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):
                         March 12, 1997
                         --------------
                                
                                
                         NORTEK, INC.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
     (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
                                
                                
                                
 Delaware                        1-6112              05-0314991
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction  (Commission         (IRS Employer
  of Incorporation)           File Number)  Identification No.)



         50 Kennedy Plaza, Providence, RI  02903-2360
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
 (Address of principal executive offices)  (Zip Code)



Registrant's telephone number:  (401) 751-1600
- ----------------------------------------------------------------



                             N/A
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
 (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)




Item 5.   Other Events.
          ------------

      On March 12, 1997, Nortek, Inc. (the "Company") announced a
$175,000,000 Rule 144A 9 1/4% Senior Notes offering scheduled for
completion  on  March  17,  1997.  The  Company's  press  release
announcing  the  pricing of the 1997 offering is attached  as  an
exhibit hereto.



Item 7.   Financial Statements and Exhibits.
          ---------------------------------

     (c)  Exhibits

          1.   Press Release dated March 12, 1997.




                            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.


                                NORTEK, INC.




Dated: March 13, 1997           By:  /s/Richard J. Harris
       --------------                ----------------------------
                                     Vice President and Treasurer
                                                          


           
                                                        Exhibit 1

NORTEK NEWS
===========
Contact:  Richard L. Bready, Chairman & CEO
          Richard J. Harris, Vice President
          (401)751-1600

Release:  IMMEDIATE


          NORTEK PRICES $175,000,000 OF SENIOR NOTES
          ------------------------------------------                           
                                
PROVIDENCE, RI, March 12, 1997 -- Nortek, Inc. today announced  that
it  has  entered into an agreement to sell $175.0 million  principal
amount of 9 1/4 percent Senior Notes at a price of 99.422 percent of
face value.  The Notes will mature in March, 2007.

The  Senior Notes are being issued and sold in a private  Rule  144A
offering  to institutional investors, which is expected to close  on
March 17, 1997.  Nortek intends to use a portion of the net proceeds
from  the  transaction  to  repay  approximately  $47.2  million  of
outstanding indebtedness of the Company's subsidiaries.

"This   offering  substantially  increases  Nortek's   capital   and
flexibility",  said  Nortek's Chairman and Chief Executive  Officer,
Richard  L. Bready.  "We plan to use the additional capital to  fund
acquisitions  and  for  other general corporate  purposes  including
investment in plant and equipment."

The  Senior Notes have not been registered under the Securities  Act
of  1933,  as amended, or under the securities law of any state  and
may not be offered or sold in the United States or in any such state
absent   an   applicable  exemption  from  registration  under   the
Securities Act and any such law.

Nortek,   Inc.  (NYSE:NTK)  manufactures  and  markets  residential,
commercial and industrial building products.


                                                                 

March 13, 1997


SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
OFIS Filer Support, Mail Stop 0-7
SEC Operations Center
6432 General Green Way
Alexandria, VA 22312-2413

Ladies and Gentlemen:

      Pursuant to Rules 101(a) and 309 of Regulation S-T submitted
for  filing is a Current Report on Form 8-K of Nortek,  Inc.  (the
"Company") relating to the Company's offering of $175,000,000 Rule
144A 9 1/4% Senior Notes.

      By  copy  of this letter, three paper copies of  the  above-
referenced Form 8-K Report are simultaneously being filed with the
New York Stock Exchange.

                                   Very truly yours,


                                   /s/ Marvin H. Taylor
                                   -------------------------
                                   NORTEK, INC.
                                   Associate General Counsel



cc:  New York Stock Exchange
     20 Broad Street
     New York, NY 10005
     (w/ three copies)
Enclosures
MHT:td