Chicago-based W.W. Grainger reported sales in the third quarter were up 11 percent, and sales in the U.S. up 7 percent, an ongoing positive trend for the distributor of MRO products. MDM Editor Lindsay Konzak spoke with Grainger Senior Vice President and U.S. President Mike Pulick about how the distributor views current market conditions, where it sees strength, product line and sales force expansion, and the impact of the recession on the role of the distributor.

MDM: How is the year going for Grainger?

Mike Pulick: Grainger’s having a great year. Overall in the U.S., our sales are up 8 percent year-to-date, and I really attribute that to the investments that we made during the downturn. These were investments that we made by adding more sellers. We’ve been rapidly expanding our product line and more importantly, I think, we have really protected our service to …