Sherwin-Williams
Table of Contents
Section 1.0: Introduction to Account Playbook for Sherwin-Williams
This Account Playbook serves as the central intelligence hub for STAR Trade Shows & Events' strategic pursuit of Sherwin-Williams across all business units, geographic markets, and organizational levels. Designed for account executives, sales leadership, and marketing professionals, this document synthesizes comprehensive research into actionable strategies that drive engagement, build relationships, and create qualified pipeline opportunities.
Sherwin-Williams represents one of STAR's most complex and compelling strategic opportunities. With a relationship dating back to 2011 and over $208,000 in documented won business, STAR has a proven track record with this $23.1 billion global coatings giant. Yet the engagement has been episodic and division-specific rather than enterprise-wide. There has never been a concerted, coordinated effort to align STAR's full experiential capabilities with the breadth of Sherwin-Williams' multi-divisional marketing and events organization.
The Strategic Foundation
This playbook is built on four pillars designed to transform Sherwin-Williams from a periodic project client into a long-term enterprise partner:
Deep Company Intelligence
Precise Contact Mapping
Strategic Opportunity Identification
Ready-to-Execute Frameworks
STAR's Value Proposition for Sherwin-Williams
STAR delivers end-to-end experiential marketing solutions — from trade show exhibit design and fabrication to experiential activations, event management, and integrated digital-physical experiences.
For a company like Sherwin-Williams that spans architectural coatings, industrial finishes, automotive, protective & marine, and consumer brands, STAR's multi-divisional expertise and national scale make us the ideal unified exhibit partner.
Section 2.0: Current State and Its Implications
2.1 Current State of the STAR–Sherwin-Williams Relationship
STAR has a documented relationship with Sherwin-Williams spanning more than 14 years. The engagement has primarily run through the General Industrial and Performance Coatings divisions, with Jake Burgwald serving as the primary account steward for much of the relationship's history. Key milestones include:
Won Business Milestones
- 2011: Intermodal Show ($75,000) and NACCO Show ($3,500) — early relationship anchors
- 2014–2015: U of M Technology Center ($30,000), 2015 Blanket Opportunity ($10,000), and U of M installations ($5,000)
- 2019: Industrial Proprietary Events ($78,872) — the largest single won engagement to date
- 2020: Sherwin-Williams – John Deere ($2,000) — cross-brand collaboration
- 2025 Active Pipeline: IRE 2026 ($75,000, Design & Estimating stage, owned by Ty Carlson)
Loss Analysis: over $854,000
"At the same time, STAR has experienced significant losses with Sherwin-Williams, totaling over $854,000 in documented closed-lost deals across multiple categories including consumer exhibits, packaging builds, design kiosk projects, and corporate interiors. Several of these losses reflect opportunities where Sherwin-Williams engaged other exhibit houses or held projects in-house."
2.2 Implications and Strategic Opportunity
The pattern of won and lost business tells an important story: STAR has won when presenting clear, practical value for industrial and B2B trade show contexts. STAR has lost when the project scope expanded into consumer activations, corporate design, or large-scale builds where either budget constraints or incumbent agency relationships took precedence.
The Bridge Opportunity
"The current IRE 2026 deal is the bridge opportunity — a live project with an active STAR contact and a defined scope. Closing this deal and delivering exceptional results will unlock conversations across Sherwin-Williams' broader divisional marketing portfolio, particularly with the high-value contacts now mapped in HubSpot."
The relationship history demonstrates fit and capability. The gap is executive-level relationship depth and cross-divisional visibility. This playbook is designed to close that gap by connecting STAR's capabilities to the strategic priorities of Sherwin-Williams' marketing leaders.
Section 3.0: Company Overview
3.1 About The Sherwin-Williams Company
Founded in 1866 by Henry Sherwin and Edward Williams in Cleveland, Ohio, The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE: SHW) is the largest paint and coatings company in the United States and one of the largest in the world. The company manufactures, develops, distributes, and sells paint, coatings, and related products to professional, industrial, commercial, and retail customers worldwide.
