Imperial Supplies

In 1958, the story of Imperial Supplies began in Green Bay, Wisconsin. While the specific founder's name remains a detail of history, the company's mission was clear: to become a national distributor of maintenance products. They focused on the vehicle and fleet maintenance industry, building a business around supplying everything from fasteners and hardware to safety equipment. The company carved out a niche by focusing on efficient ordering and purchase monitoring for its customers, establishing a strong reputation in the $4 billion fleet maintenance sector. This dedication to a customer-focused model allowed Imperial Supplies to grow steadily for decades. A pivotal chapter in the company’s journey unfolded in October 2009. W.W. Grainger, a major North American distributor of facilities maintenance products, announced it was acquiring Imperial Supplies. At the time, Imperial had sales of $67 million in the previous year. The acquisition was a strategic move for Grainger, providing access to Imperial's specialized market and 20,000 products, while Imperial gained the scale of Grainger's larger network. Following the deal, the company continued to operate as Imperial Supplies, LLC, under its existing leadership, a testament to the strong business it had built over half a century.