Should W.W. Grainger Be On Your Watch List?

In 1927, William W. (Bill) Grainger opened a wholesale electric motor business in Chicago. Early sales grew through a catalog called the MotorBook. A branch was opened in Philadelphia in 1933. By 1936, there were 15 branches. In 1967, Grainger became a public company and in 1976, became the first in the industry to implement optical character recognition equipment. In the 1980s Grainger installed a satellite-based digital communication network and in 1991, introduced the first MRO CD-ROM catalog. Grainger launched its corporate website in 1995 and began taking orders online in 1996. Grainger is not an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) but rather a manufacturer that focuses on Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) to keep a plant going. Grainger is North America's leading broad-line MRO supplier. MRO is also the name of a Grainger Canadian division.