Document e3XOQmNLKZq5LkO6gDvzp0d9

A BRIEF HISTORT of the SilERYilN-KILUAUS COMPANY In July of 1.666 Henry Lden Slierwin left & position with a wholesale grooer, nhere he had advanced from the post of bookkeeper to member ship in the firm. He had three business oppor tunities which interested him to the extent that he gave up the rood position he was hold ing. He was young, 24, and ambitious and chose the least remunerative of the three positions because it seemed to him to;,offer possibilities of the greatest development.'Ur. Sherwin, by no stretch of the imagination could have realized the magnitude of events which hinged upon that decision. But had he been unduly influenced by the greater .immediate returns to be enjoyed in either of the other positions offered him and had he made a different decision there would have been no Sherwin-Williams Company, today! The Fintfotu/ Sh* It is highly significant that his first under taking in this new venture was to set up a thorough office system for the orderly, efficient handling of the many details pertaining to the business of wholesale and retail dealer in paints, oils, varnishes, glass, etc. His second step revealed howikeenly he had analized his new job and showed his determination to master it in every detail. Ur. Sherwin liked to tell how ' heYput on old clothes and go down into the stock room where he would open packages, examine the contents and study the purposes for which they were intended. Evenings were devoted to devouring all available literature on the subject. ' The Or/ff*t $mup of Founders We pass over the next four years of successful business until we come to 1670. Then it was that Jtr. Sherwin* e first partners retired and Ur. Edward P. Williams came into the firm which .now became Sherwin, Williams 4> Go. Two months later Ur. S. P. Fenn was engaged ae bookkeeper, having, met Ur Sherwin and the two men becoming mutually interested through their common interest in T. It. C. A. work. This remarkable business association lasted for the entire lives of these notable men. Ur. Williams died in' 1905 having been in partnership;with Ur. Sherwin for 55 ' vears. Ur. Sherwin died in 1916 the year "of the fiftieth; anniversary of the founding of the company. Ur. Fenn celebrated hie fiftieth anniversary with SherwiwWilliams in 1920 and died in 1927 at a grand 'old , ... - N11840 0007-SWP-000004918 / / -V.'fHMUqMn |i tw * . . ' -The first Sherwin-ffilliems paint factory was a sttall two story brick building located on the ' Cpyshoga River in Cleveland A It was purchased in*1675^ The equipment inetalled consisted of a second hand.stone paint grinding mil1, a small engine and boiler, a putty chaser, ate. In a small book in Ur. Sherwin1s handwriting is found the first written formula for paint produced in this factory. It was for "Guaranteed Strictly Pure Raw Umber in Oil". It is most interesting to note that this first formula shows a complete system of code numbers for raw materials - linseed oil, raw Timber dry pigment, japan, etc. are still designated by those same numbers, today. ffysfYear PfodvtJtio* During this first year of paint manufacture 85 different formulas were made, a total of some 450,OQp jjojinde. Todey Sherwin-yjilliama have over l.OOQ* actlve.ff'prpji^.qlqi and the yearly poundage is about 39/,find,000%: The;,point of historical interest is that this!entire pro duction for that first year was if oil paste paint and graded leads. Prepared paints, as we know them were unknown at that time. Mills Ur. Sherwin soo(\found that the paint grinding machinery available at that time was not capable of turning out the quality of paint that he wanted. So in 1675 a great deal of engineering work was done and the first Sherwin-Williams Paint Hill was developed. While many developmanta and refinement# have been added to this mill since Ur. Sherwin first built it the funda mental construction proved so wall designed . \ that it remains the efficient pattern today. 'Raferri PawlAMisn* Up to-this time The Sherwin-Williams Co had not made or marketed any liquid or prepared paints. K aaignaaeid Averill, of Newburgh, had bean actively prcMtWng a liquid paint which he had "invented* whit would not settle in the package and in- vitJHll Mr. Sherwin to visit his plant and witness the process* Mr. Sherwin came away from this visits however, convinced that the materials being used could never produce "good paint*. Remember that Ur. Sherwin1s ideas about paint were pretty well illustrated by that flrst'formala for " Strictly Pure* Raw Umber. But the germ of a great idea was there and Averill had ' many imitators. The result was that the so-called *patent paints1, as all prepared or liquid paints were then called, earned a very