Big MRO trade show stampedes into Calgary

Acklands-Grainger, a distributor of industrial, safety and fastener products, hosted a record number of attendees at its annual customer trade show, known as The Works, held  at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park in Calgary, Jan. 16-18, 2013. Billed as Canada’s largest maintenance repair and operations (MRO) and safety show, it was held in Calgary for the first time, bringing together more than 2,200 invited customers, 250 supplier partners and 850 Acklands-Grainger team members from across the country.

The purpose of the event was to provide a forum to discuss pressing industry trends and showcase thousands of new products and solutions that help businesses improve productivity and keep employees safe and on the job, said Eric Nowlin, president, Acklands-Grainger, Richmond Hill, ON.

Nowlin has served as president of the company since April 2012. Prior to this role, he was vice-president, customer service in the US, including branch operations and eCommerce. He joined Grainger in 2006 as regional branch services vice-president, overseeing the strategic direction of branches in the Western US region, and later was vice-president, business development.

“Companies are looking to trim costs in new ways to improve their bottom line,” he said. “This show is one of the ways we invest in our customers’ businesses – by providing resources and expertise to help them be more efficient as they keep their workplaces safe, efficient and functioning.”

The event included an expanded trade show and two full days of activities for customers, ranging from safety seminars to product and service demos addressing topics such as leveraging eCommerce and inventory management solutions to saving time and money. A third day was exclusively for the company’s employees, recognizing past achievements and motivating them for the year ahead.

Acklands-Grainger took its name when US industrial distributor W.W. Grainger Inc., which was founded in Chicago in 1926, acquired Toronto-based Acklands Ltd. in December 1996. Acklands was founded in Canada in 1889. The company has become the country’s largest distributor of industrial, safety and fastener products, with over 120,000 in-stock products available from 175 branches and six distribution centres coast to coast.

The Works will be held again in Toronto in 2014. Look for more photographs and details about the 2013 show online at mromagazine.com. For more information on the company, visit acklandsgrainger.com

More photos from this event can be found on the MRO Photo Gallery online at www.mromagazine.com/gallery.