The new campus will feature nine low-rise buildings that will support product development, coatings research, color technology and process engineering.
(Sherwin Williams photo)
The Sherwin-Williams Company celebrated the placement of the final steel beam for the company's new Global Research and Development Center in Brecksville, Ohio, with a "topping off" ceremony in July. The ceremony included the placement of an evergreen atop the final beam.
"The topping off ceremony goes back to the Viking era," said John Morikis, Sherwin-Williams chairman and chief executive officer. "The tree symbolizes good luck for the future occupants and continued growth in concert with the environment. In addition to the construction crew, I want to recognize the nearly two years of hard work and a number of milestones that have been met.
"It is wonderful to see our new Global R&D Center take shape and have the opportunity to thank all the construction workers involved in bringing us safely and successfully to this significant project milestone. We are excited by the progress being made and are grateful for the ongoing dedication of the crew in getting us that much closer to our ribbon cutting celebration in late 2024."
The beam also was adorned with United States flag and the signatures of more than 400 construction workers, supervisors, project architects, engineers and designers, as well as local elected officials, Sherwin-Williams leaders and the Building Our Future project leadership team.
"When this facility is completed, we're going to have a next generation workplace that's going to serve our customers," said Heidi Petz, Sherwin-Williams president and chief operating officer. "This will be the global epicenter for everything we do from an R&D, technical and innovative standpoint. So, we're thrilled that it's here in our backyard. This project builds upon our 157-year legacy as one of northeast Ohio's top employers and drivers of economic activity."
Part of the Building Our Future project, the 600,000-sq.-ft. facility will bring chemists, engineers, technicians and support teams together into a hub for innovation and development of the company's future products and services. The new campus will feature nine low-rise buildings that will support product development, coatings research, color technology and process engineering. The R&D center will be home to approximately 900 Sherwin-Williams employees once open. Construction is slated to be complete in late 2024.
In addition to Morikis and Petz, the audience also heard from Ron Meinhart, superintendent with Forest City Erectors, a female-owned firm providing the structural steel for the project.
"I think I speak for not just for city, but all the building trades when we say how much we appreciate the commitment Sherwin-Williams has made to northeast Ohio. But without that commitment, there's a lot of tradesmen that wouldn't be working right now."
In closing, Morikis reminded the audience of the company's commitment to safety.
"We talk safety every day with our employees. We have 64,000 employees in the company. We run the company with a mindset that we're responsible for 64,000 families, you are part of our family and I want to thank you for all that you're doing safely and effectively, and we're really honored to have you on this project."
Following the remarks, Sherwin-Williams leaders and elected officials signed the steel beam before it was raised by a crane into its final position.
The Building Our Future project also includes a new global headquarters in downtown Cleveland just west of Public Square, Cleveland's preeminent downtown park. It will be approximately 1,000,000 sq. ft. in size, featuring three buildings: A two-story pavilion that will act as a "front porch to Public Square," a 36-floor office tower and an attached multi-level parking garage. The company expects 3,100 existing employees will move into the new headquarters when it is complete. Sherwin-Williams plans to invest a minimum of $750 million in construction costs to build both the headquarters and R&D facility. CEG
Lori Tobias
Lori Tobias is a journalist of more years than she cares to count, most recently as a staff writer for The Oregonian and previously as a columnist and features writer for the Rocky Mountain News. She is the author of the memoir, Storm Beat - A Journalist Reports from the Oregon Coast, and the novel Wander, winner of the Nancy Pearl Literary Award in 2017. She has freelanced for numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Denver Post, Alaska Airlines in-flight, Natural Home, Spotlight Germany, Vegetarian Times and the Miami Herald. She is an avid reader, enjoys kayaking, traveling and exploring the Oregon Coast where she lives with her husband Chan and rescue pups, Gus and Lily.
Read more from Lori Tobias here.
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