Founded in 1952, Lawson Products is an industrial distributor of maintenance and repair products. We carry a comprehensive line of products and provide inventory management services to the industrial, commercial, institutional and government maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) market. With six strategically located distribution centers in North America, Lawson ships to customers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Lawson provides industry-leading service to our customers with over 1,000 dedicated Lawson sales representatives living and working in the markets they serve.
Over the years, we have found that our greatest value to customers is the ability to provide visibility into, and accountability for, the “small parts” (sometimes referred to as “free stock”) area of their MRO spend, which has traditionally been overlooked. Our approach to inventory management - Lawson Managed Inventory - is a time-tested, customer-trusted approach to making your entire operation run more smoothly. Lawson Managed Inventory is much more than filling bins and cabinets; it's a combination of the right products, reliable service and application expertise you can only get from your dedicated Lawson sales representative.
Lawson offers fastening systems, battery maintenance products, brass, iron and steel fittings, hydraulics, abrasives, shop supplies, hand tools, electrical solutions, welding items, safety products (PPE), specialty chemicals, cutting tools and other industrial products that are all readily available from our six distribution centers. In fact, Lawson ships 99% of all lines complete within 24 hours.
Fostering an Entrepreneurial Spirit
Lawson Products went public in 1970, but Mr. Port retained a very active role until his death in 2007. When asked about founding his Company, Mr. Port often replied that he simply wanted to create an organization that offered employees a way to make a good living and support their families. As an entrepreneur himself, Mr. Port encouraged that spirit by offering employee benefits such as profit sharing, which was unusual at the time.
Philanthropy
Mr. Port named Lawson Products after Victor Lawson, owner of the Chicago Daily News and a philanthropist whom he admired. As the Company’s success grew, so did Mr. Port’s generosity. He donated approximately $5 million to the University of Illinois Chicago, which has since named several centers after Mr. Port and his family. One is the Port Academic Center which serves as the primary study center for student athletes. Another is the Sandi Port Errant Language and Culture Learning Center. Named for his daughter, the center supports faculty and staff in creating interactive learning opportunities.
Mr. Port underwrote nearly 20 productions at the Lyric Opera and was a major donor to the Art Institute of Chicago, the Joffrey Ballet, Mt. Sinai Hospital and the Gastro Intestinal Research Foundation at the University of Chicago. He also sponsored many Jewish organizations. Mr. Port also made many smaller, anonymous donations when he learned about a struggling family.
