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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011

Commission file number 1-13293

The Hillman Companies, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:(513) 851-4900

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    YES  ¨    NO  x

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act.    YES  ¨    NO  x

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  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    YES  x    NO  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    YES  ¨    NO  x

On March 26, 2012, 5,000 shares of the Registrant’s common stock were issued and outstanding and 4,217,724 Trust Preferred Securities were issued and outstanding by the Hillman Group Capital Trust. The Trust Preferred Securities trade on the NYSE Amex under the symbol HLM.Pr. The aggregate market value of the Trust Preferred Securities held by non-affiliates at June 30, 2011 was $123,199,718.

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PART I

Item 1 – Business.

General

The Hillman Companies, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively “Hillman” or the “Company”) are one of the largest providers of hardware-related products and related merchandising services to retail markets in North America. The Company’s principal business is operated through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Hillman Group, Inc. (the “Hillman Group”) which had net sales of approximately $506.5 million in 2011. The Hillman Group sells its products to hardware stores, home centers, mass merchants, pet supply stores, and other retail outlets principally in the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. Product lines include thousands of small parts such as fasteners and related hardware items; threaded rod and metal shapes; keys, key duplication systems and accessories; builder’s hardware; and identification items, such as tags and letters, numbers, and signs. The Company supports its product sales with value added services including design and installation of merchandising systems and maintenance of appropriate in-store inventory levels.

The Company’s headquarters are located at 10590 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio. The Company maintains a website at http://www.hillmangroup.com. Information contained or linked on our website is not incorporated by reference into this annual report and should not be considered a part of this annual report.

Background

On May 28, 2010, Hillman was acquired by affiliates of Oak Hill Capital Partners (“OHCP”) and certain members of Hillman’s management and Board of Directors. Pursuant to the terms and conditions of an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of April 21, 2010, the Company was merged with an affiliate of OHCP with the Company surviving the merger (the “Merger Transaction”). As a result of the Merger Transaction, Hillman is a wholly-owned subsidiary of OHCP HM Acquisition Corp. (“Holdco”). The total consideration paid in the Merger Transaction was $832.7 million which includes $11.5 million for the Quick Tag license and related patents, repayment of outstanding debt and the net value of the Company’s outstanding junior subordinated debentures ($105.4 million liquidation value, net of $3.3 million in trust common securities, at the time of the merger).

Prior to the Merger Transaction, affiliates of Code Hennessy & Simmons LLC (“CHS”) owned 49.3% of the Company’s outstanding common stock and 54.6% of the Company’s voting common stock, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan (“OTPP”) owned 28.0% of the Company’s outstanding common stock and 31.0% of the Company’s voting common stock and HarbourVest Partners VI owned 8.7% of the Company’s outstanding common stock and 9.7% of the Company’s voting common stock. Certain current and former members of management owned 13.7% of the Company’s outstanding common stock and 4.4% of the Company’s voting common stock. Other investors owned 0.3% of the Company’s common stock and 0.3% of the Company’s voting common stock.

The Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of May 28, 2010 and its related statements of operations, cash flows and changes in stockholders’ equity for the periods presented prior to May 28, 2010 are referenced herein as the predecessor financial statements (the “Predecessor” or “Predecessor Financial Statements”). The Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, and its related statements of operations, cash flows and changes in stockholders’ equity for the periods presented subsequent to the Merger Transaction are referenced herein as the successor financial statements (the “Successor” or “Successor Financial Statements”). The Predecessor Financial Statements do not reflect certain transaction amounts that were incurred at the close of the Merger Transaction. Such transaction amounts include the write-off of $5.0 million in deferred financing fees associated with the Predecessor debt obligations.

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Recent Developments

On December 1, 2011, the Hillman Group purchased certain assets of Micasa Trading Corporation (“Micasa”), a Miami, Florida based distributor of the OOK brand of picture hangers and related products (“Ook” or the “Ook Acquisition”). The initial purchase price was approximately $15.3 million paid in cash at closing. The closing purchase price is subject to closing adjustments for certain changes in the working capital obtained in the Ook Acquisition as provided in the purchase agreement. In addition, subject to fulfillment of certain performance conditions in the purchase agreement, Hillman will pay Micasa an additional earn-out payment of up to $6.0 million in 2013. The asset acquisition met the definition of a business for business combinations.

Micasa was established in 1964 and developed into a major supplier of picture hanging fasteners and innovative parts within the retail hardware market. The Ook brand’s excellence in this specialty category strengthens Hillman’s position of providing value-added products and services to home centers and hardware retailers.

The Hillman Group

The Company is organized as six separate business segments, the largest of which is (1) The Hillman Group, operating primarily in the United States. The other business segments consist of subsidiaries of the Hillman Group, operating in (2) Canada under the name The Hillman Group Canada, Ltd., (3) Mexico under the name SunSource Integrated Services de Mexico SA de CV, (4) Florida under the name All Points Industries, Inc., (5) Australia under the name The Hillman Group Australia Pty. Ltd. and (6) the U.S. market under the name TagWorks. Retail outlets served by the Hillman business segments include hardware stores, home centers, mass merchants, pet supply stores, grocery stores and drug stores. Through its field sales and service organization, Hillman complements its extensive product selection with value-added services for the retailer.

Sales and service representatives regularly visit retail outlets to review stock levels, reorder items in need of replacement, and interact with the store management to offer new product and merchandising ideas. Thousands of items can be actively managed with the retailer experiencing a substantial reduction in paperwork and labor costs. Service representatives also assist in organizing the products in a consumer-friendly manner. Hillman complements its broad range of products with value-added merchandising services such as displays, product identification stickers, retail price stickers, store rack and drawer systems, assistance in rack positioning and store layout, and inventory restocking services. Hillman regularly introduces new products and package designs with color-coding for ease of shopping by consumers and modifies rack designs to improve the attractiveness of individual store displays. Hillman functions as a merchandising manager for retailers and supports this service with high order fill rates and rapid delivery of products sold.

The Company ships its products from 14 strategically located distribution centers in the United States, Australia, Canada and Mexico (See Item 2 – Properties). The Company closed its distribution center in Portland, OR in October 2010 and closed its distribution center in Lacrosse, WI in December 2011. The impact of closing these facilities was not material to Company operations. Customer orders processed from these facilities were shifted to existing facilities in Shafter, CA, East Moline, IL and Forest Park, OH. Hillman utilizes third-party logistics providers to warehouse and ship customer orders in Mexico and Australia. Currently, orders are shipped within 48 hours and, for the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company had a 97.7% order fill rate.

Hillman also manufactures and markets a value-added mix of high-tech and conventional products in two core product categories: key duplication systems and identification systems. The patent-protected Axxess Precision Key Duplication System™ has proven to be a profitable revenue source within Big Box retailers. The technology developed for this key duplicating process utilizes computer aided alignment, indexing and duplication of keys. This system has been placed in over 14,100 retail locations to date and is supported by Hillman sales and service representatives.

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In addition, Hillman offers Quick-Tag™, a commercialized, consumer-operated vending system which provides custom engraved specialty items, such as pet identification tags, luggage tags and other engraved identification tags. To date, more than 2,700 Quick-Tag™ machines have been placed in retail locations which are being supported by Hillman’s sales and service representatives.

Products and Suppliers

Hillman currently purchases its products from approximately 534 vendors, the largest of which accounted for approximately 10.0% of the Company’s annual purchases and the top five of which accounted for approximately 29.0% of its annual purchases. About 45.4% of Hillman’s annual purchases are from non-U.S. suppliers, with the balance from U.S. manufacturers and master distributors. The Company’s vendor quality control procedures include on-site evaluations and frequent product testing. Vendors are also evaluated based on delivery performance and the accuracy of their shipments.

Fasteners

Fasteners remain the core of Hillman’s business and the product line encompasses approximately 64,000 stock keeping units (“SKUs”), which management believes to be one of the largest selections among suppliers servicing the hardware retail segment. The fastener line includes standard and specialty nuts, bolts, washers, screws, anchors, and picture hanging items. Hillman offers zinc, chrome, and galvanized plated steel fasteners in addition to stainless steel, brass, and nylon fasteners in this vast line of products. In addition, the Company carries a complete line of indoor and outdoor project fasteners for use with drywall and deck construction.

Some of the Company’s latest offerings include WallDog™, which is an innovative, all steel, one-piece screw anchor which features high profile threads for easy fastening into drywall and masonry base materials. In addition, the new Agri Center marked Hillman’s expansion into the fast growing and highly fragmented Agricultural hardware segment. The Agri Center features accessories and fasteners commonly used for the repair and maintenance of trailers and implementation equipment. The program also features an innovative new merchandising format which allows retailers to increase holding power while displaying products in a neat and organized system.

Further, the Company’s chrome and automotive fastener lines are offered primarily to franchise and independent hardware stores and automotive parts retailers. Management believes that these two lines are among the most comprehensive in the retail market and are growing in popularity with both the automotive and motorcycle industries. Other new fastener offerings include construction lags, suspended ceiling fasteners, wire goods, painted and specialty finished screws, stainless steel outdoor screws and anchor bolts.

The acquisitions of Ook and Serv-A-Lite Products, Inc. (“Servalite”), which were completed on December 1, 2011 and December 29, 2010, respectively, expanded the Company’s line of picture hanging products, specialty fasteners and electrical parts. It also strengthens our position of providing value-added products and services to home centers and hardware retailers. Hillman management believes that the core competencies developed over time in the management of the fastener product line have enabled Hillman to leverage its scale and expertise to broaden its product offerings efficiently.

Fasteners generated approximately 55.2% of the Company’s total revenues in 2011, as compared to 55.8% in 2010.

Keys and Key Accessories

Hillman designs and manufactures proprietary equipment which forms the cornerstone for the Company’s key duplication business. The Hillman key duplication system is offered in various retail channels including mass merchants, home centers, automotive parts retailers, franchise and independent (“F&I”) hardware stores, and grocery/drug chains; it can also be found in many service-based businesses like parcel shipping outlets.

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Hillman markets its key duplication system under two different brands. The Axxess Precision Key Duplication System™ is marketed to national retailers requiring a key duplication program easily mastered by novice associates, while the Hillman Key Program targets the franchise hardware and independent retailers, with a machine that works well in businesses with lower turnover and highly skilled employees. There are over 14,100 Axxess Programs placed in North American retailers including Wal-Mart, Kmart, Sears, The Home Depot, Lowe’s and Menards.

