FORM 10-Q
                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          Washington, D.C. 20549
                                     
                                     
                                     
                                     
            (Mark one)
            ( X ) QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
            THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

            For the quarterly period ended March 31, 1998

                                    OR
                                     
            (  ) TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
            THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

            For the transition period from _________ to _________


                    Commission file number  0-22462

                      Gibraltar Steel Corporation
         (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

            Delaware                               16-1445150
      (State or other jurisdiction of           (I.R.S. Employer
      incorporation or organization)            Identification No.)

     3556 Lake Shore Road, P.O. Box 2028, Buffalo, New York 14219-0228
                (Address of principal executive offices)

                           (716)  826-6500
         (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)




Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to
such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes  X .  No    .


As of April 30, 1998, the number of common shares outstanding was:
12,465,293.


                                  1 of 12

                                     
                        GIBRALTAR STEEL CORPORATION
                                     
                                   INDEX
                                     
                                                              PAGE NUMBER
PART I.  FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.  Financial Statements

         Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
         March 31, 1998 (unaudited) and
         December 31, 1997 (audited)                                 3

         Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
         Three months ended March 31, 1998 and
         1997 (unaudited)                                            4

         Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
         Three months ended March 31, 1998 and 1997
         (unaudited)                                                 5

         Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial
         Statements (unaudited)                                    6 - 8


Item 2.  Management's Discussion and Analysis of
         Financial Condition and Results of Operations             9 - 10


PART II. OTHER INFORMATION                                           11




                                  2 of 12
                                     
                      PART I.  FINANCIAL INFORMATION
                                     
                       Item 1. Financial Statements
                                     
                        GIBRALTAR STEEL CORPORATION
                                     
                    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
                               (in thousands)
                                     
                                                     March 31,    December 31,
                                                       1998          1997
                                                    (unaudited)    (audited)
                                                      
Assets

Current assets:
            Cash and cash equivalents               $     937     $   2,437
            Accounts receivable                        64,833        49,151
            Inventories                                90,589        76,701
            Other current assets                        3,149         2,457
                                                      -------       ------- 
               Total current assets                   159,508       130,746

Property, plant and equipment, net                    131,190       115,402

Other assets                                           47,909        35,188
                                                      -------       -------
                                                    $ 338,607     $ 281,336
                                                     ========      ========

Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity

Current liabilities:
            Accounts payable                        $  43,910     $  38,233
            Accrued expenses                            7,997         3,644
            Current maturities of long-term debt        1,266         1,224
                                                      -------       -------  
               Total current liabilities               53,173        43,101

