Latest from Mag

Plenty of executive appointments over the past two weeks. Here’s Electrical Marketing’s expanded coverage of personnel changes in the electrical market.
Dec. 21, 2012
Wire man John Pasqual and lighting rep Jack Melnick
Dec. 21, 2012
Image
Electrical product prices remained on their flat trend, showing no change from October and little change in almost all major product categories.
Dec. 21, 2012
Image
Privately-owned housing starts in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 861,000, 3% below the revised October estimate, but 21.6% above the Nov. 2011 rate.
Dec. 21, 2012
Dec. 21, 2012
Veteran reps form new agency in Raleigh; WinWholesale buys Lloyd Graves in Texas; United Electric Supply expands through acquisition; and more.
Dec. 21, 2012
W.W. Grainger Inc., Lake Forest, Ill., announced plans to purchase Techni-Tool Inc., Worcester, Pa., a 200-plus employee distributor supplying customers in the cable television...
Dec. 21, 2012
Kaman Industrial Technologies (KIT), the industrial distribution business Kaman Corp., Bloomfield, Conn., has built up in recent acquisitions of Minarik, Zeller Electric and others...
Dec. 21, 2012
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered an update on the city’s plans to renovate its infrastructure to withstand future storms.
Dec. 7, 2012

Grainger Opens Branch In China

W.W. Grainger Inc., Lake Forest, Ill., opened its first facility in China on Sept. 25. Located in the Shanghai suburb of Minhang, the branch will
Oct. 5, 2006
2 min read

W.W. Grainger Inc., Lake Forest, Ill., opened its first facility in China on Sept. 25. Located in the Shanghai suburb of Minhang, the branch will stock approximately 20,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs). The new branch is loaded with inventory in the following product categories: electrical, lighting, tools, test instruments, pneumatics, plumbing, material handling, safety, security, metal working and HVAC.

Grainger also recently published a Chinese language catalog featuring all products carried in the Minhang branch, and has launched a Web site, at www.grainger.com.cn. The company also has a customer-service center located in central Shanghai that offers sales consultation.

“As global and local businesses grow in this country, they need suppliers they can rely on to provide them with a broad range of quality products when and where needed,” said Richard L. Keyser, Grainger’s chairman and CEO. “Grainger has experience in helping its customers in North America get more efficient by consolidating their purchases of maintenance and repair supplies. We look forward to serving businesses in China, giving them no reason to turn to anyone but Grainger for all their facility-maintenance needs.”

Grainger had 2005 sales of $5.5 billion, 430 North American locations and 16,732 employees. Electrical products account for an estimated 20 percent of the company’s total sales.