefit Pension Plans:
Actuarial gains (losses)	(27.9		)	10.7			(17.2		)	(18.2		)	5.6			(12.6		)	29.0			(9.5		)	19.5
Amortization of defined benefit pension items:
Prior service cost ⁽¹⁾	1.4			(0.6		)	0.8			0.8			(0.3		)	0.5			0.7			(0.3		)	0.4
Actuarial losses ⁽¹⁾	4.1			(2.2		)	1.9			3.1			(1.0		)	2.1			6.2			(2.1		)	4.1
Total Defined Benefit Plans, net	(22.4		)	7.9			(14.5		)	(14.3		)	4.3			(10.0		)	35.9			(11.9		)	24.0
Other Comprehensive Income/(Expense)	$	(46.4	)	$	7.9		$	(38.5	)	$	(13.6	)	$	4.3		$	(9.3	)	$	34.0		$	(11.9	)	$	22.1

_______________________________________


⁽¹⁾	The before tax amount of these accumulated other comprehensive income components is included in net periodic pension cost. See the Pension and Defined Contribution Plans footnote for additional details.

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis

The following table presents information about assets and liabilities required to be carried at fair value and measured on a recurring basis as of August 31, 2015 and 2014:



	Fair Value Measurements as of:
	August 31, 2015								August 31, 2014
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total Fair Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total Fair Value
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	756.8	$	—	$	—	$	756.8	$	552.5	$	—	$	—	$	552.5
Other	0.5		—		—		0.5		0.6		—		—		0.6
Liabilities:
Other	$	0.5	$	—	$	0.5	$	1.0	$	0.6	$	—	$	11.6	$	12.2

Schedule of Carrying Value and Estimated Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying values and estimated fair values of certain of the Company’s financial instruments were as follows at August 31, 2015 and 2014:



	August 31, 2015				August 31, 2014
	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value
Assets:
Investment in noncontrolling affiliate	$	8.0	$	8.0	$	—	$	—
Liabilities:
Senior unsecured public notes, net of unamortized discount and deferred costs	$	348.4	$	386.4	$	347.9	$	391.2
Industrial revenue bond	4.0		4.0		4.0		4.0

Pension and Defined Contribution Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Domestic and International Pension Plans

The following tables reflect the status of the Company’s domestic (U.S.-based) and international pension plans at August 31, 2015 and 2014:



	Domestic Plans						International Plans
	August 31,						August 31,
	2015			2014			2015			2014
Change in Benefit Obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	171.5		$	151.5		$	52.5		$	40.2
Service cost	3.1			2.4			0.1			0.1
Interest cost	6.8			7.0			1.8			1.9
Amendments	10.5			—			—			—
Actuarial loss	7.6			17.6			0.5			8.6
Plan settlements	—			—			—			(0.1		)
Benefits paid	(7.3		)	(7.0		)	(1.0		)	(1.0		)
Other	—			—			(4.1		)	2.8
Benefit obligation at end of year	192.2			171.5			49.8			52.5
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	122.5		$	105.7		$	35.2		$	30.1
Actual return on plan assets	0.7			15.1			(0.1		)	2.9
Employer contributions	8.0			8.7			1.1			1.1
Benefits paid	(7.3		)	(7.0		)	(1.0		)	(1.0		)
Other	—			—			(2.6		)	2.1
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	123.9			122.5			32.6			35.2
Funded status at the end of year	$	(68.3	)	$	(49.0	)	$	(17.2	)	$	(17.3	)
Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Consist of:
Current liabilities	$	(1.5	)	$	(1.2	)	$	(0.1	)	$	—
Non-current liabilities	(66.8		)	(47.8		)	(17.1		)	(17.3		)
Net amount recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheets	$	(68.3	)	$	(49.0	)	$	(17.2	)	$	(17.3	)
Accumulated Benefit Obligation	$	189.2		$	170.7		$	49.8		$	52.3
Pre-tax amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income:
Prior service cost	$	(13.9	)	$	(4.5	)	$	—		$	—
Net actuarial loss	(71.1		)	(57.5		)	(19.4		)	(20.5		)
Amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income	$	(85.0	)	$	(62.0	)	$	(19.4	)	$	(20.5	)
Estimated amounts that will be amortized from accumulated comprehensive income over the next fiscal year:
Prior service cost	$	3.1		$	0.8		$	—		$	—
Net actuarial loss	3.1			2.4			2.9			1.9

Schedule of Net Periodic Pension Cost

Components of net periodic pension cost for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 included the following:



	Domestic Plans									International Plans
	2015			2014			2013			2015			2014			2013
Service cost	$	3.1		$	2.4		$	3.4		$	0.1		$	0.1		$	0.1
Interest cost	6.8			7.0			6.3			1.8			1.9			1.7
Expected return on plan assets	(9.2		)	(8.0		)	(7.1		)	(1.8		)	(2.0		)	(1.5		)
Amortization of prior service cost	1.4			0.8			0.7			—			—			—
Settlement	—			—			—			—			(0.1		)	—
Recognized actuarial loss	2.2			2.0			4.4			1.9			1.1			1.8
Net periodic pension cost	$	4.3		$	4.2		$	7.7		$	2.0		$	1.0		$	2.1

Schedule of Weighted Average Assumptions Used

Weighted average assumptions used in computing the benefit obligation are as follows:



	Domestic Plans				International Plans
	2015		2014		2015		2014
Discount rate	4.3	%	4.0	%	3.7	%	3.6	%
Rate of compensation increase	5.5	%	5.5	%	3.1	%	3.1	%

Weighted average assumptions used in computing net periodic benefit cost are as follows:



	Domestic Plans						International Plans
	2015		2014		2013		2015		2014		2013
Discount rate	4.0	%	4.8	%	3.8	%	3.6	%	4.5	%	3.7	%
Expected return on plan assets	7.5	%	7.5	%	7.5	%	5.6	%	6.2	%	5.5	%
Rate of compensation increase	5.5	%	5.5	%	5.5	%	3.1	%	3.3	%	2.5	%

Schedule of Pension Plan Asset Allocation

The Company’s pension plan asset allocation at August 31, 2015 and 2014 by asset category is as follows:



	% of Plan Assets
	Domestic Plans				International Plans
	2015		2014		2015		2014
Equity securities	55.8	%	59.2	%	64.1	%	64.0	%
Fixed income securities	39.1	%	36.2	%	21.5	%	21.9	%
Multi-strategy investments	—	%	—	%	9.5	%	9.4	%
Real estate	5.1	%	4.6	%	4.9	%	4.7	%
Total	100.0	%	100.0	%	100.0	%	100.0	%

The following tables present the fair value of the domestic pension plan assets by major category as of August 31, 2015 and 2014:



			Fair Value Measurements
	Fair Value as of		Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Significant Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
Assets	August 31, 2015		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Mutual Funds:
Domestic large cap equity fund	$	44.9	$	44.9	$	—	$	—
Foreign equity fund	11.9		11.9		—		—
Real Estate Fund	6.3		—		—		6.3
Short-Term Fixed Income Investments	6.6		6.6		—		—
Fixed-Income Investments	41.8		—		41.8		—
Collective Trust: Domestic small cap equities	12.4		—		12.4		—
	$	123.9



			Fair Value Measurements
	Fair Value as of		Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Significant Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
Assets	August 31, 2014		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Mutual Funds:
Domestic large cap equity fund	$	46.7	$	46.7	$	—	$	—
Foreign equity fund	12.4		12.4		—		—
Real Estate Fund	5.6		—		—		5.6
Short-Term Fixed Income Investments	6.0		6.0		—		—
Fixed-Income Investments	38.3		—		38.3		—
Collective Trust: Domestic small cap equities	13.5		—		13.5		—
	$	122.5

The following tables present the fair value of the international pension plan assets by major category as of August 31, 2015 and 2014:



			Fair Value Measurements
	Fair Value as of		Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Significant Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
Assets	August 31, 2015		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Equity Securities	$	20.9	$	—	$	20.9	$	—
Real Estate Fund	1.6		—		—		1.6
Multi-Strategy Investments	3.1		—		3.1		—
Fixed-Income Investments	7.0		—		7.0		—
	$	32.6



			Fair Value Measurements
	Fair Value as of		Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Significant Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
Assets	August 31, 2014		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Equity Securities	$	22.5	$	—	$	22.5	$	—
Real Estate Fund	1.7		—		—		1.7
Multi-Strategy Investments	3.3		—		3.3		—
Fixed-Income Investments	7.7		—		7.7		—
	$	35.2

Schedule of Domestic Pension Plans' Level 3 Assets

The tables below present a rollforward of the domestic and international pension plans’ Level 3 assets for the years ended August 31, 2015 and 2014:



	Domestic Real Estate Fund
	Years Ended August 31,
	2015		2014
Balance, beginning of year	$	5.6	$	5.1
Net unrealized gain relating to instruments still held at the reporting date	0.5		0.3
Shares purchased, including from dividend reinvestment	0.2		0.2
Balance, end of year	$	6.3	$	5.6



	International Real Estate Fund
	Years Ended August 31,
	2015			2014
Balance, beginning of year	$	1.7		$	1.4
Purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements	(0.1		)	0.3
Balance, end of year	$	1.6		$	1.7

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments

Benefit payments are expected to be paid as follows for the years ending August 31:



	Domestic Plans		International Plans
2016	$	7.9	$	1.0
2017	8.2		1.0
2018	13.2		1.0
2019	11.5		1.1
2020	9.6		1.1
2021-2025	57.8		5.9

Debt and Lines of Credit (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments

The Company’s debt at August 31, 2015 and 2014 consisted of the following:



	August 31,
	2015			2014
Senior unsecured public notes due December 2019, principal	$	350.0		$	350.0
Senior unsecured public notes due December 2019, unamortized discount and deferred costs	(1.6		)	(2.1		)
Industrial revenue bond due 2021	4.0			4.0
Total debt outstanding	$	352.4		$	351.9

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.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21521-112644

Common Stock and Related Matters [Abstract]

Common Stock and Related Matters (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Schedule of Changes in Common Stock

Changes in common stock for the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 were as follows:



	Common Stock
	Shares	Amount
(Amounts and shares in millions)		(At par)
Balance at August 31, 2012	51.5	$	0.5
Issuance of restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures	0.2	—
Stock options exercised	0.5	—
Balance at August 31, 2013	52.2	$	0.5
Issuance of restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures	0.2	—
Stock options exercised	0.2	—
Balance at August 31, 2014	52.6	$	0.5
Issuance of restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures	0.2	—
Stock options exercised	0.2	—
Balance at August 31, 2015	53.0	$	0.5

Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted

The following table calculates basic earnings per common share and diluted earnings per common share for the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013:



	Years Ended August 31,
(Amounts and shares in millions, except earnings per share)	2015			2014			2013
Basic Earnings per Share:
Net income	$	222.1		$	175.8		$	127.4
Less: Income attributable to participating securities	(1.0		)	(1.6		)	(2.0		)
Net income available to common shareholders	$	221.1		$	174.2		$	125.4
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	43.1			42.8			42.2
Basic earnings per share	$	5.13		$	4.07		$	2.97
Diluted Earnings per Share:
Net income	$	222.1		$	175.8		$	127.4
Less: Income attributable to participating securities	(1.0		)	(1.6		)	(2.0		)
Net income available to common shareholders	$	221.1		$	174.2		$	125.4
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	43.1			42.8			42.2
Common stock equivalents	0.3			0.2			0.3
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	43.4			43.0			42.5
Diluted earnings per share	$	5.09		$	4.05		$	2.95

Share-Based Payments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Share-based Compensation [Abstract]

Schedule of Restricted Stock Award Activity

Activity related to restricted stock awards during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 was as follows:



	Number of Shares (in millions)		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Outstanding at August 31, 2014	0.5		$	70.73
Granted	0.2		$	156.35
Vested	(0.2)		$	61.89
Forfeited	—	*	$	86.55
Outstanding at August 31, 2015	0.5		$	116.02

_______________________________________


*	Represents shares of less than 0.1.

