David Grainger, senior chairman of W.W. Grainger Inc., has died. He passed away Jan. 9, 2025, at the age of 97.
Grainger’s father, William “Bill” Grainger, founded W.W. Grainger, which had sales of $16.5 billion in 2023.
According to his obituary, Grainger joined the company in 1952. He spent his entire career at the distributor, which has grown to be a Fortune 500 leader in MRO products. He served as the chairman and CEO of the company from 1968 to 1997. During his tenure, Grainger grew to more than 15,000 employees and more than $4 billion in sales.
He also served in various leadership roles at The Grainger Foundation, a charitable organization founded in 1949. He served from 1979 until 2021 alongside his wife Juli. The Grainger Foundation provides charitable grants in support of education, health care and other cultural institutes.
