2005 Annual Report - Investor Relations - Sherwin-Williams

SURPASSING THE $4 BILLION MARK IN SALES
for the first time, the Paint Stores Segment again led the way to a record year
for Sherwin-Williams. We opened our 3,000th store in April and ended the
year with a total of 3,081, solidifying our position as the largest operator of
specialty paint stores in North America.
Sherwin-Williams paint stores are the
exclusive outlets for Sherwin-Williams ®
branded architectural and industrial coatings
and related products. We serve a diverse customer
base, which includes architectural and
industrial painting contractors, residential
and commercial builders, property owners
and managers, OEM product finishers and
do-it-yourself homeowners.
Many companies aspire to be guided by
the “voice of the customer.” We hear that
voice first hand through literally tens of millions
of direct customer interactions each
year in our stores and through our field sales
organization. The intimate, consultative sales
relationships we build through this direct
interaction enable us to be highly responsive
to customer needs and provide us with constant
input and feedback from the end-users
of our products.
Each year, the new products we introduce
apply the latest technological advancements
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