Schedule of Stock Options, Weighted Average Assumptions

The following weighted average assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of stock options granted in the fiscal years ended August 31:



	2015	2014	2013
Dividend yield	0.4%	0.7%	0.9%
Expected volatility	33.9%	38.4%	43.8%
Risk-free interest rate	1.5%	1.3%	0.8%
Expected life of options	4 years	5 years	5 years
Weighted-average fair value of options	$37.43	$34.37	$22.32

Schedule of Stock Option Transactions

Stock option activity during the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 was as follows:



	Outstanding			Exercisable
	Number of Shares (in millions)		Weighted Average Exercise Price	Number of Shares (in millions)		Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at August 31, 2012	1.1		$36.25	1.0		$33.06
Granted	0.1		$62.54
Exercised	(0.4)		$30.72
Outstanding at August 31, 2013	0.8		$43.16	0.5		$38.00
Granted	0.1		$103.74
Exercised	(0.2)		$40.31
Outstanding at August 31, 2014	0.7		$50.58	0.5		$41.05
Granted	0.1		$135.63
Exercised	(0.3)		$39.35
Outstanding at August 31, 2015	0.5		$71.95	0.3		$51.05
Range of option exercise prices:
$00.00 - $40.00 (average life - 4.2 years)	—	*	$33.49	—	*	$33.49
$40.01 - $60.00 (average life - 5.6 years)	0.2		$48.28	0.2		$48.28
$60.01 - $80.00 (average life - 7.1 years)	0.1		$62.54	—	*	$62.54
$80.01 - $136.00 (average life - 8.7 years)	0.2		$121.36	—	*	$103.74

_______________________________________


*	Represents shares of less than 0.1.

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Changes in Product Warranty and Recall Reserves



	2015			2014			2013
Balance at September 1	$	8.5		$	5.9		$	4.0
Warranty and recall costs	16.1			19.5			14.3
Payments and other deductions	(15.0		)	(16.9		)	(12.4		)
Balance at August 31	$	9.6		$	8.5		$	5.9

Special Charge Special Charge (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Schedule of Changes in Remaining Reserves

The changes in the reserves related to these programs during the year ended August 31, 2015 are summarized as follows:



	Fiscal 2013 Actions			Fiscal 2015 Actions			Total
Balance as of August 31, 2014	$	0.8		$	—		$	0.8
Special charge	(0.5		)	12.4			11.9
Payments made during the period	(0.3		)	(7.5		)	(7.8		)
Balance as of August 31, 2015	$	—		$	4.9		$	4.9

Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Provision for Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes consists of the following components:



	Years Ended August 31,
	2015		2014			2013
Provision for current federal taxes	$	101.5	$	77.1		$	48.4
Provision for current state taxes	13.1		9.0			6.9
Provision for current foreign taxes	4.3		4.3			4.2
Provision for deferred taxes	2.6		(0.5		)	6.2
Total provision for income taxes	$	121.5	$	89.9		$	65.7

Schedule of Reconciliation of Federal Statutory Rate to Total Provision for Income Taxes

A reconciliation of the federal statutory rate to the total provision for income taxes is as follows:



	Years Ended August 31,
	2015			2014			2013
Federal income tax computed at statutory rate	$	120.3		$	93.0		$	67.6
State income tax, net of federal income tax benefit	8.6			6.7			4.8
Foreign permanent differences and rate differential	(1.4		)	(1.0		)	(1.1		)
Other, net	(6.0		)	(8.8		)	(5.6		)
Total provision for income taxes	$	121.5		$	89.9		$	65.7

Schedule of Components of Net Deferred Income Taxes

Components of the net deferred income taxes at August 31, 2015 and 2014 include:



	August 31,
	2015			2014
Deferred Income Tax Liabilities:
Depreciation	$	(9.6	)	$	(6.1	)
Goodwill and intangibles	(105.1		)	(101.8		)
Other liabilities	(4.2		)	(5.3		)
Total deferred income tax liabilities	(118.9		)	(113.2		)
Deferred Income Tax Assets:
Self-insurance	3.9			3.8
Pension	29.2			21.1
Deferred compensation	27.5			27.0
Bonuses	1.7			1.3
Net operating losses	15.7			18.1
Other accruals not yet deductible	18.8			15.9
Other assets	8.9			5.7
Total deferred income tax assets	105.7			92.9
Valuation Allowance	(15.0		)	(13.6		)
Net deferred income tax liabilities	$	(28.2	)	$	(33.9	)

Schedule of Change in Unrecognized Income Tax Benefit



	2015			2014
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at September 1	$	3.0		$	5.0
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	0.8			0.4
Additions for tax positions of prior years	1.5			—
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	—			(0.6		)
Reductions due to settlements	—			—
Reductions due to lapse of statute of limitations	(0.8		)	(1.8		)
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at August 31	$	4.5		$	3.0

Supplemental Disaggregated Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of Revenue from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets, by Geographical Areas

The geographic distribution of the Company’s net sales, operating profit, income before provision for income taxes, and long-lived assets is summarized in the following table for the years ended August 31:



	2015		2014		2013
Net sales⁽¹⁾
Domestic⁽²⁾	$	2,450.1	$	2,155.0	$	1,854.9
International	256.6		238.5		234.2
Total	$	2,706.7	$	2,393.5	$	2,089.1
Operating profit
Domestic⁽²⁾	$	364.0	$	287.8	$	207.2
International	12.3		11.3		14.3
Total	$	376.3	$	299.1	$	221.5
Income before Provision for Income Taxes
Domestic⁽²⁾	$	329.4	$	257.1	$	181.2
International	14.2		8.6		11.9
Total	$	343.6	$	265.7	$	193.1
Long-lived assets⁽³⁾
Domestic⁽²⁾	$	179.1	$	147.8	$	144.4
International	25.6		31.2		30.9
Total	$	204.7	$	179.0	$	175.3

_______________________________________


⁽¹⁾	Net sales are attributed to each country based on the selling location.


⁽²⁾	Domestic amounts include net sales (including export sales), operating profit, income before provision for income taxes, and long-lived assets for U.S. based operations.


⁽³⁾	Long-lived assets include net property, plant, and equipment, long-term deferred income tax assets, and other long-term assets.

Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements [Abstract]

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEETS



	At August 31, 2015
	Parent		Subsidiary Issuer		Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors		Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	479.9	$	—	$	—	$	276.9	$	—		$	756.8
Accounts receivable, net	—		365.5		—		46.2		—			411.7
Inventories	—		208.6		—		16.2		—			224.8
Other current assets	8.0		27.0		—		8.2		—			43.2
Total Current Assets	487.9		601.1		—		347.5		—			1,436.5
Property, Plant, and Equipment, net	0.3		139.8		—		34.5		—			174.6
Goodwill	—		524.2		2.7		38.1		—			565.0
Intangible assets	—		87.4		117.3		18.7		—			223.4
Deferred income taxes	35.5		—		—		3.9		(36.4		)	3.0
Other long-term assets	1.3		23.8		—		2.0		—			27.1
Investments in and amounts due from affiliates	934.7		333.5		168.5		—		(1,436.7		)	—
Total Assets	$	1,459.7	$	1,709.8	$	288.5	$	444.7	$	(1,473.1	)	$	2,429.6

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	0.9	$	291.6	$	—	$	18.6	$	—		$	311.1
Accrued liabilities	20.4		162.7		—		26.7		—			209.8
Total Current Liabilities	21.3		454.3		—		45.3		—			520.9
Long-Term Debt	—		352.4		—		—		—			352.4
Deferred Income Taxes	—		90.7		—		—		(36.4		)	54.3
Other Long-Term Liabilities	78.4		42.7		—		20.9		—			142.0
Amounts due to affiliates	—		—		—		77.5		(77.5		)	—
Total Stockholders’ Equity	1,360.0		769.7		288.5		301.0		(1,359.2		)	1,360.0
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	$	1,459.7	$	1,709.8	$	288.5	$	444.7	$	(1,473.1	)	$	2,429.6

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEETS



	At August 31, 2014
	Parent		Subsidiary Issuer		Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors		Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	516.0	$	3.1	$	—	$	33.4	$	—		$	552.5
Accounts receivable, net	—		331.0		—		42.4		—			373.4
Inventories	—		196.8		—		15.2		—			212.0
Other current assets	9.4		31.3		—		7.8		—			48.5
Total Current Assets	525.4		562.2		—		98.8		—			1,186.4
Property, Plant, and Equipment, net	0.4		121.4		—		30.7		—			152.5
Goodwill	—		524.2		2.7		42.5		—			569.4
Intangible assets	—		86.6		121.5		23.5		—			231.6
Deferred income taxes	33.4		—		—		0.1		(30.5		)	3.0
Other long-term assets	1.2		16.6		—		5.7		—			23.5
Investments in and amounts due from subsidiaries	692.6		130.2		142.3		—		(965.1		)	—
Total Assets	$	1,253.0	$	1,441.2	$	266.5	$	201.3	$	(995.6	)	$	2,166.4

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	1.1	$	268.2	$	—	$	18.1	$	—		$	287.4
Other accrued liabilities	25.0		129.5		—		28.6		—			183.1
Total Current Liabilities	26.1		397.7		—		46.7		—			470.5
Long-Term Debt	—		351.9		—		—		—			351.9
Deferred Income Taxes	—		88.9		—		—		(30.5		)	58.4
Other Long-Term Liabilities	63.4		34.4		—		24.3		—			122.1
Amounts due to affiliates	—		—		—		52.3		(52.3		)	—
Total Stockholders’ Equity	1,163.5		568.3		266.5		78.0		(912.8		)	1,163.5
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	$	1,253.0	$	1,441.2	$	266.5	$	201.3	$	(995.6	)	$	2,166.4

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME



	Year Ended August 31, 2015
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
Net Sales:
External sales	$	—		$	2,446.9		$	—	$	259.8		$	—		$	2,706.7
Intercompany sales	—			—			41.2		105.5			(146.7		)	—
Total Sales	—			2,446.9			41.2		365.3			(146.7		)	2,706.7
Cost of Products Sold	—			1,388.0			—		276.5			(103.4		)	1,561.1
Gross Profit	—			1,058.9			41.2		88.8			(43.3		)	1,145.6
Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses	34.0			684.4			4.0		77.8			(43.3		)	756.9
Intercompany charges	(45.4		)	39.7			—		5.7			—			—
Special Charge	—			12.4			—		—			—			12.4
Operating Profit	11.4			322.4			37.2		5.3			—			376.3
Interest expense (income), net	9.9			21.8			—		(0.2		)	—			31.5
Equity earnings in subsidiaries	(221.2		)	(5.2		)	—		—			226.4			—
Miscellaneous (income) expense, net	—			2.8			—		(1.6		)	—			1.2
Income (Loss) before Provision for Income Taxes	222.7			303.0			37.2		7.1			(226.4		)	343.6
Provision for Income Taxes	0.6			103.5			14.9		2.5			—			121.5
Net Income (Loss)	222.1			199.5			22.3		4.6			(226.4		)	222.1

Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items:
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	(24.0		)	(24.0		)	—		—			24.0			(24.0		)
Defined Benefit Pension Plans, net	(14.5		)	6.3			—		0.5			(6.8		)	(14.5		)
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items after Provision for Income Taxes	(38.5		)	(17.7		)	—		0.5			17.2			(38.5		)
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense)	$	183.6		$	181.8		$	22.3	$	5.1		$	(209.2	)	$	183.6

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME



	Year Ended August 31, 2014
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
Net Sales:
External sales	$	—		$	2,150.6		$	—	$	242.9		$	—		$	2,393.5
Intercompany sales	—			—			37.2		94.8			(132.0		)	—
Total Sales	—			2,150.6			37.2		337.7			(132.0		)	2,393.5
Cost of Products Sold	—			1,255.5			—		250.5			(91.7		)	1,414.3
Gross Profit	—			895.1			37.2		87.2			(40.3		)	979.2
Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses	27.8			612.5			4.1		76.2			(40.3		)	680.3
Intercompany charges	(39.6		)	34.7			—		4.9			—			—
Special Charges	—			(0.2		)	—		—			—			(0.2		)
Operating Profit	11.8			248.1			33.1		6.1			—			299.1
Interest expense (income), net	10.0			22.2			—		(0.1		)	—			32.1
Equity earnings in subsidiaries	(174.2		)	(4.0		)	—		—			178.2			—
Miscellaneous (income) expense, net	—			(1.6		)	—		1.8			1.1			1.3
Income (Loss) before Provision for Income Taxes	176.0			231.5			33.1		4.4			(179.3		)	265.7
Provision for Income Taxes	0.2			75.5			13.1		1.1			—			89.9
Net Income (Loss)	175.8			156.0			20.0		3.3			(179.3		)	175.8

Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items:
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	0.7			0.7			—		—			(0.7		)	0.7
Defined Benefit Pension Plans, net	(10.0		)	(3.7		)	—		(5.2		)	8.9			(10.0		)
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items after Provision for Income Taxes	(9.3		)	(3.0		)	—		(5.2		)	8.2			(9.3		)
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense)	$	166.5		$	153.0		$	20.0	$	(1.9	)	$	(171.1	)	$	166.5

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME



	Year Ended August 31, 2013
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
Net Sales:
External sales	$	—		$	1,851.4		$	—	$	237.7		$	—		$	2,089.1
Intercompany sales	—			—			31.8		85.0			(116.8		)	—
Total Sales	—			1,851.4			31.8		322.7			(116.8		)	2,089.1
Cost of Products Sold	—			1,088.6			—		247.9			(85.0		)	1,251.5
Gross Profit	—			762.8			31.8		74.8			(31.8		)	837.6
Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses	28.0			542.6			2.9		65.9			(31.8		)	607.6
Intercompany charges	(37.5		)	32.8			—		4.7			—			—
Special Charge	—			6.5			—		2.0			—			8.5
Operating Profit	9.5			180.9			28.9		2.2			—			221.5
Interest expense (income), net	9.4			22.1			—		(0.3		)	—			31.2
Equity earnings in subsidiaries	(127.4		)	(2.1		)	—		—			129.5			—
Miscellaneous income, net	—			(1.0		)	—		(1.8		)	—			(2.8		)
Income (Loss) before Provision for Income Taxes	127.5			161.9			28.9		4.3			(129.5		)	193.1
Provision for Income Taxes	0.1			51.5			11.6		2.5			—			65.7
Net Income (Loss)	127.4			110.4			17.3		1.8			(129.5		)	127.4

Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items:
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	(1.9		)	(1.9		)	—		—			1.9			(1.9		)
Defined Benefit Pension Plans, net	24.0			17.3			—		7.2			(24.5		)	24.0
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense) Items after Provision for Income Taxes	22.1			15.4			—		7.2			(22.6		)	22.1
Other Comprehensive Income (Expense)	$	149.5		$	125.8		$	17.3	$	9.0		$	(152.1	)	$	149.5

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS



	Year Ended August 31, 2015
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	$	212.1		$	55.2		$	—	$	21.6		$	—		$	288.9
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	—			(41.9		)	—		(14.6		)	—			(56.5		)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	—			1.3			—		—			—			1.3
Investments in subsidiaries	(254.7		)	(245.2		)	—		—			499.9			—
Acquisitions of businesses and intangible assets	—			(14.6		)	—		—			—			(14.6		)
Other investing activities	—			(2.6		)	—		—			—			(2.6		)
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Investing Activities	(254.7		)	(303.0		)	—		(14.6		)	499.9			(72.4		)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	11.6			—			—		—			—			11.6
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	17.6			—			—		—			—			17.6
Intercompany capital	—			245.2			—		254.7			(499.9		)	—
Dividends paid	(22.7		)	—			—		—			—			(22.7		)
Other financing activities	—			—			—		(10.4		)	—			(10.4		)
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities	6.5			245.2			—		244.3			(499.9		)	(3.9		)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	—			(0.5		)	—		(7.8		)	—			(8.3		)
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(36.1		)	(3.1		)	—		243.5			—			204.3
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	516.0			3.1			—		33.4			—			552.5
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	$	479.9		$	—		$	—	$	276.9		$	—		$	756.8

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS



	Year Ended August 31, 2014
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments		Consolidated
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	$	188.7		$	35.1		$	—	$	9.3		$	—	$	233.1
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	—			(29.2		)	—		(6.1		)	—		(35.3		)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	—			1.0			—		—			—		1.0
Investments in subsidiaries	—			(4.5		)	—		4.5			—		—
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	—			(32.7		)	—		(1.6		)	—		(34.3		)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	8.4			—			—		—			—		8.4
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	10.4			—			—		—			—		10.4
Dividends paid	(22.5		)	—			—		—			—		(22.5		)
Other financing activities	—			—			—		(2.6		)	—		(2.6		)
Net Cash Used for Financing Activities	(3.7		)	—			—		(2.6		)	—		(6.3		)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	—			(0.1		)	—		1.0			—		0.9
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	185.0			2.3			—		6.1			—		193.4
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	331.0			0.8			—		27.3			—		359.1
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	$	516.0		$	3.1		$	—	$	33.4		$	—	$	552.5

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS



	Year Ended August 31, 2013
	Parent			Subsidiary Issuer			Subsidiary Guarantor		Non- Guarantors			Consolidating Adjustments			Consolidated
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Operating Activities	$	83.7		$	46.4		$	—	$	14.3		$	(12.1	)	$	132.3
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	(0.4		)	(36.9		)	—		(3.3		)	—			(40.6		)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	—			7.6			—		—			—			7.6
Investments in subsidiaries	—			(13.1		)	—		—			13.1			—
Acquisition of business	—			(3.7		)	—		(21.8		)	—			(25.5		)
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Investing Activities	(0.4		)	(46.1		)	—		(25.1		)	13.1			(58.5		)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	14.9			—			—		—			—			14.9
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	8.6			—			—		—			—			8.6
Intercompany dividends	—			—			—		(12.1		)	12.1			—
Intercompany capital	—			—			—		13.1			(13.1		)	—
Dividends paid	(22.4		)	—			—		—			—			(22.4		)
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities	1.1			—			—		1.0			(1.0		)	1.1
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	—			0.5			—		(0.8		)	—			(0.3		)
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	84.4			0.8			—		(10.6		)	—			74.6
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	246.6			—			—		37.9			—			284.5
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	$	331.0		$	0.8		$	—	$	27.3		$	—		$	359.1

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)



	Fiscal Year 2015
	1st Quarter		2nd Quarter		3rd Quarter		4th Quarter
Net Sales	$	647.4	$	616.1	$	683.7	$	759.5
Gross Profit	$	273.0	$	255.7	$	295.6	$	321.3
Net Income	$	51.1	$	46.4	$	64.5	$	60.1
Basic Earnings per Share	$	1.18	$	1.07	$	1.49	$	1.39
Diluted Earnings per Share	$	1.17	$	1.07	$	1.48	$	1.37



	Fiscal Year 2014
	1st Quarter		2nd Quarter		3rd Quarter		4th Quarter
Net Sales	$	574.7	$	546.2	$	603.9	$	668.7
Gross Profit	$	237.1	$	215.2	$	243.4	$	283.5
Net Income	$	44.5	$	32.7	$	43.8	$	54.8
Basic Earnings per Share	$	1.03	$	0.76	$	1.01	$	1.27
Diluted Earnings per Share	$	1.03	$	0.75	$	1.01	$	1.26

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015 Segment
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments	1

Significant Accounting Policies - Concentrations of Credit Risk (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Period for return after shipment	4 months
Receivables from The Home Depot	$ 411.7	$ 373.4
Receivables \| Home Depot
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Receivables from The Home Depot	$ 59.9	$ 53.3
Net sales \| Home Depot
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Sales as percentage of total sales	11.00%	12.00%	13.00%

Significant Accounting Policies - Inventories (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions

Aug. 31, 2015

Aug. 31, 2014

Inventory, Net [Abstract]

Raw materials, supplies, and work in process

^[1]

$ 125.7

Finished goods

113.9

97.6

Inventory Gross

239.6

223.3

Less: Reserves

(14.8)

(11.3)

Total Inventory

$ 224.8

$ 212.0

[1]	Due to the immaterial amount of estimated work in process and the short lead times for the conversion of raw materials to finished goods, the Company does not believe the segregation of raw materials and work in process to be meaningful information.

