public company

Sherwin-Williams

A public paint, coatings, and retail-store company selling architectural paint, industrial coatings, and related supplies. Sherwin-Williams is useful for paint comparisons, but chemical-product toxicity, lead-paint legacy litigation, and shareholder governance materially limit the score.

Why this matters: Paint and coatings are ordinary household products with unusually direct toxic-product and environmental implications.

Letter grade D Extractive Medium confidence (AI) Rubric gcd-rubric-v1 Last reviewed May 11, 2026

Final Score 0* D - Extractive

DEXTRACTIVE0 pts

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

Base Material17

Bonus+0

Cap35Ownership <= 2 and Governance <= 2

After Cap17

Penalties-17

Private Government badge

Sherwin-Williams receives the Private Government badge because it combines large-scale private rule-setting over customers, workers, users, members, or counterparties with OpenLobby-documented lobbying of about $1.2M on public policy issues.

Evidence: [7]

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Evaluation Overview

D - Extractive

The score turns mainly on Product Integrity, with the largest penalty coming from Policy Capture.

Strengths

Product Integrity3/5
Ownership2/10
Governance2/10

Penalties

Policy Capture-5
Human Harm-4
Ecological Harm-4
Toxic Products-4

Evidence state

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)
ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)
Linked claims7
Direct axis claims6
Coverage6/13

Scoring Axes

Axis	Score	Why this score
Ownership ? Control rights: shareholder-dominated at 0, worker cooperative control at 10.	2 / 10	Sherwin-Williams is a shareholder-governed public company, so control is investor-centered rather than worker-, customer-, or community-controlled. Sherwin-Williams is a shareholder-governed public company, so control is investor-centered rather than worker-, customer-, or community-controlled. That keeps Sherwin-Williams low on Ownership: decisive control remains with shareholders, private owners, executives, or state insiders rather than affected people. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence Sherwin-Williams is a shareholder-governed public company, so control is investor-centered rather than worker-, customer-, or community-controlled. [1]
Governance ? Binding decision authority: centralized control at 0, democratic stakeholder control at 10.	2 / 10	Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. That keeps Sherwin-Williams low on Governance: ordinary users, workers, customers, or affected communities cannot change the rules that govern them. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. [2] context Sherwin-Williams is a shareholder-governed public company, so control is investor-centered rather than worker-, customer-, or community-controlled. [1] context Sherwin-Williams’ core products include paints and coatings, and company disclosures discuss product stewardship, hazardous materials, and lead-pigment/lead-based-paint litigation exposure. [3] context Sherwin-Williams’ manufacturing, solvents, coatings, packaging, and global supply chain create material environmental burdens even with sustainability programs. [4] context Lead-pigment and lead-based-paint litigation remains material because lead exposure is a severe human-health harm, even when some conduct is legacy rather than current ordinary product use. [5]
Extraction ? Surplus allocation, wage share, CEO pay ratio, margins, and structured extraction judgment.	2 / 10	Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. That keeps Sherwin-Williams low on Extraction: the business model makes extraction from workers, users, suppliers, customers, or the public central rather than incidental. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. [2] context Sherwin-Williams is a shareholder-governed public company, so control is investor-centered rather than worker-, customer-, or community-controlled. [1] context Sherwin-Williams’ core products include paints and coatings, and company disclosures discuss product stewardship, hazardous materials, and lead-pigment/lead-based-paint litigation exposure. [3] context Sherwin-Williams’ manufacturing, solvents, coatings, packaging, and global supply chain create material environmental burdens even with sustainability programs. [4] context Lead-pigment and lead-based-paint litigation remains material because lead exposure is a severe human-health harm, even when some conduct is legacy rather than current ordinary product use. [5]
Labor Sovereignty ? Worker power: coercive conditions at 0, co-determination or ownership at 7. Employee dissatisfaction matters only when source-backed evidence shows concrete limits on worker agency, such as coercive scheduling, retaliation, wage theft, harassment, unsafe conditions, suppression of worker voice, or extreme turnover.	1 / 7	Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. That keeps Sherwin-Williams low on Labor Sovereignty: labor remains managerially controlled, replaceable, or exposed to coercive employment and contracting conditions. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. [2] context Sherwin-Williams is a shareholder-governed public company, so control is investor-centered rather than worker-, customer-, or community-controlled. [1] context Sherwin-Williams’ core products include paints and coatings, and company disclosures discuss product stewardship, hazardous materials, and lead-pigment/lead-based-paint litigation exposure. [3] context Sherwin-Williams’ manufacturing, solvents, coatings, packaging, and global supply chain create material environmental burdens even with sustainability programs. [4] context Lead-pigment and lead-based-paint litigation remains material because lead exposure is a severe human-health harm, even when some conduct is legacy rather than current ordinary product use. [5]