3.2 Business Segments
Sherwin-Williams operates through three primary business segments, each with distinct marketing and trade show needs:
Paint Stores Group (PSG)
The largest segment, encompassing more than 4,900 company-operated stores across the Americas. Serves professional painters, contractors, and remodelers. Primary brands include Sherwin-Williams architectural paint lines. This segment drives the majority of residential and commercial repaint revenue.
Performance Coatings Group (PCG)
The industrial and commercial coatings powerhouse, serving customers in General Industrial, Automotive Finishes, Protective & Marine, Coil Coatings, Packaging, and Aerospace segments. PCG is the primary division where STAR has won business historically (FabTech, Intermodal, Industrial Proprietary Events) and represents the richest near-term opportunity.
Consumer Brands Group (CBG)
Produces and markets branded and private-label products through home improvement retailers and mass merchandisers. Key brands include Valspar, HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, Dutch Boy, Krylon, Minwax, and Thompson's WaterSeal. Consumer activation events and experiential retail represent opportunity here.
3.3 Strategic Priorities (2025–2026)
- Aggressive above-market share gains across all three segments in a demand-soft environment
- Digitization and simplification across customer-facing operations
- Premium product positioning and innovation pipeline (HGTV Color of the Year: Universal Khaki, 2026)
- Talent investment and enterprise-wide operational efficiency
- New corporate headquarters transition (2025) in Cleveland — significant brand activation opportunity
- Sustainability leadership — ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship
Section 4.0: Charitable & Philanthropic Initiatives
Understanding Sherwin-Williams' philanthropic priorities enables STAR to align activation strategies with causes the company's leadership is personally invested in, creating authentic connection points in outreach and conversation.
4.1 Sherwin-Williams Charitable Foundation
The Sherwin-Williams Charitable Foundation supports organizations focused on housing, education, and community development. Key areas of funding include affordable housing rehabilitation (partnering with Habitat for Humanity), youth education programs related to STEM and vocational skills, and community revitalization efforts in markets where Sherwin-Williams operates manufacturing facilities.
4.2 PaintCare Program
Sherwin-Williams is a founding sponsor of PaintCare, a paint stewardship program that collects leftover paint for reuse and proper disposal. This program reflects the company's commitment to environmental responsibility and circular economy principles — a theme increasingly woven into their corporate narrative and trade show messaging.
4.3 Habitat for Humanity Partnership
Sherwin-Williams has a longstanding national partnership with Habitat for Humanity, donating paint and coatings products to support homebuilding projects across the country. Employee volunteer events tied to Habitat builds are a regular feature of the corporate culture calendar.
4.4 STEM Education Investments
Through the Sherwin-Williams Foundation, the company funds science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs at universities and community colleges, with particular emphasis on chemistry and materials science — disciplines directly tied to their core product R&D pipeline.
STAR Activation Opportunity
"Consider proposing a cause-activation booth element at a future Sherwin-Williams exhibit that highlights their PaintCare or Habitat for Humanity partnerships — interactive elements that reinforce their brand values while driving booth traffic and press coverage."
Section 5.0: Trade Show & Event Intelligence
5.2 IRE 2026 — STAR's Live Opportunity
The International Roofing Expo 2026 (Las Vegas Convention Center, January 20–22, 2026) is the single highest-priority near-term event for STAR. Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings is a longstanding IRE exhibitor, having prominently featured their MetalVue program at past shows. The current $75,000 deal in Design & Estimating stage (owned by Ty Carlson) is STAR's immediate revenue target and relationship accelerator.
- IRE 2026 drew 15,000+ industry leaders and over 500 exhibitors
- Sherwin-Williams historically sponsors education tracks at IRE (Exhibitor Series)
- MetalVue — their contractor network program — is a centerpiece of the Coil Coatings exhibit story
- STAR INSIGHT: A high-impact IRE booth can serve as a proof point for expanding to FabTech, AMPP, and PCG divisional shows in 2026–2027
5.3 FABTECH 2025 — Proven STAR Track Record
STAR supported Sherwin-Williams General Industrial at FABTECH 2025 (McCormick Place, Chicago, September 8–11, 2025). STAR delivered a clean, product-forward booth environment featuring sample boards for industrial applications including cranes and backhoes. The STAR team executed against the client's goal of clarity over spectacle — a streamlined presence that spoke directly to engineers and buyers. This documented partnership is a powerful proof point for expanded engagement.
