Acquisition closed
Sherwin-Williams acquires Minwax and Thompson's WaterSeal (1997)
Sherwin-Williams completed the acquisition of Minwax and Thompson's WaterSeal on 7 January 1997 for $830 million.[1]
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.
Deal facts
- Announced
- Not recorded
- Closed
- Value
- $830 million (enterprise value)
- Buyer
- Sherwin-Williams
- Seller
- —
- Assets
- Minwax, Thompson's WaterSeal
- Regulatory review
- None recorded
Ownership changes recorded from this deal
| Owner | Owned | Relationship | Stake | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Minwax | owns | 100% | 1997-01-07 | present |
| Sherwin-Williams | Thompson's WaterSeal | owns | 100% | 1997-01-07 | present |
Who owns these brands today?
- Minwax — owned by Sherwin-Williams since 1997
- Thompson's WaterSeal — owned by Sherwin-Williams since 1997
Sources (1) & 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.
- [1] The Sherwin-Williams Company Form 10-K for 1997, note 2 - acquisition and merger — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 11 March 1998; retrieved 16 September 2026.
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