SC Johnson
A privately held, multigenerational American consumer-products company known for household cleaning, air-care, pest-control, storage, shoe-care, and professional hygiene brands.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
S.C. Johnson & Son is a privately held American multinational consumer-products company headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin. The Johnson family owns the business, which is one of the older continuously family-controlled companies in the United States. Its origins lie in the manufacture of parquet flooring and floor-care products, but its portfolio later expanded into household cleaning, air care, insect control, food storage, shoe care, personal care, and professional hygiene. Samuel Curtis Johnson established the company in 1886 after purchasing the parquet-flooring division of Racine Hardware Manufacturing Company. Early products included flooring, wood dyes, and floor waxes. Under Herbert Fisk Johnson Sr., the company began international expansion, opening a United Kingdom subsidiary in 1914. Product innovation in floor care, particularly Johnson's Glo-Coat, helped the business remain resilient during the Great Depression. The company's dependence on wax also encouraged Herbert Fisk Johnson Jr. to seek a dependable source of carnauba wax in Brazil, connecting the company's manufacturing history with later conservation activity in the Brazilian caatinga. The business moved beyond wax products in the mid-twentieth century. Raid House & Garden Bug Killer, introduced in 1955, established a major position in household pest control. Later generations introduced or built major consumer brands including Glade, OFF!, Pledge, Mr. Muscle, Windex, Ziploc, Saran, Kiwi, Baygon, Autan, Method, Ecover, Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, Babyganics, and Stasher. Some brands have been acquired, licensed, divested, or managed differently by market, so the portfolio varies geographically. Acquisitions have been an important growth mechanism. Drackett brought Windex and Drāno into the business in 1992, while DowBrands added Ziploc, Saran, Fantastik, and Scrubbing Bubbles in 1998. The company subsequently expanded into pest control, environmentally positioned cleaning, professional hygiene, baby care, shoe care, and reusable food storage. Its commercial-cleaning operation was separated in 1999 and ultimately became associated with Diversey, Inc. S.C. Johnson presents itself as a family company with an emphasis on responsible business, product-ingredient disclosure, environmental stewardship, and community investment. It began publishing ingredient information for North American products in 2009, expanded fragrance disclosure in 2012, added European product information in 2016, and published a list of potential skin allergens in 2017. Its sustainability record has also been accompanied by criticism and litigation, including a dispute over the Greenlist environmental label, a tax-related whistleblower case, a French price-fixing penalty, and scrutiny over continued Russian operations after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. H. Fisk Johnson became chairman and chief executive officer in 2004 and is the fifth generation of the Johnson family to lead the company. The company remains privately held and active internationally, with a broad portfolio spanning both everyday consumer products and professional hygiene solutions.
History
SC Johnson began in 1886 when Samuel Curtis Johnson established a wood-flooring business in Racine, Wisconsin. The enterprise initially made flooring and related products, but its strategic direction changed as it concentrated on finishes and maintenance products. International expansion started in the early twentieth century, with operations established in Britain, Australia and Canada. By 1917 the company had stopped producing parquet flooring and focused on wood-care products. A major early innovation was Glo-Coat, a self-polishing floor finish introduced in 1931. The product helped establish the company as a specialist in household maintenance and gave it a platform for broader consumer-product development. After the Second World War, SC Johnson diversified beyond floor care. Raid insecticide and Glade air freshener appeared in 1956, OFF! insect repellent followed in 1957, and Pledge furniture polish was introduced in 1958. These launches created durable positions in pest control, home fragrance and furniture care. The company later used acquisitions and portfolio restructuring to expand. Its acquisition of the Drackett Company in 1992 brought Windex and Drano, while the 1998 acquisition of DowBrands added Ziploc and Saran products. SC Johnson also separated businesses that were outside its core consumer-products focus, including its outdoor recreation division in 1987 and its commercial cleaning division in 1999. In shoe care, the company agreed to acquire Sara Lee’s global Kiwi business around 2011 and later pursued Melvo, adding European brands such as Salamander and Woly. During the 2000s and 2010s, family ownership became a central part of the corporate identity. The “A Family Company” advertising platform launched in 2001 and used family members, including retired chairman Samuel C. Johnson, to communicate independence from Wall Street and a claimed ability to take a longer-term view. Fisk Johnson subsequently became the principal public executive associated with the company. SC Johnson also promoted ingredient disclosure and environmental programs, including the Greenlist system introduced in 2001. The company has said that it removed fluorocarbon propellants from spray products in 1975. The purchase of Deb Group in 2015 marked a return to a stronger professional-market presence. SC Johnson Professional subsequently combined consumer cleaning expertise with commercial hygiene, skin care and dispensing systems for industrial, institutional, healthcare, hospitality and food-sector customers. In 2016 the company acquired STERIS’s Applied Infection Control business, adding professional skin-care, surface-cleaning and surgical-preparation products. SC Johnson continued to broaden its portfolio in the late 2010s through acquisitions and brand development, including Method, Ecover, Sun Bum, COOLA, Oars + Alps and Stasher according to cited acquisition databases and industry reporting. Its public communications increasingly linked family ownership to environmental stewardship and transparency. In 2018 the company revised its slogan to “A Family Company at Work for a Better World.” In 2020 it partnered with Save the Children on a COVID-19 response campaign and donation initiative. The company remains a private, family-controlled manufacturer with a global portfolio spanning household cleaning, pest control, air care, storage, shoe care and professional hygiene.