"Sherwin Williams at FABTECH 2025 proved that a booth can be bold and impactful while also being simple and strategic. With STAR's support, the brand delivered a straightforward, effective showcase that aligned with both their budget goals and their audience's expectations."
5.4 Agency & Exhibit Vendor Intelligence
Understanding Sherwin-Williams’ existing agency and vendor ecosystem is essential for STAR to position itself correctly, identify open lanes, and avoid competing where incumbents are deeply entrenched. The following intelligence is compiled from public sources, press releases, and STAR’s own deal history.
VML — Lead Digital & Creative Agency
VML (formerly known as VMLY&R, a WPP agency) was named Sherwin-Williams’ inaugural Marketing Agency Partner Award winner at the 2024 National Sales Meeting in January 2025. VML has been Sherwin-Williams’ agency partner since 2017 and owns all digital customer experience work: Brand Experience (BX), Customer Experience (CX), and Commerce.
What this means for STAR:
- • VML owns digital. STAR owns physical and experiential. These are complementary, non-competitive lanes. Framing STAR as the “physical execution partner” to VML’s digital strategy is a natural and credible positioning.
- • VML’s strong position means Sherwin-Williams is not looking to replace agency relationships — they are looking for best-in-class execution partners in each discipline. STAR should embrace this ecosystem model.
- • Outreach to VML-connected contacts should reference how STAR complements VML’s digital work by bringing brand stories to life in three-dimensional, high-impact trade show environments.
Exhibit House Intelligence — Current Landscape
Based on STAR’s deal history and market research, Sherwin-Williams has historically used multiple exhibit vendors across divisions rather than consolidating under a single exhibit partner. Key intelligence:
- • Performance Coatings Group (PCG): STAR has documented won business at FABTECH and active IRE 2026 pipeline — meaning STAR is already a known, trusted vendor for the division most aligned with trade show activity.
- • Consumer Brands Group (CBG): STAR has documented closed-lost deals totaling over $180K in the Consumer division, indicating prior engagement that did not convert. The losing competitor(s) are likely national exhibit houses with consumer activation portfolios (Freeman, George P. Johnson, Jack Morton, or Momentum Worldwide).
- • Corporate / HQ Events: No confirmed exhibit partner identified. The 2025 Cleveland headquarters transition creates a significant new activation need that may not yet have a vendor assignment.
- • Automotive Finishes Division: No STAR deal history exists. This division likely relies on either the PCG exhibit partner or a separate automotive-sector exhibit house.
KEY STRATEGIC INSIGHT: STAR has a foothold in PCG (FABTECH + IRE). The opportunity is to leverage this foothold to expand laterally into CBG and Corporate — presenting STAR as the “unified exhibit partner” that eliminates multi-vendor complexity. Sherwin-Williams’ own operational efficiency priorities (digitization and simplification) align with this vendor consolidation pitch.
Valspar / Minwax / Dutch Boy — Consumer Brand Exhibit History
The Consumer Brands Group manages major retail brands (Valspar, Dutch Boy, Krylon, Minwax, HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams) that require consumer-facing trade show activations at design industry events including High Point Market and WestEdge Design Fair. These are distinct from PCG’s B2B industrial shows and require different exhibit capabilities: immersive color environments, lifestyle storytelling, retail-style experiential design.
- • The $100K Consumer Division Services lost deal and $80K Consumer Shows lost deal suggest a competitor with consumer activation expertise won this work. STAR’s ability to compete here depends on demonstrating consumer/design experience credentials.
- • STAR Action: Identify recent Sherwin-Williams or Valspar booth presence at High Point Market — the exhibit partner for that show is likely the CBG incumbent.
