Spokane paint-making plant to close

Sherwin-Williams Co. will close its Columbia Paint and Coatings manufacturing facility in Spokane, eliminating 37 jobs. The paint-making plant on Haven Street opened 36 years ago. No retail paint stores are closing, said company spokesman Mike Conway. Sherwin-Williams acquired Helena, Mont.-based Columbia Paint in 2007. The company operates 120 Sherwin-Williams stores and 42 Columbia Paint stores in six Northwest states, Conway said. That includes four Columbia and six Sherwin-Williams stores in the Spokane area. The Spokane plant will close this summer because of “the challenges in the economy have created reduced demand and created excess capacity,” Conway said today. Employees learned on the closure Tuesday, he said. All will be able to apply for other jobs within the company’s system of stores and paint manufacturers, Conway added. Workers also will be offered severance packages, he said.