News
Breaking news in Wholesale Distribution
San Diego, CA-based Dixieline Lumber Company, a supplier of building materials to professional builders and contractors, has purchased Sandstone Brick Company. Dixieline is a division of Pro-Build Holdings.
A lumber, truss and building materials supplier, Sandstone Brick Company, Bakersfield, CA, serves the professional contractor retail market in California’s Kern County. The organization is comprised of a truss manufacturing plant and lumber distribution yard.
“The growing Southern California metro markets have performed favorably over the last few years and are expected to regain their strength in years to come. said Joe Lawrence, president of Dixieline Lumber Company. “The acquisition of Sandstone Brick Company complements our current operations in …
Stuart C. Irby Co., Jackon, MS, a subsidiary of Sonepar USA, signed an agreement to become the authorized AllenBradley distributor for the Columbus and Meridian, MS, markets effective March 31, 2007. Irby will establish two new locations as full-line commercial and industrial branches to complement their existing Mississippi footprint.
  ;
Irby is the authorized distributor in Tupelo, Jackson, Hattiesburg, McComb and Pascagoula, Mississippi. Irby also has 12 additional locations in six additional states authorized by Rockwell Automation providing AllenBradley products and services.
  ;
“We are especially excited about the prospect of increasing our overall industrial and
commercial/contractor presence in our home state, said …
In a time when most building
materials distributors and suppliers are cutting assets, <A
href=http://www.84lumber.com/” target=_blank>84 Lumber
Company, Eighty Four, PA, supplier of building materials, recently
announced it has opened three new stores.
  ;
The first, in <st1:place
w:st=”on”>Gonzales, <st1:State
w:st=”on”>LA, includes a 5,865 square-foot main building
and 38,580 square-foot warehouse on 9.1 acres of property. The second is in
Sarasota, <st1:State
w:st=”on”>FL, the company’s 23rd location in
the state. It includes a 6,918 square-foot main building and …
RONA Inc., Canadian retailer and distributor of home improvement, hardware and gardening products, reported sales grew 13.1% in fiscal 2006; organic growth (without major acquisitions) was 6%. Profit reached $190.6 million, up 8.8% over 2005.
  ;
Same-store sales were up 1.3%.
  ;
“RONA’s 2006 results are in line with our 7-07 target, said Chief Executive Robert Dutton. “Our growth was both solid and profitable: Network retail sales are now nearing the  ; $6 billion mark and earnings have increased for the 16th straight year. We also made significant progress against all our benchmarks, especially those related to operating efficiency.”
“Still promising in the medium and long term, our market is being affected by the …
Interline Brands Inc., Jacksonville, FL, distributor of MRO products, has named William Sanford president. The role was previously held by Michael Grebe who continues to serve as chairman and CEO.
  ;
Sanford joined Interline Brands as Chief Financial Officer in March of 1999 and was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in September of 2004. He has more than 24 years experience in distribution, holding senior executive positions with MSC Industrial Direct and Airgas, Inc.
  ;
Bill has played a major role in building Interline Brands into the organization it is today and our board is very pleased to recognize his contributions with this promotion,” Grebe said.
  ;
Interline reported sales of $1.068 …
Columbus McKinnon Corporation, Amherst, NY, manufacturer of material handling products, has sold Larco Industrial Services, Ltd., the Canadian subsidiary of the company’s wholly owned subsidiary Crane Equipment & Service, Inc.
  ;
Larco, a manufacturer and servicer of large capacity overhead cranes based in Stoney Creek, Ontario, was sold to Canadian Overhead Handling Inc. of Montreal, Quebec. The net proceeds of the Larco sale will be used for debt reduction and general operating purposes.
  ;
For the latest 12 months, Larco contributed revenue of approximately $10 million and operated near breakeven.
  ;
Columbus McKinnon CEO Timothy T. Tevens said: Given its narrowly focused product line and market, Larco was not an …
Brady Industries, Las Vegas, NV, a janitorial supply distributor, has acquired Boulder Creek Supply, a Boise, ID-based company.
Boulder Creek was founded in 1999. With this acquisition, Brady Industries expands its geographic footprint to seven locations with plans for further expansion in 2007.
"The Boise acquisition compliments our regional coverage of the Idaho market, said Travis Brady, president of Brady Industries. "With branches in Salt Lake City and Idaho Falls, this acquisition strengthens our regional service capabilities."
Brady Industries supplies janitorial supplies and commercial cleaning equipment and service in the Las Vegas market. Brady has expanded its offering to include a complete warewash product line along with its already extensive kitchen cleaning and sanitation program.
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.
  ;
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. …
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.
  ;
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.
  ;
Harris also participates in steel trading on a worldwide basis through Novosteel and in the distribution of reinforcing steel and …
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.
  ;
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.
  ;
Profit for the year
was $31.8 million, up from $13 million in 2005.
  ;
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.
  ;
The increase in
sales (in Industrial Distribution) was driven by strong …
