Kent Automotive Selected as CARSTAR Canada’s Preferred Vendor

Des Plaines, Ill. – April 20, 2011 – Kent Automotive, a business of Lawson Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:LAWS) and a supplier of more than 30,000 automotive products, was selected as a preferred vendor by CARSTAR Automotive Canada Inc., the most recognized collision business in Canada. As a preferred vendor, Kent Automotive will provide CARSTAR stores with products and services including body hardware, shop supplies, safety supplies, storage solutions, cutting tools and cost recovery software products. Kent Automotive is a division of Lawson Products, an industrial distributor of more than 300,000 maintenance and repair solutions.

CARSTAR has provided collision services across Canada for more than 15 years through a network of 145 independently-owned franchises. Kent Automotive has supplied products to some franchise locations, but this agreement is the first time the franchises will be able to use Kent Automotive as the preferred vendor, receiving consistency in service and products under the two-year agreement.

“We are pleased that CARSTAR Canada has chosen Kent Automotive as a partner for its high-quality collision repair network,” said Matthew Brown, North American sales director of Kent Automotive. “This agreement is an important addition to our growing list of strategic accounts and correlates with Kent’s ongoing focus to partner with top North American MSO (multiple shop owner) companies.”

“The CARSTAR agreement also aligns Kent Automotive with a partner that shares our unrelenting focus on customer satisfaction and strategic growth while also solidifying our position in the Canadian market,” added Peter Mailman, regional sales manager of Kent Automotive.

This preferred vendor agreement will make CARSTAR Canada one of Kent Automotive’s top customers in North America. As a highly visible and rapidly growing company, CARSTAR Canada limits the number of preferred vendors, using customer satisfaction as its number one priority when selecting suppliers.

“We chose Kent Automotive for its commitment to the collision repair industry and reputation for service excellence,” said Mike Beier, procurement manager of CARSTAR Automotive Canada Inc. “By aligning the two companies, we are ensuring CARSTAR’s franchise partners have access to leading products at competitive prices, backed by unparalleled technical service.”

About Kent Automotive

Kent Automotive, a business of Lawson Products, Inc., supplies more than 30,000 products to collision and mechanical repair shops as well as automotive OEMs. Key product lines include adhesives, seam sealers, fasteners, cutting tools, body hardware, brake products, plastic repair products, electrical repair products and much more. Kent Automotive was founded in the 1950s as a supplier of chemical products for automotive aftermarket repair. In 2000 the company merged with Premier Autoware and in 2001 was acquired by Lawson Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:LAWS), an industrial distributor of more than 300,000 maintenance and repair solutions based in Des Plaines, Ill. For more information on Kent Automotive, visit www.kent-automotive.com, and Lawson Products, visit www.lawsonproducts.com.