W. W. Grainger

Grainger is America’s trusted source for MRO supplies and industrial products. W.W. Grainger, with 2008 sales of $6.9 billion, is the leading broad-line supplier of facilities maintenance products serving businesses and institutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, India and Panama. 

Through a highly integrated network including nearly 600 branches, 18 distribution centres and multiple Web sites, Grainger's employees help customers get the job done, saving them time and money by having the right products to keep their facilities running.

1927: William W. Grainger, an engineering graduate from the University of Illinois, started an electric motor wholesaling business on West Cermak Avenue in Chicago. He set up an office and incorporated his business one year later. David Grainger is the largest individual stockholder of W.W. Grainger, the industrial supply company founded by his father William W. Grainger in Chicago in 1927.

1929: William borrowed $6,000 from his wife to found the company that he named for himself, and it has never had a losing year.

1932: Sales fell below the previous year's, to $163,000--the first of only four years where sales would not increase.

1933: Grainger established its first branch in Philadelphia.

1934: Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco branches opened.

1936: Grainger had established 15 branches to improve customer service.

1937: When annual sales hit $1 million, and the company had sales offices around the country. It began merchandising selected products under the Dayton trademark, Grainger's first private label.

1938: In order to stimulate summer business, a line of air circulators and ventilating fans was designed, assembled, and offered for sale by the company.

1939: The complexity of the industry allowed Grainger to decentralize marketing efforts and strengthen its regional presence by adding an outside sales force, but the company limited it to one sales representative for every branch for the first ten years.

1942: Branches opened around the country at a brisk pace, with 24 operating by that year.

1948: A single sales representative could no longer serve an entire branch, Grainger expanded the sales force for the first time.

1949: The postwar transition also required renewed efficiency, Grainger had a branch office built to its own specifications for the first time.

1952: David Grainger joined the company and became a director of it the next year.

1953: The company creates a regional warehousing system that replenishes branch stock and fills larger orders.

1962: Sales were $43.5 million.

1966: sales nearly doubled to $80.2 million. Grainger acquired those shares of Dayton Electric Manufacturing Company that it did not already own.

1967: Privately held until March, the company finances most growth internally. That year, Grainger was listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

1968: As sales passed $100 million and the company began to sell stock to the public, William Grainger retired and was succeeded as company chief by his son David.

1972: Grainger acquired McMillan Manufacturing, another maker of electric motors.

1973: “Going from $100 million to $250 million (that year) really changed our lives,” said David Grainger, “When you reach that level, corporate officers start losing specific control The top two or three officers no longer can know everything going on everywhere.”

1975: Brands exclusive to Grainger--Dayton, Teel, Demco, Dem-Kote, and Speedaire&mdash counted for about 65 percent of the company's sales. It discontinued its McMillan Manufacturing operations.

1986: Starting the year, through acquisition and internal development, the company began building speciality distribution businesses that were intended to complement the market position held by Grainger. Doerr is sold to Emerson Electric for $24.3 million.

1989: Grainger purchased Vonnegut Industrial Products.

1990: JANI-SERV Supply was created to service the sanitary supply market. The company enters the safety-products distribution business through the acquisition of Allied Safety, Inc.

1991: The subsidiary was expanded with the purchase of Ball Industries, Inc., a distributor of sanitary and janitorial supplies based in California. Grainger published two editions of its general catalogue--the successor to MotorBook--offering more than 35,000 items.

1992: Grainger added to the line purchasing Lab Safety Supply.

1994: In addition to this streamlining, Grainger opened zone distribution centres in Dallas and Atlanta.

1995: The following year it began the same process with Allied Safety, the company's safety products subsidiary, and Bossert, finishing the integration the year. The leadership of the company left the hands of a Grainger for the first time when David Grainger, son of the founder, retired as chief executive officer.

1996: The company opened a branch in Monterrey, Mexico.

1998: It announced a materials management outsourcing agreement with Compaq Computer Corporation.

1999: Online resources gave Grainger about $160 million in sales.

2000: Monotaro was established as a joint venture between Grainger and Sumitomo. Existing customers loved the convenience that ordering through Grainger.com gave them, but OrderZone.com did not attract as many new paying customers as management had hoped it would. As a result, Grainger announced a deal with Works.com, an e-commerce business based in Texas, that would expand the corporation's internet visibility by merging OrderZone into Works.com.

2001: Grainger also announced that customers of FacilityPro would have access to the entire line of Grainger products through FacilityPro's own online market.

2009: In October, Imperial Supplies was acquired.

2011: In August, Fabory Group was acquired. Zoro Tools, Inc. and the website zoro.com were established.

2012: In April, Anfreixo was acquired.

2013: In August, E&R Industrial Sales Inc was acquired.

2015: Cromwell Group Holdings (UK) Ltd was acquired.

2018: For California Residents: Under the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), you have the right to direct a business not to “sell” your personal information.

2019: The company has grown consistently since becoming public and reported US$11.5 billion in annual sales, as of the end of the year.

2020: Grainger sold Grainger China and Netherlands-based Fabory.

“We keep the world working. As the way work gets done around the world continues to evolve, Grainger is here to serve customers like no one else can.”

“The Company delivers services and solutions, technical support and inventory management, to provide tangible value and save customers time and money.”