McMaster-Carr
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1901
- HeadquartersElmhurst, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
McMaster-Carr firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- McMaster-Carr
- Legal name
- McMaster-Carr
- Website
- https://mcmaster.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1901
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
McMaster-Carr industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial MRO Distribution
- NAICS
- Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42384), Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42383), Service Establishment Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42385)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070), Wholesale-Electrical Apparatus & Equipment, Wiring Supplies (5063)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial MRO Supplies for Vehicle/Equipment Workshops (Bearings, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Fasteners) (TLAKAOAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Workshop Tools, Equipment & Lift Systems Distribution (TLAKAOAM), Material Handling Equipment MRO (Forklifts, Reach Trucks, Pallet Jacks) (TLAKAHAC), Specialty Power Systems MRO (Generators, Compressors, Pumps, Welders) (TLAKAHAJ), Industrial & Facility Maintenance (MRO) Cleaning Supplies Distribution (CRAOAGAJ)
Keywords
Where McMaster-Carr is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Elmhurst
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
McMaster-Carr business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- MRO Product Sales: McMaster-Carr generates revenue through direct sales of industrial MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) products including fasteners, hardware, tools, plumbing supplies, electrical equipment, and thousands of other industrial components. Sales are conducted through website, mobile app, and customer service channels with order fulfillment from company distribution centers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Per-unit pricing with quantity discounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
McMaster-Carr product offering
Product offeringCore offering
McMaster-Carr is a direct-to-consumer industrial MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) distributor that sells more than 550,000 industrial products across 26+ categories — including fasteners, pipe/tubing/hose/fittings, power transmission, sealing, raw materials, flow/level/pressure/temperature control, filtering, heating & cooling, electrical & lighting, material handling, tools, safety supplies, and facility maintenance items. Orders are placed through the company's website (mcmaster.com), mobile apps, Product Information API, or print catalog, and are fulfilled from six US distribution centers with same-day shipping on many items.
Product overview
McMaster-Carr is an industrial distributor of Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) supplies, offering a comprehensive catalog of over 550,000 industrial products across 26 distinct categories. The product portfolio spans fasteners, piping, power transmission components, seals, raw materials, process control equipment, hand tools, safety supplies, and facility equipment. McMaster-Carr operates primarily as an e-commerce and catalog-based distributor, serving manufacturing, construction, and industrial maintenance customers. The company provides a Product Information API for approved customers to programmatically access product data, pricing, CAD files, and datasheets. An integrated SOLIDWORKS Add-In allows CAD users to directly access McMaster-Carr product data within their design workflow.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fastening & Joining Products
Companies that use McMaster-Carr
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
McMaster-Carr technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature4 records
McMaster-Carr partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Enterprise eProcurement SystemscoreIntegration partnerships with enterprise procurement systems allowing approved customers to access McMaster-Carr products through their existing procurement platforms. Contact: [email protected]
- SolidWorkscoreOfficial SolidWorks Add-In integration allowing CAD users to access McMaster-Carr product information, specifications, and ordering directly within the SolidWorks environment.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
McMaster-Carr competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- W.W. Grainger: W.W. Grainger is one of the largest broad-line industrial MRO distributors in North America, operating a comparable catalog, e-commerce platform, and branch network serving maintenance, repair, and operations customers. It directly competes with McMaster-Carr across overlapping SKUs and customer segments, including manufacturing and industrial facilities.
- Fastenal: Fastenal is a leading industrial supply distributor specializing in fasteners, safety, and maintenance products, with a heavy on-site vending and branch network. It overlaps with McMaster-Carr on fastening & joining, safety supplies, and general MRO consumables, serving many of the same industrial and manufacturing customers.
- MSC Industrial Supply: MSC Industrial Direct is a large direct marketer and distributor of metalworking and MRO supplies, selling primarily through catalogs, ecommerce, and field sales. It directly competes with McMaster-Carr in cutting tools, hand tools, fasteners, and general industrial supplies to manufacturing customers.
- Applied Industrial Technologies: Applied Industrial Technologies is a major distributor of bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and other industrial MRO products with a service-center and e-commerce model. It directly overlaps with McMaster-Carr's bearings, hydraulics, power transmission, and motion control categories.
