Henry Sherwin and Edward Williams established the Sherwin-Williams Company in 1866, in Cleveland, Ohio. The company grew quickly, especially after creating ready-mixed paint in 1880. Before the invention of this type of paint, consumers would have to buy the ingredients of paint separately and mix the paint themselves.
The company’s milestones:
1866 – Sherwin-Williamsbegins when Henry Sherwin unexpectedly drops into the paint business.
1873 – Paint & Color Works opens at 601 Canal Street; first product: Raw Umber in oil; first color card: ‘Our own colored paints.’

1880 – Painter’s prepared/SWP, the first successful ready-mixed paint is sold with a guarantee.
1884 – Inaugural Sherwin-Williams sales convention Niagara Falls, NY.
1892 – W. H. Cottingham opens first sales agency outside U.S., in Montreal.
1895 – Montreal is home to first plant outside the U.S. 1901 Newark, NJ plant opens for export production.
1905 – Cover the Earth logo replaces the chameleon.
1916 – Sherwin-Williams celebrates 50 years.
1917 – Martin-Senour becomes a subsidiary, our first allied brand.
1925 – Sherwin-Williams is traded on the American Stock Exchange.
1928 – Sherwin-Williams manufactures synthetic resins, Aero Enamels.
1929 – First Latin American store opens, in Mexico City. 1930 Sherwin-Williams corporate offices move into Cleveland’s Midland Building, part of the three building complex now known as Landmark Office Towers.
1939 – Sherwin-Williams color consultant Harry Scheid recommended the well-known “school-bus yellow” as the ideal color for buses for its high visibility.

1940 – Buenos Aires plant opens, first in South America.
1941 – Sherwin-Williams introduces Kem-Tone®, revolutionary water-based paint.
1950 – Super Kem-Tone® is unveiled, first latex paint.
1958 – Sherwin-Williams Tank Clad® earth tones literally cover the earth; the Pan American World Airways exhibit for the World’s Fair in Brussels, Belgium.
1963 – Sherwin-Williams opens Antwerp, Belgium company to market products in western Europe and forms the International Coatings Division.
1966 – Sherwin-Williams celebrates 100 years.
1970 – Sherwin-Williams introduces Beau Monde®, first comprehensive interior/exterior color palette.
1976 – Automotive division formed and Richmond, KY automotive finishes plant opens.
1980 – Sherwin-Williams acquires Dutch Boy® paint.
1981 – Sherwin-Williams introduces SuperPaint®, first paint with a 10-year warranty.

1984 – Sherwin-Williams acquires Dupli-Color Products Co., Inc.
1992 – Sherwin-Williams opens 2,000th store.
1996 – Kem-Tone® honored as National Historic Chemical Landmark
2003 – Krylon Products Group introduces Fusion for Plastic®, a revolutionary coating that bonds with plastic.
2005 – Duration Home® zero-VOC base paint introduced.
2009 – Garland, Texas (USA) plant produces its 1,000,000,000th can of paint.
2013 – Harmony® Zero VOC Paint reformulated with exclusive technologies to help reduce common interior odors and promote better indoor air quality.
2014 – Sherwin-Williams opens the 4,000th store.
2015 – Sherwin-Williams launches Paint Shield™ microbicidal paint, the first EPA-registered paint with the power to kill bacteria.

2016 – Sherwin-Williams celebrates 150 years.
2018 – Sherwin-Williams introduces ColorSnap® Visualizer App, instantly lets you “try on” paint colors on your own walls, match colors to a photo and identify coordinating colors for your space.
2020 – Sherwin-Williams develops Emerald® Rain Refresh™, a self-cleaning exterior coating.
According to en.Wikipedia. Source of photo: internet