Emergency Preparedness

Be integral in each phase.

Phases
Actions
Where Grainger Can Help	Broad product offer for all safety needs including People, process, facility, public safety, and healthcare Logistics to serve sites across the nation, or in individual locations Same day shipping 24 hour Call Center Internal Response team activation 24 hour emergency service Reallocation of people and products to meet needs EP specific products Coordination with Federal, Police, Fire and Local OEM Officials Core facilities products Direct shipment of special order items Full complement of temporary shelter needs and portable power and lighting

You already rely on Grainger for your day-to-day needs. Trust us for your emergency needs. We are here to help you develop and deploy your business continuity plans. And when the disasters occur, we will be there too, helping you respond and recover after the fact.

• Nationwide Logistics Network: One of Grainger’s key strengths is our expansive logistics network. Grainger maintains more than 450 local branches - each carrying an average inventory value of approximately 1 million dollars. Our local branches are supported by a state of the art, integrated distribution network which includes 10 Distribution Centers & 4 Master Branches across the US.  Our systems allow us to know exactly where products are located in the network at any time - enabling our ability to get the right product, in the right place at the right time – every time.

• 24/7 After-Hours Emergency Service: Dial 1-800-CALL WWG and have a branch opened to procure the products you need anytime. Our branch network is available to respond to emergencies 24-hrs a day, 7 days a week.

• Extended Hours: Grainger branches operate on extended hours (sometimes 24 hours depending on imposed curfews) to serve customers. In the case of large-scale disasters, our branches remain open for the duration of the event.

• Emergency Support Teams/Personnel: In emergencies, Grainger mobilizes internal & external resources to assist effected areas. We deploy expert teams to provide aid where needed, and bring in additional personnel to take orders, assist customers at the counter, and load trucks. Our Call Centers are able to accept phone orders 24 hours a day.

• Essential Product Availability: Within hours of an event, we dispatch trailers containing critical products to support the relief effort, bringing you the critical items needed, and reducing the time you need to wait for them. Contingency plans with our suppliers enable us to provide additional equipment quickly.

• Unique Relationship with Local, Regional and National Authorities: FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security, the New York Port Authority, and many other local, regional, and national entities have indicated that Grainger has been placed on a select list of key First Responders.  Grainger trucks were escorted through the Holland Tunnel by the New York Port Authority during the first hours of the response to the 9/11 tragedy.  During major hurricanes and floods, Grainger helps supply governmental entities with pumps, generators, sandbags, etc., as well as supplying business affected by the emergency.

While no one can assure a customer that they will not be affected by a disaster, Grainger has taken many steps to mitigate that possibility.

• Grainger has 10 Distribution Centers and more than 400 Branches in the U.S.  If a disaster hits one of them, we can deliver product from an alternate source within the system.

• Grainger has positioned generators throughout the supply chain network for rapid deployment to branches that need power due to a disaster, ensuring that we will be up and running when our customers need us.

• Grainger has developed a Rapid Deployment Kit, enabling a branch that has been affected by a disaster to quickly resume network communications with the Corporate SAP system.  In many cases, Grainger is the only company that is functioning with “business as usual” in the area.

• Grainger has a proven data backup and recovery strategy, which allows us to assure each customer that the data that we have entered regarding their transaction will not be lost just because the area is hit by a disaster. The Enterprise Systems Continuity Plan assures a tried and tested IT network. We built in redundancy for continued operations during and after events. Easy access to inventory across the network assures uninterrupted service to our customers

• Our Crisis Management Team ensures the safety of Grainger employees and facilities. They test our properties, people, and systems to determine readiness prior to events. Post event, this team assesses potential damage to Grainger facilities; conduct inventory assessments within the effected market(s), and assure the operational integrity of our facilities.

• Our Product Prioritization plan is designed to serve the health & safety of the public first and foremost. In severe emergencies, we prioritize products for First Responders & Receivers to effectively serve those with most critical need, and staging high volume items aids in appropriate availability across the system.

Grainger has a long history of providing products and services to areas affected by disasters, including:

• 9/11 – New York City – granted clearance for operational support at Ground Zero

• Hurricane support, including Katrina, Rita, Ike – granted clearance for operational support

• Minneapolis Highway 35W bridge collapse – Team supported Police, Fire and the Red Cross to support response and recovery efforts

• Midwest flooding – Key partner for local and national mitigation and clean-up efforts

Given Grainger's extensive product mix, distribution capabilities, and culture of service, the company is a natural leader in disaster preparedness and response, mobilizing employees and essential products (such as generators, cleaning supplies, batteries, flashlights and gloves) in times of emergency, throughout the company's U.S. branch network, as well as in locations in Canada, Mexico, China and Panama.

Since 2001, the company has built a strategic partnership with the American Red Cross, providing cash and product and supplying employee volunteers to support preparedness and relief efforts across the United States and internationally.

For more information, visit our Community Relations page.