unsavory repu tation ond bui.lt up a well-founded prejudice against prepared paints. -Hrnm 0007 -SVJP- 000004919 ,,* gc three In 1676 SHS. First Quality Oil Colore were first made;' At first the market had been unwilling to par for the quality represented by the original line of `Strictly Pure* oolors but it is grati fying to read that through the persistant policy of trying to nell their customers the beet in quality it became possible step up to equal the "Strictly Pure" quality and those colors were da on that formula henceforth. This same year saw the beginning of the first ' S*W printing plant for the printing of labels end color cards, Ur.:Sherwin *as at all times most emphatic that all cane of paint must be correctly labeled and that all descriptive liter ature in color cards be accurate and without any misrepresentation. With his customary discernment and foresight Ur. Sherwin realized the potential possibilities of prepared paint and all effort was put into the development of a prepared paint made upon a quality basis. 1878 saw the announcement of a complete line of tints under the name of Osborn Family Paint. The White was made with equal parte white lead and zinc and the liquid consisted of boiled oil, turpentine and drier. It was apparently "good paint" all the way through Late in 1880 8WP was first brought out. It was knownflret as "Painter's Prepared Paint*. A couple of months later, however, realizing the great potential value of this new product and wishing to express their complete confidence in its quality and worth it was given the name SWP Sherwin-Williams Paint, Prepared. Reading the literature of that time we find that S'.VP was the first strictly first quality prepared -paint-made. The succeeding 55 years during which time SWP has been constantly maintained at the point of highest quality and value have MQjily justified Ur. Sherwin1 e confidence In it ,, a*rth key product of the S-Vf Line. SWP was originally offered for practically any kind of general painting. The first SHIP eo lor card, `in recommending its use for inside floors, makes special mention that several days must elapee between coate end that a week or two must be allowed for the paint to harden before walking on itl The publie apparently were not willing to :stand for this and in 1884 Special Floor Paint wee offered which would dry "over night". isgo four la 1861 the first offioe building was built on Canal Hoad, Cleveland and in this same year the firet Siherwin-Williams convention was held. Six men, including Ur. Sherwin, Ur. Williams and Ur. Ferin comprised the entire executives of the company and there were eight traveling salesmen. The following year the company with drew from its retail business and conducted its jobbing business from the new building. Yes r c4 The year 1684 was an-, eventful one: In April a graduate of Boston Tech was engaged as chemist: In Uay a disastrous fire destroyed part of the factory, a loss of 570,000: In July the present corporation The Sherwin-Williams Company was incorporated: In September a great lumber yard fire just across the river threatened the en tire destruction of the plant and office building which were saved only by heroic efforts by the employees. firtf FufSJWfM* A prolonged period of expansion now set in. The Cleveland plant was enlarged through the purchase of additional land and the construction of new buildings. 1488 witnessed the purchase of the Calumet Faint Company in Chicago, then manufacturing paints for the Pullman Company. This plant has, with the passing of years, been developed as the greatest paint,, varnish,, lacquer and ehemienitplent in the world. Ur. Sea. A. . Martin came into the Sherwin-Yfilliams organization . , with the purchase of the Calumet Faint Company. Ori^r* Trade Hiv/i 1890 deserves special mention as the year when Sherwin-Williams really began to advertise aggressively. Ur. Geo. Ford joined the company to start the "Publicity" department thereby re - liewing Mr. Sherwin and others of the work con- neoted with printing, advertising and publicity. It was Br. Ford who conceived the Idea for the "Oover-the-tEarth" trademark. But so extremely modest was Ur. Ford that the original sketch remained for some time in hie desk before he ' vestured to advocate its use. It was adopted .... offloially, however, in 1699 replacing that most interesting animal, The Chameleon* which, ': ' on sn artiint's pallett,was the original trade ( -' . mark of -;th icompany.: r " 0 CiroK Pw*ixr' !' i::: v.o-: i.. ; 1895 saw the organisation of the Walter H. Cottlngham ' CoLtd., in Montreal, Canada for the deecfruuiSj of paint and varnish businessssin Canada. Two years later this compeiy was merged with The iShierwinr-Wiliiemo Company. Ur. Getting- ham was made a director of the company and manager of its Canadian business. . 