2010 Annual Report 2010 Annual Report

84 Pages·2011·4.08 MB·English

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ABOUT US
the sheRWIn-WIllIAMs CoMPAnY WAs foUnDeD bY
henry sherwin and edward Williams in 1866. today, we are a global
leader in the development, manufacture and sale of coatings and related
products with more than 32,000 employees and business in 109 countries.
We market our products under such well-known brands as sherwin-
Williams®, Dutch boy®, Krylon®, Minwax® and thompson’s® Waterseal.®
We go to market through 3,954 company-operated paint stores and
branches around the world, as well as leading mass merchandisers, home
centers, independent paint dealers, hardware stores, automotive retailers,
and industrial distributors. With annual sales of $7.8 billion, we are the
largest coatings manufacturer in the United states and third largest
worldwide. for more information, visit www.sherwin.com.
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on the CoveR
Artist Matthew Sporzynski built a paper sculpture version of our
logo using Sherwin-Williams paint chips. It’s the same technique he
used in creating paint chip sculptures for a 2010 Sherwin-Williams
print advertising campaign inspired by our animated paint chips
television commercials. (Photo by Peter Ross.)
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tAble of Contents
Letter to Shareholders 2
Paint Stores Group 6
Consumer Group 8
Global Finishes Group 10
Stores/Branches/Subsidiaries 12
Strength In Numbers 14
Financial Performance 15
The Sherwin-Williams Company is an equal opportunity employer that recruits, selects and hires on the basis of indi-
vidual qualifications and prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected
veteran status, disability, age, sexual orientation or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state or local laws.
Financial HigHligHts
2010 2009 2008
Net sales (thousands) $ 7,776,424 $ 7,094,249 $ 7,979,727
Net income (thousands) $ 462,485 $ 435,848 $ 476,876
Per common share:
Net Income - diluted (1) $ 4.21 $ 3.78 $ 4.00
Net income - basic (1) $ 4.28 $ 3.80 $ 4.04
Cash dividends $ 1.44 $ 1.42 $ 1.40
Book value $ 15.04 $ 13.62 $ 13.72
Average common shares outstanding (thousands) 107,022 113,514 116,835
Return on sales 5.9 % 6.1 % 6.0 %
Return on assets 8.9 % 10.1 % 10.8 %
Return on beginning shareholders’ equity 31.0 % 27.1 % 26.7 %
Total debt to capitalization 39.4 % 35.4 % 34.2 %
Interest coverage (2) 10.6 x 16.6 x 11.9 x
Net operating cash (thousands) $ 706,590 $ 859,186 $ 876,233
(1) Presented using the two-class method.
(2) Ratio of income before income taxes and interest expense to interest expense.
net SaleS net income net income
(millions of dollars) (millions of dollars) per Share - diluted
7,980
8,000 7,776 500 477 5
462
7,094 436
7,000
4.21
6,000 400 4 4.00 3.78
5,000
300 3
4,000
3,000 200 2
2,000
100 1
1,000
0 0 0
2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010
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letter to sHareHolders
From left to right:
John G. morikis, 2010 waS a year oF Growth and proGreSS For the
President and
chief operating officer Sherwin-williams company. we finished the year with consolidated sales
christopher m. connor, of $7.78 billion, an increase of 9.6 percent over 2009. For the first time in
chairman and chief
several years, all three of our reportable operating segments achieved
executive officer
organic sales growth. consolidated net income increased 6.1 percent
Sean p. hennessy
senior Vice President - Finance to $462.5 million from $435.8 million in 2009, and diluted net income per
and chief Financial officer
common share increased 11.4 percent to $4.21 from $3.78 per share in 2009.
These results were achieved in the face of some very significant challenges. The moderate
increase in domestic paint and coatings demand early in the year combined with growing
momentum in many markets outside the U.S. strained global raw material capacity, caus-
ing severe shortages, rapid cost increases and manufacturer-imposed allocation of some key
materials such as acrylic latex.
Our people reacted quickly and decisively to help minimize the impact of these short-
ages on our customers and our business. We redistributed raw materials and finished goods
between plants, distribution centers and stores, implemented priority production plans
and bought certain materials on the spot market to maintain acceptable service levels. The
resulting increase in operating costs combined with rising raw material costs put pressure on
our margins and we responded with appropriate price increases.
