8-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)    January 3, 2006

MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

New York	1-14130	11-3289165
(State or other jurisdiction	(Commission	(I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation)	File Number)	Identification No.)
75 Maxess Road, Melville, New York		11747
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code    (516) 812-2000

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

oWritten communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

oSoliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

oPre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

oPre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13a-4(c))

ITEM 8.01 OTHER EVENTS.

On January 4, 2006, the Registrant issued a press release announcing the declaration of a cash dividend on the common stock of the Registrant. The entire text of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.

ITEM 9.01. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

Exhibit: 99.1 MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. Press Release, dated January 4, 2006.

2

Signature

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc.
Date: January 4, 2006	By:	/s/ Shelley M. Boxer
	Name: Shelley M. Boxer
	Title: Vice President, Finance

3

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Contact:

Shelley Boxer, V.P. Finance

MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc.

(516) 812-1216

Investor Relations: Eric Boyriven/Jim Olecki

Press: Scot Hoffman

Financial Dynamics

(212) 850-5600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO., INC. DECLARES
INCREASED REGULAR QUARTERLY DIVIDEND

Melville, NY, January 4, 2006 - MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO., INC. (NYSE: MSM), “MSC,” one of the premier distributors of MRO supplies to industrial customers throughout the United States,announced that its Board of Directors has declared its regular quarterly cash dividend.  The Board has also approved an increase in the regular quarterly cash dividend to $0.14 per share from $0.12 per share previously.  The $0.14 dividend is payable on January 24, 2006 to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 17, 2006.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE: MSM) is one of the premier distributors of MRO supplies to industrial customers throughout the United States.  MSC distributes more than 500,000 industrial products from approximately 2,100 suppliers to approximately 342,000 customers.  In-stock availability is approximately 99% and standard ground delivery is next day to 80% of the industrial United States.  MSC reaches its customers through a combination of more than 28 million direct-mail catalogs, approximately 91 branch sales offices, approximately 500 sales people, the Internet and associations with some of the world’s most prominent B2B e-commerce portals.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995.  Statements in this Press Release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  Any statements contained herein which are not statements of historical facts and that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future shall be deemed to be forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which cannot be predicted with accuracy and some of which might not even be anticipated.  Future events, actual results and performance, financial and otherwise, could differ materially from those set forth in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements herein. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.  The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.  The inclusion of any statement in this release does not constitute an admission by MSC or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.  Factors that could cause actual results to differ

- MORE -

materially from those in forward-looking statements include, without limitation, changing customer and product mixes, changing market conditions, industry consolidations, competition, general economic conditions in the markets in which the Company operates, rising commodity and energy prices, risk of cancellation or rescheduling of orders, work stoppages or other business interruptions (including due to extreme weather conditions) at transportation centers or shipping ports, the risk of war, terrorism and similar hostilities, dependence on the Company’s information systems and on key personnel, and various other risk factors listed from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports.

#     #     #

2