Sherwin-Williams National Sales Meeting (NSM) — Internal Event Opportunity
Sherwin-Williams holds an annual National Sales Meeting that serves as the internal brand and product launch event for the sales organization. The 2024 NSM (held January 2025) was where VML received their agency award, indicating senior marketing leadership involvement and significant production investment.
- • STAR Opportunity: NSM often includes vendor/partner exhibition areas similar to a trade show floor. STAR’s relationship with PCG contacts (Josh Reep, Karen Benton) could create an introductory opportunity at NSM as a vendor showcase participant.
- • STAR Action: Ask Karen Benton or Josh Reep directly about NSM vendor participation — “We’d love to show your sales team what we built for FABTECH 2025. Is there a vendor showcase at your National Sales Meeting where STAR could be present?”
HQ Relocation — Brand Activation White Space
"Sherwin-Williams completed a major corporate headquarters transition to a new Cleveland facility in 2025. This is a once-in-a-generation brand activation moment. A new HQ typically requires: a brand experience center, customer briefing room design, lobby and public space activation, and corporate event production capabilities. No confirmed vendor has been publicly identified for this work."
HQ ACTIVATION OPPORTUNITY: STAR should proactively develop a “Brand Experience Environments” concept deck for Christine Cimino (VP, Corporate Marketing) or Eric Olsen (Senior Director, Corporate Marketing) positioning STAR’s expertise in creating immersive brand environments — not just trade show booths. The HQ transition is a strategic entry point to the Corporate Marketing budget.
Section 6.0: Key Contacts & Organizational Insights
6.1 Priority Contacts — Marketing & Events Leadership
The following contacts represent the highest-priority individuals for STAR outreach based on title, division alignment, and relationship history. These individuals have direct responsibility for marketing budgets, trade show programs, and experiential strategies.
| Name | Title | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Nightingale | Chief Marketing Officer | [email protected] | Jake Burgwald |
| Jim Myers | Group VP, Marketing – Performance Coatings | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Anthony D'Acquisto | Division Global VP, Marketing – Automotive Finishes | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Christine Cimino | VP, Corporate Marketing | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Steve Revnew | SVP Product Innovation | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Name | Title | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Benton | Senior Manager, Trade Shows | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Carol Goff | Event Specialist, Corporate Events | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Kathy Benz | Event Coordinator | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Josh Reep | USCA Marketing Director – General Industrial | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Mark MacDonald | Marketing & Sales Mgr – Coil Coatings | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Name | Title | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Cribb | Market Manager | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Alicia Vanduyse | Market Manager – General Industrial | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Donna Kaip | Marketing Manager | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Elizabeth Kenney | Marketing Manager, Consumer Brands | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Laura Price | Marketing Manager – Protective & Marine | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
| Eric Olsen | Senior Director, Corporate Marketing | [email protected] | Katy Anderson |
6.2 Organizational Intelligence
STAR's primary historical relationship runs through the Performance Coatings Group (Jake Burgwald as owner on the largest deals). The most active current owner is Katy Anderson, who manages 41 of 42 contacts.
Karen Benton (Senior Manager, Trade Shows) and Carol Goff (Event Specialist) are the most likely operational gatekeepers for any exhibit program decision. These contacts should be cultivated as internal champions.
Tom Nightingale (CMO) is the executive sponsorship target for enterprise-level partnership conversations. An introductory executive meeting aligned to STAR's multi-divisional value proposition is the long-term objective.
Josh Reep's public-facing role at FABTECH 2025 (quoted in trade press about STAR's work) makes him an ideal reference contact and warm outreach pathway.
Anthony D'Acquisto's Automotive Finishes division is an entirely untapped opportunity — the second-largest industrial coating category for Sherwin-Williams with dedicated B2B event needs.
6.3 Agency Relationships Intelligence
Understanding Sherwin-Williams' existing agency relationships is critical for positioning STAR appropriately and identifying gaps in their current vendor ecosystem.
VML — Digital Customer Experience (Lead Agency)
VML was named Sherwin-Williams' inaugural Marketing Agency Partner Award winner at the 2024 National Sales Meeting in January 2025. VML is the lead agency for all digital customer experience initiatives — Brand Experience (BX), Customer Experience (CX), and Commerce. They have been a client partner since 2017.STAR's opportunity is clearly differentiated: VML owns digital; STAR owns physical and experiential.
