Grainger Earns Top Spot in Category of Wholesalers: Diversified on the FORTUNE List of World's Most Admired Companies

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Mar 04, 2015, 09:00 ET

CHICAGO, March 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Grainger (NYSE: GWW), the leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products serving businesses and institutions, today announced it earned the number one ranking on FORTUNE magazine's 2015 List of World's Most Admired Companies in the category of Wholesalers: Diversified. This ranking is consistent with 2014, when the company also earned the top spot in this category.

"At Grainger, we are committed to building a workplace where dedicated, talented people can thrive and serve customers, colleagues and business partners with excellence," said Grainger's Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, Joseph High. "This requires a culture where different points of views are respected, new experiences are embraced and creativity is encouraged. Earning the top spot on the World's Most Admired Companies List in our category is a wonderful distinction and an endorsement that we are taking the right approach to doing business."

FORTUNE's World's Most Admired Companies List is the definitive report card on corporate reputations. Hay Group has collaborated with FORTUNE annually since 1997 to identify, select and rank the World's Most Admired Companies and uncover the business practices that make these companies highly regarded among their peers. To compile the rankings, corporate reputation and performance are measured against nine key attributes: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment, quality of products and services, and global competitiveness.

As a leading business-to-business organization, Grainger offers millions of customers more than 1.2 million products used to maintain, repair or operate facilities. In addition, the company has expertise in key areas, including safety, inventory management and eCommerce, designed to help customers stay safe, increase productivity and decrease expenses.

Click here to learn more about Grainger and view available career opportunities.

The World's Most Admired Companies List and methodology can be found on the FORTUNE website.

About Grainger
W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 2014 sales of $10 billion, is North America's leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products, with operations also in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

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About Hay Group
Hay Group is a global management consulting firm that works with leaders to transform strategy into reality. We develop talent, organize people to be more effective and motivate them to perform at their best. Our focus is on making change happen and helping people and organizations realize their potential. We have over 2,600 employees working in 87 offices in 49 countries. Our clients come from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, across every major industry and represent diverse business challenges.

About Hay Group Insight
For over 35 years Hay Group Insight – the survey research division of Hay Group – has partnered with the world's largest and most complex organizations to create value through the strategic use of employee survey research. Our mission is to help senior leaders identify the barriers to individual and organizational effectiveness, and remove them to improve the performance of people, teams and entire organizations. By providing employee feedback and supporting strategy, our surveys help organizations achieve high levels of performance and lasting change.

About FORTUNE
FORTUNE is a global leader in business journalism known for its unrivaled access to industry leaders and decision makers. Founded in 1930, FORTUNE magazine has a worldwide circulation of more than 1 million and a readership of nearly 5 million and is the only business brand with editions in Europe and Asia, including a Chinese-language edition. FORTUNE is home to some of the strongest business franchises, including: FORTUNE 500, Best Companies, World's Most Admired Companies, Fastest Growing Companies and Most Powerful Women. The FORTUNE Conference Division extends the brand's mission into live settings, hosting a wide range of annual conferences for top-level executives, including the FORTUNE Global Forum and the Most Powerful Women Summit. FORTUNE's online home is fortune.com, the world's largest dedicated business and finance Web site.

SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.