Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of consolidation	The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and include the accounts and transactions of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Cash equivalents	The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The carrying amount of the Company’s cash equivalents at December 31, 2019 approximates fair value.
Allowance for doubtful accounts	The Company evaluates the collectability of accounts receivable based on a combination of factors. In circumstances where the Company is aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations (e.g., bankruptcy filings, substantial down-grading of credit ratings), a specific reserve for bad debts is recorded against amounts due to reduce the receivable to the amount the Company reasonably believes will be collected. For all other customers, the Company recognizes reserves for bad debts based on the Company’s historical experience of bad debt write-offs as a percent of accounts receivable outstanding.
Inventories	Inventories principally consist of finished goods stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value using the first-in-first-out method for the Lawson segment and weighted average for the Bolt segment. To reduce the cost basis of inventory to a lower of cost or net realizable value, a reserve is recorded for slow-moving and obsolete inventory based on historical experience and monitoring of current inventory activity. Estimates are used to determine the necessity of recording these reserves based on periodic detailed analysis using both qualitative and quantitative factors. As part of this analysis, the Company considers several factors including the inventories length of time on hand, historical sales, product shelf life, product life cycle, product category and product obsolescence.
Property, plant and equipment	Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation expense is computed primarily by the straight-line method for buildings, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures and vehicles. The Company estimates useful lives of 20 to 40 years for buildings and improvements and 3 to 10 years for machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures and vehicles. Amortization of financing and capital leases is included in depreciation expense. Depreciation expense was $3.9 million and $4.8 million for 2019 and 2018 respectively. Capitalized software is amortized over estimated useful lives of 3 to 5 years using the straight-line method. Amortization expense of capitalized software was $0.6 million and $1.1 million for 2019 and 2018 respectively.
Cash value of life insurance	The Company has invested funds in life insurance policies on certain current and former employees. The cash surrender value of the policies is invested in various investment instruments and is recorded as an asset on our consolidated balance sheet. The Company records these funds at contractual value. The change in the cash surrender value of the life insurance policies, which is recorded as a component of General and administrative expenses, is the change in the policies' contractual values.
Deferred compensation	The Company’s Executive Deferral Plan (“Deferral Plan”) allows certain executives to defer payment of a portion of their earned compensation. The deferred compensation is recorded in an Account Balance, which is a bookkeeping entry made by the Company to measure the amount due to the participant. The Account Balance is equal to the participant’s deferred compensation, adjusted for increases and/or decreases in the amount that the participant has designated to one or more bookkeeping portfolios that track the performance of certain mutual funds. Lawson adjusts the deferred compensation liability to equal the contractual value of the participants’ Account Balances. These adjustments are the changes in contractual value of the individual plans and are recorded as a component of General and administrative expenses.
Stock-based compensation	Compensation based on the share value of the Company’s common stock is valued at its fair value at the grant date and the expense is recognized over the vesting period. Fair value is re-measured each reporting period for liability-classified awards that may be redeemable in cash.
Goodwill	Goodwill — The Company had $20.9 million and $20.1 million of goodwill in 2019 and 2018, respectively. Goodwill represents the cost of business acquisitions in excess of the fair value of identifiable net tangible and intangible assets acquired. Goodwill is allocated to the appropriate reporting unit as reviewed by the Company’s segment managers. The Company reviews goodwill for potential impairment annually on December 1^st, or when an event or other circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the asset below its carrying value. The first step in the multi-step process to determine if goodwill has been impaired and to what degree is to review the relevant qualitative factors that could cause the fair value of the reporting unit to decrease below the carrying value of the reporting unit. After reviewing the qualitative factors relevant to the reporting units, including conditions surrounding the industry we operate in compared to when the acquisitions were completed, the financial performance of the reporting units compared to our projected results, and macroeconomic conditions as a whole, we have determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting units exceed their carrying value, therefore goodwill has not been impaired and no further steps need to be taken. Intangible Assets — The Company's intangible assets consist of trade names, and customer relationships. Intangible assets are amortized over weighted average 15 and 11 year estimated useful lives for trade names and customer relationships, respectively.
Impairment of long-lived assets	The Company reviews its long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment and definite life intangibles, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of these assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by a comparison of the assets' carrying amount to their expected future undiscounted net cash flows. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured based on the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value. No triggering events or impairments occurred in 2019. In 2018 the Company determined that a triggering event had occurred when it determined that it would most likely exercise its put option on a building of a previously discontinued operation in Decatur, Alabama. Accordingly, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $0.2 million in 2018 based upon the anticipated proceeds less its carrying value.
