Grainger Named to 2013 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For List

CHICAGO, Jan. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Grainger (NYSE: GWW), the leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products serving businesses and institutions, today announced that it was named to the 2013 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For^® list.

In the most comprehensive annual workplace survey conducted in corporate America, FORTUNE selects 100 companies nationwide for inclusion on its prestigious list, which is based on employee feedback, company practices and culture.

"We are honored to receive this distinction," said Jim Ryan, Chairman, President and CEO of Grainger. "The only way to achieve success in this dynamic environment is through a strong team that knows our customers, and is dedicated to industry-leading solutions and exceptional service. In a service business like ours, the people on our team are our biggest competitive advantage."

The FORTUNE Magazine recognition is the latest honor received by Grainger. In November 2012, the company also earned a spot on the Chicago Tribune's Top WorkPlaces list for the third consecutive year. Top WorkPlaces were selected based on employee feedback on topics such as pay, benefits, management and workplace culture.

"Both these honors are especially gratifying, since they are mainly based on employee feedback," said Joseph High, Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer with Grainger. "We dedicate a significant amount of time and resources to developing and engaging our talented team members. They are motivated to deliver great service to our customers, and are rewarded and recognized for their efforts. This dual commitment to customers and team members has been the foundation of our success for more than 85 years and will continue to be a main point of differentiation for years to come."

Grainger was founded in 1927 in Chicago. Of its more than 21,000 global employees, more than 16,000 are located in approximately 400 facilities across the U.S. Grainger's average employee tenure in the U.S. is 9.5 years, more than twice that of other companies in the private sector, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

About Grainger
W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 2011 sales of $8.1 billion, is North America's leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products, with expanding global operations.  For more information about the company, visit www.grainger.com/investor.

Methodology
To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, Fortune partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America: 259 firms participated in this year's survey. More than 277,000 employees at those companies responded to a survey created by the institute, a global research and consulting firm operating in 45 countries around the world. Two-thirds of a company's score is based on the results of the institute's Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management's credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third is based on responses to the institute's Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, methods of internal communication, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts. After evaluations are completed, if news about a company comes to light that may significantly damage employees' faith in management, we may exclude it from the list. Any company that is at least five years old and has more than 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible. For more information on how to apply, visit: http://bit.ly/n8bVJ3.

The full list is available at www.Fortune.com/BestCompanies.

SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.