What Purdy does

Purdy is a 100-year-old American manufacturer of professional painting tools, wholly owned by Sherwin-Williams and operated as a brand within the parent's portfolio. The company specializes in handcrafted brushes, roller covers, frames, extension poles, trays, and complementary accessories designed for productivity and finish quality on interior and exterior painting projects. Its product architecture is modular: brushes (Pro-Extra line, Spirex), rollers (Altitude, Marathon, Colossus), frames (Revolution 9/14/18-inch), and workflow systems (NEST Tray System, Pole+) are designed to work together for high-throughput professional use. Differentiated performance claims (50% more coverage on Spirex vs. XL, 40% more paint retention on Pro-Extra High Capacity) are grounded in proprietary filament formulations and handcrafted brushmaking.

Purdy's go-to-market relies primarily on Sherwin-Williams retail stores and e-commerce, supplemented by third-party 'Where to Buy' retailers and direct e-commerce via purdy.com. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers are directed to retail channels for price discovery. The company's primary customer segment is professional painters (Pros), with secondary reach into DIY consumers via the same retail channels. Marketing is conducted through the owned website, product catalog, product selector tool, email newsletter, and Instagram, with co-marketing through Sherwin-Williams' distribution network.

The business is a focused marketing and product brand within Sherwin-Williams, with 16 listed employees and no separate public financial reporting. Strategic emphasis is on product-led differentiation, heritage branding (100th anniversary), and tight integration with the parent company's distribution and e-commerce infrastructure. No AI/ML capabilities, no app, and no public pricing are part of the current operating model.

Name

Purdy

Legal name

Purdy Company

Website

https://purdycorp.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Purdy is a 100-year-old, Sherwin-Williams-owned American brand that manufactures handcrafted brushes, rollers, frames, and trays for professional painters, distributed primarily through Sherwin-Williams retail and third-party paint retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Purdy manufactures and sells handcrafted professional painting tools, including brushes, roller covers, roller frames, extension poles, and trays/pails. Products are designed for professional painters who need high productivity, durable tools, and superior paint finish quality. The portfolio is organized into coordinated product lines (Pro-Extra brushes, Revolution frames, NEST tray system, Altitude rollers, Pole+, Marathon and Colossus rollers) that work together as a system.

Product overview

Purdy is a manufacturer of professional house paint supplies, tools, and accessories. The product portfolio centers on handcrafted brushes, quality rollers, and complementary painting tools organized into distinct product lines. Core offerings include the Pro-Extra brush series (including High Capacity and Glide variants), the Revolution roller frame system (in 9", 14", and 18" sizes), and the NEST tray system (trays, liners, and dual roll-off buckets). The company also offers specialty products like the Altitude roller covers featuring superior coverage, the Pole+ extension pole with adjustable pin-lock design, and the newly introduced Spirex brush. Additional categories encompass prep and cleanup tools, kits, workwear (including painter's knee pads), and frames and extension poles. The product architecture follows a modular approach where brushes, rollers, frames, and accessories are designed to work together as a coordinated system for maximum productivity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Purdy Spirex: Paint brush delivering superior smooth finish with 50% more coverage compared to Purdy XL when used with premium paints.
• Altitude
• Pole+
• Pro-Extra High Capacity
• Pro-Extra Glide
• Marathon
• Colossus
• Revolution
• NEST Tray System

Products and services

• Purdy Spirex Brush Handcrafted brush delivering a superior smooth finish with 50% more coverage compared to Purdy XL when used with premium paints. Targeted at professional painters seeking high-productivity, high-finish-quality brushes.
• Pro-Extra High Capacity Brush High-capacity brush that holds 40% more paint compared to Purdy Pro-Extra Glide when used with premium paints, helping professional painters finish jobs faster.
• Pro-Extra Brushes Professional-grade brushes in the Pro-Extra line designed for smooth gliding and paint application, targeted at professional painters.
• Altitude Roller Covers Roller covers designed to deliver a superior smooth finish with 50% more coverage compared to Purdy WhiteDove when used with premium paints, for professional painters.
• Marathon Rollers High-productivity roller covers designed for efficient paint application on various surfaces, used by professional painters.
• Colossus Rollers Heavy-duty roller covers designed for high-coverage painting projects, used by professional painters on demanding job sites.
• 9-inch Revolution Frame Frame for 9-inch roller covers, part of the Revolution roller system for efficient painting on standard surfaces.
• 14-inch Revolution Frame Frame for 14-inch roller covers, designed for larger surface coverage and high productivity.
• 18-inch Revolution Fixed Frame Fixed frame for 18-inch roller covers for maximum productivity on large surface areas.
• Pole+ Extension Pole Adjustable extension pole with 2x adjustability and a secure pin lock every 3 inches, designed for efficient painting at various heights.
• NEST Tray System 18-inch Tray 18-inch paint tray as part of the NEST tray system for efficient paint loading and application on large surface areas.
• NEST Tray System Dual Roll-Off Bucket Paint bucket with dual roll-off design for efficient paint loading and reduced mess, used with the NEST tray system.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% more coverage vs. Purdy XL (Spirex)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sherwin-WilliamscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSherwin-Williams is the parent company of Purdy and the primary distribution channel for Purdy painting tools. Purdy products are sold through Sherwin-Williams retail stores and the Sherwin-Williams e-commerce platform (sherwin-williams.com), with the companies sharing branding, distribution infrastructure, and co-marketing initiatives.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Richard Brushes: Premium paint brush maker headquartered in Germany with strong European presence. Comparable as a heritage handcrafted brush brand targeting professional decorators, though primarily competing in EMEA rather than North America.
• Harris Brushes: UK-based heritage manufacturer of professional decorating brushes. Comparable as a specialty brush brand serving trade painters, though primarily operating in the UK and European markets rather than competing directly with Purdy in the U.S.

Broad incumbents

• 3M: Diversified industrial and consumer products company with significant paint prep, masking, and accessory offerings sold alongside applicators. Comparable as a broad incumbent present across painting tools and surface preparation.
• Graco Inc. Manufacturer of fluid handling equipment, including professional paint sprayers widely used by commercial painters. Comparable as a broader professional painting equipment incumbent serving overlapping pro painter customers.
• Stanley Black & Decker: Global tools and hardware incumbent with broad paint accessory and applicator lines (e.g., Stanley, Purdy-adjacent SKUs at retail). Comparable as a broad incumbent offering paint applicators within a much wider tools portfolio.
• Wagner (J. Wagner GmbH): European-based manufacturer of paint spraying equipment and applicators for DIY and professional users. Comparable as an incumbent in the broader paint application equipment category serving professional decorators.

Direct peers

• Bestt Liebco: Paint brush manufacturer owned by Sherwin-Williams (Purdy's parent). Closely comparable as a sister brand within the same parent's applicator portfolio, targeting professional painters with quality brushes.
• Wooster Brush Company: Long-established U.S. manufacturer of professional paint brushes, rollers, and applicators. Direct head-to-head competitor — Purdy explicitly benchmarks multiple products (e.g., Pole+ vs. Wooster Sherlock GT) against Wooster equivalents.
• Corona Brushes: U.S. manufacturer of professional and industrial paint brushes, including handcrafted filament brushes. Directly comparable as a specialty brush maker serving professional painters with premium applicators.

Others

• Rust-Oleum: Major paint and coatings manufacturer selling through the same pro/retail channels as Purdy. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant — paints and coatings complement Purdy's applicators and are co-sold through Sherwin-Williams-adjacent retail.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/purdypainttools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/purdy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Purdy