GWW vs STM Comparison

Founded in 1927, W.W. Grainger originally distributed various motors via a mail-order catalogue. Over the course of the 20th century, the firm expanded into new industrial product categories and launched its first digital catalogue 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 catalogues of MRO supplies to smaller businesses. Grainger has operations throughout the world but primarily generates sales within the US.

A merger between Italian firm SGS Microelettronica and the nonmilitary business of Thomson Semiconducteurs in France formed STMicroelectronics in 1987. STMicroelectronics is a leader in a variety of semiconductor products, including analog chips, discrete power semiconductors, microcontrollers, and sensors. It is an especially prominent chip supplier to the industrial and automotive industries.