The Precision Laser Key System was introduced in 2007. This system uses a digital optical camera and proprietary software to scan a customer’s key. The system identifies the key and retrieves the key’s specifications, including the appropriate blank and cutting pattern, from a comprehensive database. This technology eliminates the effect of natural wear on the customer’s key by reproducing the original key pattern. Hillman has placed approximately 867 of these new key duplicating systems in North American retailers and management believes that the Company is well-positioned to capitalize on this new technology.

In conjunction with the March 16, 2011 acquisition of Tagworks LLC, an Arizona limited liability company (the “TagWorks Acquisition”), Hillman Group also signed a definitive 17-year agreement with KeyWorks to assign its patent-pending retail key program technology to Hillman Group. This collaboration is expected to provide a unique opportunity to develop a next generation consumer operated key duplicating system.

In 2011, Hillman began market testing the innovative FastKey consumer operated key duplication system. FastKey utilizes technology from the Precision Laser Key System and combines a consumer-friendly vending system which allows retail shoppers to duplicate the most popular home, office and small lock keys. The FastKey System covers a large percentage of the key market and features a unique key sleeve that ensures proper insertion, alignment and duplication of the key. Consumers who attempt to duplicate keys not included in the FastKey system receive a ‘service slip’ identifying their key and referring them to the main Hillman key cutting location within the store. The FastKey market test has demonstrated the ability to increase overall key sales at the store retail level.

In addition to key duplication, Hillman has an exclusive, strategic partnership with Barnes Distribution for the distribution of the proprietary PC+^© Code Cutter which produces automobile keys based on a vehicle’s identification number. The Code Cutter machines are marketed to automotive dealerships, auto rental agencies and various companies with truck and vehicle fleets. Since its introduction, over 7,900 PC+^© units and 8,300 of the newer Flash Code Cutter units have been sold.

Hillman also markets key accessories in conjunction with its key duplication systems. Popular accessories include the Key Light™, Valet KeyChain, Fanatix™ key identifiers, key coils and key clips. The line of key accessories includes a broad range of products such as key chains, tags, lights, floats, holders, whistles and a host of other miscellaneous complementary items. Additionally, fashion key and accessory programs have been introduced which include DIVA™ and licensed programs featuring NFL, MLB, Disney, Harley Davidson and other popular licensed properties. Hillman has taken the key and key accessory categories from a price sensitive commodity to a fashion driven business and has significantly increased retail pricing and gross margins.

Keys, key accessories and Code Cutter units represented approximately 21.9% of the Company’s total revenues in 2011, as compared to 22.8% in 2010.

Engraving

Quick-Tag™ is a patented, consumer-operated vending system that custom engraves and dispenses specialty products such as pet identification tags, military-style I.D. tags, holiday ornaments and luggage tags. Styles include NFL and NCAA logo military tags. Quick-Tag™ is an easy, convenient means for the consumer to custom engrave tags while shopping at large format retail stores such as Wal-Mart and PETCO. Hillman has placed over 2,700 Quick-Tag™ machines in retail outlets throughout the United States and Canada.

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Innovation has played a major role in the development of the Company’s Quick-Tag™ machine. Using an interactive touch screen, customers input information such as a pet name and telephone number, and the system’s proprietary technology engraves the tag in less than two minutes. The Quick-Tag™ system does not require incremental labor and generates high levels of customer satisfaction and attractive margins for the retailer. This custom engraving system generates retail profit per square foot over seven times the typical retail average. In addition to placements in retail outlets, the Company has placed machines inside theme parks such as Disney, Sea World, and Universal Studios.

In 2010, Hillman initiated deliveries of its new FIDO™ engraving system to PETCO. This new engraving program integrates a fun attractive design with a user interface that provides new features for the customer. The individual tag is packaged in a mini cassette and the machine’s mechanism flips the tag to allow engraving on both sides. The user interface features a loveable dog character that guides the customer through the engraving process. Initial reaction to the new machine has been very positive. Hillman has placed approximately 500 FIDO™ systems in PETCO stores as of December 31, 2011.

On March 16, 2011, Hillman Group completed the TagWorks Acquisition. TagWorks provides innovative pet ID tag programs to leading pet products chain retailers using a unique, patent-protected/patent-pending technology and product portfolio. The TagWorks System combines an innovative, consumer-operated machine with an attractive off-board merchandising display. The Tagworks System utilizes laser printing technology and allows the consumer to watch the impressive engraving process. The off-board merchandising allows premium-priced tags to be displayed in store-front locations and is proving effective at increasing the average price per transaction.

Hillman purchases a wide variety of materials and components to manufacture the Axxess Key Duplication, Quick-Tag™, and TagWorks engraving machines, many of which are manufactured to its specifications. Management does not believe that the Company is dependent on any one supplier. The machine components do not generally require proprietary technology. Hillman has identified or used alternate suppliers for its primary sourcing needs.

Engraving products represented approximately 8.2% of the Company’s total revenues in 2011, as compared to 6.3% in 2010.

Letters, Numbers and Signs

Letters, Numbers and Signs (“LNS”) includes utilitarian product lines that target both the homeowner and commercial user. Product lines within this category include individual and/or packaged letters, numbers, signs, safety related products (e.g. 911 signs), driveway markers, and a diversity of sign accessories, such as sign frames.

Hillman markets LNS products under the Hillman Sign Center brand. Through a series of strategic acquisitions, exclusive partnerships, and organic product developments, the Hillman LNS program gives retailers one of the largest product offerings available in this category. This SKU intensive product category is considered a staple for retail hardware departments and is typically merchandised in eight linear feet of retail space containing hundreds of SKUs. In addition to the core product program, Hillman provides its customers with value-added retail support including custom plan-o-grams and merchandising solutions which incorporate a wide variety of space-utilizing merchandisers.

The Hillman LNS program can be found in Big Box retailers, mass merchants, and pet supply accounts. In addition, Hillman has product placement in franchise and independent hardware retailers.

The LNS category represented approximately 6.5% of the Company’s total revenues in 2011, as compared to 7.5% in 2010.

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Threaded Rod

Hillman is now a leading supplier of metal shapes and threaded rod in the retail market. The SteelWorks™ threaded rod line includes hot and cold rolled rod, both weld-able and plated, as well as a complete offering of All-Thread rod in galvanized steel, stainless steel, and brass.

The SteelWorks™ program is carried by many top retailers, including Lowe’s, Menards, and Sears, and through cooperatives such as Ace Hardware and True Value. In addition, Hillman is the primary supplier of metal shapes to many wholesalers throughout the country.

Threaded rod generated approximately 6.1% of the Company’s total revenues in 2011, as compared to 6.5% in 2010.

Builder’s Hardware

The Builder’s Hardware category includes a variety of common household items such as coat hooks, door stops, hinges, gate latches, hasps and decorative hardware.

Hillman markets the Builder’s Hardware products under the Hardware Essentials™ brand and provides the retailer with an innovative merchandising solution. The Hardware Essentials program utilizes modular packaging, color coding and integrated merchandising to simplify the shopping experience for consumers. Colorful signs, packaging and installation instructions guide the consumer quickly and easily to the correct product location. Hardware Essentials provides retailers and consumers decorative upgrade opportunities through the introduction of high-end finishes such as satin nickel, pewter and antique bronze.

The combination of merchandising, upgraded finishes and product breadth is designed to improve the retailer’s performance. The addition of the Builder’s Hardware product line exemplifies the Company’s strategy of leveraging its core competencies to further penetrate customer accounts with new product offerings. In 2011, the Company expanded the placement of the Hardware Essentials line to customers in the F&I channel. The launch to the F&I channel provided successful conversions in over 300 locations and is driving strong sales performance for retailers.

The Builder’s Hardware category generated approximately 2.0% of the Company’s total revenues in 2011, as compared to 1.1% in 2010.

Markets and Customers

Hillman sells its products to national accounts such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Tractor Supply, Sears, Menards, PetSmart and PETCO. Hillman’s status as a national supplier of proprietary products to Big Box retailers allows it to develop a strong market position and high barriers to entry within its product categories.

Hillman services more than 15,000 F&I retail outlets. These individual dealers are typically members of the larger cooperatives, such as True Value, Ace Hardware, and Do-It-Best. The Company ships directly to the cooperative’s retail locations and also supplies many items to the cooperative’s central warehouses. These central warehouses distribute to their members that do not have a requirement for Hillman’s in-store service. These arrangements reduce credit risk and logistic expenses for Hillman while also reducing central warehouse inventory and delivery costs for the cooperatives.

A typical hardware store maintains thousands of different items in inventory, many of which generate small dollar sales but large profits. It is difficult for a retailer to economically monitor all stock levels and to reorder the products from multiple vendors. The problem is compounded by the necessity of receiving small shipments of inventory at different times and having to stock the goods. The failure to have these small items available will have an adverse effect on store traffic, thereby denying the retailer the opportunity to sell items that generate higher dollar sales.

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Hillman sells its products to approximately 20,000 customers, the top five of which accounted for approximately 46.1% of its total revenue in 2011. Lowe’s is the single largest customer, representing approximately 23.1% of total revenue, Home Depot is the second largest at approximately 10.7% and Wal-Mart is the third largest at approximately 7.2% of total revenue. No other customer accounted for more than 5.0% of the Company’s total revenue in 2011.

The Company’s telemarketing activity sells to thousands of smaller hardware outlets and non-hardware accounts. New business is also being pursued internationally in such places as Australia, Canada, Mexico, South and Central America, and the Caribbean.

Sales and Marketing

The Hillman Group provides product support, customer service and profit opportunities for its retail distribution partners. The Company believes its competitive advantage is in its ability to provide a greater level of customer service than its competitors.

As a company, service is the hallmark of Hillman. The national accounts field service organization consists of over 496 employees and 30 field managers focusing on Big Box retailers, pet super stores, large national discount chains and grocery stores. This organization reorders products, details store shelves, and sets up in-store promotions. Many of the Company’s largest customers use electronic data interchange (“EDI”) for handling of orders and invoices.

The Company employs what it believes to be the largest factory direct sales force in the industry. The sales force which consists of 237 people, and is managed by 20 field managers, focuses on the F&I customers. The depth of the sales and service team enables Hillman to maintain consistent call cycles ensuring that all customers experience proper stock levels and inventory turns. This team also builds custom plan-o-grams of displays to fit the needs of any store, as well as establishing programs that meet customers’ requirements for pricing, invoicing, and other needs. This group also benefits from daily internal support from the inside sales and customer service teams. On average, each sales representative is responsible for approximately 49 full service accounts that they call on approximately every two weeks.

