Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Driven by our need to serve our customers at the highest level, the new Morikis Global Technology Center and new global headquarters provided the opportunity to improve collaboration, productivity and efficiency, enhance technology and innovation and support recruitment and retention. We most recently operated out of a 90-year-old HQ building. In addition to being nearly out of space, the building would have required major, significant capital investments to meet future needs.
Due to current building codes, safety requirements, transportation needs and other Company requirements, the Company could not find a suitable location to co-locate the Morikis Global Technology Center and the global headquarters downtown. The Brecksville site provides a large R&D footprint with flexibility for future expansion and is only a 20-minute drive to our new global headquarters. Collaboration is not an issue given today’s communication technology.
As part of the exploratory process, Sherwin-Williams conducted a national search and considered sites in several other states. We aren’t providing specifics out of respect for the process and those other states. After a detailed analysis, the proposals from the State of Ohio, JobsOhio, Cuyahoga County, the City of Cleveland and the City of Brecksville were proven to be competitive and attractive.
Our plans provided Sherwin-Williams the best, most cost-effective long-term solution to enhance our ability to serve customers and attract and retain top talent. We remained in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio to build on our 160-year legacy as a one of the region’s top employers and drivers of economic activity.
Our new headquarters symbolizes an investment in the future of our Company and the future of Cleveland. Our new Morikis Global Technology Center serves as the global innovation epicenter for our architectural and many of our industrial coatings and is crucial for the growth of our Company around the world.
We worked with several state and local partners on this project, including the State of Ohio, JobsOhio, Cuyahoga County, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, the City of Cleveland and the City of Brecksville. We greatly appreciated the support from these partners, and we received approvals for all the economic development packages. Sherwin-Williams has exceeded the commitments it made to secure these incentives.
The total economic development package reflects the retention of approximately 4,000 jobs, the addition of a minimum of 400 new jobs over time, and the overall long-term economic impact of the projects on the region. The final value of the incentives depends on multiple variables. The incentives support leveling the playing field for Northeast Ohio compared to states where the property tax rates are roughly half of the rates in Northeast Ohio.
Yes, in a very positive way. The City of Cleveland estimates the Cleveland Metropolitan School District schools will receive approximately $4 million in additional annual revenue from Sherwin-Williams.
In Brecksville, the Morikis Global Technology Center acts as a catalyst that supports attracting additional office, residential, hospitality and retail to a new mixed development project. The project is helping to drive ongoing economic activity for the City of Brecksville and generate incremental tax revenues for the city and the schools.
This project builds on our nearly 160-year legacy as a one of the region’s top employers and drivers of economic activity. Combined, the two facilities house approximately 4,000 employees with room to accommodate future growth. Sherwin-Williams estimated adding a minimum of 400 jobs to these facilities over time, an increase of 11 percent to the Company’s current local workforce. Many of these jobs are professional staff, engineers and chemists.
Our public and private partners estimate significant positive economic impact in Cleveland and the State of Ohio driven by jobs, payroll, tax revenue, incremental jobs created by companies supplying goods on the projects, and the recirculation of wages throughout the regional economy.
No. The size of the global headquarters is approximately 1,000,000 square feet and the size of the Morikis Global Technology Center is approximately 600,000 square feet. The overall scope of both sites was never reduced as a result of changing trends in workplace strategies.
It is important to bring our teams together to reinforce our culture of community, collaboration, innovation, employee development and engagement. Access to our coworkers and resources in the workplace supports our sense of employee connection and well-being in a way that prolonged, constant remote work and isolation cannot achieve.
These elements reflect our strength as a Company and are essential to making us more productive as we continue to win with our customers and retain top talent.
At Sherwin-Williams we are committed to 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 $5.4 billion in employee payroll, more than $200 million in tax revenue and invested over $31 million 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.
Sherwin-Williams is proud to invest in the future of our Company and the future of the region, which has been our home since 1866. Our economic impact represents our support of Cleveland and surrounding areas through health, education, vocational training and the Building Our Future project.
No. The Valspar site is the home of the Company’s industrial coatings business and is an integral facility in our ongoing success. The Minneapolis site offers talent, innovation and expertise that is key to achieving the Company’s business goals.
Following a comprehensive and deliberate request for proposal process, The Sherwin-Williams Company signed a contract with Lakeside Facility Services Group (LFSG) to provide janitorial services for its new global headquarters in downtown Cleveland. LFSG is a female-owned, Cleveland small business that intends to use Service Employees International Union (SEIU) labor for its staffing needs.
