W.W. Grainger Receives Prestigious Award for Its Achievement and Innovation in Workforce Productivity

Seattle, WA (March 20, 2013) - W.W. Grainger was presented with the Institute for Corporate Productivity’s (i4cp) 2013 Member of the Year award during a presentation today at the i4cp 2013 Annual Conference. This award is presented each year to an i4cp member company that has demonstrated unique and successful programs to increase workforce productivity within their organization.

i4cp also awarded IBM the 2013 New Member of the Year Award, Qualcomm the 2013 High-Performance Award, and Hank Jonas of Corning Incorporated the 2013 Exchange Member of the Year Award.

Over the last five years, Grainger has consistently outperformed the S&P 500. In the last 12 months, the company’s share price has grown over 30%; Grainger’s revenue per employee is an impressive $418,000. Grainger has taken a leadership role in i4cp's employee engagement peer working group, and actively participated in the i4cp network. Many Grainger thought leaders have shared their expertise and insights on a variety of topics with i4cp's research staff as well as peers at other member organizations

Additional award recipients are high-performing market leaders:

• New Member of the Year Award - This award recognizes companies that demonstrate commitment to the i4cp network and dedication to achieving high performance. Since joining in 2012, IBM and i4cp have worked closely together on dozens of human capital projects and research endeavors. IBM has also been an active participant in peer-to-peer connections with other i4cp members.
• High-Performance Award - Qualcomm has demonstrated commitment to high performance both in utilization of i4cp membership and market growth. Qualcomm's successful acquisition strategy is a strong indicator of their high market performance, acquiring eight companies since 2007. Qualcomm is often identified as a leader in innovative work environments and is heavily involved in the i4cp peer network, sharing its knowledge with other i4cp members.
• Exchange Member of the Year Award - Hank Jonas of Corning Incorporated is the recipient of i4cp's only individual award in recognition of his generosity in sharing knowledge and providing guidance to counterparts in other organizations, and dedication to advancing the field of performance management. Jonas has been the most involved member of i4cp's performance management peer working group and consistently demonstrates leadership and a true mentoring spirit.

About i4cp, Inc.

i4cp focuses on the people practices that make high-performance organizations unique. Years of research make it clear that top companies approach their workforces differently. In recognition of our status as the largest and fastest-growing network of its kind, i4cp was named to the prestigious 2012 Inc. 500|5000 list. We work with our network of organizations to:

• Reveal what high-performance organizations are doing differently
• Identify best and next practices for all levels of management
• Provide the resources to show how workforce improvements have bottom-line impact

Through our exclusive, vendor-free network – in which peers collaborate to drive strategic research, as well as share tools and insights – i4cp provides a unique, practical view of how human capital practices drive high performance. For more information, visit http://www.i4cp.com/.