Significant Accounting Policies - Goodwill and Other Intangibles (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($) Segment	Aug. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Goodwill and Acquired Finite-Lived and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 565.0	$ 569.4
Amortized intangible assets, Gross Carrying Amount	220.2	216.9
Accumulated Amortization	(96.3)	(85.3)
Amortization expense of finite-lived intangible assets	11.0	11.2	$ 10.9
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net, Amortization Expense, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Amortization expense in fiscal 2016	10.8
Amortization expense in fiscal 2017	10.5
Amortization expense in fiscal 2018	10.3
Amortization expense in fiscal 2019	10.3
Amortization expense in fiscal 2020	$ 9.9
Number of reporting units \| Segment	1
Unamortized trade names
Goodwill and Acquired Finite-Lived and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Unamortized trade names, Gross Carrying Amount	$ 99.5	100.0
Patents and patented technology
Goodwill and Acquired Finite-Lived and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortized intangible assets, Gross Carrying Amount	72.7	69.2
Accumulated Amortization	(30.3)	(26.4)
Trademarks and trade names
Goodwill and Acquired Finite-Lived and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortized intangible assets, Gross Carrying Amount	25.4	25.4
Accumulated Amortization	(9.7)	(8.6)
Distribution network
Goodwill and Acquired Finite-Lived and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortized intangible assets, Gross Carrying Amount	61.8	61.8
Accumulated Amortization	(30.8)	(29.7)
Customer relationships
Goodwill and Acquired Finite-Lived and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortized intangible assets, Gross Carrying Amount	55.2	55.2
Accumulated Amortization	(20.8)	(16.3)
Other
Goodwill and Acquired Finite-Lived and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortized intangible assets, Gross Carrying Amount	5.1	5.3
Accumulated Amortization	$ (4.7)	$ (4.3)

Significant Accounting Policies - Other Long-Term Assets and Liabilities (Details)
$ in Millions

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

USD ($)

Employee

Aug. 31, 2014

USD ($)

Aug. 31, 2013

USD ($)

Other Long-Term Assets [Abstract]

Assets held for sale, total

$ 1.0

Deferred contract costs

10.7

$ 15.0

Capitalized software costs

^[1]

1.6

2.3

^[2]

8.0

0.0

Amortization expense of capitalized software costs

^[3]

6.8

6.2

Total

27.1

23.5

0.4

$ 0.9

Other Long-Term Liabilities [Abstract]

Deferred compensation and postretirement benefits other than pensions

^[4]

34.3

32.6

Long-term warranty obligations

2.5

0.0

Acquisition-related liabilities

^[5]

0.0

5.3

Uncertain tax positions liability, including interest

^[6]

5.2

3.5

Percentage contribution rate of eligible employee's compensation

^[7]

9.2

8.8

Total

$ 51.2

$ 50.2

3.00%

Life Insurance, Number of Current and Former Employees Covered | Employee

[1]	The Company recorded amortization expense related to capitalized software costs of $0.4, $0.4, and $0.9 in fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.
[2]	The Company holds an equity investment in an unconsolidated affiliate. This strategic investment represents less than a 20% ownership interest in the privately-held affiliate, and the Company does not maintain power over or control of the entity. The Company accounts for this investment using the cost method.
[3]	Other - Amounts primarily include deferred debt issuance costs related to its revolving credit facility and company-owned life insurance investments. The Company maintains life insurance policies on 75 former employees primarily to satisfy obligations under certain deferred compensation plans. These company-owned life insurance policies are presented net of loans that are secured by these policies. This program is frozen and no new policies were issued in the three-year period ended August 31, 2015.
[4]	Deferred compensation and postretirement benefits other than pensions — The Company maintains several non-qualified retirement plans for the benefit of eligible employees, primarily deferred compensation plans. The deferred compensation plans provide for elective deferrals of an eligible employee’s compensation and, in some cases, matching contributions by the Company. In addition, one plan provides for an automatic contribution by the Company of 3% of an eligible employee’s compensation. The Company maintains certain long-term investments that offset a portion of the deferred compensation liability. The Company maintains life insurance policies on certain current and former officers and other key employees as a means of satisfying a portion of these obligations.
[5]	Acquisition-related liabilities - Amounts represent contingent payments and other obligations, including holdback liabilities, related to recent acquisitions.
[6]	See the Income Taxes footnote for more information.
[7]	(4) Other - Amount primarily includes deferred revenue and deferred rent.

Significant Accounting Policies - Selling, Distribution and Administrative Expenses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-based expense	$ 18.2	$ 17.7	$ 16.5
Income tax benefit for share-based compensation	6.4	6.0	5.6
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	17.6	10.4	8.6
Financing activities
Share-based Compensation [Abstract]
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	17.6	10.4	8.6
Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Other shipping and handling costs	105.6	100.9	86.4
Share-based Compensation [Abstract]
Research and development expense	41.1	35.3	32.7
Advertising costs	12.0	13.3	12.1
Service arrangements with customers	$ 6.6	$ 6.1	$ 5.7

Significant Accounting Policies - Depreciation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciation expense	$ 34.4	$ 31.8	$ 29.0
Minimum \| Building and related improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Useful lives of plant and equipment, minimum	10 years
Minimum \| Machinery and equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Useful lives of plant and equipment, minimum	3 years
Maximum \| Building and related improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Useful lives of plant and equipment, minimum	40 years
Maximum \| Machinery and equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Useful lives of plant and equipment, minimum	15 years

Significant Accounting Policies - Interest Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Interest Revenue (Expense), Net [Abstract]
Interest expense	$ 32.6	$ 32.6	$ 31.9
Interest income	(1.1)	(0.5)	(0.7)
Interest expense, net	$ 31.5	$ 32.1	$ 31.2

Significant Accounting Policies - Foreign Currency Translation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Miscellaneous expense (income), net
Foreign Currency Translation [Line Items]
Gains (or losses) relating to foreign currency items	$ 0.7	$ 1.5	$ 0.2

Significant Accounting Policies - Changes of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Items, net of tax (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at August 31, 2014	$ (71.9)
Other Comprehensive Expense before reclassifications	(41.2)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	2.7
Net current-period Other Comprehensive Expense	(38.5)
Balance at August 31, 2015	(110.4)
Foreign Currency Items
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at August 31, 2014	(18.1)
Other Comprehensive Expense before reclassifications	(24.0)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	0.0
Net current-period Other Comprehensive Expense	(24.0)
Balance at August 31, 2015	(42.1)
Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at August 31, 2014	(53.8)
Other Comprehensive Expense before reclassifications	(17.2)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	2.7
Net current-period Other Comprehensive Expense	(14.5)
Balance at August 31, 2015	$ (68.3)

Accumulated change in equity from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, net of tax effect, at period end. Excludes Net Income (Loss), and accumulated changes in equity from transactions resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners. Includes foreign currency translation items, certain pension adjustments, unrealized gains and losses on certain investments in debt and equity securities, other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses related to factors other than credit losses on available-for-sale and held-to-maturity debt securities that an entity does not intend to sell and it is not more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell before recovery of the amortized cost basis, as well as changes in the fair value of derivatives related to the effective portion of a designated cash flow hedge.

Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments, Before Tax Amount

Significant Accounting Policies - Components of Other Comprehensive Income Loss (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Aug. 31, 2014

Aug. 31, 2013

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

$ (24.0)

$ 0.7

$ (1.9)

Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments, Tax (Expense) or Benefit

0.0

Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments, Net of Tax Amount

(24.0)

0.7

(1.9)

Actuarial gains (losses), Before Tax Amount

(27.9)

(18.2)

29.0

Actuarial gains (losses), Tax (Expense) or Benefit

10.7

5.6

(9.5)

Actuarial gains (losses), Net of Tax Amount

(17.2)

(12.6)

19.5

Prior service cost, Before Tax Amount

^[1]

1.4

0.8

0.7

Prior Service Cost, Tax (Expense) Benefit

^[1]

(0.6)

(0.3)

Prior Service Cost, Net of Tax Amount

^[1]

0.8

0.5

0.4

Actuarial losses, Before Tax Amount

^[1]

4.1

3.1

6.2

Actuarial losses, Tax (Expense) or Benefit

^[1]

(2.2)

(1.0)

(2.1)

Actuarial losses, Net of Tax Amount

^[1]

1.9

2.1

4.1

Total Defined Benefit Plan, net

(22.4)

(14.3)

35.9

Total Defined Benefit Plans, net, Tax (Expense) or Benefit

7.9

4.3

(11.9)

Total Defined Benefit Plans, net, Net of Tax Amount

(14.5)

(10.0)

24.0

Other Comprehensive Income/ (Expense), Before Tax Amount

(46.4)

(13.6)

34.0

Other Comprehensive Income/ (Expense), Tax (Expense) or Benefit

7.9

4.3

(11.9)

Other Comprehensive (Expense) Income Items, net of tax

$ (38.5)

$ (9.3)

$ 22.1

[1]	The before tax amount of these accumulated other comprehensive income components is included in net periodic pension cost. See the Pension and Defined Contribution Plans footnote for additional details.

Fair Value Measurements (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions

3 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2014

Aug. 31, 2015

Assets:

^[1]

$ 0.0

$ 8.0

Carrying Value

Assets:

0.0

8.0

Fair Value

Assets:

Senior unsecured public notes, net of unamortized discount and deferred costs | Carrying Value

0.0

8.0

Carrying and estimated fair value of financial instruments

347.9

348.4

Senior unsecured public notes, net of unamortized discount and deferred costs | Fair Value

Carrying and estimated fair value of financial instruments

391.2

386.4

Industrial revenue bond | Carrying Value

Carrying and estimated fair value of financial instruments

4.0

Industrial revenue bond | Fair Value

Carrying and estimated fair value of financial instruments

4.0

Fair value measured on recurring basis

Assets:

552.5

756.8

0.6

0.5

Fair value measured on recurring basis | Level 1

12.2

1.0

Assets:

552.5

756.8

0.6

0.5

Fair value measured on recurring basis | Level 2

0.6

0.5

Assets:

0.0

0.0

Fair value measured on recurring basis | Level 3

0.0

Assets:

0.0

0.0

Decrease due to currency rate fluctuations

11.6

$ 0.5

Decrease due to payments

11.6

1.6

Fair value measured on recurring basis | Level 3 | Selling, Distribution, and Administrative Expenses

Increase in estimated fair value

$ 2.1

[1]

The Company holds an equity investment in an unconsolidated affiliate. This strategic investment represents less than a 20% ownership interest in the privately-held affiliate, and the Company does not maintain power over or control of the entity. The Company accounts for this investment using the cost method.

Pension and Defined Contribution Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Consist of:
Current liabilities	$ (1.6)	$ (1.2)
Non-current liabilities	(83.9)	(65.1)
Domestic Plans
Change in Benefit Obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	171.5	151.5
Service cost	3.1	2.4	$ 3.4
Interest cost	6.8	7.0	6.3
Amendments	10.5	0.0
Actuarial loss	7.6	17.6
Plan settlements	0.0	0.0
Benefits paid	(7.3)	(7.0)
Other	0.0	0.0
Benefit obligation at end of year	192.2	171.5	151.5
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	122.5	105.7
Actual return on plan assets	0.7	15.1
Employer contributions	8.0	8.7
Benefits paid	(7.3)	(7.0)
Other	0.0	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	123.9	122.5	105.7
Funded status at end of year:
Funded status at the end of year	(68.3)	(49.0)
Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Consist of:
Current liabilities	(1.5)	(1.2)
Non-current liabilities	(66.8)	(47.8)
Net amount recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheets	(68.3)	(49.0)
Accumulated Benefit Obligation	189.2	170.7
Pre-tax amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income:
Prior service cost	(13.9)	(4.5)
Net actuarial loss	(71.1)	(57.5)
Amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income	(85.0)	(62.0)
Estimated amounts that will be amortized from accumulated comprehensive income over the next fiscal year:
Prior service cost	3.1	0.8
Net actuarial loss	$ 3.1	$ 2.4
Incremental benefit period	180 months
Percentage of participant's annual compensation subject to incremental benefit per the plan amendment	1.40%
Percentage used in defining actuarial equivalent	2.50%	7.00%
Additional percentage point on US Treasury Bond Rate		1.50%
Maximum number of years of credited service subject to incremental benefit	10 years
International Plans
Change in Benefit Obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$ 52.5	$ 40.2
Service cost	0.1	0.1	0.1
Interest cost	1.8	1.9	1.7
Amendments	0.0	0.0
Actuarial loss	0.5	8.6
Plan settlements	0.0	(0.1)
Benefits paid	(1.0)	(1.0)
Other	(4.1)	2.8
Benefit obligation at end of year	49.8	52.5	40.2
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	35.2	30.1
Actual return on plan assets	(0.1)	2.9
Employer contributions	1.1	1.1
Benefits paid	(1.0)	(1.0)
Other	(2.6)	2.1
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	32.6	35.2	$ 30.1
Funded status at end of year:
Funded status at the end of year	(17.2)	(17.3)
Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Consist of:
Current liabilities	(0.1)	0.0
Non-current liabilities	(17.1)	(17.3)
Net amount recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheets	(17.2)	(17.3)
Accumulated Benefit Obligation	49.8	52.3
Pre-tax amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income:
Prior service cost	0.0	0.0
Net actuarial loss	(19.4)	(20.5)
Amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income	(19.4)	(20.5)
Estimated amounts that will be amortized from accumulated comprehensive income over the next fiscal year:
Prior service cost	0.0	0.0
Net actuarial loss	$ 2.9	$ 1.9

