# SHERWIN WILLIAMS CO

Summary updated: 2026-03-19T06:25:53.396397Z
Canonical: https://finbar.com/research/companies/sherwin-williams-co

## Overview

Sherwin-Williams, founded in 1866, is a paints and coatings company that develops, manufactures, distributes and sells paint, coatings and related products to professional, industrial, commercial and retail customers. Its business is organized around three core segments: Paint Stores Group, Consumer Brands Group and Performance Coatings Group. Together these businesses span architectural paint and coatings, branded and private-label consumer products, and industrial, automotive refinish, protective and marine, coil, packaging, resin and colorant offerings. The company operates primarily in North and South America, with additional operations in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Australia.[1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-bf04e8378841433b857e4f065f09478a)[2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-246b7df58aa8464eaa7f6811aee6640c)[3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-7a3403b96d134ce4a6c44266b436b294)[4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-d0545f4efb1047e99c05565abb495797)[5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-933b4bfb36f14d07aa084fe5c63a14b7)

The company states its purpose as “to inspire and improve the world by coloring and protecting what matters.” In 2024, Sherwin-Williams generated net sales of about $23.1 billion and employed 63,890 people worldwide. It also describes its global footprint as businesses in over 120 countries, reflecting a large international presence built around company-operated stores, branches and distribution networks.[6](https://www.sherwin-williams.com/content/dam/sherwin/corp/corp-aem-sherwin/6-22-21/reports-downloads/SHW_Corporate-Purpose_FINAL.pdf.coredownload.pdf)[7](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-563f6463590d4ad0aca9bc1abb10b0b3)[8](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-72e6c382aa5546048a555243ef469692)[9](http://sherwin.com.cn/eng/about-sherwin-williams/about-sherwin-williams/12/19/about-company.html)
[1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-bf04e8378841433b857e4f065f09478a)[2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-246b7df58aa8464eaa7f6811aee6640c)[3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-7a3403b96d134ce4a6c44266b436b294)[4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-d0545f4efb1047e99c05565abb495797)[5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-933b4bfb36f14d07aa084fe5c63a14b7)[7](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-563f6463590d4ad0aca9bc1abb10b0b3)[8](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-72e6c382aa5546048a555243ef469692)[6](https://www.sherwin-williams.com/content/dam/sherwin/corp/corp-aem-sherwin/6-22-21/reports-downloads/SHW_Corporate-Purpose_FINAL.pdf.coredownload.pdf)[9](http://sherwin.com.cn/eng/about-sherwin-williams/about-sherwin-williams/12/19/about-company.html)

## Products & services

Sherwin-Williams’ product portfolio is centered on paints, coatings, and closely related application and finishing products. In its Paint Stores Group, the company markets architectural paint and coatings, protective and marine products, OEM product finishes, and related items through controlled brands including Sherwin-Williams, A-100, Captivate, Cashmere, Duration, Emerald, Gallery Series, Latitude, Loxon, ProClassic, Pro Industrial, ProMar, Scuff Tuff, SuperDeck, SuperPaint, and Woodscapes. These lines are aimed at architectural and industrial paint contractors as well as do-it-yourself homeowners. [3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-7a3403b96d134ce4a6c44266b436b294)[10](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-9e75d151ba014eb38fde6742afa047fc)

Its Consumer Brands Group sells both branded and private-label architectural paint, stains, varnishes, industrial products, wood finish products, wood preservatives, applicators, corrosion inhibitors, aerosols, caulks, and adhesives. Key product names in this portfolio include Cabot, Dupli-Color, Dutch Boy, Geocel, HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams, Krylon, Minwax, Purdy, Ronseal, Thompson’s WaterSeal, Valspar, and White Lightning. The segment also provides product development and operational support through new-product R&D, manufacturing, distribution, and logistics, with some sales and marketing handled by a direct sales force. [4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-d0545f4efb1047e99c05565abb495797)[11](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-5334ac5c7ae443bcb79d4b6787344647)

