CHICAGO, April 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Grainger, North
America's largest industrial distributor of products used by
businesses to maintain, repair and operate their facilities, today
announced a $25,000 donation to the National Minority Supplier
Development Council's (NMSDC) Advanced Management Education Program.
The company also announced Phyllis Valdez, president of The Valdez
Group, an Hispanic-owned supplier of specialty tools for the
manufacturing market, as the recipient of its annual scholarship
award. Valdez will attend the program this summer.
The Advanced Management Education Program is held annually at
Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management and
focuses on issues of growth from the minority business owner's
perspective. This program provides minority business enterprises with
tools and skills needed to achieve and sustain accelerated growth.
Grainger's contribution marks the second consecutive year the
company has participated in this program. The company recognizes the
importance of providing small minority business enterprises with
resources that enhance their efforts in marketing to large
corporations. As a result, Grainger seeks to help expand the
skill-sets of talented executives, increase the number of thriving
minority business enterprises and encourage greater diversity
throughout the business community with its contribution.
Grainger's efforts also help meet customers' diversity goals in the
purchase of goods and services. Grainger builds upon existing business
relationships and conducts ongoing outreach to new minority suppliers
through its participation with the NMSDC, regional Minority Supplier
Development Councils and the Women's Business Development Council.
"Diversity is an essential component of business today," said
Richard L. Keyser, chairman and chief executive officer, Grainger. "We
are committed to helping foster diversity within our industry, through
our participation in the NMSDC's professional development
opportunities for minority-owned businesses."
About Grainger
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
(NYSE: GWW) , with 2001 sales of $4.8 billion, is the leading
North American industrial distributor of products used by businesses
to maintain, repair, and operate their facilities. Grainger shares are
traded on the New York and Chicago stock exchanges. For more
information, visit Grainger online at www.grainger.com .
Source: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Contact: Michael E. McGrew of Grainger, +1-847-535-4196,
mcgrew.m@grainger.com
Website:
http://www.grainger.com/
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/gh/cnoc/comp/953850.html
###
