Chicago, IL-based W. W. Grainger, Inc. has appointed Michael A. Pulick, Senior Vice President for Customer Service, to Senior Vice President and President, Grainger Industrial Supply, effective Nov. 1, 2008.
 
Pulick is replacing Y.C. Chen, 61, who will stay on in a special advisory role with the company. Pulick joined Grainger in 1999 from General Electric.
 
Grainger will also establish a global supply chain function under Senior Vice President D.G. Macpherson, effective immediately. This new function will provide global planning, coordination and specialized expertise to the supply chain organizations in all of Grainger’s business units. The initial focus will be on global supply chain architecture, procurement and supply chain talent management. Reporting to Macpherson in his new role will be Joseph J. Stachowicz, President, Grainger Global Sourcing.
 
W.W. Grainger, Inc. had 2007 sales of $6.4 billion and is a broad line supplier of facilities maintenance products serving businesses and institutions in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, China and Panama.