SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                    WASHINGTON, D. C.  20549

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                            FORM 10-Q

          Quarterly Report under Section 13 or 15(d) of
               The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

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For Quarter Ended March 31, 1998      Commission file no. 0-10546

                      LAWSON PRODUCTS, INC.
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     (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


           Delaware                              36-2229304
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(State or other jurisdiction of               (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)               Identification No.)

1666 East Touhy Avenue, Des Plaines, Illinois         60018
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(Address of principal executive offices)         (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone no., including area code:   (847) 827-9666


Not applicable
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Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed
since last report.

     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed
all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months
(or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to
file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes  X   No     

     Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the
issuer's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable
date.
11,135,533 Shares, $1 par value, as of April 17, 1998.

                     LAWSON PRODUCTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                      CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Amounts in thousands) March 31, December 31, 1998 1997 (unaudited) ASSETS Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 16,135 $ 10,248 Marketable securities 13,720 11,638 Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts 33,933 33,714 Inventories (Note B) 43,005 41,788 Miscellaneous receivables and prepaid expenses 6,195 5,760 Deferred income taxes 843 836 Total Current Assets 113,831 103,984 Marketable securities 17,656 21,713 Property, plant and equipment, less allowances for depreciation and amortization 42,233 40,963 Investments in real estate 3,843 3,731 Deferred income taxes 4,942 4,447 Other assets 14,895 14,136 Total Assets $ 197,400 $ 188,974 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current Liabilities: Accounts payable $ 6,255 $ 4,928 Accrued expenses and other liabilities 17,686 17,902 Income taxes 4,934 1,641 Total Current Liabilities 28,875 24,471 Accrued liability under security bonus plans 14,233 14,000 Other 10,799 10,578 25,032 24,578 Stockholders' Equity: Preferred Stock, $1 par value: Authorized - 500,000 shares Issued and outstanding - None --- --- Common Stock, $1 par value: Authorized - 35,000,000 shares Issued - (1998 - 11,135,533 shares; 1997 - 11,135,233 shares) 11,136 11,135 Capital in excess of par value 777 770 Retained earnings 131,672 128,708 Accumulated other comprehensive income (92) (688) Total Stockholders' Equity 143,493 139,925 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 197,400 $ 188,974 See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
LAWSON PRODUCTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND RETAINED EARNINGS (UNAUDITED) (Amounts in thousands, except per share data) For the
Three Months Ended March 31, 1998 1997 Net sales $ 70,363 $ 65,883 Investment and other income 641 418 71,004 66,301 Cost of goods sold (Note B) 24,828 22,731 Selling, general and administrative expenses 38,448 35,621 63,276 58,352 Income before income taxes 7,728 7,949 Provision for income taxes 3,205 3,227 Net income $ 4,523 $ 4,722 Net income per share of common stock: Basic $ 0.41 $ 0.42 Diluted $ 0.40 $ 0.42 Cash dividends declared per share of common stock $ 0.14 $ 0.13 Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 11,135 11,209 Diluted 11,175 11,209 See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
LAWSON PRODUCTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in thousands) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 1998 1997 Operating activities: Net income $ 4,523 $ 4,722 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 1,403 1,111 Changes in operating assets and liabilities 1,330 (1,586) Other 517 478 Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities 7,773 4,725 Investing activities: Additions to property, plant and equipment (2,601) (1,339) Purchases of marketable securities (59,005) (61,986) Proceeds from sale of marketable securities 61,171 61,080 Other 100 --- Net Cash Used in Investing Activities (335) (2,245) Financing activities: Purchases of treasury stock --- (3,761) Dividends paid (1,559) (1,508) Other 8 --- Net Cash Used in Financing Activities (1,551) (5,269) Increase/(Decrease) in Cash and Cash 5,887 (2,789) Equivalents Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period 10,248 14,515 Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period $ 16,135 $ 11,726 See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
Part I NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS A) As contemplated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the accompanying consolidated financial statements and footnotes have been condensed and therefore, do not contain all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles. Reference should be made to the Company's Annual Report to Stockholders for the year ended December 31, 1997. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 1998, the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the three month periods ended March 31, 1998 and 1997 and the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three month periods ended March 31, 1998 and 1997 are unaudited. In the opinion of the Company, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring accruals) have been made, which are necessary to present fairly the results of operations for the interim periods. Operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 1998 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 1998. B) Inventories (consisting of primarily finished goods) at March 31, 1998 and cost of goods sold for the three month periods ended March 31, 1998 and 1997 were determined through the use of estimated gross profit rates. C) As of January 1, 1998, the Company adopted FASB Statement 130, Reporting Comprehensive Income, (SFAS 130). SFAS 130 establishes new rules for reporting and display of comprehensive income and its components; however, the adoption of this Statement had no impact on the Company s net income or stockholders equity. SFAS 130 requires unrealized gains or losses on the Company s available-for-sale securities and foreign currency translation adjustments to be included in other comprehensive income, which prior to adoption were reported separately in stockholders equity. Total comprehensive income and its components, net of related tax, for the first quarter of 1998 and 1997 are as follows:
1998 1997 Net income $4,522,749 $4,722,157 Unrealized gains(losses) on securities 148,000 (130,000) Foreign currency translation adjustments 447,858 (241,921) Comprehensive income $5,118,607 $4,350,236
