Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation

Note 1 – Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation

Organization

Effective May 5, 2022, Distribution Solutions Group, Inc. ("DSG"), a Delaware corporation, changed its corporate name from “Lawson Products, Inc.” to “Distribution Solutions Group, Inc.” DSG is a global specialty distribution company providing value added distribution solutions to the maintenance, repair and operations ("MRO"), original equipment manufacturer ("OEM") and industrial technology markets. DSG has three principal operating companies: Lawson Products, Inc. ("Lawson"), TestEquity Acquisition, LLC ("TestEquity") and 301 HW Opus Holdings, Inc., conducting business as Gexpro Services ("Gexpro Services"). The complementary distribution operations of Lawson, TestEquity and Gexpro Services were combined to create a specialty distribution company. A summary of the Mergers (as defined below), including the legal entities party to the transactions and the stock consideration, is presented below.

Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “DSG”, the “Company”, "we", "our" or "us" refer to the holding company, Distribution Solutions Group, Inc., and all entities consolidated in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Combination with TestEquity and Gexpro Services

On December 29, 2021, DSG entered into an:

• Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “TestEquity Merger Agreement”) by and among (i) LKCM TE Investors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “TestEquity Equityholder”), (ii) TestEquity Acquisition, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the TestEquity Equityholder (“TestEquity”), (iii) DSG and (iv) Tide Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of DSG (“Merger Sub 1”), pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions of which the parties agreed, among other things, that Merger Sub 1 would merge with and into TestEquity, with TestEquity surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of DSG (the “TestEquity Merger”); and

• Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Gexpro Services Merger Agreement” and, together with the TestEquity Merger Agreement, the “Merger Agreements”) by and among (i) 301 HW Opus Investors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Gexpro Services Stockholder”), (ii) 301 HW Opus Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Gexpro Services Stockholder (“Gexpro Services”), (iii) DSG and (iv) Gulf Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of DSG (“Merger Sub 2”), pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions of which the parties agreed, among other things, that Merger Sub 2 would merge with and into Gexpro Services, with Gexpro Services surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of DSG (the “Gexpro Services Merger” and, together with the TestEquity Merger, the “Mergers”).

Each outstanding share of TestEquity and Gexpro Services common stock outstanding immediately prior to the closing of the Mergers was converted into approximately 0.3618 shares and 0.7675 shares, respectively, of DSG common stock, based on the ratio of outstanding shares of each entity immediately prior to the Mergers to the number of shares of DSG common stock acquired in the Mergers.

Completion of the TestEquity Merger

On April 1, 2022, (the "Merger Date"), the TestEquity Merger was consummated pursuant to the TestEquity Merger Agreement.

In accordance with and under the terms of the TestEquity Merger Agreement, at the closing of the TestEquity Merger, DSG: (i) issued to the TestEquity Equityholder 3,300,000 shares of DSG common stock, (ii) on behalf of TestEquity, paid certain indebtedness of TestEquity and (iii) on behalf of TestEquity, paid certain transaction expenses of TestEquity.

The TestEquity Merger Agreement provides that an additional 700,000 shares of DSG common stock (the “TestEquity Holdback Shares”) may be issued to the TestEquity Equityholder or forfeited in accordance with two earnout provisions of the TestEquity Merger Agreement. The amount of TestEquity Holdback Shares issuable under the first earnout opportunity is based on, among other factors, the consummation of a certain additional acquisition by TestEquity during the period beginning after December 29, 2021 and ending 90 days after the Merger Date. If any TestEquity Holdback Shares remain after the calculation of the first earnout opportunity, there is a second earnout opportunity based on, among other factors, the

increase in TestEquity EBITDA (as defined in the TestEquity Merger Agreement) in calendar year 2022 over calendar year 2021 subject to the calculations within the TestEquity Merger Agreement. As of December 31, 2022, 700,000 TestEquity Holdback Shares are expected to be issued under the first earnout opportunity due to the consummation of the certain additional acquisition as referenced in the TestEquity Merger Agreement and were remeasured at fair value immediately prior to and reclassified to equity at April 29, 2022 when the additional acquisition was consummated. Final issuance of the Test Equity Holdback Shares under the earnout opportunity is subject to customary terms and conditions as specified in the Test Equity Merger Agreement. Refer to Note 8 – Earnout Derivative Liability for information about the earnout derivative liability related to the TestEquity Holdback Shares.

