Winning Brands Corporation (WNBD)

[Serenity]

I believe Sherwin Williams stores are franchise stores...that is a good thing IMO. That allows each owner to make their own decisions and often the communication between the owners is very free flowing and the competition to have the best in your stores is healthy. No long drawn out red tape to get through thus hopefully getting product on the shelves faster.IMO

Just some info. I found. I couldn't find a 2009 estimate of stores world wide...




"Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) is the largest U.S. producer of architectural coatings(house paint) by revenue. The company also produces paint and finishes for automobiles and planes. SHW sells its products domestically and internationally through its own retail stores and through third party distributors."

SHW has three business segments: the Paint Stores Group, the Consumer Group and the Global Group.

* The Paint Stores Group consists of 3,046 company-operated specialty pain stores in North America as of Dec 31, 2006, which sell Sherwin-Williams branded paint products to end use customers.[1] This segment of the business accounts for most of their revenues and profits, as seen in the chart below.
* The Consumer Group distributes Sherwin-Williams branded products to third party customers such as mass merchandisers, home centers, independent paint dealers, hardware stores and automotive retailers, among others, for resale to end use customers.[2]
* The Global Group sells Sherwin-Williams branded paint, coatings, and related products internationally through 469 company-operated architectural, automotive, industrial and chemical coatings branches with distribution in more than 20 countries worldwide, primarily in Europe, South America, and Asia.[3]

http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Sherwin-Williams_Company_(SHW)