These stopgap measures were disruptive, but we remained focused on helping our
customers succeed, growing market share, generating cash and deploying it in ways that
enhance shareholder value. Cash from operations for the year was $707 million, or just
2
over 9 percent of net sales. Our working capital ratio research, development and commercialization of new
– accounts receivable plus inventories less accounts product technologies. We are confident these invest-
payable to sales – increased to 11.9 percent of sales ments will benefit the Company in the near term and
at year-end from 10.7 percent at the end of 2009. If deliver appropriate returns in the long term.
you adjust for the working capital from three acquisi-
tions completed during the year, working capital was paint StoreS Group
essentially flat to last year. Free cash flow, which is Our Paint Stores Group is the largest operator of
operating cash minus capital expenditures and divi- specialty paint stores in North America, servicing the
dends, was $425 million. needs of architectural and industrial painting contrac-
We completed three important acquisitions tors and do-it-yourself homeowners alike. Net sales
in 2010 for a total investment of approximately for the Group finished the year at $4.38 billion, an
$300 million. Sayerlack and Becker Acroma, two increase of 4.1 percent from 2009. Comparable-store
industrial wood finishes businesses with com- sales – sales by stores open more than 12 months
bined annual revenues of more than $440 million, – increased 3.8 percent in the year. Profit for the
strengthen our position in the global wood finish-
ing market and provide research and development,
manufacturing and distribution capabilities to sup-
we completed three important acquisitions
port our growth in Eastern and Western Europe
and Asia. Pinturas Cóndor, a diversified coatings
in 2010 for a total investment of approximately
supplier with approximately $60 million in annual
sales, establishes us as the market leader in archi-
$300 million and revenues of $500 million.
tectural paint in Ecuador.
During the year, we returned more than $530 mil-
lion in cash to shareholders through treasury stock
purchases and quarterly dividends. The Company
acquired 5 million shares of its common stock on Group increased 3.2 percent to $619.6 million, but
the open market at an average cost of $75.14 per decreased as a percent of sales to 14.1 percent from
share. At year-end, we had remaining authoriza- 14.3 percent in 2009. The slight decline in profit
tion to purchase an additional 5.75 million shares. margin was primarily the result of higher raw mate-
We also increased our annual dividend two cents to rial costs.
$1.44, keeping our string of 32 consecutive years of Early signs of recovery in the domestic paint
increased dividends intact. market were most evident in the repaint segments.
Our strong balance sheet and free cash flow Sales to do-it-yourself homeowners and painting con-
enabled us to repurchase approximately $137 mil- tractors who specialize in repainting existing homes
lion in Sherwin-Williams bonds that mature in showed the greatest improvement during the year.
2097. The cost of the call option warrants to pur- Painting contractors who perform maintenance
chase these bonds increased our interest expense for painting in non-residential buildings also reported
the year by approximately $22 million, which the a moderate increase in activity in the second half
Company will recoup through interest savings in of 2010.
just over two years. Repurchasing these bonds will During the year, we opened 49 stores in new
reduce the average rate we pay on debt in the future markets and consolidated an additional 13 redun-
and provide greater flexibility to take advantage of dant store locations, for a net increase of 36 new
changing rate structures, fluctuating currencies and stores. Our store count in the U.S., Canada and the
favorable terms. Caribbean now stands at 3,390 compared to 3,354
Across all divisions we recruited more than 700 a year ago. In 2011, we expect our pace of new
high-caliber people into our respected Management store openings to accelerate to between 50 and 60
Training Programs and invested over $100 million in net new locations.
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conSumer Group Net sales for our Global Finishes Group increased
Our Consumer Group fulfills a dual mission for 26.5 percent to $2.09 billion. Acquisitions increased
the Company – supplying branded and private label the Group’s sales in U.S. dollars by 14.8 percent and
products to retailers throughout North America and currency translation rate changes before acquisitions
supporting our Paint Stores Group with new product increased sales in U.S. dollars by 4.5 percent. Profit
research and development, manufacturing, distribution for the full year increased to $123.7 million from
and logistics. The group manages a highly efficient $65.0 million last year, primarily as a result of higher
North American supply chain consisting of 35 manu- sales volume, good expense control and favorable
facturing plants and seven distribution centers and currency rate changes that more than offset dilu-
maintains one of the safest transport operations in the tion from acquisitions and higher raw material costs.
country. Under the direction of our Consumer Group, Acquisitions reduced profit $10.5 million in the year
the Breen Technology Center in downtown Cleveland and currency translation increased profit $8.0 million.