0007 SWP-000004921 i 'Tiro'" ' : ; : ' 4 < ''All driers, japans and treated oils used in making S-w point products had been made by the conqjary for many years. And during later years some varnished had been made also* But in 1696 this branch of the manufacturing was extended by the building of a nee: and lairge plant embodying all the most _ modern.equipment for making quality varnishes. By 1899 a complete line of varnishes and japans had been developed. \: In 1898 Ur. Valter H. 'Nottingham was appointed general manager of The 'Sherwin-Williams Company with headquarter at Cleveland. A program of expansion soon began to gain headway which was destined to make the company fulfill the impli cation of the *Cover-the-Earth* trademark quite literally. This program of expansion was built upon the most, solid fouaiation, namely, the pro- duetion in Siarwin-Willlama factories of all the basic ingredients used in Shanrin-Williams Products. CKk ^o t^ Colar PlW In 1899 a new plant was built At Chicago where dry oolora could be made more on a scale to meet with our vast requirements for paints and enamels because the dry color department in the original Cleveland factory wae inadequate. lorvdepartment was built later at Nam '<71 fed mpylyj V>< nqaw uemknde /fefvtb ltvpaljrt 3^eitoS$/erecie<Kjfaerq/in \9d Plant In 1901 the company* s business along. thedtigntic ooatt had grown to such a volume that^wfie not practical to oontime to handle it from the Cleveland factory and a complete new paint and Lv>*ee<{ varnish factory was built at Newark^ N. J.-to give the required service. In 1911 this plant -wee-again expended by building a dry color de partment to relieve shipments from Chicago. Hill 1902 saw the building of the SH8 Linseed Oil Ml|%4o make the various oils required in our paints# varnishes and enamels. In this same year land was purchased In Uontreol for the building planrrftc fthaeirien*.i QDenpAo'f.t* fwelreitoprenIednin VWlninfinpAegff end also in Minneapolis, Minn. , V Continuing the policy of producing our own basic ingredients and raw materials a mine was purchased at Magdalena, New Mexico-oqd in 1906 a smelter waST'ereetod^for 1 the production of leaded zinc pigments. This was foilwed in 1910 by the building of the shite lead plant in Chicago to produce all the Dutch process Wilts lead used in S-W products. Here is made S-W Old Dutch Process White lead, eo well lmown to painters because 0007-SWP-000004922 i< I i I 4i \ ! 1 of its superior quality- and its guarantee of absolute purity. "'. . ' ' ' The manufacture of paints is a highly developed chemical industry- and frequently its ramifications are difficult tc understand by the layman. The . Dry Color Plant was perfectly adapted to the making of inseoticidee. Fafcia Green is one familiar example because it is at the same time both a color pigment and a popular insecticide. Perhaps it is the most familiar ,of the early insecticides. - Sherwin-Williams began its manufacture on a large scale in 190? and the product became nell known and well favored. This was folowed shortly by the manufacture of Arsenate of Lead. While this was first discovered by a Swedish chemist in 1775 it did not come into general use until the Gipsy Uoth Commision in 1892 found it effective in controlling that pest. Lime sulphur solution was added to the line in 1910 and in 1913 the market was startled by the invention of a process by Sherwin-Williams for making Dry Lime Sulfur which not only offers economies in shipping and handling but has other points of superiority of performance. Arsenate of Calcium was produced in 1918 for the ( JL control of the cotton bol weevil. . It may interest' the reader to know the dates "Nv when many of the no;wll-known S-ii finishes \ were first brought out* ,: \ Floarlao (now called Flo-Lac), Floor Wax, Aluminum' Faint and U&cViine Faint and Filler in 1901. Shellacine, Crack and Seam Filler in 1902. Oomonwealth Bam Red, Enameloid, Uetalaetic, Uarnot Varnish and .Dry-O-ilite in 1905Sheep Marking; Liquidi Snow White Enamel, Poliah-01 ' and Taxite Paint and Vamish Remover in 1904. Flat^Tone Waamiable Flat Wall Paint, Handcraft . Stains, Shingle Stains and Ebonol in 1906. FlogBap Pure Linseed Oil Soap in 1908. . . Compete Finishes in 1909* ' ' In SHI Old Dutch Enamel was first marketed under that name although it had been made under the mme of Ehamelastio since 1906. Coanonweelth Earn Gray, Carbolio-ol, Brae-Brite, .Scambt and R'expar Varnishes were added in 191?, Chfflwital Pr*dat4ii* " At the outbreak of the World War in 1914 oort- eideration was given to the manufacture of aniline dyes and intermediates which had