|
About Us
Customer Service
See Also:
|
|
|
Press Releases
Please select from the following:
Lab Safety Supply Acquires McFeely's Square
Drive Screws
CHICAGO (June 1, 2007) – Grainger, a leading North
American industrial distributor, today announced its Lab Safety Supply
(LSS) subsidiary has acquired substantially all of the assets of McFeely’s
Square Drive Screws of Lynchburg, Virginia. McFeely’s is a business-to-business
direct marketer of specialty fasteners, hardware and tools for the professional
woodworking industry. Grainger expects the acquisition to be accretive
within a year. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"Acquisitions are an efficient way for LSS to expand its served
market, increase revenue and diversify the customer base," said Grainger's
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Keyser. "This acquisition
will enable LSS to further penetrate the woodworking and construction
markets."
McFeely’s will be marketed as an independent brand by LSS, the
leading direct marketer of targeted, specialty business products in the
safety, industrial, environmental and homeland security markets. Through
a similar direct marketing model, McFeely’s serves over 70,000 active
customers including serious woodworkers, handymen, home improvement professionals,
construction companies and cabinet makers. The company had annual sales
in 2006 of more than $9 million.
"McFeely’s will complement our other brands," said Larry
J. Loizzo, President of LSS."There is very little overlap in our
customer files and we believe McFeely’s innovative merchandising
approach, using both printed catalogs and the Web, will provide more solutions
for our customers, saving them additional time.”
This transaction is similar to LSS' successful acquisitions of the Ben
Meadows, Gempler's, AW Direct, Rand, Professional Equipment and Construction
Book Express businesses, which have provided new growth and diversification
to the LSS customer base.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE: GWW), with 2006 sales of $5.9 billion, is
a leading broad-line supplier of facilities maintenance products serving
businesses and institutions in Canada, China, Mexico and the United States.
Through a highly integrated network including nearly 600 branches, 18
distribution centers and multiple Web sites, Grainger's employees help
customers get the job done, saving them time and money by having the right
products to keep their facilities running.
SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.
William D. Chapman, Director, Investor Relations, +1-847-535-0881, or
Ernest Duplessis, Manager, External Communications, +1-847-535-4356, both
of W.W. Grainger, Inc. http://www.prnewswire.com
Back
to Top
Lab Safety Supply to Acquire Professional Inspection Equipment
and Construction Book Express
CHICAGO, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Grainger
(NYSE: GWW), a leading North American industrial distributor, today announced
its Lab Safety Supply (LSS) subsidiary has signed a definitive agreement
to acquire in a single transaction substantially all of the assets of
Professional Inspection Equipment, Inc. and Construction Book Express,
Inc., both of Hauppauge, New York. Professional Inspection Equipment and
Construction Book Express are business-to-business direct marketers of
tools, instruments, and reference materials to the $2.5 billion building
and home inspection market. Grainger expects the acquisition to close,
subject to standard conditions, within the next week and be accretive
within a year. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"Our strategy is to accelerate LSS's growth by finding premier direct
marketing companies that complement the company's targeted catalog approach,"
said Grainger's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Keyser.
"This acquisition will enable LSS to further diversify its customer
base into the services sector."
Professional Inspection Equipment and Construction Book Express will
be marketed as independent brands by LSS, the leading direct marketer
of targeted, specialty businesses in the safety, industrial, environmental
and homeland security markets. Through a similar direct marketing model,
Professional Inspection Equipment and Construction Book Express serve
over 85,000 active customers including inspectors, designers, architects,
engineers and electricians. The companies had annual sales in 2006 of
more than $20 million.
"We are pleased with the addition of the Professional Equipment
and the Construction Book Express brands to our business," said Larry
J. Loizzo, President of Lab Safety Supply. "They bring strong internet
marketing capabilities and a history of growth and profitability."
This transaction is similar to Lab Safety Supply's successful acquisitions
of Ben Meadows, Gempler's, AW Direct and Rand, which have provided new
growth and diversification to the Lab Safety Supply customer base.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE: GWW), with 2005 sales of $5.5 billion, is
a leading broad line supplier of facilities maintenance products serving
businesses and institutions in Canada, China, Mexico and the United States.
Through a highly integrated network including nearly 600 branches, 17
distribution centers and multiple Web sites, Grainger's employees help
customers get the job done, saving them time and money by having the right
products to keep their facilities running. Grainger is the national founding
sponsor of the American Red Cross Ready When the Time Comes corporate
volunteer training program.
SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.
