CHICAGO, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Grainger , a leading industrial distributor, today announced that Jeff Yin, 47, has been named to the position of Vice President and General Manager, Grainger China, based in Shanghai. Yin's new responsibilities include oversight of the Chinese business operations, which had revenues of approximately $10 million in 2008. He reports to Court Carruthers, Senior Vice President and President, Grainger International.
"We opened in Shanghai in 2006, the first U.S. industrial distribution company to be established on a standalone basis in China. Our goal is to rapidly grow our MRO business in China, leveraging our strengths in safety products, tools and material handling," said Carruthers. "Jeff brings a great deal of energy and experience to this role and knows what products our customers need to maintain, repair and operate their facilities."
Yin joined Grainger China in April 2007 as Director, Sales and Marketing, and has been integral in growing the company's customer base, services and offerings in China.
"The Chinese economy is still expanding, and that gives us the potential to grow revenues with both multinational and Chinese customers," said Yin.
Prior to joining Grainger China, Yin was Managing Director, Huazhang Electric (HZE) Group Companies where he led the development of growth strategies and strategic supplier relationships for its industrial automation distribution and industrial system solution businesses. Prior to Huazhang, Jeff had more than 13 years experience with Rockwell Automation in the U.S., Taiwan and China, with increasing responsibilities in the areas of sales and product management, business and market development, and channel management.
Yin holds a MBA from Rutgers University in New Jersey and a BSEE from Purdue University in Indiana. He and his family live in Shanghai and California.
Grainger China provides Chinese businesses more than 50,000 products through a 126,000-square-foot branch and distribution center, a Chinese-language catalog and grainger.com.cn.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. , with 2008 sales of $6.9 billion, is the leading broad line supplier of facilities maintenance products serving businesses and institutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, India and Panama. Through a highly integrated network including nearly 600 branches, 18 distribution centers and multiple Web sites, Grainger's employees help customers get the job done, saving them time and money by having the right products to keep their facilities running.
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
CONTACT: Jan Tratnik, Director, Corporate Communications & Public
Affairs, +1-847-535-4339, jan.tratnik@grainger.com, or Erin Ptacek, Director,
Corporate Brand & Reputation, +1-847-535-1543, erin.ptacek@grainger.com, both
of W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Web Site: http://www.grainger.com/
http://www.grainger.com.cn/
