Sherwin-Williams Company
Encyclopedia
The Sherwin-Williams Company is an American
Fortune 500
company in the general building material
s industry. The company primarily engages in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of paint
s, coating
s and related products to professional, industrial, commercial, and retail customers primarily in North
and South America
. The company is mostly known through its Sherwin-Williams Paints line.
Founded by Henry Sherwin
and Edward Williams
in Cleveland
, Ohio
in 1866, the company operates through four segments: Paint Stores (known as Sherwin-Williams Stores), Diversified Brands, Automotive Finishes, and Chemical Coatings.
product finishes and similar items. As of January 1, 2011 the Paint Stores segment operated 3,954 individual paint stores. The Consumer segment develops, manufactures, and distributes various paints, coatings, and related products to third party customers and the Paint Stores segment. Sherwin-Williams is the parent company
of other brands such as Duron, M.A.B. Paints
, Minwax
, Krylon, Mautz Paint Co., Purdy, Bestt Liebco, Thompson's WaterSeal, H&C, Pratt & Lambert, Martin Senour, Dutch Boy, Easy Living, Weatherbeater, and on August 28, 2007 Sherwin Williams purchased Columbia Paint & Coatings. In 2007, the company introduced its first "Idea Center" in Shaker Heights, Ohio
, in an effort to provide customers with an interior design
environment as contrasted with its conventional paint stores.
finish, refinish, and touch-up products. It also licenses certain technology and trade names worldwide, as well as distributes Sherwin-Williams branded automotive finish and refinish products through its network of automotive branches. The Automotive Finishes segment opened their 200th automotive branch in Calumet Park, IL on September 21, 2007. The International Coatings segment develops, licenses, manufactures, and distributes various paints, coatings, and related products worldwide through 76 company-operated specialty paint stores, as of the above date, and by outside selling functions to other dealers and distributors.
Sherwin-Williams Mexico has 109 branches and 200 dealers.
On June 20, 2011, Computerworld
named The Sherwin-Williams Company the #58 Best Place to Work in IT.
, AkzoNobel, DuPont Performance Coatings
, BASF
, Valspar
(through Lowe's
), Behr
(through Home Depot), and Benjamin Moore
. There are also several smaller, regional competitors, though Sherwin-Williams has acquired a few of them (such as MAB and Columbia Paint & Coatings) in recent years.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
company in the general building material
Building material
Building material is any material which is used for a construction purpose. Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, sand, wood and rocks, even twigs and leaves have been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man-made products are in use, some more...
s industry. The company primarily engages in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of paint
Paint
Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...
s, coating
Coating
Coating is a covering that is applied to the surface of an object, usually referred to as the substrate. In many cases coatings are applied to improve surface properties of the substrate, such as appearance, adhesion, wetability, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and scratch resistance...
s and related products to professional, industrial, commercial, and retail customers primarily in North
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The company is mostly known through its Sherwin-Williams Paints line.
Founded by Henry Sherwin
Henry Sherwin
Henry Alden Sherwin was one of the two founders of the Sherwin-Williams Company in 1866. The company was created in part by both Sherwin and Edward Porter Williams.-Biography:...
and Edward Williams
Edward Williams (businessman)
Edward Porter Williams was an American businessman who co-founded the Sherwin-Williams Company with Henry Sherwin...
in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in 1866, the company operates through four segments: Paint Stores (known as Sherwin-Williams Stores), Diversified Brands, Automotive Finishes, and Chemical Coatings.
Sherwin-Williams Paints
The Paint Stores Segment, known as Sherwin-Williams Paints, was the first section of the company to be established, in 1866. These stores market and sell Sherwin-Williams branded architectural paints and coatings, industrial and marine products, and original equipment manufacturerOriginal Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
product finishes and similar items. As of January 1, 2011 the Paint Stores segment operated 3,954 individual paint stores. The Consumer segment develops, manufactures, and distributes various paints, coatings, and related products to third party customers and the Paint Stores segment. Sherwin-Williams is the parent company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
of other brands such as Duron, M.A.B. Paints
MAB Paints
M.A.B. Paints was a regional manufacturer of architectural, commercial and industrial coatings for the professional and do-it-yourself markets. Founded in 1899 in South Philadelphia by Michael A. Bruder, M.A.B. Paints grew to over 230 stores in 17 states.-History:Since 1967, it has been run by...
