<ARTICLE>                     5
<LEGEND>
     This schedule  contains summary  financial  information  extracted from the
financial  statements of Desa Holdings  Corporation at and for the periods ended
March  1,  1997 and  November  29,  1997 and is  qualified  in its  entirety  by
reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<CIK>                         0001051362
<NAME>                        DESA HOLDINGS CORPORATION
       
                                                          
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                   YEAR             9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              MAR-1-1997   FEB-28-1998
<PERIOD-START>                                 MAR-3-1996   MAR-2-1997
<PERIOD-END>                                   MAR-1-1997   NOV-29-1997
<CASH>                                         5,058,000    201,000
<SECURITIES>                                   0            0
<RECEIVABLES>                                  13,066,000   65,586,000
<ALLOWANCES>                                   936,000      962,000
<INVENTORY>                                    15,747,000   27,133,000
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                               35,632,000   95,251,000
<PP&E>                                         30,219,000   33,909,000
<DEPRECIATION>                                 (20,137,000) (22,500,000)
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 91,984,000   157,780,000
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                          44,198,000   60,493,000
<BONDS>                                        130,600,000  240,500,000
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          0            17,600,000
<PREFERRED>                                    0            0
<COMMON>                                       254,000      127,000
<OTHER-SE>                                    (85,008,000) (159,982,000)
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                   91,984,000   157,780,000
<SALES>                                        209,105,000  193,404,000
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                               209,105,000  193,404,000
<CGS>                                          130,890,000  123,243,000
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                  130,890,000  123,243,000
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                               0            0
<LOSS-PROVISION>                               0            0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                             14,509,000   11,321,000
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                18,449,000   21,281,000
<INCOME-TAX>                                   7,733,000    8,769,000
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                            10,716,000   12,512,000
<DISCONTINUED>                                 0            0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                0            2,308,000
<CHANGES>                                      0            0
<NET-INCOME>                                   10,716,000   10,187,000
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                  0            0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                  0             0