leads our world-wide architectural coatings research As a percent of net sales, the Global Finishes Group’s
and development effort. operating profit increased to 5.9 percent from 3.9
External net sales for our Consumer Group percent in 2009.
increased 5.9 percent to $1.30 billion from $1.23 bil-
lion in 2009, reflecting moderately higher demand at manaGement chanGeS
some of the Segment’s retail, industrial and institution- In November, Steve Oberfeld was appointed to the
al customers. Profit for the year increased 29.6 percent position of Senior Vice President, Corporate Planning
to $204.0 million and profit margin improved to 15.7 and Development. In this role, Steve will be respon-
percent from 12.8 percent in 2009. The improvement sible for managing and implementing the Company’s
in Consumer Group’s profitability was due primarily merger and acquisition strategy and for supervising
to higher sales, good expense control and cost savings our strategic and operating planning process. Steve
resulting from manufacturing plant and warehouse joined Sherwin-Williams in 1984 and served as Presi-
closings completed during the prior year. dent of the Paint Stores Group since 2006. Thanks
to Steve’s leadership, Paint Stores Group is emerging
from this historic recession with higher market share,
a larger store base and is well prepared to capitalize
during the year we opened 42 net
on the domestic market recovery when it does occur.
Jay Davisson was appointed to succeed Steve as
new paint stores and branches
President of the Paint Stores Group. Jay is a twenty-
four year veteran of the Company and served as
worldwide, bringing our total to 3,954.
President and General Manager, Southeastern Divi-
sion of the Paint Stores Group since 1999. Through
an aggressive store opening program and emphasis
on the fastest growing customer segments, Jay led
GloBal FiniSheS Group the Southeastern Division through a rapid period of
Our Global Finishes Group manufactures and sells expansion, outpacing the growth of the market and
industrial coatings, automotive finishes, protective and building Sherwin-Williams’ share in this important
marine coatings and architectural coatings to a grow- geographic region.
ing customer base around the world. We go to market Tim Knight was appointed President of our Latin
through independent retailers, jobbers, licensees and America Coatings Group. Tim joined Sherwin-
other third party distributors, as well as through our Williams in 1998 and has held a variety of leadership
company-operated branches. With the addition of the positions, including President and General Manager of
three acqusitions completed in 2010, our Global Fin- the Diversified Brands Division, President of our Inter-
ishes Group is leading Sherwin-Williams’ expansion national Coatings Group and, most recently, Senior
overseas with sales in more than 100 countries. Vice President, Corporate Planning and Development.
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Since 2006, as head of our mergers and acquisitions and increasingly global customer base, have posi-
effort, Tim completed 14 transactions representing tioned us to perform well through the balance of this
nearly $800 million in annual revenues. recession and outperform in a recovery. We are con-
These executives have proven themselves to be fident that 2011 will be another year of improvement
capable business managers and outstanding leaders for the Company.
over their tenures with the Company. Each brings
an impressive record of accomplishments to his
new role.
across all divisions we recruited more than
outlooK For 2011
700 high caliber people into our respected
If 2010 did mark the end of the four-year slide
in U.S. coatings industry volume, we believe the
management training programs.
recovery from here is likely to be slow and erratic.
Most forecasts for new domestic construction in the
coming year call for modest increases from the low
base established in 2010. Home maintenance and
remodeling activity, which was a relative bright spot On behalf of the men and women of The Sherwin-
in 2010, should continue to improve with the overall Williams Company around the world, we offer our
economy and consumer confidence. Industrial coat- thanks and appreciation to our customers, suppliers
ings volumes will grow in line with the somewhat and shareholders for their continued trust and
more robust recovery in manufacturing and infra- confidence.
structure investment.
Over the past three years, we have worked hard to
make Sherwin-Williams a leaner, financially stronger
and more profitable company. We have fine-tuned
our capital structure, reduced fixed costs, managed
our SG&A expense and expanded our distribution
platform domestically and abroad. These actions, Christopher M. Connor
along with our continued focus on serving a diverse Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
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Sherwin-williamS paint StoreS are the excluSive outletS For
Sherwin-williams® branded paints, stains, painting tools, equipment and floorcovering. in 2010,
the paint Stores Group recorded sales of $4.38 billion and generated $619.6 million in profit.