These efforts, coupled with those of the marketing department, allow the sales force to not only sell products, but sell merchandising and technological support capabilities as well. Hillman’s marketing department provides support through the development of new products, sales collateral material, promotional items, merchandising aids and custom signage. Marketing services such as advertising, graphic design, and trade show management are also provided. The department is organized along Hillman’s three marketing competencies: product management, channel marketing and marketing communications.

Competition

The Company’s primary competitors in the national accounts marketplace for fasteners are ITW Inc., Dorman Inc., Crown Bolt LLC., Midwest Fasteners, and the Newell Group. Competition is based primarily on in-store service and price. Other competitors are local and regional distributors. Competitors in the pet tag market are specialty retailers, direct mail order and retailers with in-store mail order capability. The Quick-Tag™ system has patent protected proprietary technology that is a major barrier to entry and preserves this market segment.

The principal competitors for Hillman’s F&I business are Midwest Fasteners and Hy-Ko in the hardware store marketplace. Midwest Fasteners primarily focuses on fasteners, while Hy-Ko is the major competitor in LNS products and keys/key accessories. Management estimates that Hillman sells to approximately 63% of the full service hardware stores in the F&I marketplace. The hardware outlets that purchase products but not services from Hillman also purchase products from local and regional distributors and cooperatives. Hillman competes primarily on field service, merchandising, as well as product availability, price and depth of product line.

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Insurance Arrangements

Under the Company’s current insurance programs, commercial umbrella coverage is obtained for catastrophic exposure and aggregate losses in excess of expected claims. Since October 1991, the Company has retained the exposure on certain expected losses related to worker’s compensation, general liability and automobile. The Company also retains the exposure on expected losses related to health benefits of certain employees. The Company believes that its present insurance is adequate for its businesses. See Note 17, Commitments and Contingencies, of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Employees

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had 2,026 full time and part time employees, none of which were covered by a collective bargaining agreement. In the opinion of management, employee relations are good.

Backlog

The Company does not consider the sales backlog to be a significant indicator of future performance due to the short order cycle of its business. The Company’s sales backlog from ongoing operations was approximately $3.4 million as of December 31, 2011 and approximately $3.2 million as of December 31, 2010.

Where You Can Find More Information

The Company files quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual reports on Form 10-K and furnishes current reports on Form 8-K, and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”). You may read and copy any reports, statements, or other information filed by the Company at the Commission’s public reference rooms at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330 for more information on the public reference rooms. The Commission also maintains an Internet site at http://www.sec.gov that contains quarterly, annual, and current reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, like Hillman, that file electronically with the Commission.

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Item 1A – Risk Factors.

An investment in the Company’s securities involves certain risks as discussed below. However, the risks set forth below are not the only risks the Company faces, and it faces other risks which have not yet been identified or which are not yet otherwise predictable. If any of the following risks occur or are otherwise realized, the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. You should consider carefully the risks described below and all other information in this annual report, including the Company’s financial statements and the related notes and schedules thereto, prior to making an investment decision with regard to the Company’s securities.

Current economic conditions may adversely impact demand for our products, reduce access to credit and cause our customers and others with which we do business to suffer financial hardship, all of which could adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Our business, financial condition and results of operations have and may continue to be affected by various economic factors. The U.S. economy has undergone a period of recession and the future economic environment may continue to be less favorable than that of recent years. The economic slowdown has, and any delay in the recovery could lead to further, reduced consumer and business spending in the foreseeable future, including by our customers. In addition, economic conditions, including decreased access to credit, may result in financial difficulties leading to restructurings, bankruptcies, liquidations and other unfavorable events for our customers, suppliers and other service providers. If such conditions deteriorate in 2012 or through fiscal 2013, our industry, business and results of operations may be severely impacted.

The Company’s business is impacted by general economic conditions in the U.S. and international markets, particularly the U.S. retail markets including hardware stores, home centers, mass merchants, and other retailers. In recent quarters, operations have been negatively impacted by the general downturn in the U.S. economy, including higher unemployment figures, and the contraction of the retail market. Although there have been certain signs of improvement in the economy, general expectations do not call for significant economic growth to return in the near term and may have the effect of reducing consumer spending which could adversely affect our results of operations during the next year.

The Company operates in a highly competitive industry, which may have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.

The retail industry is highly competitive, with the principal methods of competition being price, quality of service, quality of products, product availability, credit terms and the provision of value-added services, such as merchandising design, in-store service and inventory management. The Company encounters competition from a large number of regional and national distributors, some of which have greater financial resources than the Company and may offer a greater variety of products. If these competitors are successful, the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

If the current weakness continues in the retail markets including hardware stores, home centers, mass merchants and other retail outlets in North America, or general recessionary conditions worsen, it could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business.

In the past several years, the Company’s business has been adversely affected by the decline in the North American economy, particularly with respect to retail markets including hardware stores, home centers, lumberyards and mass merchants. It is possible this softness will continue or further deteriorate in 2012 or through fiscal 2013. To the extent it persists or deteriorates, there is likely to be an unfavorable impact on demand for Company products which could have a material adverse effect on sales, earnings and cash flows. In addition, due to current economic conditions, it is possible certain customers’ credit-worthiness may erode resulting in increased write-offs of customer receivables.

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The Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected by seasonality.

In general, the Company has experienced seasonal fluctuations in sales and operating results from quarter to quarter. Typically, the first calendar quarter is the weakest due to the effect of weather on home projects and the construction industry.

Large customer concentration and the inability to penetrate new channels of distribution could adversely affect the business.

The Company’s three largest customers constituted approximately 41.0% of net sales and 52.0% of the year-end accounts receivable balance for 2011. Each of these customers is a Big Box chain store. As a result, the Company’s results of operations depend greatly on our ability to maintain existing relationships and arrangements with these Big Box chain stores. To the extent the Big Box chain stores are materially adversely impacted by the current economic slowdown, this could have a negative effect on our results of operations. The loss of one of these customers or a material adverse change in the relationship with these customers could have a negative impact on business. The Company’s inability to penetrate new channels of distribution may also have a negative impact on its future sales and business.

Successful sales and marketing efforts depend on the Company’s ability to recruit and retain qualified employees.

The success of the Company’s efforts to grow its business depends on the contributions and abilities of key executives, its sales force and other personnel, including the ability of its sales force to achieve adequate customer coverage. The Company must therefore continue to recruit, retain and motivate management, sales and other personnel to maintain its current business and support its projected growth. A shortage of these key employees might jeopardize the Company’s ability to implement its growth strategy.

The Company is exposed to adverse changes in currency exchange rates.

Exposure to foreign currency risk results because the Company, through its global operations, enters into transactions and makes investments denominated in multiple currencies. The Company’s predominant exposures are in Australian, Canadian, Mexican and Asian currencies, including the Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”). In preparing its financial statements, for foreign operations with functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar, asset and liability accounts are translated at current exchange rates, and income and expenses are translated using weighted-average exchange rates. With respect to the effects on translated earnings, if the U.S. dollar strengthens relative to local currencies, the Company’s earnings could be negatively impacted. The Company does not make a practice of hedging its non-U.S. dollar earnings.

The Company sources many products from China and other Asian countries for resale in other regions. To the extent the RMB or other currencies appreciate with respect to the U.S. dollar, the Company may experience cost increases on such purchases. The RMB appreciated against the U.S. dollar by 4.6% in 2011 and 3.3% in 2010. Significant appreciation of the RMB or other currencies in countries where the Company sources its products could adversely impact profitability. The Company may not be successful at implementing customer pricing or other actions in an effort to mitigate the related cost increases and thus its results of operations may be adversely impacted.

The Company’s results of operations could be negatively impacted by inflation or deflation in the cost of raw materials, freight and energy.

The Company’s products are manufactured of metals, including but not limited to steel, aluminum, zinc, and copper. Additionally, the Company uses other commodity based materials in the manufacture of LNS that are resin based and subject to fluctuations in the price of oil. The Company is also exposed to fluctuations in the price of diesel

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fuel in the form of freight surcharges on customer shipments and the cost of gasoline used by the field sales and service force. As described in more detail in “Item 7 – Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” hereto, the Company has been negatively impacted by commodity and freight inflation in recent years. Continued inflation over a period of years would result in significant increases in inventory costs and operating expenses. If the Company is unable to mitigate these inflation increases through various customer pricing actions and cost reduction initiatives, its financial condition may be adversely affected. Conversely, in the event there is deflation, the Company may experience pressure from its customers to reduce prices. There can be no assurance that the Company would be able to reduce its cost base (through negotiations with suppliers or other measures) to offset any such price concessions which could adversely impact results of operations and cash flows.

The Company’s business is subject to risks associated with sourcing product from overseas.

The Company imports large quantities of its fastener products. Substantially all of its import operations are subject to customs requirements and to tariffs and quotas set by governments through mutual agreements or bilateral actions. In addition, the countries from which the Company’s products and materials are manufactured or imported may, from time to time, impose additional quotas, duties, tariffs or other restrictions on its imports or adversely modify existing restrictions. Adverse changes in these import costs and restrictions, or the Company’s suppliers’ failure to comply with customs regulations or similar laws, could harm the Company’s business.

The Company’s ability to import products in a timely and cost-effective manner may also be affected by conditions at ports or issues that otherwise affect transportation and warehousing providers, such as port and shipping capacity, labor disputes, severe weather or increased homeland security requirements in the U.S. and other countries. These issues could delay importation of products or require the Company to locate alternative ports or warehousing providers to avoid disruption to customers. These alternatives may not be available on short notice or could result in higher transit costs, which could have an adverse impact on the Company’s business and financial condition.

Acquisitions have formed a significant part of our growth strategy in the past and may continue to do so. If we are unable to identify suitable acquisition candidates or obtain financing needed to complete an acquisition, our growth strategy may not succeed.

Historically, the Company’s growth strategy has relied on acquisitions that either expand or complement its businesses in new or existing markets. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to identify or acquire acceptable acquisition candidates on terms favorable to the Company and in a timely manner, if at all, to the extent necessary to fulfill Hillman’s growth strategy.

The process of integrating acquired businesses into the Company’s operations, including the recent Ook Acquisition, may result in unforeseen difficulties and may require a disproportionate amount of resources and management attention, and there can be no assurance that Hillman will be able to successfully integrate acquired businesses into its operations.

