March 2007

Lawson Products Profit Drops in 2006

Leave a Comment / Top Distributor Sectors, Subscriber Only, News, Free, Companies / MDM Staff

Lawson Products, Inc., Des Plaines, IL, distributor of services, systems and products to the MRO and OEM marketplaces, announced sales of $518.2 million for 2006, a 15.1% increase from 2005. Profit decreased 52.8% to $12.6 million in 2006.

&nbsp ;

In 2006, Lawson integrated Rutland Tool & Supply Co., acquired in December 2005. That acquisition added about 80,000 SKUs to the company's offering. Lawson also reconfigured its Suwannee, GA, distribution center and started construction on a 140,000 square foot addition to its Reno, NV, DC.

Sales for the fourth quarter 2006 increased 9.2% to $126.2 million from the same quarter in 2005. Fourth quarter 2006 results include a full quarter of the operations of Rutland, which was acquired in December 2005. ...

Lawson Products Profit Drops in 2006 Read More »

Nucor Buys Most of Harris Steel

Leave a Comment / Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Metals Service Centers, Free, Top Distributor Sectors, News, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

Nucor Corp., Charlotte, NC, has acquired 96% of Toronto-based Harris Steel for C$46.25 in cash per share. Nucor intends to eventually buy all of Harris and take the company private.

&nbsp ;

Harris Steel has several business units: Harris Rebar, involved in the fabrication and placing of concrete reinforcing steel and the design and installation of concrete post-tensioning systems; Laurel Steel, a manufacturer and distributor of wire and wire products, welded wire mesh and cold finished bar; and Fisher & Ludlow, a manufacturer and distributor of heavy industrial steel grating, aluminum grating and expanded metal.

&nbsp ;

Harris also participates in steel trading on a worldwide basis through Novosteel and in the distribution of reinforcing steel and ...

Nucor Buys Most of Harris Steel Read More »

Kaman Sales Up 9.5% in 2006

Leave a Comment / Free, Companies, Top Distributor Sectors, Power Transmission/Motion Control/Fluid Power, News, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

Kaman Corp.,
Bloomfield, CT, reported sales of $1.2 billion, up 9.5% from $1.1 billion in
2005. The Industrial Distribution segment recorded sales of $665.4 million, a 7%
increase.

&nbsp ;

Kaman's Aerospace
division saw a 13% increase in sales for the year to $326 million, and its Music
division saw a sales increase of 12% to $214.8 million.

&nbsp ;

Profit for the year
was $31.8 million, up from $13 million in 2005.

&nbsp ;

For the fourth
quarter 2006, sales were $308.9 million, up 7% from the same period last year.
Industrial Distribution saw a 3.6% sales increase in the fourth quarter to
$157.6 million.

&nbsp ;

The increase in
sales (in Industrial Distribution) was driven by strong ...

Kaman Sales Up 9.5% in 2006 Read More »

Potential Buyers for HD Supply?

Leave a Comment / Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Free, Companies, News, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

The Financial Times is reporting that three teams of private equity firms are preparing for possible bids for HD Supply. Teams include: Bain Capital, Carlyle Group and Clayton Dubilier & Rice (owner of Rexel); Thomas H Lee Partners, Goldman Sachs and CCMP; and Blackstone, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Leonard Green Partners and Texas Pacific Group.

&nbsp ;

Home Depot CEO Frank Blake told analysts and investors at the annual meeting this week that HD has not yet made a decision to sell. The Financial Times reports that the unit could get up to $11 billion.FT says Bain and Carlyle could be naturals for the ownership of HD Supply because of their investments in retail organizations - that said, HD Supply is a wholesale business, with a different operating structure from ...

Potential Buyers for HD Supply? Read More »

Grainger Launches Plumbing Specialty Catalog

Leave a Comment / Free, Companies, Top Distributor Sectors, Facilities Maintenance (MRO), News, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

Grainger, distributor
of facilities maintenance supplies, has released a new specialty catalog for
plumbing products and supplies.&nbsp ; Products offered through&nbsp ; the catalog
include water heaters and coolers, pipes, valves, fittings, fixtures, faucets
and water filtration systems.

&nbsp ;

The catalog is 316
pages, with more than 16,000 Plumbing, Valves and Fittings, or which 12,000 are
new to Grainger's offering. An additional 1,500 products that are related to
Plumbing (from various categories) brings the total to about 17,750 items.&nbsp ;

&nbsp ;

Grainger also
bolstered its offering in material handling, fasteners and security products
this year.

&nbsp ;

W.W. Grainger, Inc.,
with ...

Grainger Launches Plumbing Specialty Catalog Read More »

Manufacturing Expands in February

Leave a Comment / Subscriber Only, Research & Analytics, News, Free, Economic Trends / MDM Staff

Manufacturing expanded in February following a decline in January, and the overall economy grew for the 64^th consecutive month, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business.

February proved to be a good month in the manufacturing sector as New Orders, Production and Employment contributed to a solid growth scenario, ISM reports. The Inventories Index showed significant reduction in manufacturers' inventories for the second consecutive month, and the Backlog of Orders Index is growing once again.

While the prices manufacturers pay reached their highest level in five months, concern about prices is still minimal due to the small number of commodities indicated as up in price. The trend in manufacturing, as well as the overall economy, ...

Manufacturing Expands in February Read More »