bean imported from Germany. In October of that year the first real work in making Beta Naphthol waa undertaken. The first attempt was only partially successful but much of then strength of the company was focused upon thisi development. New men were ' brought into the organization, a great deal of `~ '' S'* uJ A^ ,j v-; ii^ 0007-SWP-000004923 Ac id ic Awl Pldht - mn'nip was invested In plant and equipment and the msnufsoture of many products established. Development work was carried forward in this department with the greatest possible intensity until The Sherwin-Williams Company now ranks as one of the strongest in this particular 'field. Beta Naphthol, Para Ritraniline, Toluidind IT and a considerable number of other dyes and intermediates are made in large quantities and represent a large share of the production Of these products in the United States. '!?' : . ' .. : ' 'i .% -V'. , ' .. : In 1917 a plant for the production of Acetic Acid was started in Chicagoto make the ever increasing quantity required for dye# dry color and insecticide manufacture# This business grew so rapidly that in I92I another plant was erected in Bound Brook to serve the eastern market. Coil Td> : . . A plant for the distillation of coal tar was commenced in Chicago in 1914. Here were made the popular black tar paint Ebonol, Liquid and Elastic Roof Cements, Phenoline and other disin- foctants, Kiltik, etc. Prducficne, One of the most important pigments used in paint manufacture is lithopone. It is used in a wide variety of wall paints, enamels and undercoaters. ' Building of a complete lithopone plant in 1917 made possible, for the first time, the control . of the great quantities of this pigment used by S-W factories. It formed another linlc between the mines and smelters and the finished product. 1919 witnessed the beginning of operations in the new plant erected at Oakland, Calif, to :r properly service the.business which was growing by leaps and bounds on the pacific coatt. /lAdm* Caw PlAht --- : ` In 1921 the manufacture of cans was moved from . Cleveland to the large new modern tin can plant . areeted as a unit of the growing group at Kensington Chicago. And the same year the new plant for the msasufaeture of l&iite lead by the Carter process . waa put into operation to bo followed shortly by the department for making red lead and litharge. 0007-SWP-000004924 ir.#. this 5*B8 year S--V 'Zilo was also introduced order-to provide the painter with & ecisatirically controlled combination of white leend and zinc pigments in the fdra to which they were accustomed; Since 1921 the paint industry hae experienced two revolutionary developments in manufacturing processes. There had always been an insistant demand for faster drying finishes of all kinds. . It was quite natural that the longer drying times required by standard finishes would result in inconveniences in home use and costly delays in industrial use. Up to this time any noteworthy gains in drying speed of varnishes and enamels was always accompanied by a corresponding lose in the 'life or durability of the finish. Lacker 7^9Vf\6pym*nk: , Pyroxylin lacquers and enamels had been known for yeara and Shemia-Willlama had a limited production of tills type of material for such highly specialized purposes as the protection of silverware, copper articles, etc. But this type of finish- could not replace standard paint, varnish and enamel finishes because of its in ability to provide a substantial durable film. The reason for this was that the solvents available at the time for putting the nitrocellulose into solution were Inadequate to carry sufficient film building material to make the desired finish. An entirely , new situation was created by the ending of the world war. Test new plants developed for the creation of war explosives became sud- dsnly idle and there was an urgent necessity to find profitable use for these resources. It is not a great step between the production of high explosives and the manufacture of nitrocellulose for use in laoquer finishes. Through this resultant concentration of industry upon uses for nitro- . cellulose added pressure was brought to bear upon the development of the. necessary solvents re quisled to produce usable lacquer finishes. The firht experience of the general public with the new Uneqjuer finishes was with automobile finishes. ' The great durability of the finish helped to * mitigate somewhat'the lack of attractiveness of those 'first lslcjqu^r finishes. The film lacked the rich lustre of the good varnish and enamel . finishes in vogue- but it did not mar easily and its life was-greater. Sherwia-tfillisima take particular pride in the modern laoquer plant which was constructed as a complete independant unit in the Chicago group. Every known device for the efficient execution of this new kind of paint product was made use of. An entirely new "technique" of manufacture was called for. The thinners and solvents used are 0007-SWP-000004925 r.