January 19, 2006

Lawson Products Inc., Des Plaines, IL, said it is facing an federal investigation into whether Lawson representatives have provided inappropriate gifts to purchasing agents, including government purchasing agents.The probe, by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, follows a search warrant executed in December for records and files at the company’s headquarters. […]

Applied Industrial Technologies, Cleveland, OH, reported a 13% increase in sales to $456.1 million for the fiscal 2006 second quarter ended Dec. 31, 2005. It recorded a 53% jump in profit. For the six months ended Dec. 31, 2005, sales increased 10% to $899.3 million from $817.2 million in the same period last year. Profit was

The Home Depot has announced plans to grow its supply division to $23-$27 billion by 2010. The Atlanta-based DIY giant wants The Home Depot Supply to become the nation’s No. 1 diversified wholesaler. In just the past year, The Home Depot Supply has grown by 143%, according to numbers provided at an investor conference. HD Supply’s