Editor’s Note: Author Ron Paulson spent 32 years at Grainger, rising from the warehouse to running regions and business units. In his last role, Ron headed up Grainger’s Community Grant Program, a joint venture between the company and The Grainger Foundation. In this position, Ron worked directly with David Grainger, the son of the founder and the quiet and generous patriarch whose integrity and generosity pervaded the culture of the company. These experiences give Ron a unique perspective on one of the titans of distribution and we’re pleased to publish his thoughts about Mr. Grainger here.

The news of David Grainger’s passing was devastating, a moment that brought time to a standstill. For those who worked at Grainger, his presence was more than that of a leader; he was the heart of a family we all felt honored to belong to. He inspired a sense of purpose and pride, and his legacy is etched into the lives of those fortunate enough to call themselves “Grainger Rangers.” 

It is remarkable how one person could reshape an industry while also touching so many lives. Mr. Grainger was not just a name on the building, he was the living embodiment of integrity, innovation, and a relentless commitment to excellence. He believed in creating a workplace where every team member felt valued and empowered to succeed. His vision for Grainger was one of unity and purpose, where hard work was recognized, and everyone played a vital role in the company’s success. Memories of his impact are treasures we carry with us: gifts he gave that perhaps even he did not realize. For over 30 years, I was proud to be part of that family, cherishing the opportunities and experiences shaped by his leadership. 

My path to Grainger was unexpected but life-changing. In 1988, fresh out of Loyola University in Chicago and searching for a career with meaning, I explored every lead, speaking with friends, mentors and family connections. It was my future wife’s grandmother who first mentioned Grainger, recalling its reputation as a trusted and respected company. Her words were echoed by a friend’s father at Abbott Labs, who described Grainger as a place where hard work and dedication would open doors to growth and opportunity. 

That simple encouragement was enough to spark a determination to join this extraordinary company. What began as a search for a career became so much more, a lifelong journey shaped by Mr. Grainger’s vision and the community he built. 

August 1988 – Branch 146, Niles, Ill.  

Working in distribution means that you are going to work with a lot of products and services that customers are going to need. The best place to learn what distribution is all about, and what Grainger is all about, is in the warehouse. So, I was trained in the intricacies of unloading 53-foot semi-trailers at 100+-degree temperatures one item at a time. Doing that meant you got to know the products so when a customer was looking for a solution, you knew where it was. The other aspect of starting in the warehouse was the culture that you were introduced to. It meant that every item had a place on the shelf, the inventory counts were accurate and the warehouse clean, the warehouse floors shiny, and the products faced.  

This was the Grainger way, and it was instilled in every person who worked there.  At that time, Branch 146 was down the road from the corporate offices and the main distribution center. Because of that, we would occasionally have visits from Mr. Grainger and his guests. This could be with other executives to show what a typical branch would look like, for analyst meetings, supplier partners, etc.  

One of the memories I had of just starting and being a sponge for all things Grainger, was the way that Mr. Grainger would treat each and every person at the branch. The trait that stuck with me, and one that I followed when I had responsibility for branches, was how he would make sure he spent time in the warehouse and talked about how critical that was to the company. You could see the pride on his face and hear the passion in his voice. Then he and his guests make it to the counter, asking each counterperson questions, seeking their feedback (and meaning it), looking around at the product displays, asking questions to put us at ease, all along talking about how all of this was to make sure our customers had what they needed when they needed it. 

Finally, he would make it to the office where we had the manager, the customer service team members (back when calls were taken at the branches), the main computer systems, boards with service metrics, files and where the center of the branch generates orders. There, Mr. Grainger would study the metrics, feel the energy of the branch and its people, and during that time inspire each of us to keep working hard to serve our customers. 

Little did I know that Mr. Grainger was planting the seeds of my leadership style. Some years later as I made branch visits, I would remember my early days in the warehouse and watching Mr. Grainger interact with each person … so when I arrived for a branch visit, the first place I would head would be to the warehouse. I would meet each person, get to know them, hear their story, hear about their aspirations, what we could do better to improve, thank them for their commitment to Grainger and hopefully leave them with some words of inspiration and support.  

My First Branch and the Opening of Branch 158  

Reflecting on the reason I joined Grainger – that if you work hard, opportunity will find you – I now have the opportunity to open and lead my first branch! It is something that the company and so many prepared me to do, and I was ready to make it a success. This branch was about 20 minutes from the corporate offices, so we seemed to get a lot of visitors and offers of help.  

But one thing stood out: We would be working really hard, and then someone would let me know, “You have a call, it is Mr. Grainger!” As you can imagine, the entire team would be like “OMG, what is it? Is something wrong that is making him call the branch?” 

