February 2006

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., Los Angeles, CA, ($3.37 billion in 2005 sales) announced that its subsidiary, Precision Strip, Inc., has agreed to acquire Flat Rock Metal Processing LLC, Flat Rock, MI. The transaction is expected to be completed within 60 days. Flat Rock was founded in 2001 and is a privately held toll processing […]

Diversified distributor Kaman Corp., Bloomfield, CN, reported an 11%  sales increase to $1.1 billion for the fiscal year 2005, up from $995.1 million in 2004. Profits were $13 million, compared with a net loss of $11.8 million last year.For the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2005, Kaman had a 13% sales increase to $288,516, compared

and profit was up 11 percent to $437.3 million. For the year, Motion Industries saw sales increase 11 percent to $2.8 billion. GPC sales in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2005, were up 7 percent to $2.41 billion, compared with $2.25 billion in the same period last year. Motion Industries increased sales by 9

of terms, or no collection activities’the odds are that the dealings were in the ordinary course of business. 3. Official Unsecured Creditors’ Committees have new obligations to provide information to the creditors they represent. These are groups of creditors that work collectively to protect creditors’ interests. They are formed under the law and advised by

Modern Distribution Management’s January Inflation Index, which measures a cross-section of industrial supplies, is up 0.78% over the previous month, and up 5.32% from January 2005. Summary of MDM Inflation Index for the past 12 months: January 2006 Index 260.2December 2005 Index 258.1November 2005 Index 256.1October 2005 Index 255.4September 2005 Index 254.3August 2005 Index 253.9July 2005 Index 253.0June

December 2005 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $314.9 billion, up 1.0 percent from the revised November level and were up 8.3 percent from the December 2004 level. The November preliminary estimate was virtually unchanged. December sales

U.S. machine tool consumption was up 8.4% to $3,080.61 compared with 2004. December machine tool consumption was up 30.8% to $311.03 million, according to The Association for Manufacturing Technology and the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association. This total is up 7.8% from the total of $288.54 million reported for December 2004.These numbers and all data

products. A 12-percent penalty applies if the competing vendor is a small business. Defense agencies add a 50-percent penalty to the foreign offer.The Buy American Act now only applies to procurements under roughly $175,000. The Trade Agreements Act, passed in 1979, applies to anything over that amount. The Trade Agreements Act requires federal agencies to

Financial buyers have snatched up companies big and small with the goal of growing and later selling in hopes of a high return on investment. Here’s a look at two deals:WESCO Distribution (electrical)Who: Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, New YorkWhen: February 1994The Details: WESCO was the electrical products distribution unit of Westinghouse Electric. According to CD&

significant number of transactions at these valuation levels unless meaningful synergies are available to buyers,” he says.Rising valuation multiples may also be forcing financial buyers with extensive experience in the industry to be more strategic in nature, CD& R’s Novak says. Over the past 10 years CD& R has bid for some of the top

Lawson Products Inc., Des Plaines, IL, an international distributor of products, services and systems to the MRO and OEM marketplaces, had a 10% increase in sales to $450 million in 2005, up from $410 million in 2004. Profit was up slightly to $21.5 million from $21.4 million in 2004. Fourth quarter 2005 sales jumped 10% to $116

Industrial Distribution Group Inc., Atlanta, GA, reported a 2% sales increase to $538.8 million in 2005 from $529.2 million the year before. For the year, profit was $5.4 million, compared with $7.3 million the year before, a 26% drop.‘The 2005 results clearly did not meet our expectations,’ said President and CEO Charles A. Lingenfelter. ‘Improving

Private equity firm WestView Capital Partners, Boston, MA, has acquired Radiac Abrasives, Inc., Salem, IL, the second largest manufacturer of bonded abrasive and super abrasive grinding wheels in the U.S.Radiac and its predecessor companies have been manufacturing abrasives for over 115 years. Radiac provides a full line of custom grinding products to its customers across

Boosted by acquisitions in distribution, The Home Depot, Atlanta, GA, had $81.5 billion in sales in 2005, an 11.5% increase over fiscal year 2004. Comparable store sales grew 3.8%.The Home Depot Supply represented about 5%, or $4.08 billion, of Home Depot’s sales in 2005. The supply division saw triple-digit growth in 2005, strengthening its position

Genuine Parts Company, Atlanta, GA, reported sales increased 8% to $9.8 billion in 2005, and profit was up 11% to $437.3 million. Sales in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2005, were up 7% to $2.41 billion, compared with $2.25 billion in the same period last year. Revenues in Automotive Group were up 5%; Motion

SCP Pool Corporation, Covington, LA, reported an 18% sales increase  to $241.8 million for fiscal year 2005. The wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies and related accessories reported record net sales and net income for 2005. Profit was up to $83.6 million, compared with $66.9 million last year.Base business sales growth of 14% contributed $180.4

Barnes Group Inc., Bristol, CN, saw its 2005 sales surpass $1 billion for the first time, up 11% to $1.1 billion. Adjusted net income increased 46% to $54.3 million for 2005.  Sales for the fourth quarter were $276.4 million, up 10% from $251.6 million in the fourth quarter 2004. Adjusted net income increased 79 percent