Grainger closes Cromwell deal

CHICAGO — Grainger announced the completion of its acquisition of England’s Cromwell Group (Holdings) Ltd, a large British independent distributor of maintenance, repair, and operating products.  Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Leicester, Cromwell serves more than 35,000 industrial and manufacturing customers worldwide with 80,000 industrial products, and employs more than 2,150 people. Sales for the closing fiscal year are forecasted to be approximately £283 million ($573.4 million). Cromwell will now operate as a subsidiary of Grainger.