Income taxes	Deferred tax assets or liabilities reflect temporary differences between amounts of assets and liabilities for financial and tax reporting. Such amounts are adjusted, as appropriate, to reflect changes in enacted tax rates expected to be in effect when the temporary differences reverse. A valuation allowance is established to offset any deferred tax assets if, based upon the available evidence, it is more likely than not (i.e. greater than 50% likely) that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The determination of the amount of a valuation allowance to be provided on recorded deferred tax assets involves estimates regarding (1) the timing and amount of the reversal of taxable temporary differences, (2) expected future taxable income, (3) the impact of tax planning strategies and (4) the ability to carry back deferred tax assets to offset prior taxable income. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including past operating results, projections of future taxable income and the feasibility of ongoing tax planning strategies. The projections of future taxable income include a number of estimates and assumptions regarding our volume, pricing and costs. Additionally, valuation allowances related to deferred tax assets can be impacted by changes to tax laws. Significant judgment is required in determining income tax provisions as well as deferred tax asset and liability balances, including the estimation of valuation allowances and the evaluation of tax positions. Earnings from the Company's foreign subsidiaries are considered to be indefinitely reinvested. A distribution of these non-U.S. earnings in the form of dividends or otherwise would subject the Company to foreign withholding taxes and may subject the Company to U.S. federal and state taxes. The Company recognizes the benefit of tax positions when a benefit is more likely than not (i.e., greater than 50% likely) to be sustained on its technical merits. Recognized tax benefits are measured at the largest amount that is more likely than not to be sustained, based on cumulative probability, in final settlement of the position. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense.
Leases
Sub-leases [Policy Text Block]
Earnings per share	Earnings per Share — Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share reflect the potential dilution from the exercise or conversion of outstanding stock options, market stock units and restricted stock awards into common stock.
Foreign Currency	The accounts of foreign subsidiaries are measured using the local currency as the functional currency. All balance sheet amounts are translated into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates in effect at the applicable period end. Components of income or loss are translated using the average exchange rate for each reporting period. Gains and losses resulting from changes in the exchange rates from translation of the subsidiary accounts in local currency to U.S. dollars are reported as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income or loss in the consolidated balance sheets. Gains and losses resulting from the effect of exchange rate changes on transactions denominated in currencies other than the functional currency are included as a component of net income or loss upon settlement of the transaction. Gains and losses resulting from intercompany transactions are included as a component of net income or loss each reporting period unless the transactions are of a long-term-investment nature and settlement is not planned or anticipated in the foreseeable future, in which case the gains and losses are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss in the consolidated balance sheets.
Treasury stock	The Company repurchased 32,362 of its common stock in 2019 through its previously announced stock repurchase plan. The Company repurchased 64,252 and 16,512 shares of its common stock in 2019 and 2018, respectively from employees upon the vesting of restricted stock to offset the income taxes owed by those employees. The Company accounts for treasury stock using the cost method and includes treasury stock as a component of stockholders’ equity. The cost of the common stock repurchased and held in treasury was $4.5 million and $0.5 million in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Acquisitions	Acquisitions — The Company recognizes identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their acquisition date fair values. Goodwill as of the acquisition date is measured as the excess of consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition date fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. While the Company uses its best estimates and assumptions for the purchase price allocation process to value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, the estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, the Company may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill.
Use of estimates	Use of Estimates — Preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported for service revenue, service cost, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory reserves, goodwill and intangible assets valuation, and income taxes in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses, which revises the requirements for how an entity should measure credit losses on financial instruments. The pronouncement is effective for smaller reporting companies in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and the new guidance will be applied on a prospective basis. The Company is still evaluating the effect the adoption of the new standard will have on its financial statements.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and include the accounts and transactions of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Cash equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The carrying amount of the Company’s cash equivalents at December 31, 2019 approximates fair value.