The current economic environment may make it difficult to acquire businesses in order to further our growth strategy. We will continue to seek acquisition opportunities both to expand into new markets and to enhance our position in our existing markets. However, our ability to do so will depend on a number of factors, including our ability to obtain financing that we may need to complete a proposed acquisition opportunity which may be unavailable or available on terms that are not advantageous to us. If financing is unavailable, we may be forced to forego otherwise attractive acquisition opportunities which may have a negative effect on our ability to grow.

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If the Company were required to write down all or part of its goodwill or indefinite-lived tradenames, its results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

As a result of the Merger Transaction and the subsequent acquisitions of Servalite, TagWorks and Ook, the Company has $457.4 million of goodwill and $49.9 million of indefinite-lived trade names recorded on its Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2011. The Company is required to periodically determine if its goodwill or indefinite-lived trade names have become impaired, in which case it would write down the impaired portion of the intangible asset. If the Company were required to write down all or part of its goodwill or indefinite-lived trade names, its net income could be materially adversely affected.

The Company’s success is highly dependent on information and technology systems.

The Company believes that its proprietary computer software programs are an integral part of its business and growth strategies. Hillman depends on its information systems to process orders, to manage inventory and accounts receivable collections, to purchase, sell and ship products efficiently and on a timely basis, to maintain cost-effective operations and to provide superior service to its customers. There can be no assurance that the precautions which the Company has taken against certain events that could disrupt the operations of its information systems will prevent the occurrence of such a disruption. Any such disruption could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and results of operations.

Risks relating to the Senior Notes and our Indebtedness

The Company has significant indebtedness that could affect operations and financial condition and prevent the Company from fulfilling its obligations under the notes.

The Company has a significant amount of indebtedness. On December 31, 2011, total indebtedness was $621.1 million, consisting of $105.4 million of indebtedness of Hillman and $515.7 million of indebtedness of Hillman Group.

The Company’s substantial indebtedness could have important consequences to investors in Hillman securities. For example, it could:

In addition, the indenture governing our notes and senior secured credit facilities contain financial and other restrictive covenants that will limit the ability to engage in activities that may be in the Company’s long-term best interests. The failure to comply with those covenants could result in an event of default which, if not cured or waived, could result in the acceleration of all outstanding debts.

The decline of general economic conditions in the U.S. capital markets over the past several years has reduced the availability of credit for a number of companies. This may impact our ability to borrow additional funds, if necessary.

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Despite current indebtedness levels, the Company and its subsidiaries may still be able to incur substantially more debt. This could further exacerbate the risks associated with the Company’s substantial leverage.

The Company and its subsidiaries may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. The terms of the indenture do not fully prohibit the Company or its subsidiaries from doing so. The senior secured credit facilities permit additional borrowing of up to $30 million on the revolving credit facility and all of those borrowings would rank senior to the notes and the guarantees. If new debt is added to our current debt levels, the related risks that the Company and its subsidiaries now face could intensify.

To service our indebtedness, we will require a significant amount of cash. Our ability to generate cash depends on many factors beyond our control.

The ability to make payments on and to refinance our indebtedness, including the notes, and to fund planned capital expenditures and research and development efforts, will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future. This, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control.

The Company cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations, that currently anticipated cost savings and operating improvements will be realized on schedule or that future borrowings will be available under our credit facility in an amount sufficient to enable the Company to pay its indebtedness, including the notes, or to fund its other liquidity needs. The Company may need to refinance all or a portion of its indebtedness, including the notes on or before maturity. The Company cannot assure you that it will be able to refinance any of its indebtedness, including our credit facility and the notes, on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

The failure to meet certain financial covenants required by our credit agreements may materially and adversely affect assets, financial position and cash flows.

Certain of the Company’s credit agreements require the maintenance of a leverage ratio and limit our ability to incur debt, make investments, make dividend payments to holders of the Trust Preferred Securities or undertake certain other business activities. In particular, our maximum allowed leverage requirement is 4.75x, excluding the junior subordinated debentures, as of December 31, 2011. A breach of the leverage covenant, or any other covenants, could result in an event of default under the credit agreements. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under the credit agreements, all amounts outstanding, together with accrued interest, could be declared immediately due and payable by our lenders. If this happens, our assets may not be sufficient to repay in full the payments due under the credit agreements. The current credit market environment and other macro-economic challenges affecting the global economy may adversely impact our ability to borrow sufficient funds or sell assets or equity in order to pay existing debt.

The Company is permitted to create unrestricted subsidiaries, which are not to be subject to any of the covenants in the indenture, and the Company may not be able to rely on the cash flow or assets of those unrestricted subsidiaries to pay our indebtedness.

Unrestricted subsidiaries are not subject to the covenants under the indenture governing the notes. Unrestricted subsidiaries may enter into financing arrangements that limit their ability to make loans or other payments to fund payments in respect of the notes. Accordingly, the Company may not be able to rely on the cash flow or assets of unrestricted subsidiaries to pay any of our indebtedness, including the notes.

The Company is subject to fluctuations in interest rates.

All of our indebtedness incurred in connection with the Senior Secured Credit Facilities has variable rate interest. Increases in borrowing rates will increase our cost of borrowing, which may affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The Company may choose to redeem notes when prevailing interest rates are relatively low.

The Company may choose to redeem the notes from time to time, especially when prevailing interest rates are lower than the rate borne by the notes. If prevailing rates are lower

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at the time of redemption, an investor would not be able to reinvest the redemption proceeds in a comparable security at an effective interest rate as high as the interest rate on the notes being redeemed. The redemption right also may adversely impact an investor’s ability to sell notes as the optional redemption date or period approaches.

Federal and state statutes allow courts, under specific circumstances, to void guarantees and require note holders to return payments received from guarantors.

Under the federal bankruptcy law and comparable provisions of state fraudulent transfer laws, a guarantee could be voided, or claims in respect of a guarantee could be subordinated to all other debts of that guarantor if, among other things, the guarantor, at the time it incurred the indebtedness evidenced by its guarantee:

In addition, any payment by that guarantor pursuant to its guarantee could be voided and required to be returned to the guarantor, or to a fund for the benefit of the creditors of the guarantor.

The measures of insolvency for purposes of these fraudulent transfer laws will vary depending upon the law applied in any proceeding to determine whether a fraudulent transfer has occurred. Generally, however, a guarantor would be considered insolvent if:

On the basis of historical financial information, recent operating history and other factors, the Company’s management believes that each guarantor, after giving effect to its guarantee of the notes, will not be insolvent, have unreasonably small capital for the business in which it is engaged or have incurred debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature. The Company’s management can make no assurances as to what standard a court would apply in making these determinations or that a court would agree with our conclusions in this regard.

The Company may not be able to fulfill its repurchase obligations with respect to the notes upon a change of control.

If the Company experiences certain specific change of control events, the Company will be required to offer to repurchase all of our outstanding notes at 101% of the principal amount of such notes plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase. The Company can make no assurances that it will have available funds sufficient to pay the change of control purchase price for any or all of the notes that might be tendered in the change of control offer.

The definition of change of control in the indenture governing the notes includes a phrase relating to the direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of “all or substantially all” of our and our restricted subsidiaries’ assets, taken as a whole. Although there is a limited body of case law interpreting the phrase “substantially all”, there is no precise established definition of the phrase under applicable law. Accordingly, the ability of a holder of notes to require us to repurchase such notes as a result of a sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of

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less than all of our restricted subsidiaries’ assets taken as a whole to another person or group may be uncertain. In addition, a recent Delaware Chancery Court decision raised questions about the enforceability of provisions, which are similar to those in the indenture governing the notes, related to the triggering of a change of control as a result of a change in the composition of a board of directors. Accordingly, the ability of a holder of notes to require us to repurchase notes as a result of a change in the composition of our board of directors may be uncertain.

In addition, our credit facility contains, and any future credit agreement likely will contain, restrictions or prohibitions on our ability to repurchase the notes under certain circumstances. If a change of control event occurs at a time when we are prohibited from repurchasing the notes, we may seek the consent of our lenders to purchase the notes or could attempt to refinance the borrowings that contain these prohibitions or restrictions. If we do not obtain our lenders’ consent or refinance these borrowings, we will not be able to repurchase the notes. Accordingly, the holders of the notes may not receive the change of control purchase price for their notes in the event of a sale or other change of control, which will give the trustee and the holders of the notes the right to declare an event of default and accelerate the repayment of the notes.

A financial failure by us or our subsidiaries may result in the assets of any or all of those entities becoming subject to the claims of all creditors of those entities.

A financial failure by us or our subsidiaries could affect payment of the notes if a bankruptcy court were to substantively consolidate us and our subsidiaries. If a bankruptcy court substantively consolidated us and our subsidiaries, the assets of each entity would become subject to the claims of creditors of all entities. This would expose holders of notes not only to the usual impairments arising from bankruptcy, but also to potential dilution of the amount ultimately recoverable because of the larger creditor base. Furthermore, forced restructuring of the notes could occur through the “cram-down” provisions of the bankruptcy code. Under these provisions, the notes could be restructured over your objections as to their general terms, primarily interest rate and maturity.

Your right to receive payments on the notes could be adversely affected if any of our non-guarantor subsidiaries declare bankruptcy, liquidate, or reorganize.

Some but not all of our subsidiaries will guarantee the notes. In the event of a bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization of any of our non-guarantor subsidiaries, holders of their indebtedness and their trade creditors will generally be entitled to payment of their claims from the assets of those subsidiaries before any assets are made available for distribution to us.

As of December 31, 2011, the notes were effectively junior to $2.1 million of indebtedness and other current liabilities (including trade payables) of our non-guarantor subsidiaries. Our non-guarantor subsidiaries held $21.3 million of our consolidated assets as of December 31, 2011.

Item 1B – Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

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Item 2 – Properties.

The Company’s principal office, manufacturing and distribution properties are as follows:

With the exception of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, all of the Company’s facilities are leased. In the opinion of management, the Company’s existing facilities are in good condition.

Item 3 – Legal Proceedings.

On November 23, 2011, Steelworks Hardware LLC, the owner of the Steelworks trade mark and a party to a licensing and marketing agreement with Hillman that originated in 2005 and automatically renewed for a three year period beginning in May 2010, filed a complaint against Hillman Group, Ace Hardware Corporation, Lowe’s Companies, Inc., Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc. and True Value Company in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division. The complaint alleged a series of claims against Hillman Group and the other named defendants, including trade mark and trade dress infringement in violation of the Lanham Act, violations of Illinois Consumer Fraud and Unfair Trade Practices Acts and common law breach of contract, conspiracy and tort claims.

