Founded in 1941, MSC Industrial Direct originally manufactured and sold cutting tools to metalworking shops in New York. Through a series of acquisitions and organic expansions, MSC has grown into an industrial distribution powerhouse with a focus on specialized metalworking products and services. The firm also distributes a wide breadth of maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) supplies. MSC primarily operates within North America where it derives over 95% of its revenue.