HISTORY
William W. (Bill) Grainger founded a wholesale electric motor sales and distribution business in Chicago in 1927. 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.
To improve customer service, Bill opened a branch in Philadelphia in 1933 and three additional branches the following year. By 1936, 15 branches were in operation. It was evident that local branch service would be an integral part of the company's future growth.
In 1967, Grainger became a public company, and its stock was traded in the over-the-counter market. Today, Grainger stock is sold under the GWW symbol on the New York and Chicago stock exchanges.
To remain the leader in the industry, Grainger seized technology opportunities early. In 1976, Grainger became the first in the industry to implement optical character recognition equipment. The company continued to advance its systems throughout the 1980s by installing a national satellite-based digital communication network. In 1991, Grainger introduced the first comprehensive electronic MRO catalog on CD-ROM. The company launched the corporate Web site in 1995 and began taking orders online in 1996.
During the last 80 years, Grainger's offerings have expanded to more than 800,000 products and repair parts. The Grainger branch network has grown steadily over the years, and today there are 438 Grainger branches in the U.S. and more than 600 in North America, Panama and China.
The 4000+-page Grainger catalog is published annually and is available on CD-ROM and online at Grainger.com, the company's award-winning Web site.
Grainger Timeline
- 1927
Company founded in Chicago, Ill.; generates sales through an eight-page catalog - the Motorbook - 1933
Opens first branch in Philadelphia, Pa. - 1942
Expands to 24 branches and 24 territory sales reps - 1952
Celebrates 25th anniversary. Branch network grows to 46 - 1967
Becomes a publicly traded company - 1975
Lists on New York Stock Exchange - 1984
Breaks $1 billion annual sales mark for the first time - 1992
Acquires Lab Safety Supply, a leading direct marketing company - 1995
Launches first Web site, www.grainger.com - 1996
Acquires the industrial distribution business Acklands Limited, based in Canada - 2002
Celebrates 75 years of serving customers. Posts $4.6 billion in sales - 2003
Announces multi-year branch expansion program to increase market presence in the United States - 2005
Donates more than $1 million in cash and emergency supplies to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund - 2006
Implements SAP, an enterprise resource planning system, to connect the company's broad product line, multiple channels and strong logistics network - 2006
Opens first distribution center in China - 2006
Partners with the American Red Cross to sponsor Ready When the Time Comes, a corporate volunteer program that helps train corporate employees to become Red Cross volunteers - 2007
Celebrates 80 years of serving customers. Eclipses $6 billion in annual sales