Lawson Products, Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2006 Results

October 27, 2006 at 5:53 PM EDT

DES PLAINES, Ill., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lawson Products, Inc. (Nasdaq: LAWS), (the "Company"), an international distributor of services, systems and products to the maintenance, repair and operations ("MRO") and original equipment manufacturing markets ("OEM"), today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2006. Net sales for the third quarter increased by 10.4 percent to $129.1 million, from $117.0 million and net income decreased 53.3 percent to $3.1 million from $6.6 million compared to the same period of 2005. Diluted earnings per share were $0.34 for the quarter, a 53.4 percent decrease from $0.73 in the 2005 third quarter.

Third quarter 2006 operating income was $5.6 million compared to $11.1 million in the prior year. The third quarter of 2006 had one less sales day than the prior year quarter. Excluding costs associated with stock performance rights, legal costs associated with the previously disclosed ongoing investigation and severance costs related to operations improvements, adjusted non-GAAP operating income for the third quarter 2006 was $7.2 million compared to $11.0 million in the prior year quarter. "Adjusted non-GAAP operating income" is reconciled to GAAP operating income on the attached income statement. Third quarter 2006 results include the operations of Rutland Tool & Supply Co. (Rutland), which was acquired in December 2005. Rutland accounted for $13.4 million of net sales and $0.4 million of operating income in the third quarter 2006.

"Third quarter operating income was adversely impacted by the termination of a number of independent sales representatives which occurred throughout 2006; nevertheless, we continued to implement marketing, sales and operations initiatives that management believes are important to the Company's future growth and profitability," stated Robert J. Washlow, Chairman and CEO.

The effective tax rate was 47.4 percent for the third quarter 2006 and 38.7 percent in the prior year quarter. The increase in the third quarter 2006 effective tax rate is primarily due to higher state income taxes, resulting from California unitary tax obligations triggered by Rutland's operations in 2006. The company believes that its 2006 full year effective tax rate will approximate the year-to-date September, 2006 effective rate of 42.5 percent.

During the third quarter, the Company announced and initiated a modified "Dutch Auction" self-tender offer for up to 1,000,000 shares, which it completed in early October resulting in the repurchase of 486,493 shares at $43 per share.

About Lawson Products

Lawson Products is an international leader in selling and distributing systems, services and products to the industrial, commercial and institutional maintenance, repair and replacement (MRO) market. The Company also manufacturers, sells and distributes production and specialized component parts to the original equipment marketplace (OEM) including the automotive, appliance, aerospace, construction and transportation industries.

This release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The terms "may," "should," "could," "anticipate," "believe," "continues", "estimate," "expect," "intend," "objective," "plan," "potential," "project" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Such statements speak only as of the date of the news release and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations. These risks include, but are not limited to: the impact of governmental investigations, such as the ongoing investigation by U.S. Attorney's office for the Northern District of Illinois; excess and obsolete inventory; disruptions of the Company's information systems; risks of rescheduled or cancelled orders; increases in commodity prices; the influence of controlling stockholders; competition and competitive pricing pressures; the effect of general economic conditions and market conditions in the markets and industries the Company serves; the risks of war, terrorism, and similar hostilities; and, all of the factors discussed in the Company's "Risk Factors" set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any such factor or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise."



                    LAWSON PRODUCTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

                                 (UNAUDITED)

     (Amounts in              Three Months Ended          Nine Months Ended
      thousands, except          September 30,               September 30,
      per share data)         2006          2005          2006          2005

    Net sales              $129,125      $116,965      $391,990      $334,580
    Cost of goods sold       52,194        42,884       161,001       125,933

    Gross profit             76,931        74,081       230,989       208,647

    Selling, general and
     administrative
     expenses                71,311        62,966       211,159       179,523
    Loss on sale of
     equipment                  ---           ---           806           ---

    Operating income (a)      5,620        11,115        19,024        29,124

    Investment and other
     income                     223           102         1,204           608
    Interest expense            ---            (1)          ---            (7)