On March 20, 2012, the Company agreed to pay $1,635,251 to Steelworks Hardware LLC in full settlement of all alleged claims and plaintiff legal fees in this matter. The settlement cost and plaintiff legal fees were recorded in our consolidated results of operations as of December 31, 2011.

On May 4, 2010, Hy-Ko Products, Inc. filed a complaint against Hillman Group, and Kaba Ilco Corp., a manufacturer of blank replacement keys, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division, alleging that the defendants engaged in violations of federal and state antitrust laws regarding their business practices relating to automatic key machines and replacement keys. Hy-Ko Products’ May 4, 2010 filing against the Company is based, in part, on the Company’s previously-filed claim against Hy-Ko Products alleging infringement of certain patents of the Company. A claim construction hearing on the Company’s patent infringement claim against Hy-Ko Products occurred in September 2010. A ruling on the claim construction hearing was handed down on November 22, 2011 and was favorable to the Company’s position. A trial date on the patent case is set for the fourth quarter of 2012.

In its antitrust claim against the Company, Hy-Ko Products is seeking monetary damages which would be trebled under the antitrust laws, interest and attorney’s fees as well as injunctive relief. The antitrust claim against the Company has been stayed pending the resolution of the patents claim against Hy-Ko Products. Because the lawsuit is in a preliminary stage, it is not yet possible to assess the impact that the lawsuit will have on the Company. However, the Company believes that it has meritorious defenses and intends to defend the lawsuit vigorously.

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In addition, legal proceedings are pending which are either in the ordinary course of business or incidental to the Company’s business. Those legal proceedings incidental to the business of the Company are generally not covered by insurance or other indemnity. In the opinion of management, the ultimate resolution of the pending litigation matters will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position, operations or cash flows of the Company.

Item 4 – Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not Applicable.

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PART II

Item 5 – Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Stock Exchange Listing

The Company’s common stock does not trade and is not listed on or quoted in an exchange or other market. The Trust Preferred Securities trade under the ticker symbol HLM.Pr on the NYSE Amex. The following table sets forth the high and low closing sale prices as reported on the NYSE Amex for the Trust Preferred Securities.

The Trust Preferred Securities have a liquidation value of $25.00 per security. As of March 5, 2012, there were 462 holders of Trust Preferred Securities. As of March 26, 2012, the total number of Trust Preferred Securities outstanding was 4,217,724. As of March 26, 2012, the Company’s total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding was 5,000, held by one (1) common stockholder.

Distributions

The Company pays interest to the Hillman Group Capital Trust (“the Trust”) on the Junior Subordinated Debentures underlying the Trust Preferred Securities at the rate of 11.6% per annum on their face amount of $105.4 million, or $12.2 million per annum in the aggregate. The Trust distributes an equivalent amount to the holders of the Trust Preferred Securities. For the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company paid $12.2 million and $12.2 million per year, respectively, in interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures, which was equivalent to the amounts distributed by the Trust for the same periods.

Pursuant to the indenture that governs the Trust Preferred Securities, the Trust is able to defer distribution payments to holders of the Trust Preferred Securities for a period that cannot exceed 60 months (the “Deferral Period”). During the Deferral Period, the Company is required to accrue the full amount of all interest payable, and such deferred interest payments are immediately payable by the Company at the end of the Deferral Period. There were no deferrals of distribution payments to holders of the Trust Preferred Securities in 2011 or 2010.

The interest payments on the Junior Subordinated Debentures underlying the Trust Preferred Securities are deductible for federal income tax purposes by the Company under current law and will remain an obligation of the Company until the Trust Preferred Securities are redeemed or upon their maturity in 2027.

For more information on the Trust and Junior Subordinated Debentures, see “Item 7-Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The Company made no repurchases of its equity securities during 2011.

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Item 6 – Selected Financial Data.

As a result of the Merger Transaction, the Company’s operations for the periods presented subsequent to the May 28, 2010 acquisition by an affiliate of OHCP, certain members of management and Board of Directors are referenced herein as the Successor or Successor Operations and include the effects of the Company’s debt refinancing. The Company’s operations for the periods presented prior to the Merger Transaction are referenced herein as the Predecessor or Predecessor Operations.

The following table sets forth selected consolidated financial data of the Predecessor as of and for the five months ended May 28, 2010 and the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007; and consolidated financial data of the Successor as of and for the year ended December 31, 2011 and the seven months ended December 31, 2010. See the accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and “Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for information regarding the acquisition of the Company by an affiliate of OHCP and the Company’s debt refinancing as well as other acquisitions that affect comparability.

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Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation.

The following discussion provides information which management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of the Company’s operations and financial condition. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes and schedules thereto appearing elsewhere herein.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain disclosures related to acquisitions, refinancing, capital expenditures, resolution of pending litigation and realization of deferred tax assets contained in this annual report involve substantial risks and uncertainties and may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” “project” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions.

These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on management’s current expectations, assumptions and projections about future events. Although management believes that the expectations, assumptions and projections on which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, they nonetheless could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those expectations, assumptions and projections also could be inaccurate. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Instead, forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause the Company’s strategy, planning, actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any strategy, planning, future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated as a result of a number of factors, including the risks and uncertainties discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” set forth in Item 1A of this annual report. Given these uncertainties, current or prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements included in this annual report; they should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other individual. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this annual report might not occur or be materially different from those discussed.

General

Hillman is one of the largest providers of hardware-related products and related merchandising services to retail markets in North America. The Company’s principal business is operated through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Hillman Group, Inc. (the “Hillman Group”) which had net sales of approximately $506.5 million in 2011. The Hillman Group sells its products to hardware stores, home centers, mass merchants, pet supply stores, and other retail outlets principally in the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. Product lines include thousands of small parts such as fasteners and related hardware items; threaded rod and metal shapes; keys, key duplication systems and accessories; builder’s hardware; and identification items, such as tags and letters, numbers, and signs. The Company supports its product sales with value added services including design and installation of merchandising systems and maintenance of appropriate in-store inventory levels.

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Merger Transaction

On May 28, 2010, Hillman was acquired by affiliates of OHCP and certain members of Hillman’s management and Board of Directors. Pursuant to the terms and conditions of an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of April 21, 2010, the Company was merged with an affiliate of OHCP with the Company surviving the Merger Transaction. As a result of the Merger Transaction, Hillman is a wholly-owned subsidiary of OHCP HM Acquisition Corp. (“Holdco”). The total consideration paid in the Merger Transaction was $832.7 million which includes $11.5 million for the Quick Tag license and related patents, repayment of outstanding debt and the net value of the Company’s outstanding junior subordinated debentures ($105.4 million liquidation value, net of $3.3 million in trust common securities, at the time of the merger).

Prior to the Merger Transaction, affiliates of CHS owned 49.3% of the Company’s outstanding common stock and 54.6% of the Company’s voting common stock, OTPP owned 28.0% of the Company’s outstanding common stock and 31.0% of the Company’s voting common stock and HarbourVest Partners VI owned 8.7% of the Company’s outstanding common stock and 9.7% of the Company’s voting common stock. Certain current and former members of management owned 13.7% of the Company’s outstanding common stock and 4.4% of the Company’s voting common stock. Other investors owned 0.3% of the Company’s common stock and 0.3% of the Company’s voting common stock.

Financing Arrangements

On May 28, 2010, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries closed on a $320.0 million senior secured first lien credit facility (the “Senior Facilities”), consisting of a $290.0 million term loan and a $30.0 million revolving credit facility (“Revolver”). The term loan portion of the Senior Facilities has a six year term and the Revolver has a five year term. The Senior Facilities provide borrowings at interest rates based on a EuroDollar rate plus a margin of 3.75% (the “EuroDollar Margin”), or a base rate (the “Base Rate”) plus a margin of 2.75% (the “Base Rate Margin”). The EuroDollar rate is subject to a minimum floor of 1.75% and the Base Rate is subject to a minimum floor of 2.75%.

Concurrently with the acquisition of the Company on May 28, 2010, Hillman Group issued $150.0 million aggregate principal amount of its senior notes due 2018 (the “10.875% Senior Notes”). On March 16, 2011, Hillman Group completed an offering of $50.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 10.875% Senior Notes. Hillman Group received a premium of $4.625 million on the $50.0 million 10.875% Senior Notes offering. The 10.875% Senior Notes are guaranteed by Hillman Companies, Hillman Investment Company and all of the domestic subsidiaries of Hillman Group. Hillman Group pays interest on the 10.875% Senior Notes semi-annually on June 1 and December 1 of each year.

The Senior Facilities contain financial and operating covenants. These covenants require the Company to maintain certain financial ratios, including a leverage ratio. These debt agreements provide for customary events of default, including, but not limited to, payment defaults, breach of representations or covenants, cross-defaults, bankruptcy events, failure to pay judgments, attachment of its assets, change of control and the issuance of an order of dissolution. Certain of these events of default are subject to notice and cure periods or materiality thresholds. The occurrence of an event of default permits the lenders under the Senior Facilities to accelerate repayment of all amounts due.

The Company pays interest to the Trust on the Junior Subordinated Debentures underlying the Trust Preferred Securities at the rate of 11.6% per annum on their face amount of $105.4 million, or $12.2 million per annum in the aggregate. The Trust distributes an equivalent amount to the holders of the Trust Preferred Securities. In order to retain capital, the Company’s Board of Directors determined to temporarily defer interest payments on the Junior Subordinated Debentures and the Trust determined to defer the payment of cash distributions to holders of Trust Preferred Securities beginning with the January 2009 distribution. The Company’s decision to defer the payment of interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures was designed to ensure that the Company preserve cash and maintain its compliance with the financial covenants contained in its Senior Credit

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and Subordinated Debt Agreements. Pursuant to the Indenture that governs the Trust Preferred Securities, the Trust is able to defer distribution payments to holders of the Trust Preferred Securities for a period that cannot exceed 60 months (the “Deferral Period”). During the Deferral Period, the Company is required to accrue the full amount of all interest payable, and such deferred interest payable was immediately payable by the Company at the end of the Deferral Period. On July 31, 2009, the Company ended the Deferral Period and the Trust resumed monthly distributions and paid all deferred distributions to holders of the Trust Preferred Securities.