Long-term debt                                        124,391        81,800

Deferred income taxes                                  15,478        15,094

Other non-current liabilities                           1,395         1,297

Shareholders' equity
            Preferred shares                                -             -
            Common shares                                 124           124
            Additional paid-in capital                 66,195        66,190
            Retained earnings                          77,851        73,730
                                                      -------       -------
               Total shareholders' equity             144,170       140,044
                                                      -------       ------- 
                                                    $ 338,607     $ 281,336
                                                     ========      ========
See accompanying notes to financial statements 3 of 12 GIBRALTAR STEEL CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME (in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 1998 1997 (unaudited) Net sales $ 116,383 $ 108,277 Cost of sales 96,223 89,579 Gross profit 20,160 18,698 Selling, general and administrative expense 11,686 10,076 Income from operations 8,474 8,622 Interest expense 1,606 1,149 Income before taxes 6,868 7,473 Provision for income taxes 2,747 3,027 Net income $ 4,121 $ 4,446 ======= ======= Net income per share-Basic $ .33 $ .36 ======= ======= Weighted average shares outstanding-Basic 12,410 12,325 ======= ======= Net income per share-Diluted $ .33 $ .35 ======= ======= Weighted average shares outstanding-Diluted 12,608 12,555 ======= =======
See accompanying notes to financial statements 4 of 12 GIBRALTAR STEEL CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS (in thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 1998 1997 (unaudited) CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net income $ 4,121 $ 4,446 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 2,561 1,932 Provision for deferred income taxes 336 304 Undistributed equity investment income (209) (216) Increase (decrease) in cash resulting from changes in (net of acquisitions): Accounts receivable (9,723) (10,936) Inventories (7,176) (4,346) Other current assets (882) (1,019) Accounts payable and accrued expenses 6,709 3,304 Other assets (222) (193) -------- -------- Net cash used in operating activities (4,485) (6,724) -------- -------- CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (35,040) (24,907) Purchases of property, plant and equipment (4,338) (4,421) Net proceeds from sale of property and equipment 65 58 -------- -------- Net cash used in investing activities (39,313) (29,270) -------- -------- CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Long-term debt reduction (2,101) (27,397) Proceeds from long-term debt 44,394 61,743 Net proceeds from issuance of common stock 5 26 -------- ------- Net cash provided by financing activities 42,298 34,372 -------- ------- Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (1,500) (1,622) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 2,437 5,545 -------- ------- Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 937 $ 3,923 ======== =======
See accompanying notes to financial statements 5 of 12 GIBRALTAR STEEL CORPORATION NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited) 1. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 1998 and 1997 have been prepared by the Company without audit. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows at March 31, 1998 and 1997 have been included. Certain information and footnote disclosures including significant accounting policies normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted. It is suggested that these condensed financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements included in the Company's Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 1997. The results of operations for the three month period ended March 31, 1998 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. 2. INVENTORIES Inventories consist of the following: (in thousands) March 31, December 31, 1998 1997 (unaudited) (audited) Raw material $ 62,151 $ 51,804 Finished goods and work-in-process 28,438 24,897 ------ ------ Total inventories $ 90,589 $ 76,701 ====== ======
6 of 12 3. STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY The changes in stockholders' equity consist of: (in thousands) Additional Common Shares Paid-in Retained Shares Amount Capital Earnings December 31, 1997 12,410 $ 124 $ 66,190 $ 73,730 Net income - - - 4,121 Stock options exercised - - 5 - ------ ---- ------ ------ March 31, 1998 12,410 $ 124 $ 66,195 $ 77,851 ====== ==== ====== ======
4. EARNINGS PER SHARE Basic net income per share equals net income divided by the weighted average shares outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 1998 and 1997. The computation of diluted net income per share includes all dilutive common stock equivalents in the weighted average shares outstanding. The reconciliation between basic and diluted earnings per share is as follows: Basic Basic Diluted Diluted Income Shares EPS Shares EPS 1998 $4,121,000 12,409,776 $.33 12,608,138 $.33 1997 $4,446,000 12,324,594 $.36 12,555,059 $.35 Included in diluted shares are common stock equivalents relating to options of 198,362 and 230,465 for 1998 and 1997, respectively. 5. ACQUISITIONS On March 1, 1998, the Company purchased the assets and business of The Solar Group (Solar) for approximately $35 million in cash. Solar manufactures a line of construction products as well as a complete line of mailboxes, primarily manufactured with galvanized steel. On January 31, 1997, the Company purchased all of the outstanding capital stock of Southeastern Metals Manufacturing Company, Inc. (SEMCO) for approximately $25 million in cash. SEMCO manufactures a wide array of metal products for the residential and commercial construction markets. These acquisitions have been accounted for under the purchase method. Results of operations of Solar and SEMCO have been consolidated with the Company's results of operations from the respective acquisition dates. The excess of the aggregate purchase price over the fair 7 of 12 market value of net assets of Solar and SEMCO approximated $12 million and $11 million, respectively, and is being amortized over 35 years from the acquisition dates using the straight-line method. The following information presents the pro forma consolidated condensed results of operations as if the acquisitions had occurred on January 1, 1997. The pro forma amounts may not be indicative of the results that actually would have been achieved had the acquisitions occurred as of January 1, 1997 and are not necessarily indicative of future results of the combined companies. (in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 1998 1997 (unaudited) Net sales $ 123,155 $ 125,561 ======== ======== Income before taxes $ 6,770 $ 7,338 ======== ======== Net income $ 4,062 $ 4,356 ======== ======== Net income per share $ .33 $ .35 ======== ======== 6. SUBSEQUENT EVENT On April 1, 1998, the Company purchased the assets and business of Appleton Supply Company, Inc. (Appleton) for approximately $28.5 million in cash. The results of operations of Appleton will be consolidated with the Company's results of operations from the acquisition date for the quarter ending June 30, 1998. 