David Grainger, the senior chairman of MRO giant W.W. Grainger and its longtime chief executive, passed away Jan. 9 at age 97.
The son of Grainger founder Bill Grainger, David Grainger joined the family business in 1952 after two years at Franklin Electric. He served as Grainger’s chairman and CEO from 1968 to 1997, during which time the company grew to more than $4 billion in annual sales and a workforce of more than 15,000. He served on the company’s board for more than a half century — from 1953 to 2007.
David Grainger also headed the Grainger Foundation, a nonprofit established by the Grainger family in 1949, from 1979 to 2021.
“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,” according to his obituary.