Effective April 18, 2011, the Company completed an amendment to the credit agreement governing its Senior Facilities. The Senior Facilities amendment eliminated the total leverage and interest coverage covenants and reduced the secured leverage covenant to 4.75x with no future step downs. The term loan pricing was modified to reduce the Eurodollar Margin and the Base Rate Margin by 25 basis points and reduce the floor on Eurodollar and Base Rate Loans by an additional 25 basis points. In connection with the amendment to the credit agreement, the Company incurred loan discount costs of $1.25 million. As the modification of the Senior Facilities agreement was not substantial, the unamortized loan discount and debt issuance costs will be amortized over the term of the amended Senior Facilities. The Company was in compliance with all provisions and covenants of the amended Senior Facilities as of December 31, 2011.

Effective November 4, 2011, the Company entered into a Joinder Agreement to its credit agreement under the existing Senior Facilities (the “Incremental Facility”). The Incremental Facility increased the aggregate term loan commitments available to Hillman Group under the Senior Facilities by $30 million. In connection with the Incremental Facility, the Company incurred loan discount costs of $0.75 million. As the modification of the Senior Facilities agreement was not substantial, the unamortized loan discount costs will be amortized over the term of the amended Senior Facilities. The aggregate principal amount of commitments under the Senior Facilities, after giving effect to the Incremental Facility, is $350 million. The Company used the proceeds for general corporate purposes.

On June 24, 2010, the Company entered into a forward Interest Rate Swap Agreement (“2010 Swap”) with a two-year term for a notional amount of $115.0 million. The effective date of the 2010 Swap was May 31, 2011 and its termination date is May 31, 2013. The 2010 Swap fixes the interest rate at 2.47% plus the applicable interest rate margin.

The 2010 Swap was initially designated as a cash flow hedge. Effective April 18, 2011, the Company executed the second amendment to the credit agreement which modified the interest rate on the Senior Facilities. The critical terms for the 2010 Swap no longer matched the terms of the amended Senior Facilities and the 2010 Swap was de-designated.

Acquisitions

On December 29, 2010, the Hillman Group entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) by and among Serv-A-Lite Products, Inc. (“Servalite”), Thomas Rowe, Mary Jennifer Rowe, and the Hillman Group, whereby the Hillman Group acquired all of the equity interest of Servalite. The aggregate purchase price was $21.3 million paid in cash at closing. Servalite has a broad offering of fasteners and ‘hard to find’ parts which are sold primarily into the retail hardware market. Servalite’s breadth of product in specialty fasteners and electrical parts strengthens Hillman’s position of providing value-added products and services to hardware retailers. On March 31, 2011, Servalite was merged with and into Hillman Group, with Hillman Group as the surviving entity.

On March 16, 2011, Hillman Group completed the TagWorks Acquisition for an initial purchase price of approximately $40.0 million in cash. In addition, subject to fulfillment of certain conditions, Hillman Group paid additional consideration of $12.5 million to the sellers of TagWorks on October 31, 2011, and will pay an additional earn-out payment of $12.5 million in 2012. In conjunction with this agreement, Hillman Group entered into an agreement with KeyWorks, a company affiliated with TagWorks, to assign its patent-pending retail key program technology to Hillman Group. The closing of the TagWorks Acquisition occurred concurrently with the closing of the new notes offering. Effective December 31, 2011, TagWorks was merged with and into Hillman Group, with Hillman Group as the surviving entity.

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On December 1, 2011, the Hillman Group purchased certain assets of Micasa, a Miami, Florida based producer of the Ook brand of picture hangers and related products pursuant to the Ook Acquisition. The initial purchase price of the Ook Acquisition was approximately $15.3 million paid in cash at closing. The closing purchase price is subject to post closing adjustments for certain changes in the working capital obtained in the Ook Acquisition as provided in the purchase agreement.

In addition, subject to fulfillment of certain conditions provided in the purchase agreement, Hillman Group will pay Micasa an additional undiscounted contingent consideration of up to $6.0 million in March 2013. The March 2013 additional consideration is contingent on achieving a defined earnings target.

Product Revenues

The following is revenue based on products for the Company’s significant product categories (in thousands):

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Results of Operations

Sales and Profitability for the year ended December 31, 2011, the seven months ended December 31, 2010 and the five months ended May 28, 2010:

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Current Economic Conditions

The U.S. economy has undergone a period of recession and the future economic environment may continue to be less favorable than that of recent years prior to this period of recession. This slowdown has reduced the annual level of consumer and business spending, including the spending by our customers. In addition, the less favorable economic conditions of recent years, including decreased access to credit, may result in financial difficulties leading to restructurings, bankruptcies, liquidations and other unfavorable events for our customers, suppliers and other service providers. If such conditions continue or further deteriorate in 2012 or through fiscal 2013, our industry, business and results of operations may be severely impacted.

The Company’s business is impacted by general economic conditions in the U.S. and international markets, particularly the U.S. retail markets including hardware stores, home centers, mass merchants, and other retailers. In recent quarters, operations have been negatively impacted by the general downturn in the U.S. economy, including higher unemployment figures, and the contraction of the retail market. Recently, there have been certain signs of improvement in economic activity, however, conditions are not expected to improve significantly in the near term. While recent economic growth reports are good news, there still exists concern about downside risk to future growth and the high unemployment rate. These factors may have the effect of reducing consumer spending which could adversely affect our results of operations during the next year.

The Company is sensitive to inflation or deflation present in the economies of the United States and foreign suppliers located primarily in Taiwan and China. In the second half of 2008 and during the first half of 2009, national and international economic difficulties began a reversal of the trend of rising costs for our products and commodities used in the manufacture of our products, including a decrease in the cost of oil and diesel fuel. During the second half of 2009 and throughout most of 2010 and 2011, the Company has seen an end to decreasing costs and, in certain instances, moderate increases in the costs for our products and the most critical commodities used in the manufacture of our products. Additionally, unfavorable exchange rate fluctuations have increased the costs for many of our products. The Company took pricing action in the first half of 2011 in an attempt to offset a portion of the product cost increases. While inflation and resulting cost increases over a period of years would result in significant increases in inventory costs and operating expenses, the opposite is true when exposed to a prolonged period of cost decreases. The ability of the Company’s operating divisions to institute price increases and seek price concessions, as appropriate, is dependent on competitive market conditions.

Successor Year Ended December 31, 2011 vs Predecessor Five Month Period of January 1 – May 28, 2010

Revenues

Successor net sales for the year ended December 31, 2011 (“2011 twelve month period”) were $506.5 million, or $2.03 million per shipping day. The net sales for the Predecessor period of January 1 – May 28, 2010 (the “2010 five month period”) were $185.7 million, or $1.77 million per shipping day. The increase in revenues of $320.8 million was directly attributable to comparing operating results of 249 shipping days in the 2011 twelve month period compared to operating results from 105 shipping days in the 2010 five month period. The sales per shipping day of $2.03 million in the 2011 twelve month period were approximately 14.7% higher than the sales per shipping day of $1.77 million in the 2010 five month period. The increase in sales per day for the 2011 twelve month period was the result of including the incremental sales from the acquisitions of Servalite, TagWorks, and Ook together with higher seasonal sales per day during the June through December period in the twelve months of 2011 compared to the average sales per day for the January to May 2010 period.

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Expenses

Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2011 were $214.7 million compared to $104.6 million for the period of January 1 – May 28, 2010. The increase in operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2011 is primarily due to the longer 249 day ship period for the year of 2011 compared to the 105 day ship period in the 2010 five month period The following changes in underlying trends also impacted the change in operating expenses:

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Successor Year Ended December 31, 2011 vs Successor Seven Month Period of May 28 to December 31, 2010

Revenues

Net sales for the Successor period of May 28 – December 31, 2010 (the “2010 seven month period”) were $276.7 million, or $1.92 million per shipping day, compared to net sales for the year ended December 31, 2011 of $506.5 million, or $2.03 million per shipping day. The increase in revenues of $229.8 million for the 2011 twelve month period was directly attributable to comparing operating results of 249 shipping days in 2011 to the results from 144 shipping days in the 2010 seven month period. The increase in sales per day for the 2011 twelve month period was the result of including the incremental sales from the acquisitions of Servalite, TagWorks, and Ook which were partially offset by the high seasonal sales per day during the June through December period in the seven months of 2010 compared to the average sales per day for the January to December 2011 period.

Expenses

Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2011 were $214.7 million compared to $123.6 million for the period of May 28 – December 31, 2010. The increase in operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2011 is primarily due to the longer 249 day ship period for the year of 2011 compared to the 144 day ship period in the 2010 seven month period The following changes in underlying trends also impacted the change in operating expenses:

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Results of Operations (continued)

Sales and Profitability for the seven months ended December 31, 2010, five months ended May 28, 2010 and the year ended December 31, 2009:

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Predecessor Five Month Period of January 1 – May 28, 2010 vs Predecessor Period of the Year Ended December 31, 2009

Revenues

Net sales for the Predecessor period of January 1 – May 28, 2010 (the “2010 five month period”) were $185.7 million, or $1.77 million per shipping day, compared to net sales for the year ended December 31, 2009 of $458.2 million, or $1.84 million per shipping day. The decrease in revenues of $272.5 million was directly attributable to comparing operating results of 105 shipping days in the 2010 five month period to the results from 249 shipping days in 2009. The sales per shipping day of $1.77 million in the 2010 five month period were approximately 3.8% lower than the sales per shipping day of $1.84 million in the 2009. The decrease in sales per day for the 2010 five month period was the result of higher seasonal sales per day during the June through December period included in the twelve months of 2009 as compared to the average sales per day for the January to May 2010 period.

Expenses

Operating expenses for the period of January 1 – May 28, 2010 were $104.6 million compared to $184.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2009. The decrease in operating expenses is primarily due to the shorter 105 day ship period in the 2010 five month period which provided certain favorable operating expense variances as compared to the 249 day ship period for the year of 2009. The following changes in underlying trends also impacted the change in operating expenses:

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Successor Seven Month Period of May 28 to December 31, 2010 vs Predecessor Period of the Year Ended December 31, 2009

Revenues

Net sales for the Successor period of May 28 – December 31, 2010 (the “2010 seven month period”) were $276.7 million, or $1.92 million per shipping day, compared to net sales for the year ended December 31, 2009 of $458.2 million, or $1.84 million per shipping day. The decrease in revenues of $181.5 million was directly attributable to comparing operating results of 144 shipping days in the 2010 seven month period to the results from 249 shipping days in 2009. However, the sales per shipping day of $1.92 million in the 2010 seven month period were approximately 4.3% higher than the sales per shipping day of $1.84 million in the year ended December 31, 2009. The increase in sales per day for the 2010 seven month period was the result of higher seasonal sales per day during the June through December period as compared to the average sales per day for the January through December period of 2009.

