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 Grainger opened a branch in Philadelphia in 1933 and then three additional branches the following year. By 1936, there were 15 branches 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. Grainger 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. Grainger launched the corporate Web site in 1995 and began taking orders online in 1996.

Over the last 80 years, Grainger's product line has expanded to more than 900,000 products and repair parts. The Grainger branch network has grown steadily over the years, and today there are more than 600 Grainger branches in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, India, China, and Panama.

The 4,000-page Grainger catalog is published annually and is available online at Grainger.com, the company's award-winning Web site.

Grainger Timeline

• March 1927
  Company founded in Chicago, Ill.; generates sales through an eight-page catalog - the Motorbook
• November 1933
  Opens first branch in Philadelphia, Pa.
• December 1942
  Expands to 24 branches and 24 territory sales reps
• December 1952
  Celebrates 25th year with 46 branches, 54 territory sales reps and 104 pages in the Motorbook
• March 1967
  Becomes a publicly traded company
• December 1972
  Expands to 123 branches in 40 states with 218 territory sales reps
• July 1975
  Lists on New York Stock Exchange
• September 1981
  Reaches 1,000-page milestone for Motorbook; introduces an automated storage and retrieval system for central distribution center
• February 1983
  Decentralizes distribution with opening of regional distribution center in Kansas City, Mo.
• December 1984
  Breaks $1 billion annual sales mark 1984
• April 1992
  Acquires Lab Safety Supply, a premier direct marketing company
• June 1995
  Launches first Web site
• December 1996
  Acquires the industrial distribution business of Acklands Limited
• August 2001
  Opens first of nine highly automated distribution centers
• March 2002
  Celebrates 75 years of serving customers
• April 2003
  Grainger's Lab Safety Supply subsidiary acquires direct marketer Gempler's.
• October 2003
  Announces a multi-year branch expansion program to increase its market presence in the United States
• March 2004
  Logistics network project reaches completion with opening of capstone distribution center in New Jersey
• July 2005
  Grainger celebrates 10 years serving customers through its Web site
• August 2005
  Donates over $1 million in cash and emergency supplies to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund
• January 2006
  Implements SAP, an Enterprise Resource Planning System to connect the company's broad product line, multiple channels and strong logistics network
• July 2006
  Partners with the American Red Cross to sponsor Ready When the Time Comes, a corporate volunteer training program which facilitates the training of corporate employees to become Red Cross volunteers during times of disaster
• March 2007
  Celebrates 80 years of serving customers
• March 2008
  Jim Ryan appointed Chief Executive Officer
• June 2009
  Grainger acquires Asia Pacific Brands of India