Completion of the Gexpro Services Merger

On the Merger Date, the Gexpro Services Merger was consummated pursuant to the Gexpro Services Merger Agreement.

In accordance with and under the terms of the Gexpro Services Merger Agreement, at the closing of the Gexpro Services Merger, DSG: (i) issued to the Gexpro Services Stockholder 7,000,000 shares of DSG common stock, (ii) on behalf of Gexpro Services, paid certain indebtedness of Gexpro Services and (iii) on behalf of Gexpro Services, paid certain specified transaction expenses of Gexpro Services.

The Gexpro Services Merger Agreement provides that an additional 1,000,000 shares of DSG common stock (the “Gexpro Services Holdback Shares”) may be issued to the Gexpro Services Stockholder or forfeited in accordance with two earnout provisions of the Gexpro Services Merger Agreement. The amount of Gexpro Services Holdback Shares issuable under the first earnout opportunity is based on, among other factors, the consummation of one or more of three certain additional acquisitions by Gexpro Services during the period beginning after December 29, 2021 and ending 90 days after the Merger Date. If any Gexpro Services Holdback Shares remain after the calculation of the first earnout opportunity, there is a second earnout opportunity based on, among other factors, the increase in Gexpro Services EBITDA (as defined in the Gexpro Services Merger Agreement) in calendar year 2022 over calendar year 2021 subject to the calculations within the Gexpro Services Merger Agreement. As of April 1, 2022, approximately 538,000 Gexpro Services Holdback Shares were expected to be issued under the first earnout opportunity due to the consummation of the certain additional acquisitions which were completed prior to the Merger Date. As of December 31, 2022, an additional 462,000 Gexpro Services Holdback Shares are expected to be issued under the second earnout opportunity based on certain performance metrics as specified in the Gexpro Services Merger Agreement, and such additional shares were remeasured at fair value immediately prior to and reclassified to equity at December 31, 2022. Final issuance of the Gexpro Services Holdback Shares under the earnout opportunities is subject to customary terms and conditions as specified in the Gexpro Services Merger Agreement. Refer to Note 8 – Earnout Derivative Liability for information about the earnout derivative liability related to the Gexpro Services Holdback Shares.

Accounting for the Mergers

TestEquity and Gexpro Services were treated as a combined entity as the accounting acquirer for financial reporting purposes, and DSG was identified as the accounting acquiree. Accordingly, periods prior to the Merger Date reflect the results of operations and financial position of TestEquity and Gexpro Services on a consolidated basis, and the results of operations of DSG's legacy Lawson business are only included subsequent to the April 1, 2022 Merger Date.

Nature of Operations

A summary of the nature of operations for each of DSG's operating companies is presented below. Information regarding DSG's reportable segments is presented in Note 14 – Segment Information.

Lawson is a distributor of specialty products and services to the industrial, commercial, institutional and government maintenance, repair and operations market.

TestEquity is a distributor of test and measurement equipment and solutions, electronic production supplies, and tool kits from its leading manufacturer partners supporting the technology, aerospace, defense, automotive, electronics, education, and medical industries.

Gexpro Services is a global supply chain solutions provider, specializing in developing and implementing vendor managed inventory and kitting programs to high-specification manufacturing customers.

Basis of Presentation and 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.

The Mergers were accounted for as a reverse merger under the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with the accounting guidance for reverse acquisitions as provided in Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 805, Business Combinations ("ASC 805"). Under this guidance, TestEquity and Gexpro Services were treated as a combined entity as the accounting acquirer for financial reporting purposes, and DSG was identified as the accounting acquiree. This determination was primarily made as TestEquity and Gexpro Services were under the common control of an entity that owns a majority of the voting rights of the combined entity, and therefore, only DSG experienced a change in control. Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 and for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 reflect the results of operations and financial position of TestEquity and Gexpro Services on a consolidated basis, and the results of operations of DSG's legacy Lawson business are only included subsequent to the April 1, 2022 Merger Date.