-1* off extremely rol&tile nature which made necessary to conduot ell operations in closed vessels. It required, also, the handling of great quantities of liquids: which called for safe handling. Shemin- Williams Lacquer plant buildings were designed by- the engineering chemists who had all their knowledge end experience back of them which made . it-possible to design ways of handling materials which were just as new to the industry as were ., the fist paint grinding mills designed by Ur* Sherwtn In other wards, Shorwirj-tfillirjna engineers have time and time again had '-to create new designs and new equipment. Such le the experience of those who.pioneer in every new line of endeavor. ^0'/ddU? ' " In-tht returns we show haws It-weiHlB tltmi Usw lacquer eolvente, lacquer baae liquids and finally the finished lacquers themselves are piped from building to building finally reaching the finishing department where the cane`are filled, not handled by human hands, not exposed to the air, clean, uniform and efficient. Phils there were many to eay that the new type lacquer finish was destined to displace older types of finishes the older heads of the company were confident that the new finishes would "find their place* end that there would still be need for the excellent products which had been de veloped to euoh high quality and efficiency throughout the years. And we have lived to see that these men knew whet they were talking about. Lacquer finishes have come ton be used for a ho.et off other purposes in addition to finishing auto mobiles. Shemin-THillisme were not only leaders in automotive and furniture: finishing lacquers which required spray application but another equ*43y_famoua product was developed Rogers Brushing Lacquer for use by the home owner and for mciqr industrial purposes where brush appli cation was required under certain clreumst&ncee. ~ - Th-ooni revolutionary development is even new in its final development. In this development the chemist has played the all-important role, the eld type fossil resins commonly used in the manufacture of.varnishes and enamels, always . subject to considerable variation in quality and characteristics, were becoming increasingly ; difficult to obtain in satisfactory quality and voluse. they also imposed well defined limitations upon the paint engineer in the matter of drying and other characteristics. A message from Mr. E. 0. Holton, Chief Chemist of the Sherwin-Willieme Company explains this situation very clearly: *30180: off the older men etc. (follow feom Eea boo! IMtrtirrir'Tfiir iiiinr.ni.-m.i.i--wnr-------1-- i - - ------- ---- -- , 0007-SWP-000004926 IMM elder mb la o bt ladutiy San remember the tlmcuhea chemists wars rarely employed la paint factories er la Tarnish plants, lbs making of paints and varnishes was not then considered essential!/ as chemical operations, lias/ learned to make those predacts nnder competent supervision and became paint askers and Tarnish makers. Sherwia>5111iams earned their reputation for quality paints in those early daye through the purity of the ingrediente they used end the skill wi th which their men tended their mills end Tarnish fires. Ons of our pioneer paint makers. Philip Stcyer, recently retired,after BO years* oorv- tinaoua serrlce. ' ' lever-the-lees is soon esne about that, in those plants where chemists mere employed marked Improvements in the qualities of paint and Tarnish hegan to appear.Competition has from time immemorial driven the manufacturer of any product to exhaust every means that might help mafem his product more saleable. Today there are many chemists working in those industries and countless finishes of exceeding beauty and general utility have boon developed and arc earning into universal use. In tha meantime chemists, in the various countries of the world, have beau buelly engaged in developing all sorts of new coupoundsii By synthetic processes they have developed substances sweeter than sugar, dyes which are as brilliant as tha bast found in nature end yet vastly more permanent, medicinal specifics far more dcslreehle than some of these found in nature because many of thorn, while possessing equal potency for good are superior to the product of Vaturo in that they ean bo made free from the toxlo properties often present in Saturn's product. Hundreds of definite compounds have boon synthesised by chemists and, as a bypewduet of the processes of developing those oompoon&s. many indefinite, gassy, tarry or resinous