Grainger is an industrial-supply distribution company, focused on safety, security, and storage equipment, along with cleaning, metalworking, and hand tools. As of 2025, it offers over 30 million products to some 4.5 million customers worldwide, but its services are primarily in North America, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1927.
Sebastián Hidalgo—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Best Large Workplaces in Chicago 2026
Employees say:
"Grainger actually works and lives by our principles: Start with the customer, embrace curiosity, act with intent, compete with urgency, win as one team, invest in our success and do the right thing. They come together to support one another, even those we've never met. I've loved working for this company for over 16 years and hope to remain with the company throughout my professional career."
"Our CEO not only lives our core principles but ensures that we hold strong to those principles no matter the political or economic climate. I have worked for corporate companies prior to Grainger, and the overall feeling of connectiveness to each other, to community, and to self, is one that I had not experienced prior. I feel at home with Grainger."
"The team culture is unmatched! Everyone is welcoming, willing to step out of their way to help you, and you can always assume good intent from others. Additionally, our leadership strongly values the differences of its team members—above and beyond anything I've seen from other organizations—by ensuring an open space for them to be themselves at work and celebrate the things that make them unique and special."
"For me Grainger is an amazing place to work. I can honestly say that both my team and manager care about me, they want to see me succeed at work and my personal life. My team is like an extension of my family. There are so many opportunities for employees here at Grainger—you can move up, move over, or move around to find that position that works best for you. My job/career means a lot to me, and this is where I plan to work until I retire. I tell my friends and family how great it is here and if they are ever looking for a new career/job to come work here because they will also love it as much as I do."
"Our culture is one that is very special and not like other places I've worked. From our opportunities for advancement, a culture of recognition, individual team cultures, the collaborative nature, the focus on DEI, BRG involvement, and volunteer opportunities, it's my home."
"Everyone here makes you feel like you are family - This is something the other companies "try" to achieve but Grainger makes it happen from the get-go. I am VERY proud and blessed to be working with my Grainger Family."
Grainger is the country’s leading distributor of maintenance, repair, and supplies for industries like hardware, lighting, and plumbing. Established in 1927, the company now operates the 11th largest online e-commerce site by revenue.
Grainger is building two new distribution centers in the U.S., and is adding 3.5 million square feet to its supply chain network for a more than 35% increase in overall warehouse space.
In 2022, the company trained all of its team members in a DEI learning course, focusing on unconscious bias and how it emerges in day-to-day work. It aims to have half of its senior leadership roles filled by women by 2030. Currently, its CEO’s leadership team is 43% women while 29% is racially diverse.
