Sherwin-Williams is honored to have an opportunity to further impact the Cleveland and Northeast Ohio community. We are proud to invest in our future and the future of the region, which has been our home since 1866.

At Sherwin-Williams we are taking care of our customers, respecting our employees and the environment, and supporting  the communities in which we live and work. In Cuyahoga County, we have generated over $5B in employee payroll, more than $180M in tax revenue and invested over $28M in charitable endeavors over the last 10 years in Northeast Ohio. Our people are a force of good, collectively volunteering at hundreds of non-profit organizations, including more than 100 employees who serve on local non-profit boards.

We care deeply about supporting and being active in our communities. We have extended this commitment to our Building Our Future (BOF) project, which includes a new global headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, and a new global research and development (R&D) center in Brecksville, Ohio. 

Our approach represents economic growth in Cleveland and surrounding areas through health, education, vocational training, workforce development and the Building Our Future project.

Within the region, we have invested in initiatives that positivelty impact community health, education, vocational training and workforce development that provide long-term benefits for residents. Learn more about small business involvement in the project.

COMMUNITY HEALTH: The Sherwin-Williams Foundation has long supported charitable work throughout the region. Recently, the Foundation made a significant investment in addressing social determinants of health by supporting a new facility and mobile imaging unit at University Hospitals to improve health outcomes, specifically for underserved women and babies. Additionally, as part of the Company’s support of the work of the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition, we expanded our long-standing financial support for community outreach efforts designed to educate at-risk communities regarding strategies to reduce health hazards in the home, including lead. We executed a five-year agreement with MetroHealth that will expand Pediatric Lead Clinic services and accessibility for critical resources to more children in high-risk neighborhoods. The investment also extends our long-standing commitment to MetroHealth’s School Health Program, which provides children with access to critical health resources right at their school.

EDUCATION: We know that having a local pipeline of future talent is critical to the growth and success of our Company and Northeast Ohio. We are investing in the education and development of local students:

• The City of Cleveland estimates that when the new headquarters building is completed and occupied, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) will receive approximately $4M in additional annual revenue from Sherwin-Williams.
• The Company is a significant founding funder of Say Yes to Education Cleveland, an innovative program that provides wraparound supports for student and family success, as well as offers all graduating CMSD seniors a path to attaining a post-secondary credential.
• Through our partnership, JobsOhio will invest millions of economic incentive funds designated for our BOF project to develop science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career pathways and exposure.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING: Since its inception in 2002, the Sherwin-Williams HomeWork Program has trained individuals with no previous experience to begin careers as professional painters. HomeWork was created with the goal of providing employment opportunities to residents of public housing, former offenders and the homeless. Nearly 70% of HomeWork graduates secure employment as professional painters. The training includes certification under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) to ensure that graduates understand lead-safe work practices. We will offer HomeWork training for approximately 300 Cleveland-area residents over the next four years.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING: Our workforce development and training efforts are designed to build a pipeline of talent for careers in STEM, construction and the trades. We seek to attract and retain a strong talent pipeline for careers in STEM, construction and building trades by:

• Supporting programs to prepare community residents to work on the BOF project, along with careers in the construction and building trades.
• Developing a three-week pre-employment readiness course for Cleveland residents to obtain immediate on-the-job training and placements in pre-apprenticeship programs and training.
• Investing in career pathways programs with local non-profits and colleges/universities to provide exposure for underrepresented students to develop interest in STEM careers.
• Ensuring alignment with our construction partners and trades on our ID&E goals and objectives.

ECONOMIC GROWTH: Our plans build on our 155+-year legacy as one of the region’s top employers and drivers of economic activity. Combined, the Company’s two new facilities will house more than 3,500 employees with room to accommodate future growth.

• The BOF project will have a profound economic impact throughout Northeast Ohio driven by jobs, payroll, tax revenue, the growth of businesses supplying goods and services to support the BOF project, and the recirculation of wages.
• Sherwin-Williams estimates adding a minimum of 400 jobs to these facilities over time. Many of these new jobs would be professional staff, engineers and chemists.

To learn more about our commitment, please visit buildingourfuture.com.