Expenses

Operating expenses for the 2010 seven month period ended December 31, 2010 were $123.6 million compared to $184.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2009. The decrease in operating expenses is primarily due to the 144 day shipping period in the 2010 seven month period as compared to the 249 day shipping period in the twelve months of 2009. The following changes in underlying trends also impacted the change in operating expenses:

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Income Taxes

Successor Year Ended December 31, 2011, Successor Seven Month Period Ended December 31, 2010, and Predecessor Five Month Period Ended May 28, 2010

The effective income tax rates were 32.4% for the twelve month successor period ended December 31, 2011, 28.0% for the seven month successor period ended December 31, 2010, and 8.9% for the five month predecessor period ended May 28, 2010. The change in the effective income tax rate differed from the federal statutory rate in the twelve month successor period ended December 31, 2011 and in the seven month successor period ended December 31, 2010 primarily due to the increase in the valuation reserve recorded against certain deferred tax assets in addition to the effect of state rates. The change in the effective income tax rate differed from the federal statutory rate in the five month predecessor period ended May 28, 2010 primarily due to the effect of nondeductible interest on mandatorily redeemable preferred stock and nondeductible stock based compensation expense in addition to the effect of state rates. See Note 6, Income Taxes, of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for income taxes and disclosures related to 2011 and 2010 income tax events.

Successor Seven Month Period Ended December 31, 2010, Predecessor Five Month Period Ended May 28, 2010 and Predecessor Year Ended December 31, 2009

The effective income tax rates were 28.0% for the seven month successor period ended December 31, 2010, 8.9% for the five month predecessor period ended May 28, 2010 and 113.6% for the twelve month predecessor period ended December 31, 2009. The change in effective income tax rate differed from the federal statutory rate in the seven month successor period ended December 31, 2010 primarily due to the increase in the valuation reserve recorded against certain deferred tax assets in addition to the effect of state rates. The change in the effective income tax rate differed from the federal statutory rate in the five month predecessor period ended May 28, 2010 and the twelve month predecessor period ended December 31, 2009 primarily due to the effect of nondeductible interest on mandatorily redeemable preferred stock and nondeductible stock based compensation expense in addition to the effect of state rates. See Note 6, Income Taxes, of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for income taxes and disclosures related to 2010 and 2009 income tax events.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash Flows

The statements of cash flows reflect the changes in cash and cash equivalents for the year ended December 31, 2011 (Successor), the seven months ended December 31, 2010 (Successor), the five months ended May 28, 2010 (Predecessor) and the year ended December 31, 2009 (Predecessor) by classifying transactions into three major categories: operating, investing and financing activities. The cash flows from the Merger Transaction are separately discussed below.

Merger Transaction

In connection with the Merger Transaction, the Company issued common stock for $308.6 million in cash. Proceeds from borrowings under the Senior Facilities provided an additional $290.6 million and proceeds from the 10.875% Senior Notes provided $150.0 million, less aggregate financing fees of $15.7 million. The debt and equity proceeds were used to repay the existing senior and subordinated debt and accrued interest thereon of $199.1 million, to repurchase the existing shareholders’ common equity, preferred equity and stock options of $506.4 million, and to purchase the Quick Tag license for $11.5 million. The remaining proceeds were used to pay transaction expenses of $16.4 million and prepaid expenses of $0.1 million.

Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2011 of $24.2 million was generated by the net loss of $9.8 million adjusted for non-cash charges of $40.7 million for depreciation, amortization, dispositions of equipment, deferred taxes, deferred financing, and other non-cash interest which was partially offset by cash related adjustments of $6.7 million for routine operating activities represented by changes in inventories, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other assets. In 2011, routine operating activities used cash for an increase in inventories of $2.2 million, accounts receivable of $4.4 million and other assets of $3.3 million. Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other items accounted for the remaining $3.2 million increase of cash provided by operating activities.

Excluding $17.5 million in cash used for the Merger Transaction, net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2010 of $28.2 million was the result of the net loss adjusted for non-cash charges of $25.0 million for depreciation, amortization, deferred taxes, deferred financing, stock-based compensation and interest on mandatorily redeemable preferred stock and management purchased options in addition to cash related adjustments of $3.2 million for routine operating activities represented by changes in inventories, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other assets. In 2010, routine operating activities provided cash through an increase in accounts payable of $8.9 million and accrued liabilities of $8.2 million. This was partially offset by an increase in accounts receivable of $2.1 million, inventories of $8.7 million and other of $3.1 million.

Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2009 of $72.0 million was generated by the net loss adjusted for non-cash charges of $55.1 million for depreciation, amortization, dispositions of equipment, deferred taxes, deferred financing, stock-based compensation and interest on mandatorily redeemable preferred stock which was in addition to cash related adjustments of $18.1 million for routine operating activities represented by changes in inventories, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other assets. In 2009, routine operating activities provided cash through a decrease in inventories of $18.3 million, accounts receivable of $1.6 million, other assets of $1.0 million and an increase in accrued liabilities of $3.6 million. Accounts payable accounted for the remaining $6.2 million decrease of cash provided by operating activities. The large decrease in inventories resulted from product cost reductions and the implementation of new inventory management processes which reduced the inventory requirements.

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Investing Activities

Net cash used for investing activities was $73.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The Company used $40.3 million for the TagWorks Acquisition and $15.3 million for the Ook Acquisition. Capital expenditures for the year totaled $17.9 million, consisting of $8.8 million for key duplicating machines, $4.5 million for engraving machines, $3.4 million for computer software and equipment and $1.2 million for plant equipment and other equipment purchases.

The Company used cash of $11.5 million from the Merger Transaction to purchase the licensing rights and related patents for the Quick Tag business. Excluding the $11.5 million used for the Quick Tag acquisition, net cash used for investing activities was $37.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2010. The Company used $21.3 million for the acquisition of Servalite and $1.3 million to purchase the licensing rights for the Laser Key business. Capital expenditures for the year totaled $15.1 million, consisting of $9.1 million for key duplicating machines, $1.7 million for engraving machines, and $4.3 million for computer software and equipment.

Net cash used for investing activities was $13.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2009. Capital expenditures for the year totaled $13.0 million, consisting of $7.4 million for key duplicating machines, $0.5 million for engraving machines, $3.8 million for computer software and equipment and $1.3 million for plant equipment and other equipment purchases.

Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities was $53.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The borrowings on senior notes and senior term loans provided $81.3 million, net of financing fees, which was used primarily for the acquisitions discussed in investing activities and other Company purposes. During 2011, the Company used cash to make payments of $12.5 million for additional acquisition consideration, $12.0 million on the revolving credit loans and $3.0 million for principal payments on the senior term loans.

Excluding $29.0 million in cash provided by borrowings related to the Merger Transaction, net cash used for financing activities was $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2010. The net cash used was primarily related to the principal payments on the senior term loans of $11.0 million and further payments of $0.6 million on the revolving credit facility and $0.5 million on capitalized lease obligations which were offset by new borrowings on the revolving credit facility of $12.0 million.

Net cash used for financing activities was $49.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2009. The net cash used was primarily related to the principal payments of $45.0 million on the senior term loan.

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Liquidity

Management believes projected cash flows from operations and revolver availability will be sufficient to fund working capital and capital expenditure needs for the next 12 months.

The Company’s working capital (current assets minus current liabilities) position of $123.2 million as of December 31, 2011, represents an increase of $2.8 million from the December 31, 2010 level of $120.4 million as follows:

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Contractual Obligations

The Company’s contractual obligations in thousands of dollars as of December 31, 2011 are summarized below:

The Company has a purchase agreement with its supplier of key blanks which requires minimum purchases of 100 million key blanks per year. To the extent minimum purchases of key blanks are below 100 million, the Company must pay the supplier $.0035 per key multiplied by the shortfall. Since the inception of the contract in 1998, the Company has purchased more than requisite 100 million key blanks per year from the supplier. The Company extended this contract in 2009 for an additional four years.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Borrowings

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had $25.5 million available under its secured credit facilities. The Company had approximately $315.7 million of outstanding debt under its secured credit facilities at December 31, 2011, consisting of $315.6 million in term loans and $0.1 million in capitalized lease obligations. The term loans consisted of $315.6 million in Term B-2 Loans at a three (3) month LIBOR rate plus margin of 5.0%. The capitalized lease obligations were at various interest rates.

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At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company borrowings were as follows:

On May 28, 2010, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries closed the Senior Facilities, consisting of a $290 million term loan and a $30 million Revolver. The term loan portion of the Senior Facilities has a six year term and the Revolver has a five year term. The Senior Facilities provide borrowings at interest rates based on a EuroDollar rate plus a margin of 3.75%, or a base rate plus a margin of 2.75%. The EuroDollar rate is subject to a minimum floor of 1.75% and the Base Rate is subject to a minimum floor of 2.75%.

Concurrently with the acquisition of the Company on May 28, 2010, Hillman Group issued $150 million aggregate principal amount of its 10.875% Senior Notes. On March 16, 2011, Hillman Group completed an offering of $50 million aggregate principal amount of its 10.875% Senior Notes. Hillman Group received a premium of $4.625 million on the $50.0 million 10.875% Senior Notes offering. The 10.875% Senior Notes are guaranteed by Hillman Companies, Hillman Investment Company and all of the domestic subsidiaries of Hillman Group. Hillman Group pays interest on the 10.875% Senior Notes semi-annually on June 1 and December 1 of each year.

Effective April 18, 2011, the Company completed an amendment to the credit agreement governing its Senior Facilities. The Senior Facilities amendment eliminated the total leverage and interest coverage covenants and reduced the secured leverage covenant to 4.75x with no future step downs. The term loan pricing was modified to reduce the Eurodollar Margin and the Base Rate Margin by 25 basis points and reduce the floor on Eurodollar and Base Rate Loans by an additional 25 basis points. In connection with the amendment to the credit agreement, the Company incurred loan discount costs of $1.25 million. As the modification of the Senior Facilities agreement was not substantial, the unamortized loan discount and debt issuance costs will be amortized over the term of the amended Senior Facilities.

