Lawson Products has appointed Brian Hoekstra as vice president of mergers and acquisitions, a newly created position for the distributor of products and services to the MRO marketplace. Hoekstra will report directly to Michael DeCata, president and chief executive officer.

“A key aspect of our growth strategy involves growing revenues and earnings through acquisitions.  Brian comes to us with excellent experience and a unique skill set that will help us drive additional acquisition opportunities and lead to accelerated growth for the organization,” says DeCata.

Hoekstra previously served as senior director, mergers & acquisitions at W.W. Grainger, where he led cross-functional acquisition teams in identifying and screening potential targets as well as leading the due diligence process, performing financial modeling and negotiations, and coordinating integrations, according to a release. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Bradley University.