Current Exhibit House Intelligence
Based on research and deal history analysis, Sherwin-Williams has historically worked with multiple exhibit vendors across divisions rather than consolidating with a single exhibit partner. STAR's FabTech 2025 engagement and IRE 2026 active deal represent footholds in the Performance Coatings Group. The opportunity is to present STAR as the preferred unified exhibit partner that can service multiple divisions under a single account relationship — reducing vendor management complexity for Sherwin-Williams' trade show team.
Competitive Positioning
STAR's competitive advantage is not just execution quality — it is enterprise scalability. Present STAR as a partner that can manage exhibit programs across PCG, Consumer Brands, and Corporate divisions simultaneously, simplifying procurement and ensuring brand consistency across all Sherwin-Williams trade show touchpoints.
Section 7.0: Experiential Strategies by Business Unit
The following strategies are organized by Sherwin-Williams business unit, aligned to known marketing priorities and STAR's documented capabilities.
7.1 Performance Coatings Group (PCG) — Highest Priority
PCG is STAR's strongest foothold and the division with the most documented relationship history. With active contacts in General Industrial, Automotive Finishes, Protective & Marine, and Coil Coatings, the PCG opportunity spans multiple shows and budget centers.
Recommended Strategy: Become the PCG Trade Show Partner of Record
- • Anchor on the FABTECH 2025 success and IRE 2026 active deal as proof points.
- • Propose a multi-show retainer model covering FABTECH, IRE, AMPP, and NFMT annually.
- • Introduce modular exhibit systems that allow PCG to scale booth size show-to-show while maintaining brand consistency.
- • Position STAR's FASTtrack fulfillment capabilities as aligned to Sherwin-Williams' own FASTtrack ordering philosophy — a natural brand narrative connection.
7.2 Consumer Brands Group (CBG) — Growth Opportunity
CBG manages beloved consumer brands including Valspar, HGTV Home, Dutch Boy, and Krylon. These brands participate in home improvement retail trade shows, design industry events, and consumer activations.
Recommended Strategy: Color & Design Experiential Activations
- • Propose immersive color experience environments for High Point Market and WestEdge Design Fair.
- • Develop 'Color Story' exhibit concepts featuring the 2026 Color of the Year (Universal Khaki) with interactive texture and finish displays.
- • Leverage the HGTV Home partnership for co-branded activation ideas at retail trade events.
- • Connect with Elizabeth Kenney (Marketing Manager, Consumer Brands) as the initial outreach contact.
7.3 Corporate Marketing — Enterprise Partnership
Christine Cimino (VP, Corporate Marketing) and Eric Olsen (Senior Director, Corporate Marketing) oversee enterprise-wide brand and event initiatives. The new Cleveland headquarters is a major milestone that will require brand activation.
Recommended Strategy: Executive Briefing & HQ Launch Opportunity
- • Request an executive briefing with Christine Cimino or Tom Nightingale to present STAR's multi-divisional capabilities.
- • Propose STAR's involvement in any HQ grand opening event, contractor appreciation events, or corporate press activations.
- • Position as the corporate exhibit partner for investor days, analyst events, or national sales meetings requiring staging and event production.
7.4 Automotive Finishes Division — Untapped Potential
Anthony D'Acquisto is a senior decision-maker with no documented STAR engagement history. The division serves OEM automakers, collision repair centers, and refinishers at SEMA and NACE Automechanika.
Recommended Strategy: Cold-to-Warm Outreach via Industry Intel
- • Research Anthony D'Acquisto's division presence at SEMA 2025/2026 as an outreach anchor.
- • Develop a targeted one-pager demonstrating STAR's automotive sector experience and manufacturing/industrial exhibit credentials.
- • Use the FABTECH story as a bridge — 'We delivered for your colleagues in General Industrial; here's how we'd serve Automotive Finishes'.
