GWW vs ET Comparison

Founded in 1927, W.W. Grainger originally distributed various motors via a mail-order catalog. Over the course of the 20th century, the firm expanded into new industrial product categories and launched its first digital catalog in 1995. Today, the company organizes itself into two segments focused on different customer bases. Its larger segment, high-touch solutions, offers a vast array of maintenance, repair, and operations, or MRO, supplies and bespoke inventory management services to larger businesses. Its smaller segment, endless assortment, operates two online platforms, Zoro and MonotaRO, that offer comprehensive catalogs of MRO supplies to smaller businesses. Grainger has operations throughout the world but primarily generates sales within the US.

Energy Transfer is a diversified midstream firm operating from wellhead to consuming demand. It handles natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, and refined products. Commodities are moved through its network of field-level gathering and processing to refineries and demand centers. Operations are concentrated in Texas and the midcontinent United States. It also controls Sunoco and USA Compression through its general partner relationship.