Minwax is owned by Sherwin-Williams (the United States, NYSE: SHW), which acquired the brand on 7 January 1997, as part of a $830 million deal that also included Thompson's WaterSeal.[1][2] Minwax was founded in 1904 in the United States and was independent until 1997.
Minwax makes wood stains, varnishes and finishes and is the leading brand for treating bare wood in the United States. Sherwin-Williams acquired it with Thompson Minwax in 1998. Its Polyshades and polyurethane finishes are the standard recommendation in American home improvement for sealing furniture and floors.
How often Sherwin-Williams names Minwax in its annual report
A plain count of the times the name appears in the text of each annual report, not counting the start of a sentence. A brand that an owner writes about more is usually one it treats as central.
Sherwin-Williams is a publicly listed company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, founded in 1866. Brandtree records 5 brands under its control, and it is listed as NYSE: SHW.
Sherwin-Williams was founded in Cleveland in 1866 and sold the first ready-mixed paint in a can, at a time when painters ground and mixed their own pigments. It is the largest coatings company in the world and sells principally through thousands of its own shops rather than through hardware retailers.
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 2,549 brands that began in the United States.
478 of them (19%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; Minwax is not one of them.
Sherwin-Williams acquired all outstanding shares of Thompson Minwax Holding Corp through a wholly owned subsidiary, effective 7 January 1997. Buying the shares and paying off Thompson Minwax debt took about $830 million, financed largely with commercial paper that the company refinanced with bond issues later that year. The purchase brought the Minwax wood finishes and Thompson's WaterSeal lines into a company that had until then sold mostly paint.
The parent company of Minwax is Sherwin-Williams, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.
Is Minwax American?
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Yes. Minwax originated in the United States in 1904 and its owner, Sherwin-Williams, is also headquartered in the United States.
When did Sherwin-Williams buy Minwax?
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Sherwin-Williams completed its acquisition of Minwax on 7 January 1997. The deal, which also included Thompson's WaterSeal, was valued at $830 million (enterprise value).
Who owned Minwax before Sherwin-Williams?
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Minwax was an independent company from its founding in 1904 until Sherwin-Williams acquired it in 1997.
Is Minwax still owned by Sherwin-Williams?
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Yes. As of 16 September 2026, Minwax is still owned by Sherwin-Williams. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (2) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
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