Grainger Subsidiary Acquires McFeely’s
In a former life, I worked in an industrial laboratory and later, in many manufacturing facilities setting up labs. We ordered a lot of supplies from Grainger. You’ve no doubt heard of Grainger. We source them a lot in Woodsmith and ShopNotes magazines for some hardware items you might not be able to find at your local home center. They established their roots as an industrial/commercial supplier.
They have a subsidiary company that specializes in supplying laboratories — Lab Safety Supply (they have some cool stuff you can use in the shop, too). I used to order a lot of lab supplies from them.
Turns out that Lab Safety Supply is broadening their market. They recently acquired McFeely’s. You
know McFeely’s from their cartoonish catalog covers of Jim Ray, the owner. They rose to fame in woodworking circles by supplying square-drive screws. I love to use square-drive screws in my shop. And if you use pocket hole joinery, you already know the benefits of square drive screws. McFeely’s has an interesting history that you can read about here.
According to this press release:
“McFeely’s will be marketed as an independent brand by LSS, the leading direct marketer of targeted, specialty business products in the safety, industrial, environmental and homeland security markets. Through a similar direct marketing model, McFeely’s serves over 70,000 active customers including serious woodworkers, handymen, home improvement professionals, construction companies and cabinet makers.”