Effective November 4, 2011, the Company entered into a Joinder Agreement to its credit agreement under the existing Senior Facilities (the “Incremental Facility”). The Incremental Facility increased the aggregate term loan commitments available to Hillman Group under the Senior Facilities by $30 million. In connection with the Incremental Facility, the Company incurred loan discount costs of $0.75 million. As the modification of the Senior Facilities agreement was not substantial, the unamortized loan discount costs will be amortized over the term of the amended Senior Facilities. The aggregate principal amount of commitments under the Senior Facilities, after giving effect to the Incremental Facility, is $350 million. The Company used the proceeds for general corporate purposes.

Prior to the consummation of the Merger Transaction, the Company, through Hillman Group, was party to the Old Credit Agreement, consisting of a $20.0 million revolving credit line and a $235.0 million term loan. The facilities under the Old Credit Agreement had a

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maturity date of March 31, 2012. In addition, the Company, through Hillman Group, had issued $49.8 million in aggregate principal amount of unsecured subordinated notes to a group of investors, including affiliates of AEA Investors LP, CIG & Co. and several private investors that were scheduled to mature on September 30, 2012. In connection with the Merger Agreement, both the Old Credit Agreement and the subordinated note issuance were repaid and terminated.

The Company’s Senior Facilities require the maintenance of the secured leverage ratio described above and limit the ability of the Company to incur debt, make investments, make dividend payments to holders of the Trust Preferred Securities or undertake certain other business activities. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under the credit agreement, all amounts outstanding, together with accrued interest, could be declared immediately due and payable by our lenders. Below are the calculations of the financial covenant, as amended on April 18, 2011, with the Senior Facilities requirement for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011:

Related Party Transactions

The Predecessor was obligated to pay management fees to a subsidiary of CHS in the amount of $58 thousand per month. The Predecessor was also obligated to pay transaction fees to a subsidiary of OTPP in the amount of $26 thousand per month, plus out of pocket expenses. The Successor has recorded management fee charges of $110 for the year ended December 31, 2011 and $0 for the seven month period ended December 31, 2010. The Predecessor has recorded aggregate management and transaction fee charges and expenses from CHS and OTPP of $438 thousand for the five month period ended May 28, 2010. The Predecessor also recorded aggregate management and transaction fee charges and expenses from CHS and OTPP of $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2009.

Gregory Mann and Gabrielle Mann are employed by the All Points subsidiary of Hillman. All Points leases an industrial warehouse and office facility from companies under the control of the Manns’. The Predecessor and Successor have recorded rental expense for the lease of this facility on an arm’s length basis. The Successor recorded rental expense for the lease of this facility in the amount of $311 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2011 and $181 thousand for the seven month period ended December 31, 2010. The Predecessor recorded rental expense for the lease of this facility in the amount of $130 thousand for the five month period ended May 28, 2010 and $311 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2009.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The Company’s accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. As disclosed in that note, the preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Future events cannot be predicted with certainty and, therefore, actual results could differ from those estimates. The following section describes the Company’s critical accounting policies.

Revenue Recognition:

Revenue is recognized when products are shipped or delivered to customers depending upon when title and risks of ownership have passed and the collection of the relevant receivables is probable, persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists and the sales price is fixed or determinable. Sales tax collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are accounted for on a net basis and therefore excluded from revenues in the consolidated statements of operations.

The Company offers a variety of sales incentives to its customers primarily in the form of discounts, rebates and slotting fees. Discounts are recognized in the financial statements at the date of the related sale. Rebates are estimated based on the revenue to date and the contractual rebate percentage to be paid. A portion of the estimated cost of the rebate is allocated to each underlying sales transaction. Slotting fees are used on an infrequent basis and are not considered to be significant. Discounts, rebates and slotting fees are included in the determination of net sales.

The Company also establishes reserves for customer returns and allowances. The reserve is established based on historical rates of returns and allowances. The reserve is adjusted quarterly based on actual experience. Returns and allowances are included in the determination of net sales.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts:

The Company establishes the allowance for doubtful accounts using the specific identification method and also provides a reserve in the aggregate. The estimates for calculating the aggregate reserve are based on historical information. Increases to the allowance for doubtful accounts result in a corresponding expense. The Company writes off individual accounts receivable accounts when they become uncollectible. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $641 thousand and $520 thousand as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Inventory Realization:

Inventories consisting predominantly of finished goods are valued at the lower of cost or market, cost being determined principally on the weighted average cost method. Excess and obsolete inventories are carried at net realizable value. The historical usage rate is the primary factor used by the Company in assessing the net realizable value of excess and obsolete inventory. A reduction in the carrying value of an inventory item from cost to market is recorded for inventory with no usage in the preceding twenty-four month period or with on-hand quantities in excess of twenty-four months average usage. The inventory reserve amounts were $7.4 million and $11.0 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets:

Goodwill represents the excess purchase cost over the fair value of net assets of companies acquired in business combinations. Goodwill is an indefinite lived asset and is tested for impairment at least annually or more frequently if a triggering event occurs. If the carrying amount of goodwill is greater than the fair value, impairment may be present. In connection with the Merger Transaction, an independent appraiser assessed the value of its

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goodwill based on a discounted cash flow model and multiple of earnings. Assumptions critical to the Company’s fair value estimates under the discounted cash flow model include the discount rate, projected average revenue growth and projected long-term growth rates in the determination of terminal values.

The Company also evaluates indefinite-lived intangible assets (primarily trademarks and trade names) for impairment annually. The Company tests intangible assets for impairment if events and circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset is below its carrying amount. In connection with the Merger Transaction, an independent appraiser assessed the value of its intangible assets based on a relief from royalties, excess earnings, and lost profits discounted cash flow model. Assumptions critical to the Company’s evaluation of indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment include the discount rate, royalty rates used in its evaluation of trade names, projected average revenue growth, and projected long-term growth rates in the determination of terminal values. An impairment charge is recorded if the carrying amount of an indefinite-lived intangible asset exceeds the estimated fair value on the measurement date.

The Company’s annual impairment test is performed for the reporting units as of October 1. The estimated fair value of each reporting unit subject to the impairment test exceeded its carrying cost. The October 1 goodwill and intangible impairment test data aligns the impairment test with the preparation of the Company’s annual strategic plan and allows additional time for a more thorough analysis by the Company’s independent appraiser. No impairment charges were recorded by the Company as a result of the annual impairment testing.

Long-Lived Assets:

The Company evaluates its long-lived assets for financial impairment and will continue to evaluate them based on the estimated undiscounted future cash flows as events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be fully recoverable. No impairment charges were recognized for long-lived assets in the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010.

Income Taxes:

Deferred income taxes are computed using the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recognized for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and income tax basis of assets and liabilities, based on enacted tax laws and statutory tax rates applicable to the periods in which the temporary differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are provided for tax benefits where it is more likely than not that certain tax benefits will not be realized. Adjustments to valuation allowances are recorded for changes in utilization of the tax related item. For additional information, see Note 6, Income Taxes, of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Risk Insurance Reserves:

The Company self-insures its product liability, automotive, workers’ compensation and general liability losses up to $250 thousand per occurrence. Catastrophic coverage has been purchased from third party insurers for occurrences in excess of $250 thousand up to $40 million. The two risk areas involving the most significant accounting estimates are workers’ compensation and automotive liability. Actuarial valuations performed by the Company’s outside risk insurance expert were used to form the basis for workers’ compensation and automotive liability loss reserves. The actuary contemplated the Company’s specific loss history, actual claims reported, and industry trends among statistical and other factors to estimate the range of reserves required. Risk insurance reserves are comprised of specific reserves for individual claims and additional amounts expected for development of these claims, as well as for incurred but not yet reported claims. The Company believes the liability recorded for such risk insurance reserves is adequate as of December 31, 2011, but due to judgments inherent in the reserve estimation process, it is possible the ultimate costs will differ materially from this estimate.

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The Company self-insures its group health claims up to an annual stop loss limit of $200 thousand per participant. Aggregate coverage is maintained for annual group health insurance claims in excess of 125% of expected claims. Historical group insurance loss experience forms the basis for the recognition of group health insurance reserves. The Company believes the liability recorded for such insurance reserves is adequate as of December 31, 2011, but due to judgments inherent in the reserve estimation process, it is possible the ultimate costs will differ materially from this estimate.

Common Stock:

After consummation of the Merger Transaction, Hillman has one class of Common Stock. All outstanding shares of Hillman common stock are owned by Holdco. Under the terms of the Stockholders Agreement for the Holdco Common Stock, management shareholders have the ability to put their shares back to Holdco under certain conditions, including death or disability. Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 480-10-S99 requires shares to be classified outside of permanent equity if they can be redeemed and the redemption is not solely within control of the issuer. Further, if it is determined that redemption of the shares is probable, the shares are marked to redemption value, which equals fair value, at each balance sheet date with the change in value recorded in additional paid-in capital. The 198.3 shares of common stock held by management are recorded outside permanent equity and were adjusted to the fair value of $12,247 as of December 31, 2011 and 2010.

The fair value of the management owned common stock is determined by the Board of Directors using an enterprise basis and taking into account all relevant market factors.

The fair value of the Successor Common Stock and Predecessor Class A Common Stock and the Class B Common Stock have been calculated at each balance sheet date by estimating the enterprise value of the Company less the redemption value of all obligations payable in preference to the common stock. These obligations include the long term debt, senior notes, bank revolving credit and the Trust Preferred Securities. In addition, the Predecessor obligations included the Class A Preferred stock and options issued thereon, the Hillman Investment Company Class A Preferred Stock and options issued thereon. The remainder is divided by the fully diluted common shares outstanding to arrive at a fair value per common share outstanding.

The enterprise value of the Company is determined based on the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization adjusted for management fees, stock compensation costs, and other acquisition and integration related general and administrative costs (“Adjusted EBITDA”) for the most recent twelve month period multiplied by a valuation multiple. As of December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, the Company has applied valuation multiples of 9.78x, 9.83x, and 8.00x, respectively, to trailing twelve months Adjusted EBITDA in determining enterprise value. Management periodically reviews the appropriateness of this multiple and notes that it is consistent with comparable distribution companies.

A change of 0.1 in the valuation multiple used to calculate the enterprise value adjusts the per share fair value of the Successor Common Stock by $26.85.

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