Sherwin-Williams has recognized six outstanding partners at its Vendor Awards ceremony during the company's first-ever virtual National Sales Meeting. The awards honor the top-performing companies for product innovation and ongoing commitment to customers in the following categories: Vendor of the Year, Product of the Year, Marketing Innovation and Pivot Partner of the Year – new in 2020.
"In a year like no other, Sherwin-Williams is proud to recognize the partners that played a vital role in our growth," said Pete Ippolito, president of The Americas Group. "We congratulate each of our vendors for going above and beyond with high-quality products and an unwavering commitment to customers, despite new challenges over the past year. We look forward to our continued partnership as we move forward."
2020 Vendor of the Year
The Sherwin-Williams Vendor of the Year Award recognizes the top performers that continue to raise the bar to deliver outstanding quality, innovation and value to Sherwin-Williams stores and distribution centers, including outstanding customer service support.
SAS Safety: A three-time Vendor of the Year winner, SAS Safety played a vital role in 2020 by protecting Sherwin-Williams employees and customers through PPE products as a critical part of the sales floor reopening plan. In addition, the company focused on improving in-store presentation of safety glasses by developing a creative merchandiser that made customer selection easy.
2020 Vendor Product of the Year
The Sherwin-Williams Vendor Product of the Year Award recognizes new innovative products or product lines, often exclusive to Sherwin-Williams, that engage customers and generate excitement in Sherwin-Williams stores. This year, Sherwin-Williams is recognizing two vendor partners in a new painter storage category, with two innovative products that help professional painters further increase their productivity.
Purdy: The company's new Purdy Backpack allows painting professionals to keep all their tools in one location, eliminating the need for multiple trips and making it an efficient solution for everyday tools at any project site.
Handy Products: With the Sherwin-Williams Painter's bag, Handy Products attended to professionals’ storage needs and customized their product to provide painters an effective solution on the job.
2020 Marketing Innovation Award
The Sherwin-Williams Marketing Innovation Award recognizes a company’s ability to rise above the rest by differentiating its products and customizing offerings for the brand.
Graco: The company rapidly accelerated the development and testing of a full assortment of disinfecting equipment in March. Through intensive training with Sherwin-Williams National Accounts teams, digital video initiatives and promotional offerings, Graco helped further position Sherwin-Williams as the main spray equipment source.
2020 Pivot Partner of the Year
This new award recognizes outstanding accomplishments from companies that exemplify a deep understanding of the organization, expertise in their field and an unmatched ability to pivot their business and accomplish unique needs.
Symn Industries: At a time of extreme product scarcity, the company converted its manufacturing facilities to produce hand sanitizer and became a main Sherwin-Williams supplier. In addition, Symn Industries developed a new sales strategy to combat declining turns at rental properties by providing an odor mitigation solution to property managers working with Sherwin-Williams district teams.
Myers and Lash: In a year in which Sherwin-Williams had to pivot and convert their stores to curbside pick-up, Myers and Lash played an instrumental role in the transition. The company developed signage and graphics to communicate critical information to customers with exceptional lead time. As stores started to reopen across the country, they provided in-store signage curating each store’s package accurately with local occupancy and mask requirements to ensure the safety of DIY and Pro customers.
Ask Sherwin-Williams™
For more than 150 years, Sherwin-Williams has been an industry leader in the development of technologically advanced paint and coatings. As the nation’s largest specialty retailer of paint and painting supplies, Sherwin-Williams is dedicated to supporting both do-it-yourselfers and painting professionals with exceptional and exclusive products, resources to make confident color selections and expert, personalized service at its more than 4,300 neighborhood stores across North America. For more information, visit sherwin-williams.com. Join Sherwin-Williams on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
