Automotive

W. W. Grainger, Inc. Corporate Office

W.W. Grainger was founded by William W. Grainger in Chicago in 1927 as an efficient solution for fulfilling customer’s business needs.

Sales were primarily through mail-order catalog and post cards in the early days of the company.

In 1967 Grainger became a publicly traded company, going public on the New York Stock Exchange.

In 1984 the company reached $1 billion in sales.

By 2008 Grainger’s catalog had 183,000 products, and 350,000 available products on www.grainger.com.

In 2010, 400,000 products were available in the catalog and 900,000 on the website.

Today Grainger sells products and services to small and medium-sized businesses, large corporations, government entities, and other institutions through local branches sales representatives, catalogs, and the internet.

The company has operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

W.W. Grainger is an S&P 500 component, has 18,400 employees, and had $8.1 billion in revenue in 2011.

W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger was founded by William W. Grainger in Chicago in 1927 as an efficient solution for fulfilling customer’s business needs.

Sales were primarily through mail-order catalog and post cards in the early days of the company.

In 1967 Grainger became a publicly traded company, going public on the New York Stock Exchange.

History

In 1984 the company reached $1 billion in sales.

By 2008 Grainger’s catalog had 183,000 products, and 350,000 available products on www.grainger.com.

In 2010, 400,000 products were available in the catalog and 900,000 on the website.

The company has operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

W.W. Grainger is an S&P 500 component, has 18,400 employees, and had $8.1 billion in revenue in 2011.

Advance Auto Parts Corporate Office

Advanced Auto Parts began when Arthur Taubman and one of his brothers began selling auto parts and household goods out of stores called Taubman’s. This business prospered until the Great Depression, when it was hit hard and eventually failed.

In 1932, Taubman bought a struggling three-store chain of auto parts stores called Advance Stores. He pawned his wife’s wedding ring for the down payment.

The federal government at that time was funding huge public works projects such as paving roads to give people jobs. This encouraged people to drive more and, along with the fact that people were holding on to their cars longer because of the poor economy, is reflected in the early success of Advance and other auto parts retailers.

After World War II Advance began to expand their product line to include batteries, tires, and seat covers at service bays that became part of the stores.

In 1978 the company changed its name from Advance Stores to Advance Auto and began to take steps to become a high-volume retailer.

In 1985 Advance Auto reached 100 stores.

In 1998 Advance acquired Western Auto from Sears, Roebuck & Co., therefore adding 598 stores to the company.

Today Advance Auto Parts is the largest automotive retailer in the United States with 4,912 stores, 68,000 employees, and $10.11 billion in revenue in 2020.

After experiencing customer retention problems in 2019, the company has returned to strong earnings in 2021.

The company maintains a corporate office in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Advance Auto Parts

In 1932, Taubman bought a struggling three-store chain of auto parts stores called Advance Stores. He pawned his wife’s wedding ring for the down payment.

History

After World War II Advance began to expand their product line to include batteries, tires, and seat covers at service bays that became part of the stores.

In 1978 the company changed its name from Advance Stores to Advance Auto and began to take steps to become a high-volume retailer.

In 1985 Advance Auto reached 100 stores.

In 1998 Advance acquired Western Auto from Sears, Roebuck & Co., therefore adding 598 stores to the company.

Today Advance Auto Parts is the largest automotive retailer in the United States with 4,912 stores, 68,000 employees, and $10.11 billion in revenue in 2020.

After experiencing customer retention problems in 2019, the company has returned to strong earnings in 2021.

The company maintains a corporate office in Raleigh, North Carolina.

O’Reilly Auto Parts Corporate Office

O’Reilly’s Automotive was founded in 1957 by father-son team Charles F. O’Reilly and Charles H. O’Reilly when they did not agree with their reassignments in the reorganization of their employer, Link Motor Supply.

They began with one store in Springfield, Missouri. Their first-year sales totaled $700,000. By 1961 sales had reached $1.3 million and by 1975 $7 million.

The company went public in 1993, trading on the NASDAQ.

In 1998 O’Reilly’s merged with Hi/LO Auto Supply, which added 190 auto parts stores in Texas and Louisiana to the company and made it one of the top ten auto parts chains in the United States.

In 2001 O’Reilly’s acquired Mid-State Automotive Distributors, which added 85 more stores to the company. In 2012 the acquisition of VIP Parts, Tires, and Service added 56 stores in New England.

O’Reilly stock was down in May 2019, which the company blames on bad weather across the country, while the EEOC sued the company the same month over sexual harassment and retaliation charges.