Because we believe the professional painter will property owners and managers, OEM product finish-
be the fastest growing customer segment in the coat- ers and do-it-yourself homeowners.
ings market, and pros prefer to shop at specialty paint The temporary shortage of acrylic latex and other
stores for supplies and equipment, we continued to key raw materials reached a critical stage mid-year
invest in new store locations in 2010. We opened 49 and the entire industry scrambled for materials to
new store locations during the year and closed 13 for keep plants running. Our large store base enabled us
a net increase of 36 and a total of 3,390 stores in the to maintain relatively high service levels by moving
U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. These stores serve a finished goods between stores and distribution centers
diverse customer base that includes architectural and to align inventory with order volume. These steps were
industrial painting contractors, residential and com- inefficient and expensive, but they helped to strength-
mercial builders and remodelers, en our relationships with professional customers who
Paint stores groUP
were also feeling the pinch of tight raw material supply,
and we grew our domestic market share as a result.
In April of 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency
enacted a new rule called the Renovation, Repair and Paint-
ing (RRP) Rule. It requires contractors working in homes,
child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 to be certi-
fied and follow specific work practices to prevent lead dust
contamination of the property during surface preparation. In
a nationwide effort to help our contractor customers comply
with this new rule, we conducted 670 training classes, cer-
tifying more than 32,000 contractors, making it the largest
private-sector RRP Rule training effort in the nation.
During the year, we introduced some important new
product lines to address the growing demand for environ-
mentally favorable “green” products. Our new Property
Solution™ Interior Latex is a low odor, low-VOC interior
paint ideal for larger builders and property management
firms in search of a uniform nationwide specification.
ProMar® and ProClassic® Waterborne Acrylic Alkyds
offer the application and finish of an oil-based paint,
the non-yellowing properties of an acrylic with a VOC
content of less than 50 grams per liter. To support the
fast-growing need for concrete and masonry coatings,
we launched several new products including Loxon®
40% Silane Water Repellant, Sher-Crete® Flexible Con- productS Sold: Paints, stains, coatings, caulks, applicators,
crete Waterproofer, and Modac® F-100 and Modur™ F
wallcoverings, floorcoverings, spray equipment and related products
solvent-based acrylic coatings.
Designers, do-it-yourselfers and contractors alike marKetS Served: do-it-yourselfers, professional painting
embrace color and faux finishing as a way to create a
contractors, home builders, property managers, architects, interior
unique, personalized space. In 2010, we introduced Faux
Impressions™, a new best-in-class line with a complete designers, industrial, marine, flooring and original equipment
assortment of faux finishing coatings and tools that make manufacturer (oeM) product finishes
it easier than ever to get consistently beautiful results and
take advantage of the growth opportunities in this niche. maJor BrandS Sold:
Participation in our Preferred Customer Program sherwin-Williams®, ProMar®, superPaint®, a-100®, duron®,
grew by more than 30 percent last year reaching millions
MaB®, Preprite®, duration®, Progreen®, Harmony®, Proclassic®,
of customers with decorating tips and exclusive offers.
We also continue to grow our specifications and share Woodscapes®, deckscapes®, cashmere®, classic 99® and columbia™
of the designer market. For the fourth year in a row, we
won multiple Pearl Awards for our designer-targeted outletS: 3,390 sherwin-Williams stores in the United states, canada,
communications. Jamaica, Puerto rico, st. Maarten, trinidad and tobago and the Virgin islands
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CONSUMER GROUP CONTRIBUTES TO ThE SUCCESS Of ShERwIN-wIllIaMS
in two important ways: by selling one of the industry’s strongest portfolios of branded and private
label products through retailers across North america and by running one of the industry’s most
efficient and productive research and development, manufacturing and distribution operations.
We supply well-known, nationally branded products Widespread raw materials shortages throughout the
like Dutch Boy® and Pratt & Lambert® paints, Minwax® year threatened to disrupt our supply of many popu-
interior wood finishing products, Krylon® aerosol paints, lar products, but the combination of deft production
Thompson’s® WaterSeal® exterior waterproofing prod- and logistics planning and the advantages of our con-
ucts, Purdy® paint brushes and rollers and Dupli-Color® trolled distribution helped to minimize the impact on
automotive specialty products to a majority of paint and our customers. Our dedicated fleet of tractor-trailers
automotive retailers in the United States and Canada. In expedited raw material deliveries from suppliers to
2010, the Consumer Group recorded net sales of $1.3 our plants and optimized raw material and finished
billion and generated more than $204 million in profit. goods availability across facilities and geographies.
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