# George E. Johnson

Founded Johnson Products Company in Chicago in 1954 with US$250 in start-up capital; the company's Afro Sheen hair-care line generated revenues of approximately US$37 million by 1975, per company filings and contemporaneous reporting in Black Enterprise magazine. In 1971, Johnson Products became the first Black-owned business to list on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), a milestone that expanded access to institutional capital for the company and drew national attention to Black entrepreneurship in manufacturing. The company sponsored the long-running syndicated television programme 'Soul Train' beginning in 1971, creating one of the first sustained advertising-to-audience feedback loops for Black consumer products. Sold to IVAX Corporation in 1993 for approximately US$67 million.

- Region: 773
- Affiliation: Johnson Products Company
- Industry: Hair Care Manufacturing
- URL: https://xecon.dev/773/profiles/people/george-e-johnson
- Updated: 2026-05-27

## Sources

1. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_E._Johnson_Sr.)
2. [Southsideweekly](https://southsideweekly.com/the-golden-rule-of-afro-sheen/)
3. [Blockclubchicago](https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/02/28/the-birth-of-afro-sheen-how-chicagos-george-e-johnson-changed-the-black-hair-game-forever/)