In March 2019, a former employee of a Texas store killed two store employees during an apparent robbery.

Despite the pandemic, O’Reilly’s is opening new stores in several states, including Texas.

Today O’Reilly’s Automotive has 5,616 stores in 47 U.S. states. The company has nearly 80,000 employees and had revenue of $11.6 billion in 2020.

O’Reilly Auto Parts corporate office is located in Springfield, Missouri.

O'Reilly's Auto Parts

They began with one store in Springfield, Missouri. Their first-year sales totaled $700,000. By 1961 sales had reached $1.3 million and by 1975 $7 million.

History

The company went public in 1993, trading on the NASDAQ.

In 1998 O’Reilly’s merged with Hi/LO Auto Supply, which added 190 auto parts stores in Texas and Louisiana to the company and made it one of the top ten auto parts chains in the United States.

In 2001 O’Reilly’s acquired Mid-State Automotive Distributors, which added 85 more stores to the company. In 2012 the acquisition of VIP Parts, Tires, and Service added 56 stores in New England.

O’Reilly stock was down in May 2019, which the company blames on bad weather across the country, while the EEOC sued the company the same month over sexual harassment and retaliation charges.

In March 2019, a former employee of a Texas store killed two store employees during an apparent robbery.

Despite the pandemic, O’Reilly’s is opening new stores in several states, including Texas.

Today O’Reilly’s Automotive has 5,616 stores in 47 U.S. states. The company has nearly 80,000 employees and had revenue of $11.6 billion in 2020.

O’Reilly Auto Parts corporate office is located in Springfield, Missouri.

Hitachi America Corporate Office

Hitachi, Ltd. is a Japanese multinational engineering and electronics company with worldwide headquarters in Tokyo.

Hitachi was founded in 1910 by Namihei Odaira. The name Hitachi means rising sun in Japanese and the original logo of the company invoked Japan’s imperial rising sun flag.

In 1924 Hitachi built Japan’s first electric locomotive. In 1957 the company built its first computer, which marked the beginning of its electronics production.

Hitachi America, Ltd. was founded in 1959.

Today Hitachi, Ltd. operates in 11 business segments: Information & Telecommunication Systems, Social Infrastructure, High Functional Materials & Components, Financial Services, Power Systems, Electronic Systems & Equipment, Automotive Systems, Railway & Urban Systems, Digital Media & Consumer Products, Construction Machinery, and Other Components & Systems.

Hitachi has 323,000 employees worldwide and had $946 billion in revenue in 2012.

Hitachi America, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. is a Japanese multinational engineering and electronics company with worldwide headquarters in Tokyo.

Hitachi was founded in 1910 by Namihei Odaira. The name Hitachi means rising sun in Japanese and the original logo of the company invoked Japan’s imperial rising sun flag.

In 1924 Hitachi built Japan’s first electric locomotive. In 1957 the company built its first computer, which marked the beginning of its electronics production.

History

Hitachi America, Ltd. was founded in 1959.

Hitachi has 323,000 employees worldwide and had $946 billion in revenue in 2012.

Daimler Trucks North America Corporate Office

Daimler Trucks North America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, a German multinational automotive corporation with worldwide headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

Daimler AG has its roots in the founding of two companies: Benz & Companies by Carl Benz in 1883 and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft by Gottlieb Daimler in 1890. Benz and Daimler, who never met personally, simultaneously developed the world’s first automobiles.

Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach were the first to fit a gas engine to a two-wheeler, called a “riding car” in 1885. He later presented the first four-wheeled vehicle, which he called the motor carriage.

Both Daimler and Benz began to market their vehicles internationally by the end of the 19th century.

Daimler and Benz merged in 1926 to form the new company, Daimler-Benz AG.

Today Daimler AG owns or has shares in: Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Smart, Freightliner, Western Star, Setra, Thomas Built Buses, BharatBenz, and Mitsubishi Fuso.

Daimler Trucks North America is the leading commercial vehicle manufacturer in North America and a leading provider of heavy and medium duty vehicles. The company employs over 20,000 people in the United States and Mexico.

Daimler Trucks North America

Daimler Trucks North America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, a German multinational automotive corporation with worldwide headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

History

Both Daimler and Benz began to market their vehicles internationally by the end of the 19th century.

Daimler and Benz merged in 1926 to form the new company, Daimler-Benz AG.

Today Daimler AG owns or has shares in: Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Smart, Freightliner, Western Star, Setra, Thomas Built Buses, BharatBenz, and Mitsubishi Fuso.