All these swirled around … but, in typical Mr. Grainger way, after I would answer “Hi Mr. Grainger. This is Ron; how can I help you?” he would answer: “You can call me Dave.”  

“Sounds good, Mr. Grainger!” 

In my mind to this day, he is a person who I respect so much and have reverence for, that he deserves to be called Mr. Grainger. So, once we get past the nerves, he says why he is calling. “Ron, page 925 of the catalog states that for this SKU, it lists that product has “x” dimension and “y” weight, and I am just not sure if that is the case. Can you do me a favor and check to make sure that it is accurate and let me know as soon as possible.” 

This would not be the only time he would call. That is how much he wanted to make sure every detail was correct. That would be his focus for all of us! I can tell you; I am not the only one who has made those calls. One other time on a visit, he asked what I do with all the daily reports that we would print, and there would be a lot of them! Some were more necessary than others, but this was another example of his curiosity and wanting to help us be the best we can be.  

He shared a story with us that after a big report printed, he wrote a note in the middle and said if you read this give me a call or reach out. No one called. You can bet that report was either stopped or greatly reduced. That is someone who asks the questions and demonstrates how much he cares about the company. 

Grainger Unified Services – FindMRO  

Always listening to the customer and responding to their needs is something that Grainger has always tried to do. Mr. Grainger once shared an article with me that his father sent to their Grainger dealers during the Depression that said “instead of waiting for business to come in they started selling specialties to homeowners.” 

They CREATED business in a way and eliminated ALL competition. It was that mindset to continue to evolve our company and provide the products our customers needed. This led to the creation of FindMRO. This provided a new channel where we find the MRO products the customers needed that were not listed in the catalog. He was very interested and once again, curious about how we would execute. We talked about how, even though this is different, the customer needs to be at the center of all we did and set clear expectations. Over lunch meetings, he wanted to learn more about the details, what was working, what were my challenges (he was already aware of many of them), share any successes, and just know that the company was committed and supportive as we developed something new.  

When we had the official launch of FindMRO, he was there with other Grainger executives, and he shared in the celebration. He went around the entire room to thank people, shake their hands and take pictures. One of my favorite pictures is when he put on the FindMRO hat and had that big smile of his!  

There were a lot of transformational innovations that came quickly, the biggest being the internet and the launch of www.grainger.com. Once again, Mr. Grainger was always asking questions and his curiosity was even deeper now, as this was something new and would change the company.  

Now, on top of a catalog, we had a search engine. My calls were, “Ron, I put in this item, and it comes back with different items that I was not looking for.” He always asked the right questions, and the probing questions (there were a lot) that made us think differently, work differently and make the necessary changes to keep Grainger and our teams learning and moving forward.  Look where we are today! 

Regional Branch Services Vice President (RBSVP) 

Sitting in my office while I was the President of FindMRO, and reflecting on all our team had to overcome … and had accomplished to build this new sourcing engine that could scale and meet the future needs of the company, suddenly a call comes in from a Grainger executive asking me if I would be interested in going back to the field as Regional Branch Services Vice President for the Midwest Region.  

“We are looking to put a renewed focus on the branches and field, and we would be interested in speaking with you.”  

It was going back to my roots and a place where I knew we could make a difference. I was humbled to be given this opportunity and jumped at the chance. 

It was a difficult task, with so much focus on the internet and other priorities for the company; the branches were not at the Grainger standards I was brought up in.  

Once again, Mr. Grainger’s imprint was in my mind way back from my early days at Branch 146. Warehouses clean and orderly, products faced and labeled on the counter, team members excited to be there, and they have the tools and training necessary to do their jobs. It was my leadership inspiration to help them achieve the lofty goals we all set.  

My region covered over 100 branches, and I recall someone early on saying: “RP, you don’t have to visit all your branches.” And I heard stories about “fly bys” – where executives stop in and go out just as fast. Would Mr. Grainger do that? NO WAY!  

I visited every branch in my region – many multiple times. Yes, I started in the warehouse just like Mr. Grainger did, and yes, I met and spoke with each person and shook everyone’s hand and gave them as much time as they wanted to talk. I asked questions, listened intently to their answers, their concerns, shared in their successes, focused on the details and hopefully left them with words of inspiration. I hope they were energized about our great company. In a few days, they would receive a handwritten note from me with appreciation for their time and their commitment to the company. Our region created a mantra of “OBE,” defined as Obnoxious Enthusiasm for the Customer … and he would ask, “Got OBE?” Absolutely Mr. Grainger.  