- 2018
Environmental slogan introduced
[6]The company updated its identity to “A Family Company at Work for a Better World.”
- 2015
Deb Group acquired
[3]The acquisition expanded professional hygiene and skin-care operations.
- 2001
A Family Company advertising and Greenlist
[8]SC Johnson established a major family-ownership advertising platform and introduced its Greenlist ingredient-assessment program.
- 1998
DowBrands acquired
[7]The transaction brought Ziploc and Saran products into SC Johnson.
- 1992
Drackett acquired
[7]The acquisition added Windex and Drano to the portfolio.
- 1956
Raid and Glade launched
[7]The company entered insect control and home fragrance with two enduring brands.
- 1931
Glo-Coat introduced
[7]SC Johnson launched a self-polishing floor finish, strengthening its position in household floor care.
- 1914
First documented overseas subsidiary
[7]The company began international expansion with a British subsidiary.
- 1886
Company founded in Racine
[1]Samuel Curtis Johnson established the business that became SC Johnson, initially producing wood flooring.
Products and positioning
Family-owned, performance-led household and professional-care products with an emphasis on innovation, environmental responsibility and ingredient transparency.
Glass and surface cleaning
Windex
A glass and hard-surface cleaning brand acquired through Drackett. It is associated especially with streak-free window and glass cleaning and has been marketed in household and commercial contexts.
Furniture and surface care · 1958
Pledge
A household-care brand centered on furniture polish and surface-maintenance products. Its portfolio has expanded beyond traditional wood care into products for multiple household surfaces.
Home fragrance · 1956
Glade
A home-fragrance brand offering products intended to scent rooms and other living spaces. Formats and fragrances vary by market and include sprays and other air-care systems.
Insect control · 1956
Raid
A pest-control brand offering household insecticides for common indoor and outdoor pest problems. It was one of SC Johnson’s major postwar category expansions.
Insect repellent · 1957
OFF!
A personal insect-repellent brand developed for protection against mosquitoes and other biting insects, with product formats that vary by market.
Food storage and organization
Ziploc
A storage-products brand best known for resealable bags and related organization products. It entered SC Johnson’s portfolio through the DowBrands acquisition.
Shoe care
Kiwi
A global shoe-care brand associated with polish, cleaning and protection products. SC Johnson agreed to acquire the global Kiwi business from Sara Lee around 2011.
Professional hygiene and cleaning · 2015
SC Johnson Professional
The professional business supplies cleaning, surface-care, skin-care, infection-control and hygiene systems to workplaces, healthcare, hospitality, food-service and industrial customers.
Controversies
2022
Company faces scrutiny over continued Russian operations
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, S.C. Johnson was criticized for continuing to operate in Russia. Reports said the company stopped new investment and reduced unspecified activities from April 1, 2022.
2022
Russian operations controversy
The company's decision to continue operating in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine drew public criticism. Reports stated that it halted new investment and reduced unspecified activities from April 1, 2022.
2016
French competition authority fines S.C. Johnson in personal-hygiene price-fixing case
S.C. Johnson was among 13 consumer-product companies fined by France's competition authority in a case concerning coordination of prices for personal-hygiene products.
2016
French personal-hygiene price-fixing penalty
S.C. Johnson was one of 13 companies fined by France's Autorité de la concurrence in a price-fixing case involving personal-hygiene products. The combined penalty was reported as €948.9 million, although that figure covered all companies in the proceeding rather than S.C. Johnson alone.
2011
S.C. Johnson settles Greenlist labeling lawsuit
A lawsuit alleged that the Greenlist label could lead consumers to believe products had received independent third-party approval. The company agreed to an undisclosed settlement and removed the label from Windex.
2011
Greenlist environmental-labeling lawsuit
A lawsuit alleged that S.C. Johnson's Greenlist label could mislead consumers into thinking products had received independent third-party certification. The company settled for an undisclosed amount and stopped using the label on Windex.
2011
Tax whistleblower litigation
Former employee Mike DeGuelle alleged that the company used audit errors and fraudulent tax returns to underpay taxes. The litigation included appellate rulings concerning the viability of his claims and later dismissals or rulings in the company's favor; the courts did not establish that the alleged tax evasion occurred.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020#TheNextHighFive
United States
SC Johnson and Save the Children invited people to invent a non-contact celebratory gesture during the COVID-19 pandemic. The activity was linked to SC Johnson’s reported $1 million contribution to Save the Children’s response efforts.
Outcome. The campaign promoted safer social interaction and supported awareness of the charity’s pandemic response.