Solidarity with the Unemployed ? Treatment of exits and nonworkers, including severance, redeployment, and non-competes.	1 / 7	Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. That keeps Sherwin-Williams low on Solidarity with the Unemployed: the model provides little protection for people who leave, are excluded, or cannot bargain from employment. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. [2] context Sherwin-Williams is a shareholder-governed public company, so control is investor-centered rather than worker-, customer-, or community-controlled. [1] context Sherwin-Williams’ core products include paints and coatings, and company disclosures discuss product stewardship, hazardous materials, and lead-pigment/lead-based-paint litigation exposure. [3] context Sherwin-Williams’ manufacturing, solvents, coatings, packaging, and global supply chain create material environmental burdens even with sustainability programs. [4] context Lead-pigment and lead-based-paint litigation remains material because lead exposure is a severe human-health harm, even when some conduct is legacy rather than current ordinary product use. [5]
Loss-Bearing Fidelity ? Willingness to absorb costs to preserve values, workers, users, and public obligations.	2 / 7	Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. That keeps Sherwin-Williams low on Loss-Bearing Fidelity: losses, hazards, or adjustment costs are routinely pushed onto workers, customers, suppliers, communities, or the public. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. [2] context Sherwin-Williams is a shareholder-governed public company, so control is investor-centered rather than worker-, customer-, or community-controlled. [1] context Sherwin-Williams’ core products include paints and coatings, and company disclosures discuss product stewardship, hazardous materials, and lead-pigment/lead-based-paint litigation exposure. [3] context Sherwin-Williams’ manufacturing, solvents, coatings, packaging, and global supply chain create material environmental burdens even with sustainability programs. [4] context Lead-pigment and lead-based-paint litigation remains material because lead exposure is a severe human-health harm, even when some conduct is legacy rather than current ordinary product use. [5]
Market Conduct ? Pricing fairness, switching costs, lock-in, and rent extraction.	2 / 5	Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. That places Sherwin-Williams in the middle of Market Conduct: the product has real value but still uses meaningful lock-in, gatekeeping, market power, or dependency. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Linked evidence context Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. [2] context Sherwin-Williams is a shareholder-governed public company, so control is investor-centered rather than worker-, customer-, or community-controlled. [1] context Sherwin-Williams’ core products include paints and coatings, and company disclosures discuss product stewardship, hazardous materials, and lead-pigment/lead-based-paint litigation exposure. [3] context Sherwin-Williams’ manufacturing, solvents, coatings, packaging, and global supply chain create material environmental burdens even with sustainability programs. [4] context Lead-pigment and lead-based-paint litigation remains material because lead exposure is a severe human-health harm, even when some conduct is legacy rather than current ordinary product use. [5]
Product Integrity ? Preservation of quality rather than degradation for monetization.	3 / 5	Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. That places Sherwin-Williams in the middle of Product Integrity: the product has real use value but is compromised by incentives, monetization, lock-in, quality degradation, or risk. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Linked evidence Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. [2]
Scale Integrity ? Whether growth improves or degrades fairness and accountability.	2 / 5	Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. That places Sherwin-Williams in the middle of Scale Integrity: scale brings useful reach but also weakens accountability, transparency, or local constraint. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Linked evidence context Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels. [2] context Sherwin-Williams is a shareholder-governed public company, so control is investor-centered rather than worker-, customer-, or community-controlled. [1] context Sherwin-Williams’ core products include paints and coatings, and company disclosures discuss product stewardship, hazardous materials, and lead-pigment/lead-based-paint litigation exposure. [3] context Sherwin-Williams’ manufacturing, solvents, coatings, packaging, and global supply chain create material environmental burdens even with sustainability programs. [4] context Lead-pigment and lead-based-paint litigation remains material because lead exposure is a severe human-health harm, even when some conduct is legacy rather than current ordinary product use. [5]

