W.W. Grainger Inc. GWW

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (Grainger), incorporated on December 27, 1928, is a distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) supplies and other related products and services. The Company offers its products and services to businesses and institutions in the United States and Canada, with presence also in Europe, Asia and Latin America. The Company operates through two segments, which include the United States and Canada. The Company's business support functions provide coordination and guidance in the areas of accounting and finance, business development, communications and investor relations, compensation and benefits, information systems, health and safety, global supply chain functions, human resources, risk management, internal audit, legal, real estate, security, tax and treasury. The Company's other businesses also include Zoro Tools, Inc. (Zoro), the single channel online business in the United States, MonotaRO Co. (MonotaRO) in Japan, and operations in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

The Company operates in Japan and South Korea through its interest in MonotaRO, which provides small and mid-sized Japanese businesses with products that help them operate and maintain their facilities. The Company's operations in Mexico provide local businesses with MRO supplies and other related products primarily from Mexico and the United States. Zoro is the single channel online business in the United States, and operations in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Zoro is an online distributor of MRO products serving businesses and consumers through its Website, Zoro.com.

United States

The United States segment offers a selection of maintenance, repair and operating supplies, and other related products and services through sales representatives, catalogs, e-commerce and local branches. Products offered by the Company include material handling equipment, safety and security supplies, lighting and electrical products, power and hand tools, pumps and plumbing supplies, cleaning and maintenance supplies, building and home inspection supplies, vehicle and fleet components, and various other items focused on the facilities maintenance market. The services offered primarily relate to inventory management solutions.

The Company offers its products under a range of brand names, such as DAYTON motors, power transmission, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and material handling equipment; SPEEDAIRE air compressors; AIR HANDLER air filtration equipment; TOUGH GUY cleaning products; WESTWARD tools; CONDOR safety products, and LUMAPRO lighting products. As of December 31, 2016, the United States segment operated in 50 states through a network of distribution centers (DCs), branches and contact centers. Its customers range from small and medium-sized businesses to large corporations, government entities and other institutions.

Canada

Acklands-Grainger Inc. (Ackland-Grainger) is a distributor of industrial and safety supplies. Acklands-Grainger distributes tools, fasteners, safety supplies, welding and shop equipment, among others. The Canadian business serves customers through branches, sales and service representatives, and DCs across Canada. As of December 31, 2016, Acklands-Grainger had 151 branches and five DCs. As of December 31, 2016, the Company's customers had access to more than 152,000 stocked products through a catalog, printed in both English and French.