Section 8.0: Next Steps & Action Plan
8.1 Immediate Actions (30 Days)
IRE 2026 — Close the Deal
- Ty Carlson is the deal owner — prioritize closing the $75K IRE 2026 opportunity in Design & Estimating immediately
- Accelerate design approval, present two creative concepts, and establish clear timeline for fabrication
- Use the close as the springboard: 'We're excited about IRE — we'd love to also discuss your FABTECH 2026 plans'
Karen Benton — Senior Manager, Trade Shows
- Karen Benton is STAR's highest-value outreach target for establishing enterprise-level trade show conversations
- Initial outreach: Reference FABTECH 2025 success + IRE 2026 engagement as proof of partnership quality
- Goal: Secure a discovery call to understand the full scope of Sherwin-Williams' annual trade show calendar and budget structure
8.2 Near-Term Actions (60–90 Days)
Schedule executive briefing with Christine Cimino or Tom Nightingale — present STAR's multi-divisional exhibit partnership model
Develop a Sherwin-Williams-specific capabilities deck highlighting PCG, CBG, and Corporate use cases
Research SEMA 2026 exhibitor plans for Automotive Finishes division and initiate outreach to Anthony D'Acquisto
Propose a modular exhibit system retainer proposal covering FabTech, IRE, and AMPP for PCG
8.3 Long-Term Vision (6–12 Months)
Establish STAR as Sherwin-Williams' preferred exhibit partner across a minimum of 3 business divisions
Target annual revenue of $300,000–$500,000 from Sherwin-Williams enterprise-wide engagement
Develop a formal Master Service Agreement or preferred vendor relationship with Corporate Procurement
Leverage the Sherwin-Williams relationship as a case study for pursuing other large industrial/coatings sector accounts
Section 9.0: STAR Value Propositions & Sample Messaging
This section provides tailored STAR value propositions for each of Sherwin-Williams’ business segments, followed by ready-to-use outreach messaging. These value props demonstrate STAR’s understanding of Sherwin-Williams’ specific marketing priorities and position STAR’s unique capabilities as directly relevant to each audience’s needs.
9.1 Corporate-Level Value Proposition
Why STAR for Sherwin-Williams’ Enterprise Experiential Marketing
"Sherwin-Williams faces a challenge unique to $23 billion multi-division coatings giants: managing a fragmented trade show portfolio across three distinct business segments — Performance Coatings Group, Consumer Brands Group, and Paint Stores Group — each with different audiences, show calendars, budget structures, and brand stories. STAR Trade Shows & Events understands this complexity because we’ve been living it inside the Sherwin-Williams account for over 14 years."
STAR has supported Sherwin-Williams since 2011 — over $208,000 in documented won business. We know your brand, operational standards, and expectations.
STAR can serve as a unified exhibit partner across PCG, CBG, and Corporate — one relationship, one quality standard, one point of accountability.
STAR delivered a product-forward booth that was described as exactly what was needed: clean, credible, and laser-focused.
Aligning with premium positioning, digitization, and the new Cleveland HQ transition (2025).
STAR’s 14-year Sherwin-Williams relationship is the asset. The gap isn’t awareness — it’s coordination. STAR has never had a comprehensive, enterprise-wide conversation with Sherwin-Williams. This playbook is the first step in changing that.
9.2 Performance Coatings Group (PCG) — Value Proposition
PCG is where STAR has earned its credibility with Sherwin-Williams — and where the immediate, near-term expansion opportunity is clearest. PCG exhibits at FABTECH, IRE, AMPP, and multiple industrial coating conferences that require technically credible, product-forward booth environments speaking to engineers, procurement managers, and industrial buyers.
Industrial Exhibit Expertise
We don’t create spectacle; we create credibility for engineers and industrial buyers who want technical documentation over glitter.
FASTtrack Narrative Alignment
Our internal operational model mirrors the Sherwin-Williams FASTtrack philosophy of speed, efficiency, and reliability.
Multi-Show Retainer Model
A unified platform for FABTECH, IRE, and AMPP delivers 25-40% cost savings through updated vs rebuilt architectures.
Coil Coatings Intelligence
Positioning MetalVue as an experiential hub for contractor loyalty and sign-up facilitation.