1900
SC Johnson starts offering paid vacations, establishing itself from its very beginnings as a great place to work.
1915
Samuel C. Johnson lays the cornerstone for the Racine YMCA, setting a standard for community leadership by the company.
1917
SC Johnson becomes one of the first companies in the United States to offer profit sharing for all employees.
1922
Herbert F. Johnson, Sr. founds a community fund to unite volunteer agencies - the precursor to the United Way of Racine.
1927
In a speech, Herbert F. Johnson, Sr. summarizes our principles: "The goodwill of people is the only enduring thing in any business."
1934
Despite the Great Depression, SC Johnson establishes a pension plan for employees - it's among early companies to do so.
1935
H.F. Johnson, Jr., leads the Carnauba Expedition 15,000 miles to Brazil in search of a sustainable source of wax for our products.
1945
Around 200 employees serve in World War II and the company produces millions of units of product for the war effort. Jobs were held for anyone who wanted to come back.
1955
SC Johnson introduces water-based aerosols with a reduced environmental impact and improved safety and performance.
1959
The SC Johnson Fund, Inc. is established to provide grants that support people, communities and the environment.
1963
In Fortaleza, Brazil, H.F. Johnson, Jr. founds Escola Johnson for primary education; he later donates it to the Brazilian government.
1968
SC Johnson opens what will become the world's largest private, urban entomology research center to combat bugs and the diseases they can carry.
1975
SC Johnson voluntarily and unilaterally eliminates chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from our aerosol products, three years before the U.S. mandate.
1976
SC Johnson formally states our values in "This We Believe," which gives all employees a common understanding of our principles.
1979
After more than 40 years of doing so, SC Johnson formalizes its commitment to donate 5% of pre-tax profits to charitable causes.
1985
SC Johnson opens one of the first corporate childcare centers in the U.S.; and it expands continually to ensure there's never a waiting list for employees' children.
1988
"People Who Care" launches and becomes a model organization for encouraging and arranging employee volunteerism.
1990s
SC Johnson leads a national grassroots coalition to promote steel can recycling, resulting in over 5,600 communities recycling empty aerosol cans.
1991
Chairman Sam Johnson becomes a founding member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
1992
SC Johnson publishes our first sustainabilty report, becoming one of the first consumer packaged goods companies to do so.
1994
SC Johnson receives the prestigious Gold Medal for International Corporate Environmental Achievement from the World.
1998
SC Johnson helps The Nature Conservancy protect two reserves in Brazil's Caatinga ecoregion and create a local conservation organization.
1998
SC Johnson helps launch the Sustainable Racine Initiative to improve education, revitalize downtown and enhance offerings in our headquarters community.
2001
SC Johnson develops the first-of-its-kind Greenlist™ process to evaluate raw materials based on their environmental impact.
2001
SC Johnson Mexico receives CEMEFI's Socially Responsible Enterprise Award; and has won every subsequent year.
2002
SC Johnson is the first consumer packaged goods manufacturer to join the U.S. EPA's Climate Leaders program.
2003
SC Johnson receives the first-ever Lifetime Atmospheric Achievement Award from the U.S. EPA, for protecting both the ozone layer and climate.
2003
SC Johnson partners in a South African malaria education program that ultimately reaches more than one million people.
2005
SC Johnson is the first major consumer packaged goods company to partner with the U.S. EPA's Design for the Environment program.
2005
SC Johnson is one of the first inductees to Working Mother magazine's Hall of Fame for companies named "100 best" at least 15 times.
2005
SC Johnson sponsors field testing of the Base of the Pyramid Protocol™ to develop a sustainable business in Nairobi, Kenya.
2005
SC Johnson starts up our 2nd co-generation turbine, becoming the first CPG plant in the U.S. Midwest to produce nearly all our own energy through clean-burning technologies.
2006
In recognition of our Greenlist™ process, SC Johnson is awarded the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award.
2006
SC Johnson achieves Charter for Sustainable Cleaning membership with Europe's International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance(AISE).
2006
SC Johnson is awarded the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership, for commitment to responsible raw material choices.
2006
SC Johnson is among the first to surpass its Climate Leaders goals, reducing our greenhouse gas emissions 23% per pound of product.
2007
For the 3rd year in a row, SC Johnson is among the top 10 of FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America."
2007
SC Johnson begins offering the use of our patented Greenlist™ process to other companies royalty-free.
2008
A 5-year deal to source nearly half the electricity for our Bay City, Michigan factory from wind power helps cut 29,500 tons of CO2 annually.
2008
SC Johnson receives the U.S. EPA's Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative award for voluntarily committing to use safer surfactants in products.
2009
SC Johnson surpasses industry guidelines by launching an innovative and expansive ingredient disclosure program.
2009
SC Johnson launches its first owned and operated windmill, at its largest European manufacturing plant. The turbine generates about 42% of the electricity to power the plant.
2009
SC Johnson initiates a partnership to help Rwanda pyrethrum farmers boost their incomes and provide a sustainable supply of the insecticide ingredient.
2010
SC Johnson opens Fortaleza Hall at its international headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin, a tribute to fourth-generation leader Sam Johnson. The building celebrates the spirit of adventure and highlights the landmark expeditions to Brazil by Sam and his father, H.F. Johnson Jr.
2010
SC Johnson becomes a founding partner of Conservation International’s Team Earth worldwide sustainability effort.
2011
SC Johnson testifies before the U.S. Senate, calling for modernization of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
2011
SC Johnson announces that by 2015, the company will only purchase palm oil-based ingredients that originate from responsible and sustainable sources.
2011
SC Johnson test launches Windex® Mini, a concentrated refill pouch, aiming to increase dialogue and acceptance of concentrates.
2011
SC Johnson sponsors a 20th anniversary survey to uncover shifts in consumers' green attitudes and behaviors.
2012
SC Johnson receives a Climate Leadership Award for Excellence in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Management (Goal Achievement) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Association of Climate Change Officers, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, and The Climate Registry.