BRECKSVILLE, Ohio — Editor's note: The video in the player above is from a previously published story.
Sherwin-Williams on Friday held a groundbreaking ceremony for a building that the company hopes will bring colorful and brighter days to Northeast Ohio's economy.
The Sherwin-Williams Global Research and Development Center promises to be an "innovation epicenter for Sherwin-Williams' architectural and industrial coatings," a release sent out by company representatives says. "It will be a next generation workplace that supports serving customers at the highest level, while also retaining and attracting top talent right here in Northeast Ohio"
“This is a monumental day for our organization,” said John G. Morikis, Sherwin-Williams Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “This new R&D Center will be the global innovation epicenter for creating solutions that solve our customers’ problems, as well as a key to us to retaining and attracting top talent. We’re also celebrating the broad and diverse group of companies and individuals that will be working on this project, along with the ongoing impact the project will have on the community and region for years to come. And we’re proud to be building it right here in Northeast Ohio, our home for more than 155 years.”
Sherwin-Williams will be turning a 119-acre site at 6701 Miller Road into a 600,000-square-foot campus that will serve as the corporate anchor for a new mixed-use development project.
The Global Research and Development Center will be located just 18 miles south of the future company's headquarters in Downtown Cleveland. The site will hold approximately 900 employees.
Sherwin-Williams says this project will allow the creation of approximately 3,000 jobs.
“We have been incredibly fortunate to have Sherwin-Williams be part of our community for the past 155 years, and Cuyahoga County is pleased that we were part of a strong public-private partnership that provided the necessary financial commitments designed to support the Company’s decision to remain in Northeast Ohio,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish. “And we are incredibly fortunate that they want to invest in our region with both a new global R&D Center in our own backyard while a new headquarters site is being developed in the heart of downtown Cleveland.”
On Thursday, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and The Black Contractors Group held a protest outside the proposed Sherwin-Williams's headquarters accusing the company of economic disparities in agreements with contractors of color.
"Racism is alive and well in the construction industry in Cleveland," said Dr. Charles Steele, Jr., president and CEO of the Atlanta-based SCLC. "That systemic racism is why people in Cleveland have suffered so much and why hundreds of thousands of people have fled the city in recent decades."
Sherwin-Williams responded to the accusations with a statement saying, "the rally held on October 21, 2021, was the latest attempt to undermine Sherwin-Williams intentional, fair and inclusive process for engaging minority-owned, women-owned and small businesses on the Building our Future project."
"Over the next three years, we expect to provide considerable diverse workforce opportunities on the project." company representatives added.
Sherwin-Williams plans to invest a minimum of $600 million to build both facilities.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.