Pension and Defined Contribution Plans - Net Periodic Pension Cost and Pension Plan Asset Allocation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Domestic Plans
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost [Abstract]
Service cost	$ 3.1	$ 2.4	$ 3.4
Interest cost	6.8	7.0	6.3
Expected return on plan assets	(9.2)	(8.0)	(7.1)
Amortization of prior service cost	1.4	0.8	0.7
Settlement	0.0	0.0	0.0
Recognized actuarial loss	2.2	2.0	4.4
Net periodic pension cost	$ 4.3	$ 4.2	$ 7.7
Defined Benefit Plan, Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Calculating Benefit Obligation [Abstract]
Discount rate	4.30%	4.00%
Rate of compensation increase	5.50%	5.50%
Defined Benefit Plan, Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost [Abstract]
Discount rate	4.00%	4.80%	3.80%
Expected return on plan assets	7.50%	7.50%	7.50%
Rate of compensation increase	5.50%	5.50%	5.50%
Reduction in net periodic pension cost per 100 basis point increase in benefit obligation discount rate	$ 0.8
Additional net periodic pension cost per 100 basis point decrease in expected return on plan assets rate	$ 1.2
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets, Target Allocations [Abstract]
Pension plan asset allocation, percentage	100.00%	100.00%
Domestic Plans \| Equity securities
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets, Target Allocations [Abstract]
Targeted asset allocation, percentage	55.00%
Pension plan asset allocation, percentage	55.80%	59.20%
Domestic Plans \| Fixed income securities
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets, Target Allocations [Abstract]
Targeted asset allocation, percentage	40.00%
Pension plan asset allocation, percentage	39.10%	36.20%
Domestic Plans \| Multi-strategy investments
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets, Target Allocations [Abstract]
Pension plan asset allocation, percentage	0.00%	0.00%
Domestic Plans \| Real estate
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets, Target Allocations [Abstract]
Targeted asset allocation, percentage	5.00%
Pension plan asset allocation, percentage	5.10%	4.60%
International Plans
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost [Abstract]
Service cost	$ 0.1	$ 0.1	$ 0.1
Interest cost	1.8	1.9	1.7
Expected return on plan assets	(1.8)	(2.0)	(1.5)
Amortization of prior service cost	0.0	0.0	0.0
Settlement	0.0	(0.1)	0.0
Recognized actuarial loss	1.9	1.1	1.8
Net periodic pension cost	$ 2.0	$ 1.0	$ 2.1
Defined Benefit Plan, Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Calculating Benefit Obligation [Abstract]
Discount rate	3.70%	3.60%
Rate of compensation increase	3.10%	3.10%
Defined Benefit Plan, Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost [Abstract]
Discount rate	3.60%	4.50%	3.70%
Expected return on plan assets	5.60%	6.20%	5.50%
Rate of compensation increase	3.10%	3.30%	2.50%
Reduction in net periodic pension cost per 100 basis point increase in benefit obligation discount rate	$ 1.1
Additional net periodic pension cost per 100 basis point decrease in expected return on plan assets rate	$ 0.3
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets, Target Allocations [Abstract]
Pension plan asset allocation, percentage	100.00%	100.00%
International Plans \| Equity securities
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets, Target Allocations [Abstract]
Targeted asset allocation, percentage	60.00%
Pension plan asset allocation, percentage	64.10%	64.00%
International Plans \| Fixed income securities
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets, Target Allocations [Abstract]
Targeted asset allocation, percentage	25.00%
Pension plan asset allocation, percentage	21.50%	21.90%
International Plans \| Multi-strategy investments
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets, Target Allocations [Abstract]
Targeted asset allocation, percentage	10.00%
Pension plan asset allocation, percentage	9.50%	9.40%
International Plans \| Real estate
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets, Target Allocations [Abstract]
Targeted asset allocation, percentage	5.00%
Pension plan asset allocation, percentage	4.90%	4.70%

Pension and Defined Contribution Plans - Fair Value Measurements and Benefit Payments (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($) Plan
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Number of multi-employer defined benefit pension plans under terms of collective bargaining agreements \| Plan				3
Contributions to Multi-employer Pension Plans	$ 0.5	$ 0.4	$ 0.3
Defined Contribution Pension
Defined Contribution Pension and Other Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]
Defined contribution plan, cost recognized	$ 5.6	5.3	4.7
Common stock included in defined contribution plan, market value				$ 17.0
Common stock included in defined contribution plan as percentage of total fair value of assets in plan	6.30%
Domestic Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	$ 122.5	105.7	105.7	123.9
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	122.5	105.7
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	123.9	122.5	105.7
Employer expected contribution to defined benefit plans in next fiscal year	4.1
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2016				7.9
2017				8.2
2018				13.2
2019				11.5
2020				9.6
2021-2025				57.8
Domestic Plans \| Mutual Funds: Large blend fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	46.7	46.7		44.9
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	46.7
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	44.9	46.7
Domestic Plans \| Mutual Funds: Foreign large blend fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	12.4	12.4		11.9
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	12.4
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	11.9	12.4
Domestic Plans \| Real Estate Fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	5.6	5.6		6.3
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	5.6
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	6.3	5.6
Domestic Plans \| Short-Term Fixed Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	6.0	6.0		6.6
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	6.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	6.6	6.0
Domestic Plans \| Fixed-Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	38.3	38.3		41.8
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	38.3
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	41.8	38.3
Domestic Plans \| Collective Trust: Domestic small cap equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	13.5	13.5		12.4
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	13.5
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	12.4	13.5
Domestic Plans \| Level 1 \| Mutual Funds: Large blend fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	46.7	46.7		44.9
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	46.7
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	44.9	46.7
Domestic Plans \| Level 1 \| Mutual Funds: Foreign large blend fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	12.4	12.4		11.9
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	12.4
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	11.9	12.4
Domestic Plans \| Level 1 \| Real Estate Fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 1 \| Short-Term Fixed Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	6.0	6.0		6.6
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	6.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	6.6	6.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 1 \| Fixed-Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 1 \| Collective Trust: Domestic small cap equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 2 \| Mutual Funds: Large blend fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 2 \| Mutual Funds: Foreign large blend fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 2 \| Real Estate Fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 2 \| Short-Term Fixed Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 2 \| Fixed-Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	38.3	38.3		41.8
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	38.3
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	41.8	38.3
Domestic Plans \| Level 2 \| Collective Trust: Domestic small cap equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	13.5	13.5		12.4
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	13.5
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	12.4	13.5
Domestic Plans \| Level 3 \| Mutual Funds: Large blend fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 3 \| Mutual Funds: Foreign large blend fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 3 \| Real Estate Fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	5.6	5.1	5.1	6.3
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	5.6	5.1
Net unrealized gain relating to instruments still held at the reporting date	0.5	0.3
Shares purchased, including from dividend reinvestment	0.2	0.2
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	6.3	5.6	5.1
Domestic Plans \| Level 3 \| Short-Term Fixed Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 3 \| Fixed-Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
Domestic Plans \| Level 3 \| Collective Trust: Domestic small cap equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
International Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	35.2	30.1	30.1	32.6
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	35.2	30.1
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	32.6	35.2	30.1
Employer expected contribution to defined benefit plans in next fiscal year	1.1
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2016				1.0
2017				1.0
2018				1.0
2019				1.1
2020				1.1
2021-2025				5.9
International Plans \| Equity securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	22.5	22.5		20.9
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	22.5
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	20.9	22.5
International Plans \| Real Estate Fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	1.7	1.7		1.6
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	1.7
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	1.6	1.7
International Plans \| Multi-strategy investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	3.3	3.3		3.1
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	3.3
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	3.1	3.3
International Plans \| Fixed-Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	7.7	7.7		7.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	7.7
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	7.0	7.7
International Plans \| Level 1 \| Equity securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
International Plans \| Level 1 \| Real Estate Fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
International Plans \| Level 1 \| Multi-strategy investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
International Plans \| Level 1 \| Fixed-Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
International Plans \| Level 2 \| Equity securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	22.5	22.5		20.9
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	22.5
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	20.9	22.5
International Plans \| Level 2 \| Real Estate Fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
International Plans \| Level 2 \| Multi-strategy investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	3.3	3.3		3.1
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	3.3
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	3.1	3.3
International Plans \| Level 2 \| Fixed-Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	7.7	7.7		7.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	7.7
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	7.0	7.7
International Plans \| Level 3 \| Equity securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
International Plans \| Level 3 \| Real Estate Fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	1.7	1.4	1.4	1.6
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	1.7	1.4
Purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements	(0.1)	0.3
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	1.6	1.7	$ 1.4
International Plans \| Level 3 \| Multi-strategy investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0.0	0.0
International Plans \| Level 3 \| Fixed-Income Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets by major category	0.0	0.0		$ 0.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0.0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$ 0.0	$ 0.0

Debt and Lines of Credit - Debt (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 01, 2009	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt outstanding		$ 352,400,000	$ 351,900,000
All future annual principal payments of long-term debt		354,000,000
Senior Unsecured Notes \| Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt outstanding		350,000,000	350,000,000
Senior unsecured public notes due December 2019, unamortized discount and deferred costs		(1,600,000)	(2,100,000)
Industrial Revenue Bond \| Industrial revenue bond
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt outstanding		$ 4,000,000	$ 4,000,000
Long-term debt, interest rate		0.10%	0.20%
Subsidiary Issuer
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt outstanding		$ 352,400,000	$ 351,900,000
Aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes	$ 350,000,000.0
ABL \| Senior Unsecured Notes \| Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate	6.00%
Senior unsecured notes, discount rate	99.797%
Senior unsecured notes, maturity terms (years)	10 years
Capitalized deferred issuance costs	$ 3,100,000
Term of notes	10 years

Debt and Lines of Credit - Lines of Credit (Details)	12 Months Ended
Debt and Lines of Credit - Lines of Credit (Details)	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Aug. 27, 2014 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2012 USD ($)
Revolving Credit Facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Outstanding letters of credit	$ 6,100,000
Lines of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Outstanding letters of credit	$ 10,300,000
Lines of Credit \| Revolving Credit Facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Executed revolving credit facility		$ 250,000,000.0	$ 250,000,000.0
Maximum Leverage Ratio	3.50
Minimum Interest Coverage Ratio	2.50
Outstanding letters of credit	$ 250,000,000
Additional borrowing capacity under revolving credit facility	$ 243,900,000
Minimum \| Lines of Credit \| Revolving Credit Facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Applicable margins as determined by leverage ratio	1.00%
Commitment fees rate	0.125%
Maximum \| Lines of Credit \| Revolving Credit Facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Applicable margins as determined by leverage ratio	1.575%
Commitment fees rate	0.30%