Heading To Corporate 

During a branch visit in Arbor Hills, Mich., one of the branch people let me know I had a call from my manager and could I go into the office to speak with him right now. Oh boy, I thought, what did I do? Have you been there? LOL. He said he was on the phone with another area of the company, and they would like me to come work out of the corporate office in new Business Development for the company. Given all the areas that you have worked in they think you would be a great fit. So off to Lake Forest I go! It was a tremendous learning experience creating new services, products, capabilities and other technologies, but the reason I share this is now I see Mr. Grainger again, showing up every day and you could just feel his presence in the building.  

He is in the halls, shows up for the company events in the atrium, talks with everyone he encounters and shares his smile. There is a buzz, and you hear people say, “There is Mr. Grainger.”  

Final Chapter: The Grainger Community Grant Program – The Grainger Foundation 

My assistant has received a call, she says, “RP, the CEO would like to speak with you.” This has happened before, and once again I am thinking “Oh boy, what did I do?” LOL. He asked me if I had heard about The Grainger Foundation and all they do in philanthropy, and more specifically the Grainger Community Grant Program (GCGP).  

I said I had some knowledge but was interested to learn more and curious to where this conversation was going. We talked more, but then the punch line: They would like me to consider working with The Grainger Foundation and leading the Grainger Community Grant Program. This was a national program of philanthropic giving for the branches and distribution centers that was supported financially by The Grainger Foundation. Funding would be dispersed into the field to help support those in need.   

What an opportunity that I had just been given. From the first time I met Mr. Grainger at the branch over 30 years ago and to now have the ability to work with him directly to help others – what a blessing! In 1949, the Grainger family established The Grainger Foundation and now I was helping to make a difference in the lives of others!  

Getting to know a new side of Mr. Grainger was a gift I will treasure forever. He is all that you have heard and read about recently since he passed: kind, generous, big smile, humble, dear friend, visionary leader and so much more. 

Whenever we were in the elevator heading out, or just walking the hallways, and others would see him, he would give a smile and a hello, knowing how important that was to each person. He cared about each and every team member at Grainger. If someone approached him that he did not know, he would ask me, “Do you know who that person is?” And the next time he would know their name.  

If he called you and set up a meeting, not only would he have your Grainger history, but many times he knew the sales the day you were hired, and a bit about your background. What impressed me the most and another trait I emboldened, is that if he was meeting with you, it was your time, and that time was the most important thing on his calendar right now. He would never look at his watch or cut the conversation: traits that are needed and critical today.  

When we would meet over lunch, he would share articles, and we would talk about them. If any of us shared something new, he would say: “I learned something today.” That put a smile on his face. He always wanted to learn.  

One last story that I wanted to share: The day that it was announced about the donation and renaming of “The Grainger College of Engineering,” I was at my desk and Mr. Grainger’s name popped up on my phone. I picked it up and answered it, “Good morning, Mr. Grainger.” He asked if I had a few minutes. “I want to show you something.”  

I headed to his office, and he handed me the press release, and had this incredible smile on his face. I read it, and I am filled with incredible pride and a bit emotional. You see, my son was attending the University of Illinois and would be the first class to graduate at the Grainger College of Engineering!  

With all of that, he said something to me that I will never forget, “My dad would be proud.” That got me. 

I was a part of The Grainger Foundation for over five years, and I am humbled and honored by the work we did with the field through the Grainger Community Grant Program. Millions of people were helped by Mr. Grainger and The Grainger Foundations generosity, and he did not want recognition. Just for us to help others.  

As I come to the end of my reflection, here are some main themes that Mr. Grainger imparted with so many of us: 

• Have a deep desire to be curious. 
• Focus on the details, they matter. 
• Care for and treat your team members like they are family. 
• Always be learning, and thank those who help you learn something new. 
• Make sure your signature is clear and readable. It says a lot about how much you care. 
• Firm handshake and look someone in the eyes. 
• Create a culture that you are proud of and will endure over time. 
• Know your team and know their story. 
• Start your visits in the warehouse. 
• Commitment and focus on serving the customer (Obnoxious Enthusiasm). 
• Give back and do not look for recognition. 
• Leave a legacy you are proud of. 

Thank you, Mr. Grainger, for inspiring a legacy that has touched my life and the lives of countless Grainger Rangers. Your guidance and spirit have left an indelible mark on us all. We will carry your lessons and your light forward, striving each day to honor you.  

You will never be forgotten, and your legacy will live on in every step we take. Thank you for everything, Mr. Grainger. 

We hope we have made you proud, and we always will.