- Motion Industries: Motion Industries is a large industrial parts distributor supplying bearings, mechanical power transmission, electrical, fluid power, and automation products. Its product mix and customer base closely mirror several of McMaster-Carr's largest categories, especially power transmission and fluid power.
- Grainger Industrial (Zoro Tools): Zoro is Grainger-owned e-commerce brand focused on small and mid-sized business MRO and industrial supply. It competes with McMaster-Carr's digital storefront for similar SKUs, customer profiles, and self-service purchasing behavior.
Emerging players
- Amazon Business: Amazon Business is a fast-growing digital-first B2B procurement marketplace offering broad industrial and MRO supplies with business pricing and analytics. It competes with McMaster-Carr for commodity industrial SKUs and is increasingly cited by procurement teams as an alternative or complement to traditional industrial distributors.
Regional players
- HD Supply (White Cap): White Cap (formerly part of HD Supply) is a US-focused distributor of specialty construction and industrial supplies including fasteners, tools, and concrete accessories. It overlaps with McMaster-Carr in fastening & joining and hand tools for construction and building maintenance customers.
Broad incumbents
- Genuine Parts Company (Motion / NAPA Industrial): Genuine Parts Company owns Motion Industries and related industrial distribution businesses alongside its NAPA auto parts network. As a public, diversified industrial distributor, it is broadly comparable to McMaster-Carr in industrial MRO but with a wider portfolio spanning automotive and industrial end-markets.
- Rexel: Rexel is a global electrical and industrial distribution group with operations across multiple geographies. It competes with McMaster-Carr in electrical & lighting distribution and broader MRO categories, but at a wider scope and larger international footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
McMaster-Carr social profiles
Digital presenceMcMaster-Carr financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
McMaster-Carr leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
McMaster-Carr funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
McMaster-Carr M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about McMaster-Carr
What does McMaster-Carr do?
McMaster-Carr is a direct-to-consumer industrial MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) distributor that sells more than 550,000 industrial products across 26+ categories — including fasteners, pipe/tubing/hose/fittings, power transmission, sealing, raw materials, flow/level/pressure/temperature control, filtering, heating & cooling, electrical & lighting, material handling, tools, safety supplies, and facility maintenance items. Orders are placed through the company's website (mcmaster.com), mobile apps, Product Information API, or print catalog, and are fulfilled from six US distribution centers with same-day shipping on many items.
Is McMaster-Carr a public or private company?
McMaster-Carr is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was McMaster-Carr founded?
McMaster-Carr was founded in 1901. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is McMaster-Carr based?
McMaster-Carr is headquartered in Elmhurst, United States, in the North America region.
How does McMaster-Carr make money?
One revenue line is on record: MRO Product Sales.
Who are McMaster-Carr's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are W.W. Grainger, Fastenal, MSC Industrial Supply, Applied Industrial Technologies, Motion Industries and Grainger Industrial (Zoro Tools). Amazon Business is listed as an emerging player. HD Supply (White Cap) is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Genuine Parts Company (Motion / NAPA Industrial) and Rexel.
Does McMaster-Carr have an API?
Yes. McMaster-Carr Product Information API provides an external method for programmatically retrieving publicly available product information. Approved customers can import data on product offerings into their own systems and stay up to date as specifications change. The API uses REST principles with client certificate authentication and bearer token authorization. Available endpoints include: Log in, Log out, Add product subscription, Remove product subscription, Product information retrieval, Price lookup, Image retrieval, CAD file retrieval (2-D DWG and 3-D STEP formats), and Datasheet retrieval. Rate limits apply, with bandwidth-intensive endpoints like CAD file retrieval being rate-limited. Authorization tokens expire after 24 hours or upon logout. Developer documentation is at www.mcmaster.com/help/api.
What industry is McMaster-Carr in?
McMaster-Carr's product category is Industrial MRO Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAKAOAK, Industrial MRO Supplies for Vehicle/Equipment Workshops (Bearings, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Fasteners), with a secondary code of TLAKAOAM, Workshop Tools, Equipment & Lift Systems Distribution. Its NAICS code is 42384 and its SIC code is 5084.