Testimonials

The thing I value most in my short career with Grainger is the emphasis put upon employee development in the organization by management. Many entry level employees feel invisible at large companies during their first few years. Many of my college friends have already changed companies within their first year of employment because they don't feel valued and therefore don't recognize a career path that motivates them. This is not the case from my experience at Grainger.

I feel that if I work hard and continue to grow as an employee, I will be given levels of responsibility to match my ability. That does not seem to be the norm among companies as successful as Grainger.

I have worked at Grainger since June 1980. As I think back on my career at Grainger several ideas come to mind as to why I have stayed with this fine company for 27 years. First and foremost, I feel that I have made a difference with the company. One example that comes to mind is a program that I designed and installed that is still in existence. I introduced a partnership with a non-for-profit organization by the name of InRoads. Since 1996, Grainger has teamed up with InRoads to place minority youth as interns within our business. During our partnership, we have converted 84% of our graduating seniors into full-time hires. This is a program that I am very proud of and still is highly valued at Grainger.

Additionally, I have been given opportunities to grow at Grainger. I have been mentored by some terrific leaders in our organization. The mentoring has helped me grow and has provided me insights to areas of development. The commitment to my development has allowed me to grow not only personally but also professionally.

Lastly, the people here at Grainger are fantastic to work with. The quality of the individuals that I work with are bright, strong business leaders and passionate about their work. This is powerful when you surround yourself with the "best of the best" and is very motivating coming into work everyday.

During my career I have worked at private, medium size companies, as well as a large publicly held company, and found Grainger to be the best of both worlds. Coming to Grainger is one of the best things I have done. Grainger's leadership stays focused on key initiatives and makes it a priority to regularly communicate these initiatives and their progress. I believe this helps employees focus on what is important, understand their roles and creates an overall positive culture in which to work. You will truly experience a company that supports career development and ensures that the right tools and training are in place so you can succeed. But most off all, it is the people at Grainger that makes it worth while to come to work everyday.

As I write this, I am sitting in my hotel room at the University of Wisconsin where I am enrolled in a Marketing Excellence course for my continued development. This is the third time I have been here since joining Grainger's Marketing Department roughly two and a half years ago, and each time I take back something new to share with the team. From formal training, to mentoring, to continued training in the Grainger Learning Center, employee development is one of the many benefits of joining the Grainger team.