And Bereft Enough to Want To

It makes me sick that the Sherwin-Williams corporation, Heidi Petz and her board, can hold dominion over the people of Rochester from their perch in Cleveland.  In a nest joisted with bones of the afflicted, because Sherwin is rich enough to get away with it all. 

And bereft enough to want to.    

In Rochester on April 2^nd, three-year-old Holden Eckman died of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).  The end of a thousand days of suffering for the young man and the beginning of a lifetime of it for his family, who had already suffered enough.  Because in 2019 the Eckmans lost their oldest son Eli, who died at age seven of Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS), another rare form of blood cancer. 

Which I am not saying Sherwin-Williams caused, though the evidence is beginning to suggest that.   

If the family sues, Ms. Petz will be rooting for the brothers to have had Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), a mutation of the TP53 gene which increases the risk of contracting rare cancers such as the ones suffered by both brothers.  Absent that, their cancers were most likely caused by environmental exposure to benzene, formaldehyde or ethyl compounds known to spawn both AML and ARMS.  Like the ones Sherwin has been venting and dumping into the atmosphere in Rochester for more than eight-years.  More time than Holden and his brother got to breathe it, a crime for which accountability is coming.    

Beyond the Eckman brothers there are other children in the area suffering rare blood cancers, making LFS mathematically nearly impossible, leaving environmental exposure the likely culprit.  And there are two other clusters of cancers I’m investigating adjacent to that plant, thyroid and brain, both known side-effects of the 100 tons of poison Sherwin has plagued Rochester with in the last six-years.     

All of which could have been mitigated by a thermal oxidizer, which will be installed in the plant within months after its closed, proving at that time that Sherwin could have done it all along and chose not to.  An intransigence for which Sherwin must now pay, Monty that means bad shit is going to happen. 

All of which Sherwin-Williams has coming. 

I dried my eyes long enough last week to record a new episode of LIVE, talking inflation and shortages with the CEO of Dunn-Edwards Paints, Monte Lewis.  Monte allayed any fears I had for shortages in architectural coatings, before igniting them again talking about rising costs.  You can watch THE episode here and thanks to Monte for taking time to keep us all informed.

Also in paint news last week was Benjamin Moore, who announced the acquisitions of Horizon Paints and Craig & Rose Paints, both of the United Kingdom.  The moves deepen their presence in Western Europe, according to the company which used to sign my paychecks.  And cements that presence in the UK, which has grown exponentially over CEO Dan Calkins’ tenure.  From relative obscurity to demanded, thanks in part to Benjamin Moore showrooms in London and an outstanding network of independent retailers which already existed throughout the isles.  Terms of the deals were not disclosed, but Dan didn’t have to borrow any money to close them.  Compliments of Warren Buffett’s piggy bank, which might not have even noticed the withdrawal. 

And like you, I had to read all about it on LinkedIn.  So, I guess we’re just like that now.