CHICAGO - Grainger’s Canadian subsidiary, Acklands-Grainger Inc., located in Richmond Hill, Ontario, acquired the assets of Excel Industriel located in Granby, Quebec. Excel is a business-to-business broad-line distributor of maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) supplies. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We are very excited about joining forces with Excel,” said Court Carruthers, president of Acklands-Grainger. “They are a leading player in Quebec and have a long history of excellent customer service.”

Grainger expects an incremental sales contribution of approximately $11 million from this acquisition over the next 12 months.

“Excel has been in business since 1951. Our business is a perfect fit for Acklands-Grainger,” said Louis Menard, president, Excel Industriel. “We share common values and expect a seamless transition.”

The two existing Acklands-Grainger and Excel branches in Granby will be merged; integration is expected to occur before the end of the summer.

For more information, visit www.acklandsgrainger.com.

Publication date:06/23/2008