SC Johnson: A Family Company

[HeyHomie]

On commercials for products made by the SC Johnson company, a soothing voice at the end of the commercial says: “SC Johnson: A Family Company.”

What does this mean? I suspect it’s just some platitude to make people think that they’re a company with “family values,” whatever that means. But I could be wrong.

Please fight my ignorance on this.

[mittu]

S.C. Johnson is indeed a company that is family oriented. This quote is from the wikipedia page:

Unusually for a corporation of its size, S. C. Johnson is family-owned. The company began when Samuel Curtis Johnson, Sr. purchased the parquet flooring business of Racine Hardware Company in 1886 and renamed it Johnson’s Prepared Paste Wax Company. Management has since passed down through five generations of the Johnson family; the longevity of this dynasty is itself unusual.

[CalMeacham]

I always assumed it reflected the fact that the company was started and continued to be run by a couple of brothers and later on by the Johnson clan. In New Brunswick, N.J., where they make their world headquarters (and persuaded the city government to practically demolish downtown and rebuild it for them) they also have Robert Wood Johnson Hospital named after them. They help support it, which one can’t complain about.

Of course, it always occurred to me that the Mafia could make the same claims. “Cosa Nostra – a Family company.”

[Sarahfeena]

They are probably one of the few large corporations left in the country that is actually family owned and run…I think this is where they get it.

[Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus]

I always thought when they said it, they meant the context was still privately held by the Johnson family. In this sense, Ford Motor Company is also a family company, or at least it was last I heard.

You’re not all that far from Racine; if you have any interest at all in modern architecture, the headquarters building there would be well worth the trip. They give tours.

[Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus]

@Spectre of Pithecanthropus

I always thought when they said it, they meant the context was still privately held by the Johnson family. In this sense, Ford Motor Company is also a family company, or at least it was last I heard.

You’re not all that far from Racine; if you have any interest at all in modern architecture, the headquarters building there would be well worth the trip. They give tours.

That would be the company is still privately held, not the context.

[mittu]

It seems that not only are they family owned but they hold family-values in high regard:

In 2003, 2004 and 2005, S. C. Johnson & Son received a perfect 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign’ s Corporate Equality Index report. In 2005, Working Mothers magazine named the company one of the top ten in their annual list of 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers.

[Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus]

@Spectre of Pithecanthropus

I always thought when they said it, they meant the company was still privately held by the Johnson family. In this sense, Ford Motor Company is also a family company, or at least it was last I heard.
.

On reading this again I have to add that, in referring to themselves this way, I’m sure the company is also attempting to associate itself with some form of family values, by suggesting that they are run by an actual family that cares about your family.

[Zsofia]

Wasn’t it them who there used to be that silly photocopied thing going around about how they’re all minions of the devil and a satanic company? Or was that somebody else? Anyway, if it was them, maybe they’re trying to protect their image with that “family company” thing.

[bordelond]

@Zsofia

Wasn’t it them who there used to be that silly photocopied thing going around about how they’re all minions of the devil and a satanic company? Or was that somebody else? Anyway, if it was them, maybe they’re trying to protect their image with that “family company” thing.

Nah … that was Procter & Gamble.

(since I didn’t look it up, the proper spelling is going to turn out to be “Proctor” … watch )

[Dewey_Finn]

@CalMeacham

I always assumed it reflected the fact that the company was started and continued to be run by a couple of brothers and later on by the Johnson clan. In New Brunswick, N.J., where they make their world headquarters (and persuaded the city government to practically demolish downtown and rebuild it for them) they also have Robert Wood Johnson Hospital named after them. They help support it, which one can’t complain about.

You’re thinking of Johnson & Johnson, which is completely different from SC Johnson.