Sherwin-Williams’ Performance Coatings Group focuses on more specialized coating systems, including industrial coatings for wood finishing and general industrial metal and plastic applications, automotive refinish coatings, protective and marine coatings, coil coatings, packaging coatings, and performance-based resins and colorants. Brand families named in this portfolio include Acrolon, DeBeer Refinish, Duraspar, Firetex, Fluropon, Heat-Flex, House of Kolor, Kem Aqua, Macropoxy, M.L. Campbell, Polane, Powdura, Sayerlack, Sher-Wood, ValPure, and Valspar; the group also licenses certain technology and trade names worldwide. Sherwin-Williams additionally states that it manufactures key resins internally and sells complementary products such as spray equipment and parts, floorcovering, and sundries. The company does not disclose sales by individual product line, but its nearest product mix disclosure is by segment: Paint Stores Group represented about 57.1% of 2024 net sales, Consumer Brands Group about 13.5%, and Performance Coatings Group about 29.4%. [5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-933b4bfb36f14d07aa084fe5c63a14b7)[12](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-e52c826168824b8cbbe1116ccc074d05)[13](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-0206aa85ddab437c8e010fd85e181b9f)[14](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T-5aa5f353398e499cbc544096301ed6a5)
[3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-7a3403b96d134ce4a6c44266b436b294)[10](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-9e75d151ba014eb38fde6742afa047fc)[4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-d0545f4efb1047e99c05565abb495797)[11](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-5334ac5c7ae443bcb79d4b6787344647)[5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-933b4bfb36f14d07aa084fe5c63a14b7)[12](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-e52c826168824b8cbbe1116ccc074d05)[13](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-0206aa85ddab437c8e010fd85e181b9f)[14](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T-5aa5f353398e499cbc544096301ed6a5)

## Geographic presence

Sherwin-Williams operates primarily in North and South America, with additional operations in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Australia. Its principal executive offices are in Cleveland, Ohio.[1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-bf04e8378841433b857e4f065f09478a) In its Paint Stores Group, the company operated 4,773 company-operated specialty paint stores at year-end 2024 across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Maarten, Jamaica, Curaçao, Aruba, St. Lucia and Barbados.[15](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-f69e676102774e7db448048365adcbb0) Those stores were organized into five geographic divisions: Mid Western (1,204 stores), Eastern (921), Canada (259), Southeastern (1,210, including Puerto Rico and several Caribbean markets), and Southwestern (1,179).[16](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-10c370cce84242ecb223443ab51d503a)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-c8ab5e9a5aeb417496ec6a0c4d091a7c)[18](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-bb8a960863ab45fb8ee805e2711a2ace)[19](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-465ceb0b76f5464284c1fd85192f6554)[20](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-193d4237f2454f82a2040d3b7a92ba68)

Outside that network, the Consumer Brands Group operated 334 specialty paint stores in Latin America, located in Mexico (180), Chile (57), Brazil (49), Ecuador (37) and Uruguay (11).[21](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-c0dc4f23ee1640ff9c4dccaedef22caa) The Performance Coatings Group operated 225 branches in the United States and 99 internationally, with international branches in Europe (47), Canada (22), Chile (11), Mexico (5), Peru (3), Ecuador (2), Brazil (2), Thailand (2), Indonesia (2), Vietnam (1), Singapore (1) and China (1).[22](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-89722d3f83f445f1a6d203dbf9600887) Sherwin-Williams’ principal manufacturing and distribution facilities were also spread across multiple regions: for Consumer Brands, facilities were listed in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, Jamaica, Latin America and the United States; for Performance Coatings, they were listed in Europe, Latin America and the United States.[23](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-e786c5b59a7a47d9ae1de32f542eaa58)[24](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T-18c667d836fe411d8a151ac636b7162a)
[1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-bf04e8378841433b857e4f065f09478a)[15](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-f69e676102774e7db448048365adcbb0)[16](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-10c370cce84242ecb223443ab51d503a)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-c8ab5e9a5aeb417496ec6a0c4d091a7c)[18](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-bb8a960863ab45fb8ee805e2711a2ace)[19](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-465ceb0b76f5464284c1fd85192f6554)[20](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-193d4237f2454f82a2040d3b7a92ba68)[21](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-c0dc4f23ee1640ff9c4dccaedef22caa)[22](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-89722d3f83f445f1a6d203dbf9600887)[23](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-e786c5b59a7a47d9ae1de32f542eaa58)[24](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T-18c667d836fe411d8a151ac636b7162a)

