Grainger’s Senior Chairman and former longtime CEO David Grainger — who helped scale the MRO supplies distributor to national prominence — died on Jan. 9 at the age of 97.

In 1952, Grainger joined W.W. Grainger, the company his father founded, after serving two years at Franklin Electric — a Grainger supplier. Over the course of his career, he helped transform Grainger into a global market leader in maintenance, repair and operating products.

As Chairman and CEO from 1968 to 1997, he expanded the company to over 15,000 employees and more than $4 billion in annual revenue.

Additionally, in 1949 the Grainger family founded what would later become The Grainger Foundation, a charitable non-profit organization. Grainger served as its President and then Chairman from 1979 to 2021. The Foundation and the Grainger family have contributed charitable grants, primarily supporting education, healthcare and cultural institutions, with a focus on programs and projects that “make a positive difference.”

“David leaves behind a rich legacy of principled leadership, a quietly generous record of philanthropy, devotion to family and friends, and an abiding curiosity throughout his life,” his obituary reads.

To read more about David Grainger’s legacy, click here.

Grainger has been represented on MDM’s Top Distributors Lists more than any other company over the feature’s 15-year history. In 2024, Grainger charted at No. 1 for Industrial Supplies, MRO and Safety.