Graco's Century of Resilience: How Innovation Built a Global Giant

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – April 16, 2026

A century ago, Russell Gray, a parking lot attendant grappling with the brutal Minnesota winter, grew tired of grease guns that froze solid and failed. His frustration sparked an invention: an air-powered grease gun that worked reliably in the cold. That single solution to a persistent problem, born in a Minneapolis garage in 1926, launched Gray Company, now known as Graco Inc. This month, the company marks its 100th anniversary not as a historical relic, but as a $2 billion global industrial technology leader whose story is a masterclass in corporate endurance and adaptation.

While few companies survive to see their centennial, Graco’s journey offers a blueprint for longevity. It is a story of navigating the 20th century’s most turbulent economic and geopolitical waters—from the Great Depression and World War II to oil crises and global recessions—by adhering to a founding principle: customer-led innovation.

A Century of Adaptation

Graco’s history is a direct reflection of modern industrial history. The company survived the Great Depression by focusing on specialized lubrication equipment, reaching $1 million in sales by 1941. When World War II demanded industrial might, Graco pivoted. It manufactured rugged lubrication systems, including the famed “Convoy Luber,” which kept Allied tanks, vehicles, and aircraft operational in punishing conditions, earning the company two Army-Navy ‘E’ awards for production excellence.

As the post-war era ushered in a consumer boom, Graco adapted once again. In 1945, it established an Industrial Equipment Division, expanding beyond automotive grease guns into pumps and sprayers that could move paints, adhesives, and other viscous materials. This strategic diversification was pivotal, allowing the company to ride the wave of growth in home construction, appliance manufacturing, and consumer goods.

The company went public on the NYSE in 1969 with sales of $33 million, and by the late 1970s, that figure had tripled to over $100 million. This growth was not without challenges. The company faced significant downturns in the mid-1970s and early 1980s, with earnings hit by volatile market conditions. Yet, even during these slumps, Graco continued to invest heavily in research and development, a strategy that consistently paid off. By 2012, it surpassed $1 billion in annual revenue, a figure that has since doubled, underscoring a century of sustained, strategic growth.

“Over the last 100 years, Graco has faced the same economic, political, and global challenges that tested every company,” said Mark W. Sheahan, Graco President and CEO. “What carried us through was not luck. It was an unwavering focus on solving real customer problems and adapting to the world as it evolved, decade by decade.”

The Invisible Hand in Everyday Life

For many consumers, Graco is synonymous with the paint sprayers found in home improvement stores. But the company's true impact is far broader and often hidden in plain sight. Graco’s technology is a critical, behind-the-scenes component of modern life, moving, measuring, and dispensing the fluids and powders that build and sustain our world.

The crisp lines on a football field, the protective coating on an airplane, and the paint on your car were likely applied with Graco equipment. The company's systems are essential in food production, precisely dispensing everything from peanut butter to chocolate. The adhesives holding together smartphones, furniture, and product packaging are applied with Graco’s precision dispensers. From construction sites and manufacturing plants to automotive factories, its pumps and fluid-handling systems are the circulatory system of industry, enhancing efficiency and safety.

This diversification is no accident. Graco operates across three major segments—Contractor, Industrial, and Process—which allows it to serve a vast array of markets, from mining and agriculture to electronics and transportation. This broad footprint, with products sold in over 100 countries, insulates the company from downturns in any single sector and provides a wide field for innovation.

Minnesota Roots, Global Future

Despite its transformation into a global entity with factories on six continents, Graco remains deeply anchored in its Minnesota origins. The company’s headquarters and primary innovation hub are still in Minneapolis, and it fosters a distinct culture that values long-term careers, with many employees belonging to its “Quarter Century Club.” This stability has created a multi-generational workforce dedicated to the founder's practical ethos: making work safer, easier, and more efficient.

That commitment extends to the broader community. Since 1986, the Graco Foundation has contributed over $50 million to local communities, primarily focusing on STEM education, workforce development, and youth programs. This investment is a strategic effort to cultivate the next generation of engineers, technicians, and skilled workers who will drive manufacturing forward.

As it looks to its next century, Graco is positioning itself at the forefront of the next industrial revolution. The company is actively investing in automation, data-driven systems, and artificial intelligence to create smarter, more efficient products. Recent strategic acquisitions, such as Corob S.p.A. for advanced tinting systems and Color Service s.r.l. for powder handling, signal a clear intent to dominate emerging areas of industrial technology. These moves demonstrate that Graco is not merely celebrating its past but actively building its future, applying its century-old problem-solving philosophy to the challenges of tomorrow.

“Our future will be guided by the same principles that shaped our past,” Sheahan affirmed. “Engineering dependable products designed to last, investing in people, and staying relentlessly focused on our customers’ toughest challenges. That is how we have endured and how we will continue to grow.”