William D. Chapman, Director, Investor Relations, +1-847-535-0881, or
Robb
Kristopher, Manager, External Communications, +1-847-535-0879, both of
W.W. Grainger,
Inc. http://www.prnewswire.com
Back
to Top
Lab
Safety Supply to Acquire Rand Materials Handling Equipment Co.
CHICAGO, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- Grainger, North America's leading supplier of facilities maintenance
products, today announced that its Lab Safety Supply (LSS) subsidiary
has signed a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all the assets
of Rand Materials Handling Equipment Co.
Rand is a national catalog distributor
of warehouse, storage and packaging supplies, part of the $80 billion
material handling market. Grainger expects the acquisition, which is subject
to standard conditions, to close within the week. No other terms of the
agreement were disclosed.
Founded in 1972, Rand is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and operates
a successful catalog direct marketing model and has grown its business
to more than $16 million in annual sales in 2005. It will become part
of LSS, which is the premier direct marketer of targeted, specialty brands
including Lab Safety Supply, Ben Meadows, Gempler's and AW Direct, and
will operate out of LSS' facility in Janesville, Wisconsin. Grainger Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Keyser said, "One of the keys
to LSS' long term growth strategy is to continue extending its reach through
strategic acquisitions like Rand. This transaction is similar to LSS'
three previous successful acquisitions, which have provided new growth
and diversification of LSS' customer base."
Larry J. Loizzo, president of LSS, said, "We are pleased with the
addition of the Rand Materials Handling brand to our array of targeted
specialty catalogs. They have provided customers with a broad material
handling product offering and solid service. Rand offers access to new
customers and markets that we can serve with many of LSS' existing products
while increasing our penetration in the material handling marketplace
through our targeted media. We are excited about the growth opportunities
and synergies that Rand brings to LSS' portfolio of businesses."
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE: GWW),
with 2005 sales of $5.5 billion, is the leading broad line supplier of
facilities maintenance products serving businesses and institutions throughout
North America. Through a highly integrated network including nearly 600
branches, 18 distribution centers and multiple Web sites, Grainger's employees
help customers get the job done, saving them time and money by having
the right products to keep their facilities running.
This document contains forward-looking statements under the federal securities
laws. The forward-looking statements relate to the Company's expectations
and are not historical facts. They are generally identified by qualifiers
such as "expects," "growth opportunities," "synergies,"
or similar expressions. Since these forward-looking statements are based
on factors that involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Such factors include, among others: the ability to complete the acquisition
and successfully integrate the Rand's business; higher product costs or
other expenses; a major loss of customers; the inability of Lab Safety
to successfully market its existing products to Rand's customer base;
general economic conditions; increased competitive pricing pressure on
the Rand's business; and the failure to develop or implement new technologies
or other business strategies.
The forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction with the
Company's most recent annual report, as well as the Company's Form 10-K
and other reports filed with the Securities Exchange Commission, containing
a discussion of the Company's business and of various factors that may
affect it.
SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.
William D. Chapman, Director, Investor Relations, +1-847-535-0881,
or Robb
Kristopher, Manager, External Communications, +1-847-535-0879, both
of W.W. Grainger,
Inc. http://www.prnewswire.com
Back
to Top
Lab Safety Supply to Buy AW Direct, Inc.
CHICAGO, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Grainger,
North America's leading supplier of facilities maintenance products, today
announced its Lab Safety Supply subsidiary has signed a definitive agreement
to acquire AW Direct, Inc., a leading direct marketer of products to the
$3 billion service vehicle accessories market. AW Direct sells general
towing and work truck equipment and accessories to customers in the auto
service, utilities, government, and construction markets. Grainger expects
the acquisition to close, subject to standard conditions, in the 2005
first quarter and be accretive within a year. No other terms of the agreement
were disclosed.
AW Direct will be operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Lab Safety
Supply, the premier direct marketer of targeted, specialty businesses
in the safety, industrial, environmental, and homeland security markets.
Through a similar direct marketing model, AW Direct has successfully
grown its business, and in 2004 had annual sales of more than $28 million.
Grainger Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Keyser said, "We
plan to accelerate Lab Safety's growth by finding premier direct marketing
companies to grow Lab Safety's market position. AW Direct offers access
to new markets that we can serve with many of Lab Safety's existing products
and targeted media. This transaction is similar to Lab Safety's successful
acquisitions of Ben Meadows and Gempler's, which have provided new growth
and diversification of Lab Safety's customer base."
AW Direct, Inc., is a privately held company headquartered in Berlin,
Connecticut. Lab Safety expects to retain many of AW Direct's management,
customer service and other employees located at its facility in Berlin.