, Minwax
Minwax
Minwax is a manufacturer of architectural coatings for the professional and do-it-yourself markets. Founded in 1904 in Brooklyn, NY by Arthur B. Harrison, Minwax has grown to be the #1 brand of stains and clear finishes in the US. It is currently owned by Sherwin-Williams.The company's motto is...
, Krylon, Mautz Paint Co., Purdy, Bestt Liebco, Thompson's WaterSeal, H&C, Pratt & Lambert, Martin Senour, Dutch Boy, Easy Living, Weatherbeater, and on August 28, 2007 Sherwin Williams purchased Columbia Paint & Coatings. In 2007, the company introduced its first "Idea Center" in Shaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 28,448. It is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland that abuts the city on its eastern side.-Topography:Shaker Heights is located at...
, in an effort to provide customers with an interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
environment as contrasted with its conventional paint stores.
Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes
The Automotive Finishes segment develops, manufactures, and distributes various motor vehicleMotor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
finish, refinish, and touch-up products. It also licenses certain technology and trade names worldwide, as well as distributes Sherwin-Williams branded automotive finish and refinish products through its network of automotive branches. The Automotive Finishes segment opened their 200th automotive branch in Calumet Park, IL on September 21, 2007. The International Coatings segment develops, licenses, manufactures, and distributes various paints, coatings, and related products worldwide through 76 company-operated specialty paint stores, as of the above date, and by outside selling functions to other dealers and distributors.
Sherwin-Williams Spray Source
Sherwin-Williams Spray Source service centers offer new equipment, parts and accessories, maintenance and repairs to rental programs. There are over 100 service centers located across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. They have factory-trained technicians that provide maintenance and repairs on paint sprayers, pressure (cleaners) washers, conventional spray guns, HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) systems, plural-component equipment from manufacturers like EXEL North America, Kremlin Rexson, Sames, Johnstone, Graco, Titan/Speeflo, Spraytech/Wagner, Capspray, ITW Binks, AccuSpray, Mi-T-M, Pressure Pro, and more. They provide repairs like maintenance, emergency and warranty, telephone troubleshooting support, on-site demonstrations, and training. Prior to 2008, the program was called SherWorks.Sherwin-Williams Mexico
In 1929 Sherwin-Williams Mexico started operations. Headquarters is in Mexico City and is managed by Pablo García.Sherwin-Williams Mexico has 109 branches and 200 dealers.
STIR magazine
STIR magazine is a tri-annual publication delivering color news and resources to residential and commercial interior designers and architects throughout North America. The magazine is created and published by Hanley Wood, LLC. The first issue was published in 2004.Awards
STIR magazine has won several industry awards, including a 2005 FOLIO award for best design, new custom publication, as well as a 2007 Pearl Award from the Custom Publishing Council for the best in custom Publishing category.On June 20, 2011, Computerworld
Computerworld
Computerworld is an IT magazine that provides information for senior IT leaders. It is published in many countries around the world under the same or similar names. Its publisher is International Data Group. Computerworld serves the needs of IT management via print and online...
named The Sherwin-Williams Company the #58 Best Place to Work in IT.
Competition
Sherwin-Williams' major competitors are PPGPPG Industries
PPG Industries is a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, specialty materials, chemicals, glass and fiber glass. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PPG operates in more than 60 countries around the globe. Sales in 2010 were $13.4 billion...
, AkzoNobel, DuPont Performance Coatings
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
, BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
, Valspar
Valspar
The Valspar Corporation is an international manufacturer of paint and coatings based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the fifth largest paint and coating corporation in the world. The 200+ year old Valspar was founded in 1806 as a paint dealership in Boston, Massachusetts...
(through Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
), Behr
Behr (paint)
Behr Process Corporation is a manufacturer of interior and exterior residential paint, founded in 1947 by Otho Behr Jr. It is known for their extensive range of available colors...
(through Home Depot), and Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore & Co.
Benjamin Moore & Co., also known as Benjamin Moore Paints or simply Benjamin Moore, is an American company that produces paint. It is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Founded in 1883, Benjamin Moore is based in Montvale, New Jersey...
. There are also several smaller, regional competitors, though Sherwin-Williams has acquired a few of them (such as MAB and Columbia Paint & Coatings) in recent years.