Penalties

Penalty	Applied	Why this penalty
Human Harm ? Severity, scale, culpability, vulnerable targets, willful reoffense, reputation laundering, pattern escalation, and time decay. Range: -20 to 0.	-4	Lead-pigment and lead-based-paint litigation remains material because lead exposure is a severe human-health harm, even when some conduct is legacy rather than current ordinary product use. Lead-pigment and lead-based-paint litigation remains material because lead exposure is a severe human-health harm, even when some conduct is legacy rather than current ordinary product use. That warrants a limited Human Harm penalty because ordinary operation, documented misconduct, or institutional power creates serious injury, deprivation, abuse, or foreseeable human damage. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Linked evidence Lead-pigment and lead-based-paint litigation remains material because lead exposure is a severe human-health harm, even when some conduct is legacy rather than current ordinary product use. [5]
Ecological Harm ? Footprint, trajectory, irreversibility, culpability, and scale, including whether ecological harm is central to the model and continued after credible notice. Range: -30 to 0.	-4	Sherwin-Williams’ manufacturing, solvents, coatings, packaging, and global supply chain create material environmental burdens even with sustainability programs. Sherwin-Williams’ manufacturing, solvents, coatings, packaging, and global supply chain create material environmental burdens even with sustainability programs. That warrants a limited Ecological Harm penalty because the institution causes or defends ecological damage that is more than incidental to the model. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Linked evidence Sherwin-Williams’ manufacturing, solvents, coatings, packaging, and global supply chain create material environmental burdens even with sustainability programs. [4]
Policy Capture ? Private-interest attempts to bend law, regulation, subsidies, taxes, enforcement, trade, labor, safety, competition, environmental, healthcare, housing, surveillance, civil-liberties, or consumer policy against workers, customers, citizens, affected communities, or ecological life. Public-interest advocacy is not penalized merely because it is lobbying. Range: -15 to 0.	-5	OpenLobby records THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY lobbying on environment, energy, tax, chemicals, labor, housing, and other issues with about $1.2M in spending across 21 filings; the reviewed… OpenLobby records THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY lobbying on environment, energy, tax, chemicals, labor, housing, and other issues with about $1.2M in spending across 21 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role. That warrants a limited Policy Capture penalty because private institutional pressure is being applied to public rules while affected people cannot democratically govern that agenda. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Linked evidence OpenLobby records THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY lobbying on environment, energy, tax, chemicals, labor, housing, and other issues with about $1.2M in spending across 21 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role. [6]
Toxic Products ? Current sale of products whose ordinary use, exposure, ingredients, residues, packaging, or formulation creates toxic, addictive, or consumer-safety risk. Food products receive at least light scrutiny for artificial colors, artificial flavors, petro-derived additives, pesticide residues, contaminants, endocrine-disrupting packaging, and ultra-processed formulation. Ordinary adult nightlife or alcohol service is not penalized by itself without evidence of predatory marketing, youth targeting, addiction-extractive design, or unusual product-safety misconduct. Range: -5 to 0.	-4	Sherwin-Williams’ core products include paints and coatings, and company disclosures discuss product stewardship, hazardous materials, and lead-pigment/lead-based-paint litigation exposure. Sherwin-Williams’ core products include paints and coatings, and company disclosures discuss product stewardship, hazardous materials, and lead-pigment/lead-based-paint litigation exposure. That warrants a severe Toxic Products penalty because ordinary use, exposure, ingredients, residues, packaging, or formulation creates material toxic, addictive, or consumer-safety risk. The value is near the floor because the conduct appears central, large-scale, repeated, or institutionally powerful rather than incidental. Linked evidence Sherwin-Williams’ core products include paints and coatings, and company disclosures discuss product stewardship, hazardous materials, and lead-pigment/lead-based-paint litigation exposure. [3]

Bonus Credits

No bonus credits applied in this version.

Confidence Basis

Confidence is computed from the evidence trail and review state, not typed into the profile by hand.

Medium 71/100

6 verified linked claims 6 direct axis claims 0 disputed claims 6/13 components covered

This confidence label measures the source-backed evidence trail. AI-scaffolded scores remain tentative until human review.

Claim confidence 18/20

6 verified linked claims

Source quality 14/18

Best source per verified claim, weighted by institutional reliability

Direct axis-specific claims 6/18

6 direct claims across 13 active components

Dispute load 12/12

0 disputed claims on this entity

Recency 10/10

Newest accepted timestamp: May 13, 2026

Reviewer status 7/12

Human-reviewed components score higher than AI scaffolding

Component coverage 5/10

6/13 evidence-bearing components have direct support

Evidence State

Profile stateAI draft / human-pending

VerificationUnverified

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)

ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)

Correction routeUse “Challenge this rating” for factual errors, missing counterevidence, source problems, or calculation mistakes.

Company responseCompany representatives can submit source-backed corrections; payment never changes scores or reviewer authority.

Claims and Sources

Claims are the evidence record. Each claim needs a source link, axis category, status, confidence level, and timestamp before it can support a score.

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

1Sherwin-Williams is a shareholder-governed public company, so control is investor-centered rather than worker-, customer-, or community-controlled.

Ownership Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

Sherwin-Williams investor reportsOfficial self-description · 68%

2Sherwin-Williams manufactures and sells paints, coatings, stains, supplies, and industrial coating systems through retail stores and business channels.

Product Integrity Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

Sherwin-Williams corporate siteGeneral web source · 58%

3Sherwin-Williams’ core products include paints and coatings, and company disclosures discuss product stewardship, hazardous materials, and lead-pigment/lead-based-paint litigation exposure.

Toxic Products Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

Sherwin-Williams 2024 Sustainability ReportOfficial self-description · 68%
Sherwin-Williams SEC annual reportPrimary public record · 100%

4Sherwin-Williams’ manufacturing, solvents, coatings, packaging, and global supply chain create material environmental burdens even with sustainability programs.

Ecological Harm Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

Sherwin-Williams 2024 Sustainability ReportOfficial self-description · 68%

5Lead-pigment and lead-based-paint litigation remains material because lead exposure is a severe human-health harm, even when some conduct is legacy rather than current ordinary product use.

Human Harm Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

Sherwin-Williams SEC annual reportPrimary public record · 100%

6OpenLobby records THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY lobbying on environment, energy, tax, chemicals, labor, housing, and other issues with about $1.2M in spending across 21 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role.

Policy Capture Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

OpenLobby — THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY lobbying profileGeneral web source · 58%

7Sherwin-Williams receives the Private Government badge because it combines large-scale private rule-setting over customers, workers, users, members, or counterparties with OpenLobby-documented lobbying of about $1.2M on public policy issues.

Private Government Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

OpenLobby — THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY lobbying profileGeneral web source · 58%

Alternatives

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Competitors

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