Larry J. Loizzo, president of Lab Safety, said, "We are pleased
with the addition of the AW Direct brand to our array of targeted specialty
catalogs. They have provided their customers with a quality product offering
and high levels of service. We look forward to working with the employees
of AW Direct in our efforts to grow this business."
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE: GWW), with 2004 sales of $5 billion, is the
leading broad line supplier of facilities maintenance products serving
businesses and institutions throughout North America. Through its network
of nearly 600 branches, 17 distribution centers and multiple Web sites,
Grainger helps customers save time and money by providing them with the
right products to keep their facilities running.
This document contains forward-looking statements under the federal
securities laws. The forward-looking statements relate to the Company's
expectations and are not historical facts. They are generally identified
by qualifiers such as "expects," "will," "intends," "plans," "look
forward," "should," or similar expressions. Since these
forward-looking statements are based on factors that involve risks and
uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include,
among others: the ability to complete the acquisition and successfully
integrate the AW Direct business; higher product costs or other expenses;
a major loss of customers; the inability of Lab Safety to successfully
market its existing products to the AW Direct customer base; general
economic conditions; increased competitive pricing pressure on the AW
Direct business; and the failure to develop or implement new technologies
or other business strategies. The forward-looking statements should be
read in conjunction with the Company's most recent annual report, as
well as the Company's Form 10-K and other reports filed with the Securities
Exchange Commission, containing a discussion of the Company's business
and of various factors that may affect it.
SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.
CONTACT: William D. Chapman, Director, Investor Relations,
1-847-535-0881, or Robb Kristopher, Manager, External Communications,
1-847-535-0879, both of W.W. Grainger, Inc.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding
W.W. Grainger's business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking
statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion
of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to
differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk
Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most
recently ended fiscal year.
Back
to Top
Lab Safety Supply announces
acquisition of direct marketer, Gempler's
CHICAGO, Feb 14, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/
-- Grainger, North America's leading supplier of facilities maintenance
products, today announced its Lab Safety Supply subsidiary has signed
a definitive agreement to acquire Gempler's, a division of Gempler's,
Inc. Gempler's is a direct marketer serving the $3 billion agricultural,
horticultural, grounds maintenance, and contractor markets. Grainger
expects the acquisition to close, subject to standard conditions, early
in the second quarter and to be accretive within a year. No other terms
of the agreement were disclosed.
Gempler's will become part of Grainger's Lab Safety Supply subsidiary,
which is the premier direct marketer providing safety and industrial
supplies. Gempler's, with 2002 annual sales of more than $30 million,
sells tools, safety supplies, clothing and other equipment, many of which
are not easily found in other catalogs supplying these markets. Lab Safety
intends to distribute Gempler's products out of its Janesville, Wisconsin,
facility.
Grainger Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Keyser said, "We
have stated publicly that we intend to make bolt-on acquisitions to accelerate
Lab Safety's growth. Gempler's offers access to new markets in the agricultural,
horticultural, grounds maintenance, and contractor arenas that we can
serve with many of Lab Safety's existing products and targeted media.
This transaction is similar to Lab Safety's successful acquisition of
Ben Meadows, which has provided diversification of Lab Safety's customer
base outside the manufacturing sector."
Gempler's, Inc., is a privately held company headquartered in Belleville,
Wisconsin. Lab Safety expects to retain certain of Gempler's management,
customer service and other employees and plans to open an office facility
in Madison, Wisconsin.
Larry Loizzo, president of Lab Safety, said, "We are pleased with
the addition of the Gempler's brand to our array of targeted specialty
catalogs. They have provided customers with a quality product offering
and high levels of service. We look forward to working with the employees
of Gempler's in our efforts to continue building this business."
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW), is the leading broad line supplier of facilities
maintenance products in North America. Grainger serves customers through
a network of nearly 600 branches, 16 distribution centers, and four Web
sites. Sales for 2002 were $4.6 billion. For more information, visit
Grainger online at www.grainger.com.
This document contains forward-looking statements under
the federal securities laws. The forward-looking statements relate to
the Company's expectations and are not historical facts. They are generally
identified by qualifiers such as "expects," "will,"
"intends," "plans," "should," or similar
expressions. Since these forward-looking statements are based on factors
that involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially
from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such
factors include, among others: the ability to complete the acquisition
and successfully integrate the Gempler's business; higher product costs
or other expenses; a major loss of customers; the inability of Lab Safety
to successfully market its existing products to Gempler's customer base;
general economic conditions; increased competitive pricing pressure on
the Gempler's business; and the failure to develop or implement new technologies
or other business strategies. The forward-looking statements should be
read in conjunction with the Company's most recent annual report, as well
as the Company's Form 10-K and other reports filed with the Securities
Exchange Commission, containing a discussion of the Company's business
and of various factors that may affect it.