8 of 12 Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Results of Operations Net sales of $116.4 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 1998 increased 7.5% from sales of $108.3 million for the prior year's first quarter. This increase resulted from including net sales of SEMCO (acquired January 31, 1997) for the entire quarter, net sales of Solar (acquired March 1, 1998) and sales growth at existing operations. Cost of sales as a percentage of net sales remained constant at 82.7% for the first quarter of 1998 and 1997. Higher raw material costs associated with inventory purchased during 1997 which were not fully passed through to customers and inefficiences due to the start-up and transition of the Company's new cold-rolling mill at its Cleveland, Ohio facility to a two- shift operation were primarily offset by higher margins at SEMCO and Solar. SEMCO and Solar sales historically have generated higher margins than the Company's other products and services. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales increased to 10.0% for the first quarter ended March 31, 1998, from 9.3% for the same period of 1997. This increase was primarily due to higher costs as a percentage of sales attributable to SEMCO (included for the entire quarter) and Solar (included for March 1998). Interest expense increased by $.5 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 1998 primarily due to higher borrowings. This increase in borrowings was due to the SEMCO acquisition being included for the entire quarter, the Solar acquisition and the new mill which began operations in January 1998. As a result of the above, income before taxes decreased by $.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 1998. Income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 1998 approximated $2.7 million and were based on a 40.0% effective tax rate for 1998 compared to an effective tax rate of 40.5% for the same period in 1997. Liquidity and Capital Resources During the first three months of 1998, the Company increased its working capital to $106.3 million. Additionally, shareholders' equity increased to $144.2 million at March 31, 1998. The Company's principal capital requirements are to fund its operations, including working capital, the purchase and funding of improvements to its facilities, machinery and equipment and to fund acquisitions. 9 of 12 Net income of $4.1 million and depreciation and amortization of $2.6 million combined with an increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses (net of acquisition) of $6.7 million to provide cash of $13.4 million. This was primarily offset by increases in inventory and accounts receivable totaling $16.9 million to service increased sales levels resulting in net cash used for operations of approximately $4.5 million. Cash used in operations of $4.5 million, capital expenditures of $4.3 million and the acquisition of Solar for approximately $35 million were funded by net proceeds from long-term debt of $42.3 million and cash on hand. During March 1998, the Company increased its bank credit facility to $210 million to provide additional funds to grow its business. At March 31, 1998 the Company's aggregate credit facilities available approximated $214 million with borrowings of approximately $124 million and an additional availability of approximately $90 million. The Company used approximately $28.5 million of the facility on April 1, 1998 for the acquisition of Appleton Supply Company. The Company believes that availability under its credit facilities together with funds generated from operations will be sufficient to provide the Company with the liquidity and capital resources necessary to support its existing operations. The Company also believes it has the financial capability to increase its long-term borrowing capacity due to changes in capital requirements. Impact of Year 2000 The Company is in the process of evaluating its management information systems to determine Year 2000 compliancy. The Company currently believes that costs required to achieve Year 2000 compliancy will not be material to its financial statements. Safe Harbor Statement The Company wishes to take advantage of the Safe Harbor provisions included in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). Statements by the Company, other than historical information, constitute "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Act and may be subject to a number of risk factors. Factors that could affect these statements include, but are not limited to, the following: the impact of changing steel prices on the Company's results of operations; changing demand for the Company's products and services; and changes in interest or tax rates. 10 of 12 PAGE> PART II. OTHER INFORMATION Item 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K. 1. Exhibits - None a. Exhibit 27 - Financial Data Schedule 2. Reports on Form 8-K. There were no reports on Form 8-K during the three months ended March 31, 1998. 11 of 12 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. GIBRALTAR STEEL CORPORATION (Registrant) By /s/Brian J. Lipke Brian J. Lipke President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board By /s/Walter T. Erazmus Walter T. Erazmus Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Chief Accounting Officer) Date May 8, 1998 12 of 12
 

5 THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ON FORM 10-Q AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. 1000 US DOLLARS 3-MOS DEC-31-1998 JAN-01-1998 MAR-31-1998 1 937 0 65,900 1,067 90,589 159,508 169,490 38,300 338,607 53,173 124,391 0 0 124 144,046 338,607 116,383 116,383 96,223 96,223 11,686 0 1,606 6,868 2,747 4,121 0 0 0 4,121 .33 .33