Allowance for doubtful accounts

The Company evaluates the collectability of accounts receivable based on a combination of factors. In circumstances where the Company is aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations (e.g., bankruptcy filings, substantial down-grading of credit ratings), a specific reserve for bad debts is recorded against amounts due to reduce the receivable to the amount the Company reasonably believes will be collected. For all other customers, the Company recognizes reserves for bad debts based on the Company’s historical experience of bad debt write-offs as a percent of accounts receivable outstanding.

Inventories

Inventories principally consist of finished goods stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value using the first-in-first-out method for the Lawson segment and weighted average for the Bolt segment. To reduce the cost basis of inventory to a lower of cost or net realizable value, a reserve is recorded for slow-moving and obsolete inventory based on historical experience and monitoring of current inventory activity. Estimates are used to determine the necessity of recording these reserves based on periodic detailed analysis using both qualitative and quantitative factors. As part of this analysis, the Company considers several factors including the inventories length of time on hand, historical sales, product shelf life, product life cycle, product category and product obsolescence.

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation expense is computed primarily by the straight-line method for buildings, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures and vehicles. The Company estimates useful lives of 20 to 40 years for buildings and improvements and 3 to 10 years for machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures and vehicles. Amortization of financing and capital leases is included in depreciation expense.

Depreciation expense was $3.9 million and $4.8 million for 2019 and 2018 respectively. Capitalized software is amortized over estimated useful lives of 3 to 5 years using the straight-line method. Amortization expense of capitalized software was $0.6 million and $1.1 million for 2019 and 2018 respectively.

Cash value of life insurance

The Company has invested funds in life insurance policies on certain current and former employees. The cash surrender value of the policies is invested in various investment instruments and is recorded as an asset on our consolidated balance sheet. The Company records these funds at contractual value. The change in the cash surrender value of the life insurance policies, which is recorded as a component of General and administrative expenses, is the change in the policies' contractual values.

Deferred compensation

The Company’s Executive Deferral Plan (“Deferral Plan”) allows certain executives to defer payment of a portion of their earned compensation. The deferred compensation is recorded in an Account Balance, which is a bookkeeping entry made by the Company to measure the amount due to the participant. The Account Balance is equal to the participant’s deferred compensation, adjusted for increases and/or decreases in the amount that the participant has designated to one or more bookkeeping portfolios that track the performance of certain mutual funds. Lawson adjusts the deferred compensation liability to equal the contractual value of the participants’ Account Balances. These adjustments are the changes in contractual value of the individual plans and are recorded as a component of General and administrative expenses.

Stock-based compensation

Compensation based on the share value of the Company’s common stock is valued at its fair value at the grant date and the expense is recognized over the vesting period. Fair value is re-measured each reporting period for liability-classified awards that may be redeemable in cash.

Goodwill

Goodwill — The Company had $20.9 million and $20.1 million of goodwill in 2019 and 2018, respectively. Goodwill represents the cost of business acquisitions in excess of the fair value of identifiable net tangible and intangible assets acquired. Goodwill is allocated to the appropriate reporting unit as reviewed by the Company’s segment managers. The Company reviews goodwill for potential impairment annually on December 1^st, or when an event or other circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the asset below its carrying value.

The first step in the multi-step process to determine if goodwill has been impaired and to what degree is to review the relevant qualitative factors that could cause the fair value of the reporting unit to decrease below the carrying value of the reporting unit. After reviewing the qualitative factors relevant to the reporting units, including conditions surrounding the industry we operate in compared to when the acquisitions were completed, the financial performance of the reporting units compared to our projected results, and macroeconomic conditions as a whole, we have determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting units exceed their carrying value, therefore goodwill has not been impaired and no further steps need to be taken.

Intangible Assets — The Company's intangible assets consist of trade names, and customer relationships. Intangible assets are amortized over weighted average 15 and 11 year estimated useful lives for trade names and customer relationships, respectively.

