MDM News Digest 3514

The Home Depot, Atlanta, GA, is entering distribution
channel verticals on a larger scale. The world's largest home improvement
retailer has agreed to acquire National Waterworks Holdings for $1.35
billion. National Waterworks Holdings, Inc., Waco, TX, is a distributor of
products used to build, repair and maintain water and wastewater transmission
systems. National, which had 2004 revenues of $1.5 billion and has a nine-year
history of 9-percent compounded annual growth rate in sales, will operate as
part of The Home Depot Supply. See article here.

Ozark Fluid Power, Inc., Little Rock, AR, a distributor of
Parker fluid connectors and hydraulics products, has merged with fluid
connectors distributor Fluid Air, of Memphis, TN. The new company will
retain the Ozark name, with Fluid Air serving as a division and retaining its
Memphis warehouse and retail operation. The combined firm will offer a full line
of both Parker fluid connectors and hydraulics products in Arkansas, western
Tennessee and northwestern Mississippi. See article here.

The Stanley Works, New Britain, CT, has made a firm offer to
purchase Facom Tools from Fimalac for euro 410 million
($494 million) in cash, almost doubling the size of its European hand tools
business. Facom Tools, with 2004 sales of euro 370 million ($445 million) and
LTM (last 12 months) operating profit of approximately 12%, includes the
professional tool brands Facom, Usag (Italy) and Virax (plumbing tools), among
others. See article here.

Stock Building
Supply, the largest
supplier of building materials to professionals in the U.S, has acquired J.C.
Baldridge Lumber, Albuquerque, NM., where single-family housing starts have
increased from 4,576 in 2000 to over 8,000 in 2004. Albuquerque ranks #12 on the
40 Hottest Real Estate Markets in the U.S. See article here.

Infor, Atlanta, GA, the largest global software
provider that exclusively focuses on the manufacturing and distribution markets,
has acquired Intuita Holdings Ltd., located in Manchester, United
Kingdom. The acquisition of Intuita Holdings is Infor's first step in providing
its wholesale distribution software outside of North America. See article here.

Safety Today, Inc., Groveport, OH, a provider of
personal protective equipment, has acquired Colonial Industrial Products
South (CIP-South), Deerfield Beach, FL. Safety Today will operate this as a
full service branch with local sales, customer service, warehousing and delivery
to service the South Florida marketplace. Effective immediately, the branch will
be called Safety Today/CIP-South and will continue operating under that name
through the rest of the year, with an expected change to Safety Today in
2006. See article here.

The Julius Kraft Company
Inc., a distributor of industrial cleaning and safety equipment in Auburn, NY,
appears to be closing its doors in New York, and divesting operations in
Massachusetts and North Carolina, according to sources. Safety Today, a safety
distributor based in Groveport, OH, has hired Julius Kraft's three employees in
North Billerica, MA. Several companies are interested in Julius Kraft's Raleigh
location. Julius Kraft is a fifth-generation family-owned company since 1868,
with $11 million in sales, according to its Web site. Primary customers have
included Eastman Kodak, Corning and Motorola.

W.W. Grainger, Chicago, IL,

Motion Industries, Birmingham, AL, the industrial
distribution business of Genuine Parts Company, Atlanta, GA, reported net sales
for the second quarter ended Jun. 30, 2005, were $702.6 million, up 12% from
$629.4 million in the same period last year. Operating profits were $50.4
million, up 32% from $38.2 million reported in the second quarter of 2004.
Overall, Genuine Parts Company reported sales for the second quarter ended Jun.
30, 2005 of $2.5 billion were up 8% compared to the second quarter of 2004. Net
income was $111.0 million, an increase of 10%, compared to $101.1 million for
the second quarter of 2004. For the six months ended Jun. 30, sales totaled $4.8
billion, up 7% compared to the same period in 2004. Net income for the six
months was $217.6 million, an increase of 8% over $201.3 million recorded in the
previous year. See article here.

WESCO International, Inc, Pittsburgh, PA, a provider of
electrical MRO products, construction materials, and integrated supply
procurement outsourcing services, reported net sales for the second quarter of
2005 were $1,062.1 million compared to $931.0 million in 2004, an increase of
14.1%. Net income in 2005's second quarter was $27.4 million versus $19.1
million in the comparable 2004 quarter. Gross margin for the quarter was 18.3%
compared to 19.7% for the comparable 2004 quarter. Operating income for the
current quarter totaled $48.9 million versus $42.9 million in last year's
comparable quarter. See article here.

The Timken Company, Canton, OH, has expanded its line of
maintenance tools from Europe into the U.S. and Canada. The tool line includes
induction heaters, hydraulic pullers and impact fitting tools for use in
demanding industrial applications where press- fit parts are critical to machine
life. Maintenance tools represent an important component to Timken's
comprehensive offering of friction management solutions. Leveraging Timken's
knowledge of steel and bearings, customers turn to Timken for high quality
products and services around the bearing to help keep their equipment up and
running. See article here.