Awards

IU Indianapolis Spirit of Philanthropy Award - 2013

About W.W. Grainger, Inc.

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 motors.

The business was incorporated as W. W. Grainger, Inc. in 1928. 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. Throughout its history, Grainger has seized technology opportunities early, which has allowed it to grow with changing markets. Grainger’s product line has expanded to more than 1 million products and repair parts. More than 711 branches comprise the Grainger network, making W.W. Grainger Inc. the leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products in North America, with expanding global operations. Because of its ingenuity and strategy, Grainger is a Fortune 500 company and a perennial member of Fortune magazine's Most Admired Companies list.

In addition to being a leader in its business strategies, the Grainger company has demonstrated philanthropic spirit and corporate social responsibility. In 2013, Grainger was honored with the IUPUI Spirit of Philanthropy Award for its generous $10,200 donation to IUPUI's University College. The donation established the Grainger Foundation Mentor Scholarship, which provides scholarships for mentors through the IUPUI University College Bepko Learning Center and the IUPUI Office of International Affairs.