Jason Sandefur

W.W. Grainger Inc. significantly expanded its fastener offerings in 2005, undertaking what Purchasing magazine described as the biggest product expansion in its 78-year history by adding more than 25,000 SKUs of fasteners to its product offerings.
The new 4,007-page Grainger catalog will have 260 pages on fasteners, while the 2005 catalog had just 60 pages on fasteners.
Grainger”s catalog lists a total of more than a half million supplies and 2.5 million repair parts primarily to MRO customers.
Overall company sales rose 9% to a record $5.5 billion, pushing net earnings up 21% to $346 million.
During 2005 Grainger opened 16 full-size and five will-call branches, relocated eight branches and expanded or remodeled 14 branches. Ten full-size and three will-call branches were closed in 2005.
Grainger expanded its fastener offerings after finding that 88% of its customers make unplanned purchases of fasteners and turned to local distributors or fastener specialist sources.
In addition to finding sources, Grainger has added fastener training for employees and a central technical support group.
Rich Durante is the new category manager for fasteners. Durante is new to fasteners but he brings seven years of Grainger experience to his role as the top fastener executive.
Early reports suggested Graingers fastener expansion was designed to compete more directly with Fastenal, but Durante told FIN that Grainger was primarily looking to serve its core MRO clients by providing “everything customers need to keep their facilities running every day.”
In addition, the company hopes fasteners can help boost its average order total above $200.
In addition to fasteners, Grainger”s main product categories include: adhesives, sealants & tape; cleaning & painting; electrical; HVAC; hardware; lighting; material handling; metalworking, welding & shop supplies; motors & power transmission; office equipment; pneumatics & hydraulics; pumps & plumbing; safety & security; test instruments; and tools, outdoor equipment and auto shop.
In 1927 Bill Grainger founded the company in Chicago to supply electric motors. Grainger was incorporated in 1928, and the first branch was opened in Philadelphia in 1933. By 1936 there were 15 branches. Today there are 570 North American branches, including 400 branches and 18 will-call express facilities in the U.S., and six sites in Mexico. Grainger operates 164 branches in Canada.
Grainger became a publicly held corporation in 1967.

Headquarters: 100 Grainger Parkway, Lake Forest, IL 60045-5201. Tel: 847 535-1000
Web: grainger.com
NYSE Symbol: GWW
CEO: Richard Keyser, 63
Key fastener executives: Rich Durante, general manager of fastener distribution
Founded: 1928
Employees: 16,732 \ �2006 FastenerNews.com