FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2008
FCCJ Media Contact: Michael Corby 904.632.3310
Grainger Media Contact: Sara Boyne-Granack 678.540.0148

Grainger partners with Florida Community College at Jacksonville to address local shortage of skilled workers

Grainger Tools for Tomorrow℠ scholarship program helps support future leaders within the industrial trades.

With baby boomers preparing to retire from the ranks of the skilled workforce in Jacksonville and across the country, a growing collection of labor experts are raising concerns that there is a shortage of workers with the critical skills required to replace them. Recognizing the growing need, Grainger, a local distributor of facilities maintenance supplies, will award a Tools for Tomorrow scholarship to Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ) student Jemerson Diaz during an assembly at the College’s Advanced Technology Center on Oct. 29 at 11 a.m.

“Industrial trade students like Jemerson Diaz represent the best and the brightest of the future of skilled labor,” said Frank Lopez, Branch Manager of Grainger’s Phillips Highway location in Jacksonville. “Grainger is proud to partner with Florida Community College at Jacksonville through our Tools for Tomorrow scholarship program. Together we can help to ensure that the Jacksonville community continues to have an ample pool to meet the demand for workers in the skilled and technical trades.”

Diaz, a Jacksonville, Fla. resident and FCCJ student studying Automotive Technology, was nominated by the school’s faculty to receive the award. His instructors describe him as an excellent student who is hard-working and dedicated. Diaz is one of 35 students across the nation who will receive a $2,000 scholarship and, upon graduation, a Westward® tool package from Grainger to support him in his future career.

“I am grateful for Grainger’s generous contribution that has helped to further my career in Automotive Technology,” said Diaz. “This scholarship provides an opportunity for me to focus on my professional goals as a leader in the automotive field and in my local community.”

“The industrial trades are in critical need of trained, skilled workers with an understanding of today’s modernized tools, technologies and processes,” said FCCJ Downtown Campus President Edythe Abdullah. “With the increasing demand for these skilled individuals, it is essential that we continue to invest in their talent, and Grainger is doing just that through this scholarship program.”

Media interested in conducting interviews or obtaining more information about Grainger should contact Sara Boyne-Granack at 678.540.0148. Students attending FCCJ interested in applying for Grainger Tools for Tomorrow scholarship should call 904.646.2300.

The Advanced Technology Center is located at 401 W. State St., between Pearl and Broad streets.

About Grainger

Illinois-based W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE: GWW), with 2007 sales of $6.4 billion, is the leading broad line supplier of facilities maintenance products serving businesses and institutions in Canada, China, Mexico and the United States. Through a highly integrated network including more than 600 branches, 18 distribution centers and multiple Web sites, Grainger’s employees help customers get the job done.