Highsmith Acquired by Lab Safety

According to MarketWatch, part of the Wall Street Journal's Digital Network, Highsmith, Inc. of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, has been acquired by Lab Safety, Inc., a direct marketing subsidiary of W.W. Grainger, Inc. Highsmith is a distributor of supplies, furniture and equipment to all types of libraries in the U.S. and abroad.


Larry Loizzo, President of Lab Safety Supply, said his company plans to build upon the strong Highsmith brand as part of their specialty catalog group.

For many years, Highsmith has supported ALA and state library association initiatives, including programs of the WLA and WLA Foundation. Highsmith sponsors the WLA/Highsmith Award at WLA's annual Awards & Honors banquet, providing $1,000 to a library who has developed an innovative service. In 2007, Highsmith became a Leadership Partner of the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries, a program of the WLA Foundation, and provided cash and in-kind contributions totalling more than $12,000.