Back to Top
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—2/27/01
Lab Safety Supply announces acquisition of environmental direct marketer,
Ben Meadows Company
Lab Safety Supply, Inc., a subsidiary of Grainger (NYSE: GWW) announced
today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Ben Meadows
Company of Canton, Georgia. Ben Meadows, a privately held corporation
with annual sales of more than $20 million, is a business-to-business
direct marketer specializing in equipment for the natural resources and
forestry management markets.
Lab Safety Supply’s President Larry J. Loizzo said, “Teaming
up with Ben Meadows’ expertise in the environmental market benefits
both companies. For Ben Meadows customers, it provides a greater access
to a broader product line and a top-notch service package from a leading
national direct marketing leader. Lab Safety Supply benefits by obtaining
a solid customer file with a growing sales potential. It’s also
a natural fit with some of our existing safety, laboratory and environmental
sampling product lines.”
Loizzo added that the Ben Meadows catalog allows Lab Safety Supply to
explore a new, attractive $500+ million industry. “Ben Meadows has
established itself as a premier provider to the environmental and forestry
markets and has grown at a high single-digit compound annual growth rate
over the last 5 years,” Loizzo noted.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The companies expect the
transaction to close no later than Feb. 28, 2001. Given the size of the
acquisition, no accretion or dilution of Grainger earnings per share
is expected.
Mertz Associates, a Milwaukee, WI-based mergers and acquisitions firm,
assists the company with its acquisition program.
Lab Safety Supply is North America’s leading business-to-business
direct marketer of industrial and safety supplies. It offers more than
70,000 products in seven product categories, including; safety, maintenance/MRO,
material handling, labware, spill cleanup, first aid and signs/labels.
For more information, visit Lab Safety Supply online at www.labsafety.com.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE: GWW), with 1999 sales of $4.5 billion, is
the leading North American provider of maintenance, repair and operating
(MRO) supplies and related information to businesses and institutions.
Grainger shares are traded on the New York and Chicago stock exchanges.
For more information, visit Grainger online at www.grainger.com.
This document may contain statements that are forward-looking,
i.e. not historical facts. The forward-looking statements (generally
identified by words or phrases indicating a projection or future expectation
such as “annualized run rate,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects," or “estimates”)
are based on the Company’s current expectations and some of them
are subject to risks and uncertainties the outcome of which could result
in actual future performance being materially different from the performance
indicated. They should be read in conjunction with the Company's most
recent annual report, as well as the Company’s Form 10-K and other
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, containing
a discussion of the Company's business and of various factors that
may affect it.
Back to Top
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--4/00
If you've got a question, Lab Safety Supply will give you the answer--for
free!
One thing people often overlook about Lab Safety Supply is that the
company offers free technical support for every product it sells. This
free information service is available to anyone who has questions about
chemical compatibility, replacement parts for products, which item to
use for a specific job, regulatory issues or hundreds of other possible
concerns.
Lab Safety Supply’s technical service representatives don’t
try to sell anything. They’re simply available to help anybody who
has a question. An imaging system showing manufacturer literature gives
them the most current information available, allowing them to answer
questions quickly and precisely. That kind of service allows customers
to make more informed purchases, make proper use of what they’ve
already purchased and save time. It also helps them do their jobs better.
"When people call our Safety TECHline, they want information, not
a sales pitch," said Allan Helgestad, technical services supervisor. "We
help people choose products that are appropriate for their jobs. We help
them when equipment they have breaks. We help out when there are questions
about regulatory compliance or chemical compatibilities. Basically, anything
customers need to know about we can handle."
Lab Safety Supply offers other technical services as well. It has a
fax-on-demand service, called "EZ
Facts," that provides information and training materials. There
is also a newsletter called "TECHlines," which
is dedicated to occupational safety and industrial issues.
There are 25 technical representatives who work from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
CT weekdays answering all kinds of product questions. This panel of experts
works hard to keep up on new product information, new regulations and
other rapidly changing issues that may have an impact on customer purchases.
They can be reached via e-mail at techsvc@labsafety.com or
toll free at 1-800-356-2501 .
Lab Safety Supply is a broadline industrial distributor offering seven
catalog titles, including Safety Direct™, Maintenance Direct™,
Signs & Labels Direct™, Spill Cleanup Direct™, Material
Handling Direct™, Labware Direct™ and First Aid, Health & Wellness
Direct™.
Back to Top
|
|