- 2018A Family Company at Work for a Better World
United States · Global digital markets
Created with Ogilvy, the campaign connected family ownership with environmental action, ingredient transparency and the company’s stated long-term commitments.
Outcome. The phrase became an expanded corporate positioning statement emphasizing sustainability and transparency.
- 2015Great Expectations
United States · Spanish-language markets
The next generation of A Family Company advertising portrayed diverse families and positioned SC Johnson as a company seeking to earn consumer trust over time. Television, digital, retail, social and Spanish-language activity were included.
Outcome. The campaign extended the company’s family-oriented corporate positioning across mass media and consumer engagement.
- 2011Honesty
United States · Global
An advertising initiative presented the company’s ingredient-disclosure practices as evidence of openness and responsibility.
Outcome. The campaign reinforced transparency as a component of the family-company message.
- 2001A Family Company
United States
A national advertising platform used family members and corporate storytelling to emphasize trust, independence from public-market pressure and the long-term character of family ownership.
Outcome. The platform became a recurring element of SC Johnson’s corporate identity and was refreshed in later years.
Brand decisions
2018
Make environmental responsibility more prominent in corporate positioningStrategyBackground
The company had promoted ingredient disclosure and environmental initiatives, including Greenlist, but sought to express these commitments more explicitly in its identity.
Action taken
SC Johnson changed its public-facing family-company line to “A Family Company at Work for a Better World.”
Aftermath
Environmental stewardship and transparency became more visible themes in corporate advertising.
2016
Acquire STERIS Applied Infection Control businessM&ABackground
The acquisition followed the Deb transaction and targeted additional healthcare and professional infection-control capabilities.
Action taken
SC Johnson completed the acquisition of STERIS’s Applied Infection Control business and added its brands to the Deb portfolio.
Aftermath
The professional portfolio gained commercial skin care, surface cleaning and surgical-preparation products.
2015
Return to professional hygiene through Deb GroupM&ABackground
SC Johnson sought to strengthen its presence in industrial, institutional, healthcare and food-sector hygiene and skin care.
Action taken
The company announced a binding offer to acquire Deb Group.
Aftermath
Deb was incorporated into the expanded SC Johnson Professional business.
2013
Expand European shoe care through MelvoM&ABackground
SC Johnson already owned or marketed shoe-care brands including Kiwi and Bama and sought greater reach in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Action taken
The company agreed to acquire Melvo Holding GmbH, including Salamander, Woly, Woly Sport and Grison, subject to approvals.
Aftermath
The transaction was intended to broaden SC Johnson’s global shoe-care portfolio; the cited announcement does not disclose financial terms.
Recent events
Reported
SC Johnson partners with Habitat for Humanity in Asia Pacific[12]
SC Johnson is teaming with Habitat for Humanity to provide housing and water, sanitation and hygiene facilities for families across Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong SAR. SC Johnson will contribute $498,000 to the projects.
Reported
SC Johnson makes additional donation through Save the Children partnership[13]
SC Johnson announced an additional €120,000 donation to help Save the Children address local needs of vulnerable children and families in the UK, Germany, Spain and Switzerland, building on their global partnership.
Reported
SC Johnson launches 20 Days of Giving campaign[14]
SC Johnson announced the launch of its 20 Days of Giving campaign, which planned $400,000 in donations over 20 days to 20 organizations connected to communities where the company operates. The campaign kicked off in Racine, Wisconsin, with a $20,000 donation to the Homeless Assistance Leadership Organization.
Reported
SC Johnson and Brewers partner to recycle stadium cups[15]
SC Johnson and the Milwaukee Brewers announced a partnership to collect cups used at Miller Park and recycle them into Scrubbing Bubbles spray bottles.
Reported
SC Johnson acquires Stasher[16]
SC Johnson announced that it had acquired Stasher, a brand of reusable silicone storage bags. The transaction's financial details were not disclosed.
Sources17 sources
- 1SC Johnson official company websitescjohnson.com
- 2SC Johnson announces acquisition of Melvo Holding GmbHprnewswire.com
- 3SC Johnson to acquire Deb Groupinddist.com
- 4SC Johnson announces acquisition of STERIS Applied Infection Control businessprnewswire.com
- 5Newest A Family Company advertisementsprnewswire.com
- 6SC Johnson family-company slogan updatemediapost.com
- 7First documented overseas subsidiarymatrixbcg.com
- 8A Family Company advertising and Greenlistnytimes.com
- 9Honestyconsumergoods.com
- 10#TheNextHighFivemediapost.com
- 11Company faces scrutiny over continued Russian operationsen.wikipedia.org
- 12SC Johnson与Habitat for Humanity在亚太地区建立合作us.acrofan.com
- 13SC Johnson通过与救助儿童会的合作追加捐款prnewswire.co.uk
- 14SC Johnson启动“20天捐赠”活动prnewswire.com
- 15SC Johnson与酿酒人队合作回收球场塑料杯biztimes.com
- 16SC Johnson 收购 Stasherprnewswire.com
- 17SC Johnson Partners With Habitat for Humanity to Provide Access to Housing, Clean Water andryt9.com
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