SIC 5072 Hardware

SIC 5072

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the wholesale distribution of general hardware items and cutlery. Products include bolts, nuts, washers, rivets, screws, brads, locks (and related materials), and hand tools (including power hand tools). Establishments primarily engaged in the wholesale distribution of nails, non-insulated wire, and screening, however, are included in SIC 5051: Metals Service Centers and Offices.

NAICS CODE(S)

423710

Hardware Wholesalers

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were an estimated 6,950 establishments engaged in the wholesale distribution of hardware with 82,338 employees who earned an annual payroll of $3.65 billion in 2004. The majority of the businesses were small in size as about 61 percent employed less than 20 workers.

As part of the larger hardware, plumbing, and heating equipment and supplies market, wholesalers' annual sales in 2004 climbed to $77.5 billion from $70.8 billion in 2003 according to the Annual Benchmark Report for Wholesale Trade. This was a significant gain, as the previous year had seen an incremental lift from $70.2 billion. An 8 percent increase occurred in the larger sector's employment figures from 1994 to 2004 (215,000 to 234,000 employees), while projections from 2004 to 2014 featured an additional 10 percent increase to 259,000 workers, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Dun & Bradstreet reported in 2006 that the industry posted sales of $24.4 billion. It was divided into 25...