substances have iilso: boon produced. So the ahead.st pursuing bo o m other definite line of research these incidental or aed&efttd creations, byproducts, or Cutover you might bo of mJ^nCte cell them, would naturally held little interest. OOBacqnciitly but cooperatively few of these substances have b cmrefhllytrvestigmtad andwe know very little as to . ;v the noted esspositlea ef these few. It has been found, however, that some of these substances reseabla, semeshat, the so-called vanish guns, lad for soaae years it has beam the problem of the point and varnish Chemist to work with these synthetic, gussy substeases la an endeavor to naeortdte whore and hew they mey best be weed in our industry. Shis research has shewn that eomw ef thee# eynthotle subetanoes do lend themselves to use in eonhlaction with the well toownvegstblo:eilsand fossilTsirulsfe guns, producing protertive cofiUhce ^ilch. in certain respects, surpass any hithartc known. 0007-SWP-000004927 A change In market conditions sometimes tdcus a certain <> twi product which today may be merely a relatively \ costly laboratory material end makes it tomorrow commercially abundant* Possibly, tba paint chemist has been waiting fifteen or twenty yean for this very thing to happen* that will be the scope of the new developments released to the chemist:by this new line rosearch he does cot predict, ' la the-picture iw g-preeadlag-pace we have an-at-eo* treat r* -- `ettrlslff Ttirirh, after processing in a modern chemical plant* booemes converted Into resins inreh a. shewn ii the fflmgs^aBt* Snoh rosins are synthetic resins beesnso they do not occur In nsteral stato but are the product of ehsmleal reaction*' Bw materials used have been changed chemically a vll as physically to an entirely hew -forte:': Soring the last half century* moving stop by stop, slowly at first* but now with accelerated speed, the synthetics are marching up te the front* Kitrooellulooe* ester gums* ester solvents* phenol-aldehyde compounds, amino-aldehyde eonpon&s* glyceryl and ether esters ef dibasic organic acids* vinyl compounds* raasars* sreehlors and ethers in multitudinous combinations with the elder materials* offeh a dassllag array of new finishes awaiting attention and exploit ation by the paint chemist. 0007-SWP-000004928 peg* ten '' y / /end enamels /Auto Enamel, Thermrls practically no field of paint raemifacture that h not been profoundly effected by the discovery end development of processes for produeing resins synthetically. We now ere making varnishe^with chemically evolved reeine and treated' oila which not only dry in a fraction of the time required by the older type finishes but these new finishes are superior in appearance and durability, as well. In household finishes Ermmeloid,/Floor Enamel and liarnot Varnish are outstanding examples of finishes which dry rapidly for greater convenience. 4 to 6 hours and the newly finished surfaces can be handled. Industrially an integral line of finishes has been developed built upon the characteristics of the now synthetic resins which are called S-V I Elf finishes and provide many finishes of extraordiary interest. Space will permit ue to mention them but in the briefest way: EM Bulletin Colors are making possible to paint mare attractive highway signs because the S-W Kem liquids in which the oolors are ground dry . with a lustrous enamel-like film which resists weather better than ordinary.oil colore, staya bright longer end savea cost by not requiring varnishing of the sigh. . /Art Metal finishes are those amazing beautifub brocaded satin,- finishes being used so affectively . on typewriters, automobile radio sets, loud /toys, soientl- speaker eases^/etp. This unusual finish is obtained fio inetrumenteby only one ooat of the finish applied to the vanity oases, bars metal, sprayed on end then baked. KOI Transport Enamels used on large fleate of - busses and trucks. . . . KEH Baking Enamels used on toys, trunks, boiler jaokmts, automobile wheels, pumps, etc.., etc. ' Those who remembered the speculation regarding - - the fate of standard finishes at the time when . lacquers were first introduced now were given - fresh food for thought. What would be the effect of the new KEU finishes, would lacquer survive, - would SIP House Paint still continue to be the , worfcd1s finest prepared paint for painting building8T The answer to these questions is that, ones more, - there will be adjustments. Where KSU resins and ' treated oils can improve old-type finishes they are b-3ing used to give ue new Bnameloid, Hamot Varnish, Auto Enamel, etq. Bur chemists are governed * in eaoh.eaee by the results of tests. In the case . , of SIP this product, too, has benefited by cor 0007-SWP-000004929