CHICAGO, Dec. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Grainger (NYSE:
GWW), the leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and
operating (MRO) products serving businesses and institutions,
celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2017 by embracing its
long-standing culture of service and giving. During the year,
Grainger team members focused on the company's core philanthropic
pillars – disaster preparedness and response, and education and
workforce development – dedicating time and resources to serve its
local communities.
"As we honor Grainger's 90th anniversary, there's no better way
to celebrate this company's culture than through volunteerism and
philanthropy," said DG Macpherson, Grainger Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer. "Our partnerships, products and team members
enable us to provide vital resources to advance the lives of those
around us, and we have a lot to be proud of as we look back at this
year. Whether it's a customer who needs help keeping their
operations running and people safe or a community organization in
need of support, our team members take pride in rising to the
occasion and helping wherever they are needed. It's that spirit
that makes us who we are and that makes me look forward to what's
yet to come."
Team Member Engagement
This year, more than 2,000 team
members contributed more than 8,800 volunteer hours through
activities across the country, such as helping prepare a
Chicago grade school for a new
school year by painting classrooms; assembling more than 4,100 care
packages for school children, teachers, veterans and survivors of
natural disasters; and remotely mapping areas in southwest
Puerto Rico as part of the Missing
Maps project, to help the Red Cross and partner agencies plan and
conduct disaster relief operations following Hurricane Maria.
Grainger team members also made donations through the company's
Charitable Matching Gift program, where the company offers a 3:1
match of eligible employee contributions (up to $2,500 annually) to qualifying non-profit
organizations. In 2017, the program awarded company-matched funds
to more than 1,000 organizations.
Disaster Preparedness and Response
This year, Grainger
served as a $1 million Red Cross
Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) member, pledging financial
and in-kind donations in advance of disasters that allow the Red
Cross to respond whenever and wherever disasters occur, and help
families during the recovery process and prepare them for future
emergencies.
In the wake of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the
wildfires in California, Grainger
committed an additional $250,000
worth of product donations to the Red Cross, such as gloves,
shovels, dust masks, trash bags, brooms and sheets, to support
relief efforts.
Education and Workforce Development
Each year,
Grainger offers two scholarships of $2,000 each at participating community colleges
in the U.S. through its Tools for Tomorrow scholarship program. The
scholarships offer financial assistance for tuition and books to
students working toward an associate's degree or certificate in
skilled trade, supply chain management and public safety programs.
In addition to the scholarship, Grainger provides tools to students
after they graduate to help them launch a successful career.
In 2017, Grainger provided 154 scholarships to students at 85
participating community colleges across the country and awarded
more than 100 toolkits to its 2016 scholarship recipients who
completed their coursework.
To learn more about how Grainger serves its communities, visit
http://www.graingercsr.com/serving-community/local-civic-community-engagement/.
To learn more about a career at Grainger, visit
https://jobs.grainger.com/.
About Grainger
W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 2016 sales of
$10.1 billion, is North America's leading broad line supplier of
maintenance, repair and operating products (MRO), with operations
also in Europe, Asia and Latin
America.
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SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.