W. W. Grainger

Infobox_Company
company_name = W.W. Grainger, Inc.
company_
company_type = Public (nyse|GWW)
company_slogan = "For the ones who get it done."
foundation = 1927
location = Lake Forest, Illinois
key_people = Jim Ryan, President and CEO
industry = Industrial Supply Distribution
products =
revenue = profit US$6.42 billion (2007) [http://library.corporate-ir.net/library/76/767/76754/items/283365/Chairman_Highlightsa.pdf]
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
homepage = [http://www.grainger.com www.grainger.com] |

W.W. Grainger, Inc. is a Fortune 500 industrial supply company founded in 1927 in Chicago, Illinois. Grainger's catalog includes such offerings as motors, lighting, material handling, fasteners, plumbing, tools, and safety supplies. Revenue is generally from business to business sales rather than consumer sales.

History

The company was founded by William W. Grainger in 1927 in Chicago, IL. He established the company to provide an efficient solution for customers to access a consistent supply of electric motors. The business was incorporated as W. W. Grainger, Inc. in 1928. Sales in the early days were generated primarily through mail order via post cards and a catalog. The MotorBook, as the catalog was originally called, was the basis for today's Grainger catalog.

In 1967, Grainger became a publicly traded company. Grainger is a strongly profitable corporation and has increased dividends to its shareholders for 36 consecutive years. [ [http://seekingalpha.com/article/73085-dividend-analysis-w-w-grainger-inc Dividend Analysis: W. W. Grainger, Inc. - Seeking Alpha ] ] The company has grown consistently since becoming public and has passed $1 billion in annual sales in 1984 and $5 billion in sales in 2004.

Current business

The company is currently in the midst of a massive expansion, [cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-30741820_ITM|title=Grainger expands operation in eastern U.S. to meet demand.(Grainger Industrial Supply)(Brief article)|date=May 3, 2007|work=Purchasing|accessdate=2008-10-06] [cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-15844952_ITM|title=Grainger continues branch expansion.(Grainger Industrial Supply)(Brief article)|date=July 1, 2006|work=Industrial Distribution|accessdate=2008-10-06] which includes the remodeling of existing locations as well as the company's entry into the Chinese market. Grainger is also expanding their product offering, in 2008 their new catalog featured over 183,000 products, and customers could purchase over 350,000 products on Grainger.com. This is partly primarily due to feedback from customers that Grainger should carry an even broader supply of products.

References

W.W. Grainger, Inc. supplies facilities maintenance and other related products in North America and Asia. The company operates in three segments, Branch-based Distribution, Acklands-Grainger Inc. (Canada) and Lab Safety Supply.

The Branch-based Distribution businesses include Grainger's Industrial Supply division; Grainger's Export division; Grainger's Global Sourcing division; Grainger S.A. de C.V. (Mexico); Grainger Caribe, Inc. (Puerto Rico); and Grainger China, LLC China Distribution. Grainger distributes various supplies, such as material handling, safety and security, cleaning and maintenance, pumps and plumbing, electrical, lighting, ventilation, tools, metal working, fluid power, heating and air-conditioning products, motors, and power transmissions.

Acklands - Grainger Inc. is Canada's leading broad-line distributor of industrial, fleet and safety products. Lab Safety Supply markets safety and other industrial products to customers under several brands throughout North America.

Grainger serves customers through a network of approximately 620 branches, 15 distribution centers, numerous catalogs and direct mail pieces and several Web sites. W.W. Grainger, Inc. was incorporated in 1927 and is based in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Philanthropy

Grainger is the national founding sponsor of the Ready When the Time Comes program. Ready When the Time Comes is an American Red Cross corporate volunteer program that trains employees to participate in disaster response. Through its $1 million initial contribution, Grainger provided funding for programs in 16 chapters throughout the United States. Currently, 13 of those locations have been launched with the most recent having taken place in Greenville, S.C. in June 2008. [ [http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_312_5569,00.html Ready When the Time Comes Volunteer Program Expands. $1 Million contribution from Grainger enables volunteer program implementation in 16 new metro areas across the country. American Red Cross. August 18, 2006] ] [http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080620/YOURUPSTATE/806200344/1069/YOURUPSTATE01]

Grainger is also an advocate of technical education. Donations have been made in dozens of markets to dozens of different schools. Since 2006, one specific way this is being done is through the Tools for Tomorrow^SM program. This is a $2,000 scholarship for 2nd year students in technical education programs, and it also includes a tool-kit for the student upon graduation. [http://www.ccac.edu/default.aspx?id=151085]

Criticism

In 2008, Grainger came under public scrutiny for allegedly over-charging government customers who had pre-existing fixed price contracts. In a whistleblower lawsuit, former district sales manager Brian Holbrook alleged the industrial-supply distributor repeatedly over-billed the U.S. government on its supply contracts. [http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/02/11/story1.html] Grainger eventually settled with the US federal government for $6 million (US) while admitting no wrongdoing. [cite news|url= http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/07/21/daily56.html|title= W.W. Grainger to pay $6M to settle whistleblower lawsuit|last= |first=David |date=Friday, July 25, 2008|work=The Business Journal of Milwaukee |accessdate=2008-10-06] [cite news|url= http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sat-grainger-settlement-jul26,0,1093884.story|title= Grainger settles overbilling suit. Will pay $6 million; no admission of guilt|last= Miller |first= James P. |date=July 26, 2008 |work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=2008-10-06]

References

External links

* [http://www.grainger.com Grainger] Home Page
* [http://pressroom.grainger.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=194987&p=irol-corporateTimeline Grainger History]
* [http://www.redcross-cmd.org/Chapter/RWTC.htm Ready When the Time Comes] Home Page

ee also

*McMaster-Carr
* [http://www.kimballmidwest.com Kimball Midwest]
*Fastenal
*Manhattan Supply Company
*Home Depot