Impairment of long-lived assets

The Company reviews its long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment and definite life intangibles, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of these assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by a comparison of the assets' carrying amount to their expected future undiscounted net cash flows. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured based on the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value. No triggering events or impairments occurred in 2019. In 2018 the Company determined that a triggering event had occurred when it determined that it would most likely exercise its put option on a building of a previously discontinued operation in Decatur, Alabama. Accordingly, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $0.2 million in 2018 based upon the anticipated proceeds less its carrying value.

Income taxes

Deferred tax assets or liabilities reflect temporary differences between amounts of assets and liabilities for financial and tax reporting. Such amounts are adjusted, as appropriate, to reflect changes in enacted tax rates expected to be in effect when the temporary differences reverse. A valuation allowance is established to offset any deferred tax assets if, based upon the available evidence, it is more likely than not (i.e. greater than 50% likely) that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The determination of the amount of a valuation allowance to be provided on recorded deferred tax assets involves estimates regarding (1) the timing and amount of the reversal of taxable temporary differences, (2) expected future taxable income, (3) the impact of tax planning strategies and (4) the ability to carry back deferred tax assets to offset prior taxable income. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including past operating results, projections of future taxable income and the feasibility of ongoing tax planning strategies. The projections of future taxable income include a number of estimates and assumptions regarding our volume, pricing and costs. Additionally, valuation allowances related to deferred tax assets can be impacted by changes to tax laws. Significant judgment is required in determining income tax provisions as well as deferred tax asset and liability balances, including the estimation of valuation allowances and the evaluation of tax positions.

Earnings from the Company's foreign subsidiaries are considered to be indefinitely reinvested. A distribution of these non-U.S. earnings in the form of dividends or otherwise would subject the Company to foreign withholding taxes and may subject the Company to U.S. federal and state taxes.

The Company recognizes the benefit of tax positions when a benefit is more likely than not (i.e., greater than 50% likely) to be sustained on its technical merits. Recognized tax benefits are measured at the largest amount that is more likely than not to be sustained, based on cumulative probability, in final settlement of the position. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense.

Leases

Sub-leases [Policy Text Block]

Earnings per share

Earnings per Share — Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share reflect the potential dilution from the exercise or conversion of outstanding stock options, market stock units and restricted stock awards into common stock.

Foreign Currency

The accounts of foreign subsidiaries are measured using the local currency as the functional currency. All balance sheet amounts are translated into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates in effect at the applicable period end. Components of income or loss are translated using the average exchange rate for each reporting period.

Gains and losses resulting from changes in the exchange rates from translation of the subsidiary accounts in local currency to U.S. dollars are reported as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income or loss in the consolidated balance sheets. Gains and losses resulting from the effect of exchange rate changes on transactions denominated in currencies other than the functional currency are included as a component of net income or loss upon settlement of the transaction.

Gains and losses resulting from intercompany transactions are included as a component of net income or loss each reporting period unless the transactions are of a long-term-investment nature and settlement is not planned or anticipated in the foreseeable future, in which case the gains and losses are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss in the consolidated balance sheets.

Treasury stock

The Company repurchased 32,362 of its common stock in 2019 through its previously announced stock repurchase plan. The Company repurchased 64,252 and 16,512 shares of its common stock in 2019 and 2018, respectively from employees upon the vesting of restricted stock to offset the income taxes owed by those employees. The Company accounts for treasury stock using the cost method and includes treasury stock as a component of stockholders’ equity. The cost of the common stock repurchased and held in treasury was $4.5 million and $0.5 million in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions — The Company recognizes identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their acquisition date fair values. Goodwill as of the acquisition date is measured as the excess of consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition date fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. While the Company uses its best estimates and assumptions for the purchase price allocation process to value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, the estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, the Company may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill.

Use of estimates

Use of Estimates — Preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported for service revenue, service cost, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory reserves, goodwill and intangible assets valuation, and income taxes in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses, which revises the requirements for how an entity should measure credit losses on financial instruments. The pronouncement is effective for smaller reporting companies in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and the new guidance will be applied on a prospective basis. The Company is still evaluating the effect the adoption of the new standard will have on its financial statements.