## Business segments

Sherwin-Williams reports three operating/reportable segments: Paint Stores Group, Consumer Brands Group, and Performance Coatings Group; all other activities are included in Administrative. Paint Stores Group consists of the company’s specialty paint stores in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, serving architectural and industrial paint contractors and do-it-yourself homeowners with architectural paint and coatings, protective and marine products, OEM finishes, and related items. Consumer Brands Group manufactures and distributes branded and private-label paints, stains, varnishes, industrial products, wood finishes and preservatives, applicators, corrosion inhibitors, aerosols, caulks and adhesives, and also includes Latin America stores plus related R&D, manufacturing and logistics. Performance Coatings Group develops, manufactures and sells industrial coatings for wood finishing, general industrial, automotive refinish, protective and marine, coil, packaging, and other performance-based polymers, resins and colorants, and also licenses certain technologies and trade names. Administrative includes corporate and other non-reportable activities. [2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-246b7df58aa8464eaa7f6811aee6640c)[3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-7a3403b96d134ce4a6c44266b436b294)[4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-d0545f4efb1047e99c05565abb495797)[5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-933b4bfb36f14d07aa084fe5c63a14b7)[25](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-b4bf244554494334b25d8aaf2fce8b3d)

Based on 2024 net sales, Paint Stores Group was the largest segment at about 57% of consolidated sales ($13.2 billion), followed by Performance Coatings Group at about 29% ($6.8 billion) and Consumer Brands Group at about 13% ($3.1 billion); Administrative was negligible at roughly 0.02%. [26](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T-edac58b50f8342b99fcd79fea4fee4fc)
[2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-246b7df58aa8464eaa7f6811aee6640c)[3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-7a3403b96d134ce4a6c44266b436b294)[4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-d0545f4efb1047e99c05565abb495797)[5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-933b4bfb36f14d07aa084fe5c63a14b7)[25](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-b4bf244554494334b25d8aaf2fce8b3d)[26](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T-edac58b50f8342b99fcd79fea4fee4fc)

## Company history

Sherwin-Williams was founded in Cleveland in 1866 by Henry Sherwin and Edward Williams. In its early years, the company helped shape the commercial paint market; by 1877, Henry Sherwin was credited with inventing the first ready-mixed paint and a resealable paint can, sold as Sherwin-Williams Paint. The company also began extending its footprint beyond the U.S. early in the 20th century, including the opening of its first Latin American store in Mexico City in 1929.[27](https://www.sherwin-williams.com/content/dam/sherwin/corp/corp-aem-sherwin/bof/Sherwin-Williams_CompanyInfo%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf.coredownload.pdf)[28](https://industrial.sherwin-williams.com/na/us/en/aerospace/why-us/history.html)[29](https://sherwin.com.mx/conozca-sherwin/nuestra-historia/)

A major product milestone came in 1941, when Sherwin-Williams introduced Super Kem-Tone, described by the company as the world’s first latex house paint. In the modern era, its largest historical transaction was the acquisition of Valspar, completed on June 1, 2017, which significantly expanded Sherwin-Williams’ scale and international reach.[30](https://www.sherwin-williams.com/painting-contractors/business-builders/paint-technology-and-application/sw-article-pro-waterbasedacryl)[31](https://investors.sherwin-williams.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2017/SHERWIN-WILLIAMS-COMPLETES-ACQUISITION-OF-VALSPAR---CREATES-THE-GLOBAL-LEADER-IN-PAINT-AND-COATINGS/default.aspx)
[27](https://www.sherwin-williams.com/content/dam/sherwin/corp/corp-aem-sherwin/bof/Sherwin-Williams_CompanyInfo%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf.coredownload.pdf)[28](https://industrial.sherwin-williams.com/na/us/en/aerospace/why-us/history.html)[29](https://sherwin.com.mx/conozca-sherwin/nuestra-historia/)[30](https://www.sherwin-williams.com/painting-contractors/business-builders/paint-technology-and-application/sw-article-pro-waterbasedacryl)[31](https://investors.sherwin-williams.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2017/SHERWIN-WILLIAMS-COMPLETES-ACQUISITION-OF-VALSPAR---CREATES-THE-GLOBAL-LEADER-IN-PAINT-AND-COATINGS/default.aspx)

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10. [SHERWIN WILLIAMS CO — Full financial report (2024 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-9e75d151ba014eb38fde6742afa047fc)
11. [SHERWIN WILLIAMS CO — Full financial report (2024 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P-5334ac5c7ae443bcb79d4b6787344647)
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30. [www.sherwin-williams.com](https://www.sherwin-williams.com/painting-contractors/business-builders/paint-technology-and-application/sw-article-pro-waterbasedacryl)
31. [investors.sherwin-williams.com](https://investors.sherwin-williams.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2017/SHERWIN-WILLIAMS-COMPLETES-ACQUISITION-OF-VALSPAR---CREATES-THE-GLOBAL-LEADER-IN-PAINT-AND-COATINGS/default.aspx)

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