Jason Sandefur

In December 2005 Lawson Products Inc. bought Rutland Tool & Supply Co., a distributor of metalworking tools, machine tools, fasteners and related MRO supplies, for about $15 million, hoping the acquisition would expand its product lines into the machine tool industry while boosting its presence in critical western markets.
Rutland Tool”s product line includes bolts, nuts, socket head cap screws and pins. Rutland Tool operates facilities in Whittier, Santa Ana, Chatsworth and San Jose, CA; Houston; Phoenix; and Suwanee, GA. The firm generated sales of $50 million in 2005.
To boost response time, Lawson is investing in Rutland Tool”s warehousing and distribution operations in the Los Angeles area to handle organic growth, as well as localize distribution of other Lawson products. In addition, Rutland Tool facilities will be used as a major entry point for imported products.
Overall sales grew 10% to $450.2 million, while net income increased 25% to $26.7 million. MRO sales grew 9.1% to $368.6 million, while OEM sales improved 13.8% to $81.6 million. Sales to the U.S. accounted for about 92% of overall sales in 2004.
Lawson”s 900,000 products include such industrial supplies as fasteners, hoses, lubricants and cleansers, and car parts.
Lawson has 16 distribution centers and a manufacturing plant Automatic Screw Machine Products Co. of Decatur, AL. The company utilizes 1,800 independent sales reps to serve 355,000 customers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the UK.
All of Lawson”s maintenance products are distributed from eight facilities in Illinois, Nevada, Texas, Georgia and New Jersey, as well as Canada, England and Mexico.

Headquarters: 1666 E. Touhy Ave., Des Plaines, IL 60018. Tel: 708 827-9666 or 800 448-8985 Fax 847 297-2037
Web: lawsonproducts.com
NASDAQ Symbol: LAWS
CEO: Robert Washlow, 61
Key fastener executives: Tom Pavlick, general manager of Kent Automotive; Michael Selby, president of Automatic Screw Machine Products Co.
Investor relations: Scott Stephens, CFO
Founded: 1952Employees: 1,630
Percentage of revenue from fastener-related products: 48% \ �2006 FastenerNews.com