NEWTON, MASS. — A snapshot of corporate earnings shows mixed results for distributors last year, with companies showing everything from substantial gains and better profits to large losses due to accounting changes and poor sales.

The Industrial Distribution Group, headquartered in Atlanta, had revenues of $492.5 million, down from $514.4 million a year ago. The company lost $48.7 million last year due to an accounting principle change, "goodwill and other assets," the company said. However, IDG showed a real net income for the year, of $1.6 million, before the change and reportedly achieved its objective for 2002 in returning to profitability, according to president Andrew Shearer.

Strategic Distribution, Inc. based in Bensalem, Pa., reported revenues of $253.6 million versus $319.6 million in 2001. The termination of a large national contract with Kraft Foods North America, Inc., contributed significantly to the lowered revenue figure, said CEO Don Woodring. However, new contracts promise to help offset the loss of the Kraft contract, he added. The company reported a net loss of $3.4 million in 2002.

Lawson Products, a distributor and manufacturer based in Des Plaines, Ill., saw increased net income for the year, earning $1.30 a share on revenues of $387.5 million and net income of $12.4 million. Income per share represents a 42.9 percent increase from 2001.

Lawson CEO Robert Washlow said growth came mainly in the OEM and MRO product segments. As was the case with IDG and SDI, the economy played a major role in keeping profits down last year, he said.

Headquartered in Newport News, Va., Noland Co. reported net 2002 income of $9.6 million, up 34.3 percent from 2001. The company earned $2.70 per share, outpacing the industry as a whole, with sales of $488.7 million, a yearly increase of 2.1 percent.

"From an operations standpoint, we continued to hold down the cost of doing business," said chairman Lloyd Noland. "But we enjoyed a very solid year in 2002."