The components of accumulated other comprehensive income, net of related tax, at March 31, 1998 and December 31, 1997 are as follows:
1998 1997 Unrealized gain on securities $ 711,000 $ 563,000 Foreign currency translation adjustments (802,837) (1,250,695) Accumulated other comprehensive income $ (91,837) $ (687,695)
In June 1997, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of Accounting Standards No. 131, Disclosure about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information (SFAS 131), which is effective for years beginning after December 15, 1997. SFAS 131 establishes standards for the way that public business enterprises report information about operating segments in annual financial statements and requires that those enterprises report selected information about operating segments in interim financial reports. It also establishes standards for related disclosures about products and services, geographic areas and major customers. SFAS 131 is effective for financial statements for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 1997, and therefore the Company will adopt the new requirements retroactively in 1998. Management has not completed its review of SFAS 131, but does not anticipate that the adoption of the statement will have a significant effect on the Company s reported financial disclosures. D) Earnings per Share The calculation of dilutive weighted average shares outstanding at March 31, 1998 and 1997 are as follows:
1998 1997 Basic weighted average shares outstanding 11,135,383 11,209,214 Dilutive impact of options outstanding 39,388 --- Dilutive weighted average shares outstanding 11,174,771 11,209,214
Independent Accountants Review Report Board of Directors Lawson Products, Inc. We have reviewed the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet of Lawson Products, Inc. and subsidiaries as of March 31, 1998 and the related condensed consolidated statements of income and cash flows for the three month periods ended March 31, 1998 and 1997. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. We conducted our review in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures to financial data, and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, which will be performed for the full year with the objective of expressing an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion. Based on our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements referred to above for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. We have previously audited, in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, the consolidated balance sheet of Lawson Products, Inc. as of December 31, 1997, and the related consolidated statements of income, changes in stockholders equity and cash flows for the year then ended, not presented herein, and in our report dated February 27, 1998, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 1997, is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the consolidated balance sheet from which it has been derived. ERNST & YOUNG LLP April 17, 1998 ITEM 2 MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS Net sales for the three month period ended March 31, 1998 increased 6.8% to $70,363,000 relative to the similar period of 1997. The sales gain reflects increased contribution from substantially all Lawson operations. Net income declined 4.8% to $4,523,000 ($.40 per diluted share) for the three months ended March 31, 1998 from $4,723,000 ($.42 per share) for the comparable period of 1997. This decrease is primarily attributable to lower gross margins and higher selling costs due to a restructuring of the sales force in the first quarter, which more than offset the gains in net sales noted above. Per share net income for 1998 and 1997 was positively impacted by the Company s share repurchase program. Cash flows provided by operations for the three months ended March 31, 1998 increased to $7,773,000 from $4,725,000 in the similar period of the prior year. This increase was due primarily to an increase in operating liabilities (principally accounts payable and income taxes payable), which more than offset the decline in net income from the comparable period of 1997. Current investments and cash flows from operations are expected to be sufficient to finance the Company's future growth, cash dividends and capital expenditures. Additions to property, plant and equipment were $2,601,000 and $1,339,000, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 1998 and 1997. Capital expenditures during 1998 primarily reflect costs incurred relative to the construction of a new Lawson outbound facility in Atlanta, Georgia and purchases of computer related equipment. The new facility, expected to be completed during 1999 at a cost of approximately $7,000,000, will be used in place of the Norcross, Georgia facility, which will be closed. Capital expenditures during 1997 primarily reflect costs incurred for the completion of the facilities expansion at the Company s specialty chemical subsidiary, Drummond American Corporation. This project was completed at a cost of approximately $3,000,000. In 1996, the Board of Directors authorized the purchase of up to 1,000,000 shares of the Company s common stock. No shares were purchased during 1998, while during the first three months of 1997, the Company expended $3,761,000 to acquire 174,000 shares under the 1996 stock repurchase program. To date, 479,500 shares have been purchased relative to the 1996 stock repurchase program. All treasury shares purchased as of March 31, 1998 have been retired. Part II OTHER INFORMATION Items 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are inapplicable and have been omitted from this report. Item 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K. (a) 15 Letter from Ernst & Young LLP Regarding Unaudited Interim Financial Information 27 Financial Data Schedule (b) The registrant was not required to file Form 8-K for the most recently completed quarter. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. LAWSON PRODUCTS, INC. (Registrant) Dated April 17, 1998 /s/ Bernard Kalish Bernard Kalish Chairman of the Board Dated April 17, 1998 /s/ Joseph L. Pawlick Joseph L. Pawlick Vice President and Controller
                                                 Exhibit 15


April 17, 1998


Board of Directors
Lawson Products, Inc.


We are aware of the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement
(Form S-8 No. 33-17912 dated November 4, 1987) of Lawson Products, Inc. of our
report dated April 17, 1998 relating to the unaudited condensed consolidated
interim financial statements of Lawson Products, Inc. which are included in its
Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1998.

Pursuant to Rule 436(c) of the Securities Act of 1933 our report is not part of
the registration statement prepared or certified by accountants within the
meaning of Section 7 or 11 of the Securities Act of 1933.




                                   ERNST & YOUNG LLP

 

5 1,000 3-MOS DEC-31-1998 MAR-31-1998 16,135 31,376 35,616 1,683 43,005 113,831 71,429 29,196 197,400 28,875 0 0 0 11,136 132,357 197,400 70,363 71,004 24,828 24,828 0 273 10 7,728 3,205 4,523 0 0 0 4,523 0.41 0.40