CHICAGO - For the second year in a row, Grainger has been named the “most admired” company among diversified wholesalers inFortunemagazine’s annual listing of the World’s Most Admired Companies. Every year,Fortuneand Hay Group, a global management consulting firm, survey top executives, directors, and financial analysts to identify companies that have the strongest reputations within and across industries. Grainger is a leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) products that serves more than 2 million businesses and institutions in 153 countries.

“Grainger’s success would not be possible without our 18,000 outstanding team members,” said Jim Ryan, Grainger chairman, president, and chief executive officer. “No matter where in the business they work, our team members help Grainger’s customers be more productive. Every day we help businesses save time and money.”

Hay Group has collaborated withFortuneannually since 1997 to identify, select, and rank the World’s Most Admired Companies and uncover the business practices that make these companies highly regarded by their peers. To compile the rankings, corporate reputation and performance are measured against nine key attributes: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment, quality of products and services, and global competitiveness.

In the 2011 World’s Most Admired Companies survey, participants ranked Grainger No. 1 in the Diversified Wholesalers industry, giving the company the highest marks in all nine reputational criteria. In addition, Grainger ranked in the Top 10 in several All-Star Global Categories: Management Quality, Use of Assets, Financial Soundness, and Quality of Products/Services.

For more information about Grainger, visit www.grainger.com.

Publication date:03/14/2011