Acklands was founded in Winnipeg in 1889 by Dudley Ackland. He was a pioneer in his industry. His vision was to become a partner to his customers by supplying and manufacturing wooden goods. Later on, he began to manufacture and sell carriages, wagons, farm machinery, and sell a variety of other supplies and equipment to local farmers and businesses.
In 1919, as the automobile was taking the world by storm, Acklands saw an opportunity to start providing replacement parts and accessories to his customers. This insight sparked a shift in the business. Going forward, he continued to listen to the needs of his customers and offer an array of products, supplies, and solutions that would allow them to continue to grow.
This insightful approach to business led Acklands to become Canada’s largest distributor of industrial products. In 1996, Acklands was purchased by Grainger, the largest industrial distributor in the United States, and the Acklands name was changed to Acklands-Grainger Inc.
Today, there is a new chapter being written as we continue to build on the core values founded over 130 years ago. Grainger is now the largest distributor of MRO products in North America offering products, services, solutions and deep industry knowledge to help our customers keep their operations running and their people safe.
