Lake Forest, IL-based W.W. Grainger reported a 9% increase in first-quarter sales, to $1.5 billion for the three months ended March 31. Last year’s first-quarter sales were $1.4 billion. The maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) supplies conglomerate posted an 18% increase in net earnings, to $102 million up from $86 million. Sales within the Lab Safety Supply division, which includes the Gempler’s, Ben Meadows, and Lab Safety catalogs, rose 5%
CEO Richard L. Keyser said: “We’re executing well on our strategy, and our investments in growth are paying off. We continue to gain share in this fragmented industry by serving our existing customers well and leveraging our supply chain, branch network, and sales resources to find and serve new customers.”