February 19, 2009

Interline Brands, Inc., Jacksonville, FL, distributor and direct marketer of maintenance, repair and operations products, reported sales in the fourth quarter 2008 fell 7.5% from the prior-year period.
 
Sales for the quarter ended Dec. 26, 2008, were $277.6 million. Average organic daily sales fell 9.3%. Interline’s facilities maintenance end-market, 67% of sales, declined 5.7% during the fourth quarter on an average daily sales basis, and declined 8.4% on an average organic daily sales basis. The pro contractor end-market, 20% of sales, declined 14.6% in the quarter and the specialty distributor end-market, which comprised 13% of sales, declined 5.5% for the quarter. Fourth quarter 2008 operating income of $15.9 million, or 5.7% of sales, decreased 46.1% …