Common Stock and Related Matters (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2011
Common Stock [Roll Forward]
Common Stock, Shares, Balance beginning of period	52,581,917
Common Stock, Shares, Balance end of period	53,024,284	52,581,917
Common Stock, Amount (at par), Balance beginning of period	$ 0.5
Issuance of restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures, Amount	6.4	$ 7.2	$ 8.9
Stock options exercised, Amount	11.1	8.0	$ 14.5
Common Stock, Amount (at par), Balance end of period	$ 0.5	$ 0.5
Treasury Stock Transactions, Excluding Value of Shares Reissued [Abstract]
Remaining repurchased shares recorded as treasury stock	9,719,255	9,719,255
Treasury stock at original repurchase cost	$ 420.2	$ 420.2
Preferred Stock, Number of Shares, Par Value and Other Disclosures [Abstract]
Preferred stock authorized (in shares)	50,000,000	50,000,000
Preferred stock, issued (in shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, outstanding (in shares)	0	0
October 2011 Plan
Treasury Stock Transactions, Excluding Value of Shares Reissued [Abstract]
Number of repurchase shares, authorized				2,000,000
Reacquired shares of outstanding common stock	0
Common Stock
Common Stock [Roll Forward]
Common Stock, Shares, Balance beginning of period	52,600,000	52,200,000	51,500,000
Issuance of restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures, Shares	200,000	200,000	200,000
Stock options exercised, Shares	200,000	200,000	500,000
Common Stock, Shares, Balance end of period	53,000,000	52,600,000	52,200,000
Common Stock, Amount (at par), Balance beginning of period	$ 0.5	$ 0.5	$ 0.5
Issuance of restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures, Amount	0.0	0.0	0.0
Stock options exercised, Amount	0.0	0.0	0.0
Common Stock, Amount (at par), Balance end of period	$ 0.5	$ 0.5	$ 0.5

Common Stock and Related Matters - Earnings per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Basic Earnings per Share:
Net income	$ 222.1	$ 175.8	$ 127.4
Less: Income attributable to participating securities	(1.0)	(1.6)	(2.0)
Net income available to common shareholders	$ 221.1	$ 174.2	$ 125.4
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	43,100	42,800	42,200
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 5.13	$ 4.07	$ 2.97
Diluted Earnings per Share:
Net income	$ 222.1	$ 175.8	$ 127.4
Less: Income attributable to participating securities	(1.0)	(1.6)	(2.0)
Net income available to common shareholders	$ 221.1	$ 174.2	$ 125.4
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	43,100	42,800	42,200
Common stock equivalents (in shares)	300	200	300
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	43,400	43,000	42,500
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 5.09	$ 4.05	$ 2.95
Stock Options
Earnings per Share, Basic and Diluted [Line Items]
Stock options excluded from diluted earnings per share (in shares)	44	41
Restricted Stock
Earnings per Share, Basic and Diluted [Line Items]
Stock options excluded from diluted earnings per share (in shares)	26	9

Share-Based Payments (Details) - USD ($)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Aug. 31, 2014

Aug. 31, 2013

Aug. 31, 2012

Jan. 31, 2012

Nov. 30, 2001

Share-based Compensation Arrangement, Restricted Stock Awards [Abstract]

$00.00 - $40.00 (average life - 4.2 years)

$ 18,200,000

$ 17,700,000

$ 16,500,000

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Range of option exercise prices: Number of Shares, Outstanding

^[1]

Range of option exercise prices: Weighted Average Exercise Price, Outstanding (in dollars per share)

$ 33.49

Range of option exercise prices: Number of Shares, Exercisable

^[1]

Range of option exercise prices: Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercisable (in dollars per share)

$ 33.49

$40.01 - $60.00 (average life - 5.6 years)

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Range of option exercise prices: Number of Shares, Outstanding

200,000

Range of option exercise prices: Weighted Average Exercise Price, Outstanding (in dollars per share)

$ 48.28

Range of option exercise prices: Number of Shares, Exercisable

200,000

Range of option exercise prices: Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercisable (in dollars per share)

$ 48.28

$60.01 - $80.00 (average life - 7.1 years)

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Range of option exercise prices: Number of Shares, Outstanding

100,000

Range of option exercise prices: Weighted Average Exercise Price, Outstanding (in dollars per share)

$ 62.54

Range of option exercise prices: Number of Shares, Exercisable

^[1]

Range of option exercise prices: Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercisable (in dollars per share)

$ 62.54

$80.01 - $136.00 (average life - 8.7 years)

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Range of option exercise prices: Number of Shares, Outstanding

200,000

Range of option exercise prices: Weighted Average Exercise Price, Outstanding (in dollars per share)

$ 121.36

Range of option exercise prices: Number of Shares, Exercisable

^[1]

Range of option exercise prices: Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercisable (in dollars per share)

$ 103.74

Stock Options

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Number of shares available for grant

1,800,000

2,100,000

2,300,000

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share [Roll Forward]

Unrecognized compensation cost

$ 3,100,000

Unrecognized compensation cost period of recognition (years)

1 year 3 months 18 days

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions and Methodology [Abstract]

Dividend yield

0.40%

0.70%

0.90%

Expected volatility

33.90%

38.40%

43.80%

Risk-free interest rate

1.50%

1.30%

0.80%

Expected life of options

4 years

5 years

Weighted-average fair value of options (in dollars per share)

$ 37.43

$ 34.37

$ 22.32

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]

Beginning of period, Outstanding, Number of Shares

700,000

800,000

1,100,000

Granted, Number of Shares

100,000

Exercised, Number of Shares

(300,000)

(200,000)

(400,000)

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price [Roll Forward]

500,000

700,000

800,000

1,100,000

Beginning of period, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)

$ 50.58

$ 43.16

$ 36.25

Granted, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)

135.63

103.74

62.54

Exercised, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)

39.35

40.31

30.72

End of period, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)

$ 71.95

$ 50.58

$ 43.16

$ 36.25

Exercisable, Number of Shares, Outstanding

300,000

500,000

1,000,000

Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price, Outstanding (in dollars per share)

$ 51.05

$ 41.05

$ 38.00

$ 33.06

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Total intrinsic value of stock options expected to vest

$ 33,300,000

$ 16,300,000

$ 19,200,000

Total intrinsic value of stock options exercised

55,600,000

Total intrinsic value of stock options outstanding

55,500,000

Total intrinsic value of stock options exercisable

$ 42,200,000

Stock Options | $00.00 - $40.00 (average life - 4.2 years)

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Range of option exercise prices: lower range limit (in dollars per share)

$ 0

Range of option exercise prices: upper range limit (in dollars per share)

$ 40

Stock Options | $40.01 - $60.00 (average life - 5.6 years)

4 years 2 months 12 days

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Range of option exercise prices: lower range limit (in dollars per share)

$ 40.01

Range of option exercise prices: upper range limit (in dollars per share)

$ 60

Stock Options | $60.01 - $80.00 (average life - 7.1 years)

5 years 7 months 6 days

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Range of option exercise prices: lower range limit (in dollars per share)

$ 60.01

Range of option exercise prices: upper range limit (in dollars per share)

$ 80

Stock Options | $80.01 - $136.00 (average life - 8.7 years)

7 years 1 month 6 days

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Range of option exercise prices: lower range limit (in dollars per share)

$ 80.01

Range of option exercise prices: upper range limit (in dollars per share)

$ 136

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]

8 years 8 months 12 days

Restricted Stock

Beginning of period, Outstanding, Number of Shares

500,000

Granted, Number of Shares

200,000

Vested, Number of Shares

(200,000)

Forfeited, Number of Shares

^[2]

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share [Roll Forward]

500,000

Beginning of period, Outstanding, Weighted Average Grant date Fair Value Per Share (in dollars per share)

$ 70.73

Granted, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share (in dollars per share)

156.35

Vested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share (in dollars per share)

61.89

Forfeited, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share (in dollars per share)

86.55

End of period, Outstanding, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share (in dollars per share)

$ 116.02

$ 70.73

Unrecognized compensation cost

$ 43,100,000

Unrecognized compensation cost period of recognition (years)

2 years

Total fair value of shares vested

$ 14,300,000

$ 13,000,000

13,400,000

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)

Share-based Compensation Arrangement, Restricted Stock Awards [Abstract]

Amended and Restated Long Term Incentive Plan

$ 1,000,000

800,000

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Number of newly authorized shares

2,300,000

400,000

Number of shares available for grant with shareholders approval

1,700,000

Long-Term Incentive Plan

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

1,900,000

Directors' Plan

Directors' Plan | Stock Options

300,000

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Shares (whole units) granted under Director's Plan

Amended Plan | Stock Options

Share-based Compensation Arrangement, Restricted Stock Awards [Abstract]

Share-based compensation vesting period (years)

3 years

Share-based Compensation Arrangement, Stock Options [Abstract]

$ 2,400,000

2,400,000

2,500,000

Share-based compensation, expiration period

10 years

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]

Amended Plan | Restricted Stock

453,000

Share-based Compensation Arrangement, Restricted Stock Awards [Abstract]

Share-based compensation vesting period (years)

4 years

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]

$ 14,800,000

$ 14,200,000

$ 13,200,000

Directors' Deferred Compensation Plan | Stock Options

501,000

Share-based Compensation Arrangement, Restricted Stock Awards [Abstract]

Share-based compensation vesting period (years)

1 year

Share-based Compensation Arrangement, Stock Options [Abstract]

Share-based compensation, expiration period

10 years

Directors' Deferred Compensation Plan | Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Number of shares available for grant with shareholders approval

86,000

Number of shares available for grant

400,000

300,000

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Deferred compensation, number of share units outstanding

134,000

Directors' Deferred Compensation Plan | Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Minimum

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Deferred compensation, deferral percentage of annual retainer

55.00%

50.00%

Supplemental Deferred Savings Plan | Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)

Share-based Compensation Arrangement, Restricted Stock Awards [Abstract]

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

$ 0

Deferred compensation, number of share units outstanding

13,000

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Number of shares available for grant

1,500,000

1,000,000

Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, End of Period [Abstract]

Employee discount on purchases of common stock

5.00%

[1]	Represents shares of less than 0.1.
[2]	Represents shares of less than 0.1.

