Do it Best Makes Major Paint Category Move with Sherwin-Williams

Less than two years after acquiring True Value’s assets, Do it Best Group is making one of its most significant category moves yet, partnering with Sherwin-Williams to support manufacturing of its retailer-exclusive paint brands while maintaining control of the products, marketing and customer experience.

Described in a press release as a long-term strategic partnership, the deal announced June 8 positions Sherwin-Williams as the manufacturing partner behind EasyCare and Best Look paints with Do it Best maintaining brand stewardship. Company leaders said the arrangement is designed to strengthen production continuity, supply chain reliability and future innovation for retailers.

Under the agreement, Do it Best Group will retain ownership and management of the EasyCare and Best Look brands, including quality standards, marketing, promotions and commercial stewardship. EasyCare will remain exclusive to True Value retailers, while Best Look will remain exclusive to Do it Best members.

Sherwin-Williams will assume manufacturing responsibilities for EasyCare products and continue manufacturing Best Look products. The agreement also includes Sherwin-Williams’ acquisition of the Majic and Shur-Line brands. The companies said exclusivity for those brands will be maintained for Do it Best and True Value retailers in the independent hardware channel.

“This partnership allows us to keep control of the brands and the retailer experience while adding the scale and innovation of a global leader in the paints and coatings industry,” said Dan Starr, CEO of Do it Best Group. “It is a smart, future-focused move that strengthens what we can deliver in the category.”

Todd Rea, president of Sherwin-Williams’ Consumer Brands Group, said the company is “proud to expand our relationship with Do it Best Group and support the continued growth of these important brands and the retailers they serve.”

The announcement represents another step in Do it Best’s integration of True Value following its acquisition of substantially all of True Value’s assets in late 2024. The transaction brought together two of the industry’s largest organizations serving independent hardware retailers and home centers.

Since the acquisition, Do it Best leadership has emphasized maintaining separate identities for the Do it Best and True Value brands while leveraging the scale, purchasing power and operational capabilities of a combined organization. Earlier this year, the company announced additional integration milestones, including the appointment of Nick Talarico as chief operating officer and the continued rollout of retailer-facing initiatives designed to support both memberships.

The paint agreement reflects that strategy. While manufacturing responsibilities will shift to Sherwin-Williams, Do it Best will continue managing the retailer-facing aspects of both paint brands, preserving the distinct identities of Best Look and EasyCare within their respective retail networks.

The companies also said Sherwin-Williams will assume the lease structure for the Cary, Illinois, paint manufacturing facility and retain the existing Cary workforce to support continuity of operations.

Company officials did not disclose financial terms of the agreement.