    Income from continuing
     operations before income
     taxes and cumulative
     effect of accounting
     change                   5,843        11,216        20,228        29,725

    Provision for income
     taxes                    2,768         4,338         8,587        11,790

    Income from continuing
     operations before
     cumulative effect of
     accounting change        3,075         6,878        11,641        17,935

    Loss from discontinued
     operations, net of
     income taxes               ---          (288)          (12)         (781)

    Income before cumulative
     effect of accounting
     change                   3,075         6,590        11,629        17,154

    Cumulative effect of
     accounting change,
     net of income taxes        ---           ---          (361)          ---

    Net income               $3,075        $6,590       $11,268       $17,154

    Basic Income (Loss)
     per share of common
     stock:
      Continuing operations
       before cumulative
       effect of accounting
       change                 $0.34         $0.76         $1.30         $1.90
      Discontinued
       operations               ---         (0.03)          ---         (0.08)
      Cumulative effect of
       accounting change        ---           ---         (0.04)          ---
                              $0.34         $0.73         $1.26         $1.82

    Diluted Income (Loss)
     per share of common
     stock:
      Continuing operations
       before cumulative
       effect of accounting
       change                 $0.34         $0.76         $1.29         $1.89
       Discontinued
        operations              ---         (0.03)          ---         (0.08)
       Cumulative effect of
        accounting change       ---           ---         (0.04)          ---
                              $0.34         $0.73         $1.25         $1.81

    Cash dividends declared
     per share of common
     stock                    $0.20         $0.20         $0.60         $0.60


    Weighted average
     shares outstanding:

      Basic                   8,998         9,018         8,987         9,440

      Diluted                 9,004         9,035         8,993         9,468

    Reconciliation of GAAP
     to Adjusted Non-GAAP
     Operating Income:
    (a) Operating income
     as reported GAAP        $5,620       $11,115       $19,024       $29,124
    Expenses (income) for
     change in value of
     stock performance
     rights                     506          (142)        1,403          (999)
    Legal expenses for
     Federal investigation      528           ---         2,553           ---
    Loss on sale of equipment   ---           ---           806           ---
    Severance costs             550           ---           550           ---

    Adjusted non-GAAP
     operating income        $7,204       $10,973       $24,336       $28,125

    The Company believes that the adjusted non-GAAP operating income
     comparison above helps investors compare current operating results to
     prior periods.



                    LAWSON PRODUCTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

                                           September 30,       December 31,
     (Amounts in thousands)                     2006              2005
                                            (UNAUDITED)

    ASSETS
    Current Assets:
      Cash and cash equivalents               $20,142           $15,467
      Accounts receivable, less
       allowance for doubtful accounts         62,673            60,102
      Inventories                              84,727            79,125
      Other current assets                      6,309            11,870
      Discontinued current assets                 603             1,462

        Total Current Assets                  174,454           168,026


    Property, plant and equipment, less
     allowances for depreciation and
     amortization                              42,265            45,662
    Deferred income taxes                      21,183            18,212
    Goodwill, less accumulated
     amortization                              27,999            27,999
    Other assets                               21,143            19,322
    Discontinued non-current assets                 3                 3

        Total Assets                         $287,047          $279,224


    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
    Current Liabilities:
      Accounts payable                        $10,559            $9,380
      Accrued expenses and other
       liabilities                             38,844            41,495
      Income taxes                              1,668               ---
      Discontinued current liabilities            827             1,668

        Total Current Liabilities              51,898            52,543


    Accrued liability under security
     bonus plans                               25,002            23,866
    Other                                      18,090            17,390
                                               43,092            41,256


        Total Stockholders' Equity            192,057           185,425
        Total Liabilities and
         Stockholders' Equity                $287,047          $279,224

SOURCE Lawson Products, Inc.
10/27/2006

CONTACT: Scott F. Stephens of Lawson Products, Inc., +1-847-827-9666, ext. 2269

4974 10/27/2006 17:52 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com

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