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013	Oct. 17, 2007
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Minimum lease payments under noncancelable lease for fiscal 2016	$ 14,200,000
Minimum lease payments under noncancelable lease for fiscal 2017	12,500,000
Minimum lease payments under noncancelable lease for fiscal 2018	9,800,000
Minimum lease payments under noncancelable lease for fiscal 2019	6,800,000
Minimum lease payments under noncancelable lease for fiscal 2020	4,700,000
Minimum lease payments under noncancelable lease for fiscal year after 2020	4,700,000
Operating Leases, Rent Expense, Net [Abstract]
Total rent expense	16,000,000	$ 16,500,000	$ 16,200,000
Recorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Fiscal Year Maturity Schedule [Abstract]
Purchase obligations in fiscal 2015	147,200,000
Purchase obligation beyond fiscal 2016	$ 0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Movement in Standard and Extended Product Warranty, Increase (Decrease) [Roll Forward]
Balance at September 1	$ 8,500,000	$ 5,900,000	4,000,000
Warranty and recall costs	16,100,000	19,500,000	14,300,000
Payments and other deductions	(15,000,000)	(16,900,000)	(12,400,000)
Balance at August 31	$ 9,600,000	$ 8,500,000	$ 5,900,000
Zep Inc.
Recorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Fiscal Year Maturity Schedule [Abstract]
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)				$ 0.01
Total work force covered by collective bargaining agreements
Recorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Fiscal Year Maturity Schedule [Abstract]
Collective bargaining agreements, percentage of work force	69.00%
Workforce Subject to Collective Bargaining Arrangements Expiring within One Year
Recorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Fiscal Year Maturity Schedule [Abstract]
Collective bargaining agreements, percentage of work force	62.00%

Special Charge (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Special Charge (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special Charge	$ 12.4	$ (0.2)	$ 8.5
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Remaining balance of severance reserve	0.8
Special charge	11.9
Payments made during the period	(7.8)
Remaining balance of severance reserve	4.9	0.8
Fiscal 2013 Actions
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special Charge	(0.5)
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Remaining balance of severance reserve	0.8
Special charge	(0.5)
Payments made during the period	(0.3)
Remaining balance of severance reserve	0.0	0.8
Fiscal 2013 Actions \| Special Charges
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special Charge		0.2	7.8
Fiscal 2013 Actions \| Employee severance and benefits \| Special Charges
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special Charge		0.6	7.6
Fiscal 2013 Actions \| Production transfer \| Special Charges
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special Charge		0.4
Fiscal 2013 Actions \| Lease Termination Costs \| Special Charges
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special Charge			$ 0.2
Fiscal 2015 Actions
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special Charge	12.9
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Remaining balance of severance reserve	0.0
Special charge	12.4
Payments made during the period	(7.5)
Remaining balance of severance reserve	4.9	$ 0.0
Fiscal 2015 Actions \| Employee severance and benefits \| Special Charges
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special Charge	11.9
Fiscal 2015 Actions \| Production transfer \| Special Charges
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special Charge	0.5
Fiscal 2015 Actions \| Lease Termination Costs \| Special Charges
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special Charge	$ 0.5

Income Taxes - Provision for Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Provision for current federal taxes	$ 101.5	$ 77.1	$ 48.4
Provision for current state taxes	13.1	9.0	6.9
Provision for current foreign taxes	4.3	4.3	4.2
Provision for deferred taxes	2.6	(0.5)	6.2
Total provision for income taxes	$ 121.5	$ 89.9	$ 65.7

Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
Federal income tax computed at statutory rate	$ 120,300,000	$ 93,000,000	$ 67,600,000
State income tax, net of federal income tax benefit	8,600,000	6,700,000	4,800,000
Foreign permanent differences and rate differential	(1,400,000)	(1,000,000)	(1,100,000)
Other, net	(6,000,000)	(8,800,000)	(5,600,000)
Total provision for income taxes	121,500,000	89,900,000	65,700,000
Deferred Income Tax Liabilities:
Depreciation	(9,600,000)	(6,100,000)
Goodwill and intangibles	(105,100,000)	(101,800,000)
Other liabilities	(4,200,000)	(5,300,000)
Total deferred income tax liabilities	(118,900,000)	(113,200,000)
Deferred Income Tax Assets:
Self-insurance	3,900,000	3,800,000
Pension	29,200,000	21,100,000
Deferred compensation	27,500,000	27,000,000
Bonuses	1,700,000	1,300,000
Net operating losses	15,700,000	18,100,000
Other accruals not yet deductible	18,800,000	15,900,000
Other assets	8,900,000	5,700,000
Total deferred income tax assets	105,700,000	92,900,000
Valuation Allowance	(15,000,000)	(13,600,000)
Net deferred income tax liabilities	(28,200,000)	(33,900,000)
Undistributed earnings and original investments in foreign subsidiaries	68,600,000
State tax credit carryforwards	1,200,000
Unrecognized tax benefits that if recognized would affect annual effective tax rate	3,300,000	2,200,000
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at September 1	3,000,000	5,000,000
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	800,000	400,000
Additions for tax positions of prior years	1,500,000	0
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	0	(600,000)
Reductions due to settlements	0	0
Reductions due to lapse of statute of limitations	(800,000)	(1,800,000)
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at August 31	4,500,000	3,000,000	$ 5,000,000
Total accrued interest	700,000	$ 500,000
Accruals related to income tax penalties	0
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Deferred Income Tax Assets:
Operating loss carryforwards	25,700,000
State and Local Jurisdiction
Deferred Income Tax Assets:
Operating loss carryforwards	17,000,000
Foreign Tax Authority
Deferred Income Tax Assets:
Operating loss carryforwards	$ 23,800,000

Subsequent Event (Details) - Distech Controls, Inc. (Distech) $ in Millions, $ in Millions			12 Months Ended
	Sep. 01, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 01, 2015 CAD ($)	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Pretax loss on foreign currency contract			$ 2.6
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Cash purchase price to acquire Distech Controls, Inc.	$ 255.0	$ 318.0
Estimate of revenue received from potential violations of US and Canadian sanctions	$ 0.3

Supplemental Disaggregated Information (Details)
$ in Millions

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

USD ($)

May 31, 2015

USD ($)

Feb. 28, 2015

USD ($)

Nov. 30, 2014

USD ($)

Aug. 31, 2014

USD ($)

May 31, 2014

USD ($)

Feb. 28, 2014

USD ($)

Nov. 30, 2013

USD ($)

Aug. 31, 2015

USD ($)

Segment

Aug. 31, 2014

USD ($)

Aug. 31, 2013

USD ($)

Number of reportable segments | Segment

Net sales

$ 759.5

$ 683.7

$ 616.1

$ 647.4

$ 668.7

$ 603.9

$ 546.2

$ 574.7

$ 2,706.7

^[1]

$ 2,393.5

^[1]

$ 2,089.1

^[1]

Operating profit

376.3

299.1

221.5

343.6

265.7

193.1

Long-lived assets

^[2]

204.7

179.0

204.7

179.0

175.3

Domestic

Net sales

^[1],[3]

2,450.1

2,155.0

1,854.9

Operating profit

^[3]

364.0

287.8

207.2

^[3]

329.4

257.1

181.2

Long-lived assets

^[2],[3]

179.1

147.8

179.1

147.8

144.4

International

Net sales

^[1]

256.6

238.5

234.2

Operating profit

12.3

11.3

14.3

Sales of lighting solutions, excluding services | Product Concentration Risk

14.2

8.6

11.9

Long-lived assets

^[2]

$ 25.6

$ 31.2

$ 25.6

$ 31.2

$ 30.9

Sales as percentage of total sales

99.00%

[1]	Net sales are attributed to each country based on the selling location.
[2]	Long-lived assets include net property, plant, and equipment, long-term deferred income tax assets, and other long-term assets.
[3]	Domestic amounts include net sales (including export sales), operating profit, income before provision for income taxes, and long-lived assets for U.S. based operations.

Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013	Aug. 31, 2012
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 756.8	$ 552.5	$ 359.1	$ 284.5
Accounts receivable, net	411.7	373.4
Inventories	224.8	212.0
Other current assets	43.2	48.5
Total Current Assets	1,436.5	1,186.4
Property, Plant, and Equipment, net	174.6	152.5
Goodwill	565.0	569.4
Intangible assets	223.4	231.6
Deferred income taxes	3.0	3.0
Other long-term assets	27.1	23.5
Investments in and amounts due from affiliates	0.0	0.0
Total Assets	2,429.6	2,166.4
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	311.1	287.4
Accrued liabilities	209.8	183.1
Total Current Liabilities	520.9	470.5
Long-Term Debt	352.4	351.9
Deferred Income Taxes	54.3	58.4
Other Long-Term Liabilities	142.0	122.1
Amounts due to affiliates	0.0	0.0
Total Stockholders’ Equity	1,360.0	1,163.5	993.5	834.0
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	2,429.6	2,166.4
Parent
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	479.9	516.0	331.0	246.6
Accounts receivable, net	0.0	0.0
Inventories	0.0	0.0
Other current assets	8.0	9.4
Total Current Assets	487.9	525.4
Property, Plant, and Equipment, net	0.3	0.4
Goodwill	0.0	0.0
Intangible assets	0.0	0.0
Deferred income taxes	35.5	33.4
Other long-term assets	1.3	1.2
Investments in and amounts due from affiliates	934.7	692.6
Total Assets	1,459.7	1,253.0
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0.9	1.1
Accrued liabilities	20.4	25.0
Total Current Liabilities	21.3	26.1
Long-Term Debt	0.0	0.0
Deferred Income Taxes	0.0	0.0
Other Long-Term Liabilities	78.4	63.4
Amounts due to affiliates	0.0	0.0
Total Stockholders’ Equity	1,360.0	1,163.5
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	1,459.7	1,253.0
Subsidiary Issuer
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0.0	3.1	0.8	0.0
Accounts receivable, net	365.5	331.0
Inventories	208.6	196.8
Other current assets	27.0	31.3
Total Current Assets	601.1	562.2
Property, Plant, and Equipment, net	139.8	121.4
Goodwill	524.2	524.2
Intangible assets	87.4	86.6
Deferred income taxes	0.0	0.0
Other long-term assets	23.8	16.6
Investments in and amounts due from affiliates	333.5	130.2
Total Assets	1,709.8	1,441.2
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	291.6	268.2
Accrued liabilities	162.7	129.5
Total Current Liabilities	454.3	397.7
Long-Term Debt	352.4	351.9
Deferred Income Taxes	90.7	88.9
Other Long-Term Liabilities	42.7	34.4
Amounts due to affiliates	0.0	0.0
Total Stockholders’ Equity	769.7	568.3
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	1,709.8	1,441.2
Subsidiary Guarantor
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Accounts receivable, net	0.0	0.0
Inventories	0.0	0.0
Other current assets	0.0	0.0
Total Current Assets	0.0	0.0
Property, Plant, and Equipment, net	0.0	0.0
Goodwill	2.7	2.7
Intangible assets	117.3	121.5
Deferred income taxes	0.0	0.0
Other long-term assets	0.0	0.0
Investments in and amounts due from affiliates	168.5	142.3
Total Assets	288.5	266.5
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0.0	0.0
Accrued liabilities	0.0	0.0
Total Current Liabilities	0.0	0.0
Long-Term Debt	0.0	0.0
Deferred Income Taxes	0.0	0.0
Other Long-Term Liabilities	0.0	0.0
Amounts due to affiliates	0.0	0.0
Total Stockholders’ Equity	288.5	266.5
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	288.5	266.5
Non- Guarantors
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	276.9	33.4	27.3	37.9
Accounts receivable, net	46.2	42.4
Inventories	16.2	15.2
Other current assets	8.2	7.8
Total Current Assets	347.5	98.8
Property, Plant, and Equipment, net	34.5	30.7
Goodwill	38.1	42.5
Intangible assets	18.7	23.5
Deferred income taxes	3.9	0.1
Other long-term assets	2.0	5.7
Investments in and amounts due from affiliates	0.0	0.0
Total Assets	444.7	201.3
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	18.6	18.1
Accrued liabilities	26.7	28.6
Total Current Liabilities	45.3	46.7
Long-Term Debt	0.0	0.0
Deferred Income Taxes	0.0	0.0
Other Long-Term Liabilities	20.9	24.3
Amounts due to affiliates	77.5	52.3
Total Stockholders’ Equity	301.0	78.0
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	444.7	201.3
Consolidating Adjustments
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0.0	0.0	$ 0.0	$ 0.0
Accounts receivable, net	0.0	0.0
Inventories	0.0	0.0
Other current assets	0.0	0.0
Total Current Assets	0.0	0.0
Property, Plant, and Equipment, net	0.0	0.0
Goodwill	0.0	0.0
Intangible assets	0.0	0.0
Deferred income taxes	(36.4)	(30.5)
Other long-term assets	0.0	0.0
Investments in and amounts due from affiliates	(1,436.7)	(965.1)
Total Assets	(1,473.1)	(995.6)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0.0	0.0
Accrued liabilities	0.0	0.0
Total Current Liabilities	0.0	0.0
Long-Term Debt	0.0	0.0
Deferred Income Taxes	(36.4)	(30.5)
Other Long-Term Liabilities	0.0	0.0
Amounts due to affiliates	(77.5)	(52.3)
Total Stockholders’ Equity	(1,359.2)	(912.8)
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	$ (1,473.1)	$ (995.6)

Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Income Statement (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

May 31, 2015

Feb. 28, 2015

Nov. 30, 2014

Aug. 31, 2014

May 31, 2014

Feb. 28, 2014

Nov. 30, 2013

Aug. 31, 2015

Aug. 31, 2014

Aug. 31, 2013

$ 2,706.7

$ 2,393.5

$ 2,089.1

0.0

$ 759.5

$ 683.7

$ 616.1

$ 647.4

$ 668.7

$ 603.9

$ 546.2

$ 574.7

2,706.7

^[1]

2,393.5

^[1]

2,089.1

^[1]

1,561.1

1,414.3

1,251.5

321.3

295.6

255.7

273.0

283.5

243.4

215.2

237.1

1,145.6

979.2

837.6

756.9

680.3

607.6

0.0

12.4

(0.2)

8.5

376.3

299.1

221.5

31.5

32.1

31.2

0.0

1.2

1.3

(2.8)

343.6

265.7

193.1

121.5

89.9

65.7

$ 60.1

$ 64.5

$ 46.4

$ 51.1

$ 54.8

$ 43.8

$ 32.7

$ 44.5

222.1

175.8

127.4

(24.0)

0.7

(1.9)

Other Comprehensive (Expense) Income Items, net of tax

(14.5)

(10.0)

24.0

(38.5)

(9.3)

22.1

183.6

166.5

149.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

34.0

27.8

28.0

(45.4)

(39.6)

(37.5)

0.0

11.4

11.8

9.5

9.9

10.0

9.4

(221.2)

(174.2)

(127.4)

0.0

222.7

176.0

127.5

0.6

0.2

0.1

222.1

175.8

127.4

(24.0)

0.7

(1.9)

Other Comprehensive (Expense) Income Items, net of tax

(14.5)

(10.0)

24.0

(38.5)

(9.3)

22.1

183.6

166.5

149.5

Subsidiary Issuer

2,446.9

2,150.6

1,851.4

0.0

2,446.9

2,150.6

1,851.4

1,388.0

1,255.5

1,088.6

1,058.9

895.1

762.8

684.4

612.5

542.6

39.7

34.7

32.8

12.4

(0.2)

6.5

322.4

248.1

180.9

21.8

22.2

22.1

(5.2)

(4.0)

(2.1)

2.8

(1.6)

(1.0)

303.0

231.5

161.9

103.5

75.5

51.5

199.5

156.0

110.4

(24.0)

0.7

(1.9)

Other Comprehensive (Expense) Income Items, net of tax

6.3

(3.7)

17.3

(17.7)

(3.0)

15.4

181.8

153.0

125.8

Subsidiary Guarantor

0.0

41.2

37.2

31.8

41.2

37.2

31.8

0.0

41.2

37.2

31.8

4.0

4.1

2.9

0.0

0.0

37.2

33.1

28.9

0.0

0.0

0.0

37.2

33.1

28.9

14.9

13.1

11.6

22.3

20.0

17.3

0.0

Other Comprehensive (Expense) Income Items, net of tax

0.0

0.0

22.3

20.0

17.3

Non- Guarantors

259.8

242.9

237.7

105.5

94.8

85.0

365.3

337.7

322.7

276.5

250.5

247.9

88.8

87.2

74.8

77.8

76.2

65.9

5.7

4.9

4.7

0.0

2.0

5.3

6.1

2.2

(0.2)

(0.1)

(0.3)

0.0

(1.6)

1.8

(1.8)

7.1

4.4

4.3

2.5

1.1

2.5

4.6

3.3

1.8

0.0

Other Comprehensive (Expense) Income Items, net of tax

0.5

(5.2)

7.2

0.5

(5.2)

7.2

Consolidating Adjustments

5.1

(1.9)

9.0

0.0

(146.7)

(132.0)

(116.8)

(146.7)

(132.0)

(116.8)

(103.4)

(91.7)

(85.0)

(43.3)

(40.3)

(31.8)

(43.3)

(40.3)

(31.8)

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

226.4

178.2

129.5

0.0

1.1

0.0

(226.4)

(179.3)

(129.5)

0.0

(226.4)

(179.3)

(129.5)

24.0

(0.7)

1.9

Other Comprehensive (Expense) Income Items, net of tax

(6.8)

8.9

(24.5)

17.2

8.2

(22.6)

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

$ (209.2)

$ (171.1)

$ (152.1)

[1]	Net sales are attributed to each country based on the selling location.

Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements of Cash Flows
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	$ 288.9	$ 233.1	$ 132.3
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	(56.5)	(35.3)	(40.6)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	1.3	1.0	7.6
Investments in subsidiaries	0.0	0.0	0.0
Acquisitions of businesses and intangible assets	(14.6)	0.0	(25.5)
Other investing activities	(2.6)	0.0	0.0
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	(72.4)	(34.3)	(58.5)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	11.6	8.4	14.9
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	17.6	10.4	8.6
Intercompany dividends			0.0
Intercompany capital	0.0		0.0
Dividends paid	(22.7)	(22.5)	(22.4)
Other financing activities	(10.4)	(2.6)	0.0
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Financing Activities	(3.9)	(6.3)	1.1
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	(8.3)	0.9	(0.3)
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	204.3	193.4	74.6
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	552.5	359.1	284.5
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	756.8	552.5	359.1
Parent
Condensed Financial Statements of Cash Flows
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	212.1	188.7	83.7
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	0.0	0.0	(0.4)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	0.0	0.0	0.0
Investments in subsidiaries	(254.7)	0.0	0.0
Acquisitions of businesses and intangible assets	0.0		0.0
Other investing activities	0.0
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	(254.7)	0.0	(0.4)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	11.6	8.4	14.9
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	17.6	10.4	8.6
Intercompany dividends			0.0
Intercompany capital	0.0		0.0
Dividends paid	(22.7)	(22.5)	(22.4)
Other financing activities	0.0	0.0
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Financing Activities	6.5	(3.7)	1.1
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	0.0	0.0	0.0
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(36.1)	185.0	84.4
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	516.0	331.0	246.6
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	479.9	516.0	331.0
Subsidiary Issuer
Condensed Financial Statements of Cash Flows
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	55.2	35.1	46.4
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	(41.9)	(29.2)	(36.9)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	1.3	1.0	7.6
Investments in subsidiaries	(245.2)	(4.5)	(13.1)
Acquisitions of businesses and intangible assets	(14.6)		(3.7)
Other investing activities	(2.6)
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	(303.0)	(32.7)	(46.1)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	0.0	0.0	0.0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	0.0	0.0	0.0
Intercompany dividends			0.0
Intercompany capital	245.2		0.0
Dividends paid	0.0	0.0	0.0
Other financing activities	0.0	0.0
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Financing Activities	245.2	0.0	0.0
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	(0.5)	(0.1)	0.5
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(3.1)	2.3	0.8
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	3.1	0.8	0.0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	0.0	3.1	0.8
Subsidiary Guarantor
Condensed Financial Statements of Cash Flows
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	0.0	0.0	0.0
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	0.0	0.0	0.0
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	0.0	0.0	0.0
Investments in subsidiaries	0.0	0.0	0.0
Acquisitions of businesses and intangible assets	0.0		0.0
Other investing activities	0.0
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	0.0	0.0	0.0
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	0.0	0.0	0.0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	0.0	0.0	0.0
Intercompany dividends			0.0
Intercompany capital	0.0		0.0
Dividends paid	0.0	0.0	0.0
Other financing activities	0.0	0.0
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Financing Activities	0.0	0.0	0.0
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	0.0	0.0	0.0
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0.0	0.0	0.0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	0.0	0.0	0.0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	0.0	0.0	0.0
Non- Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements of Cash Flows
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	21.6	9.3	14.3
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	(14.6)	(6.1)	(3.3)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	0.0	0.0	0.0
Investments in subsidiaries	0.0	4.5	0.0
Acquisitions of businesses and intangible assets	0.0		(21.8)
Other investing activities	0.0
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	(14.6)	(1.6)	(25.1)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	0.0	0.0	0.0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	0.0	0.0	0.0
Intercompany dividends			(12.1)
Intercompany capital	254.7		13.1
Dividends paid	0.0	0.0	0.0
Other financing activities	(10.4)	(2.6)
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Financing Activities	244.3	(2.6)	1.0
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	(7.8)	1.0	(0.8)
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	243.5	6.1	(10.6)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	33.4	27.3	37.9
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	276.9	33.4	27.3
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements of Cash Flows
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	0.0	0.0	(12.1)
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	0.0	0.0	0.0
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment	0.0	0.0	0.0
Investments in subsidiaries	499.9	0.0	13.1
Acquisitions of businesses and intangible assets	0.0		0.0
Other investing activities	0.0
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	499.9	0.0	13.1
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	0.0	0.0	0.0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	0.0	0.0	0.0
Intercompany dividends			12.1
Intercompany capital	(499.9)		(13.1)
Dividends paid	0.0	0.0	0.0
Other financing activities	0.0	0.0
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Financing Activities	(499.9)	0.0	(1.0)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	0.0	0.0	0.0
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0.0	0.0	0.0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	0.0	0.0	0.0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	$ 0.0	$ 0.0	$ 0.0

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($)
$ / shares in Units, $ in Millions

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

May 31, 2015

Feb. 28, 2015

Nov. 30, 2014

Aug. 31, 2014

May 31, 2014

Feb. 28, 2014

Nov. 30, 2013

Aug. 31, 2015

Aug. 31, 2014

Aug. 31, 2013

Net Sales

$ 759.5

$ 683.7

$ 616.1

$ 647.4

$ 668.7

$ 603.9

$ 546.2

$ 574.7

$ 2,706.7

^[1]

$ 2,393.5

^[1]

$ 2,089.1

^[1]

321.3

295.6

255.7

273.0

283.5

243.4

215.2

237.1

1,145.6

979.2

837.6

Basic Earnings per Share (in dollars per share)

$ 60.1

$ 64.5

$ 46.4

$ 51.1

$ 54.8

$ 43.8

$ 32.7

$ 44.5

$ 222.1

$ 175.8

$ 127.4

$ 1.39

$ 1.49

$ 1.07

$ 1.18

$ 1.27

$ 1.01

$ 0.76

$ 1.03

$ 5.13

$ 4.07

$ 2.97

Diluted Earnings per Share (in dollars per share)

$ 1.37

$ 1.48

$ 1.07

$ 1.17

$ 1.26

$ 1.01

$ 0.75

$ 1.03

$ 5.09

$ 4.05

$ 2.95

[1]	Net sales are attributed to each country based on the selling location.

The amount of net income (loss) for the period per each share of common stock or unit outstanding during the reporting period.

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.