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION QUESTIONS
The design, base building and interior architects, as well as the project and construction management firms are as follows:
- Pickard Chilton Architects, Inc. – Design architect for the global headquarters
- HGA Architects and Engineers, LLC (HGA) – Base building architect for the global headquarters; Design, base building and interior architect for the R&D Center
- Vocon Partners, LLC – Interior architect for the global headquarters
- Welty Gilbane, a Joint Venture – Construction manager
- Mark G. Anderson Consultants, Inc. (MGAC) – Project manager, project controls and owner’s representative
The preliminary designs for both projects have been approved and the renderings are available at the following links:
As a strong community partner, we understand the impact our headquarters has on enhancing the heart of downtown Cleveland and spurring adjacent economic growth. Collecting community feedback was important to us and we completed a multi-tiered approach. This included gathering input from an advisory group made up of representatives from key, local organizations with a strong interest in our Building Our Future project; hosting several small input sessions with local residents, downtown businesses and building managers; and gathering feedback through one-on-one meetings with government, business and community organizations.
The Company worked with our partners to reconfigure the proposed site so that it is now comprised of 45 acres of the Veterans Administration (VA) site and 74 acres of an adjacent site commonly known as the Dalad site or the Crowland site. This change more than doubles the available VA site property (to 69 acres) for other development opportunities for the mixed-use project.
We are a sustainable company, and we expect our new facilities to reflect that commitment. The Company is targeting LEED certification, and we expect the levels to be finalized in the coming months.
The combined project cost of construction was $860M.
The Company conducted a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Morikis Global Technology Center on October 22, 2021. You can view the event replay here. A celebration announcing the official start of construction for the new headquarters campus was held on January 28, 2022. You can view the event replay here.
Both facilities used a multi-phase move in approach. Employees began moving into the Morikis Global Technology Center In September of 2025 and completed the moves in December of the same year. For the global headquarters, employees began moving in late October of 2025 and the moves were completed in April of 2026.
Our construction and real estate partners estimated that several thousand construction workers were required.
Sherwin-Williams has been and will continue to be a proud supporter of our local communities. We have worked proactively with the cities, community leaders and trade partners to ensure this project positively impacted the local economy by providing workforce opportunities for the community.
To view the list of small business firms involved on the project, click here.
For the global headquarters project, we met the standard set forth in Cleveland’s Fannie Lewis Law.
The following represents the economic development package criteria associated with the Building Our Future project.
Supplier Requirements - HQ*
|
Contract % |
Contract $** |
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) |
15% |
$78M |
Female Business Enterprise (FBE) |
7% |
$36M |
Cleveland Small Business Enterprise (CSB) |
8% |
$42M |
Supplier Requirements - R&D* MBA & FBE Combined
Total (HQ and R&D) |
30%
30% |
$102M
$258M |
*Required as part of the approved economic development packages.
** Based upon project construction costs of $860M.
In addition, Sherwin-Williams was committed to keeping in Northeast Ohio the majority of the project profits and labor.
We welcomed the participation of union labor in the construction of our new facilities. We worked with our construction partners to pay state prevailing wages on the construction components of the project.
Sherwin-Williams sold its former headquarters facility and its Breen Technology Center (BTC) to Bedrock Management Services. The former headquarters facility is located at 101 West Prospect Avenue and the former BTC is located at 601 Canal Road, both in Cleveland, OH. Both facilities are integral to the new Bedrock master plan, and we are pleased to support this significant investment in the City of Cleveland. The purchase price was not disclosed.
In addition, Sherwin-Williams sold its Warrensville Technical Center (WTC) to Cleveland Warrensville Center LLC. The former Company facility is located on Warrensville Center Road in Warrensville Heights, OH. The site will be redeveloped to support new industrial business in the community, and we are pleased to have supported this significant investment in Warrensville Heights. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
Sherwin-Williams understands that the design of our new headquarters complex may negatively affect migratory bird behavior. To better understand the potential implications, the Company engaged an avian consultant, BirdMaster, to assist us in assessing how our campus design may affect migratory and resident bird welfare. In addition, the consultant provided us with recommendations and strategies to ensure we balance our campus design and operational needs with those of the migratory bird population.
No. There are no design work or construction plans underway for a second tower at the new global headquarters. Initial project plans included the option for a second tower to accommodate future growth of the Company if needed.
Preliminary discussions are underway related to a mixed-use development surrounding the garage with the goal of adding a combination of retail, dining, hotel, residential and other amenities that support our employees. Updates on these activities will be shared when available.