Lead photo: An artist rendering of Grainger’s future Hockley, TX distribution center. (Grainger photo)

MRO supplies distributor Grainger broke ground on the company’s 1.2-million-square-foot Houston Distribution Center in Texas’ Harris County on Oct. 1.

The company intends to open the new facility in 2026, employing approximately 400 team members within a year of its opening.

The facility will feature operational technology and will rank among Grainger’s largest distribution centers by square footage.

“Texas is home to more Grainger locations than any other state, including 34 standard branches, a sales office in San Antonio, the Dallas-Fort Worth Distribution Center and neighboring bulk warehouse,” Grainger Senior Vice President of Branch and DC Operations Rob Reynolds said in an Oct. 2 news release. “Grainger’s Houston Texas Distribution Center is going to be a state-of-the-art building that serves as a significant and tangible investment in our future.”

The building is being constructed on a vacant 108-acre site in Hockley, located approximately 37 miles northwest of Houston.

Grainger said the new distribution center will aid the company in its goal to expand the range of stocked industrial supply products in the market from 150,000 to as many as 300,000 different items.

During the groundbreaking event, Grainger donated $20,000 to Roberts Road Elementary, located in Hockley, TX, and is part of the Waller Independent School District. The school serves over 600 students and has a staff of 80.

Grainger was No. 1 on MDM’s 2024 Top Distributors Lists for Industrial Supplies, MRO and Safety.