Safety
Laborer Dies on Parking Garage Jobsite at Sherwin-Williams Cleveland HQ
Joe Cunningham, 48, a member of Laborers union Local 310, was trapped under a forklift and was dead at the scene, suffering severe head trauma, said a spokesperson for the Cleveland Fire Dept
Equipment related accident at a garage project site involving a forklift killed union laborer Joe Cunningham, 48, on July 11
Photo collage by Scott Hilling/ENR, original forklift photo by Getty Images/Andrei Zonenko
A 48-year-old construction laborer was killed July 11 when a forklift fell on him at a parking garage under construction at the new global headquarters of paint and coatings manufacturer Sherwin-Williams in Cleveland. The city Fire Dept. responded to the incident shortly after midnight and found Joe Cunningham, 48, a member of Laborers' union Local 310, trapped under the forklift and dead at the scene. He suffered a severe head trauma, said Lt. Mike Norman, a department spokesperson.
The five-level parking garage is one element in Sherwin-Williams' $860-million "Build Our Future" project, which includes a 36-story office tower in the city, as well as a 500,000-sq-ft research and development center on a 119-acre site in nearby Brecksville, Ohio.
Project contractor, the Welty|Gilbane joint venture, issued a statement saying “our thoughts and condolences are with the family and co-workers.”
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.
“We share our deepest sympathies with the family, loved ones and co-workers," Sherwin-Williams said in a statement related to Cunningham's death. "Safety remains our highest priority, and we are supporting a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident.”
Sherwin-Williams said Cunningham was working for a site services trade contractor and referred further questions to the joint venture of Welty|Gilbane, comprised of Welty Building Co. and Gilbane Building Co., which was named project construction manager in 2020.
In 2021, Sherwin-Williams was criticized by community activists for a lack of diversity on the project. As of 2025, it says it has exceeded supplier requirements of 15% for minority business enterprises, resulting in $82 million in contracts to date; and has exceeded a 7% commitment for women business enterprises, with $78 million in contracts issued to date. The owner also has surpassed an 8% requirement for Cleveland small businesses, providing $56 million in contracts, for a total minimum spend of $216 million.
The headquarters project has experienced other setbacks, including having to reapply fire protectant that had not been adequately applied to the building’s structural steel. As a result, a grand opening scheduled for March was pushed back to October.
Based on the latest construction information, Julia Young, vice president of global corporate communications for Sherwin-Williams, says a multi-phase move-in process for employees is expected to begin at the headquarters in the fourth quarter and will continue into 2026.
In a Facebook post, Local 310 posted a statement on Cunningham's death. “There are no words strong enough for a loss like this,” the union said. “Joe was a dedicated laborer ... and [part] of the backbone of this project—and of the working class that builds this city from the ground up.”
