Edward G. Gardner, a trailblazing businessman in the beauty industry as the co-founder of Soft Sheen Products, has passed away, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Soft Sheen Products, Inc. -- Company History He started off on [his wifes] stove. Disagreement or no, Gary Gardner retained his seat on the board of directors, while the company installed his sister, Terri Gardner, as interim president and CEO. Soft Sheen Products officially launched in 1964 while Mr. Gardner was still an assistant principal at a local school. The company sells its products to salons, beauty supply houses, and such retailers as drug stores and department stores. Care Free Curl was a solution that dramatically reduced the amount of time it took to relax hair--from almost eight hours to only two. Guy Peyrelongue, president and CEO of Cosmair Inc., L'Oreal's U.S. subsidiary, said L'Oreal approached Soft Sheen, which has about $95 million in sales. He often stated his primary reason for establishing Soft Sheen Products, Inc., was to create employment opportunities for young Black and Brown men and women. He was 98. Gardner I feel blessed to have had Ed Gardner as my father. The answer seemed to lie, first, in research and development. Simultaneously, his wife Denise resigned from her position as vice-president of marketing. window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', Yes, yes, yes. Gardner served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II and later earned a bachelors degree from Chicago Teachers College (now Chicago State University) and a masters degree from the University of Chicago under the GI Bill. The grassroots organization has been a staple in Chicagos activist community for decades. Last month he signed a law to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, despite months of strikes, One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites, Philippines, China to discuss fishing rights in South China Sea-Marcos. Contact He was my father, my hero, my teacher, Gary Gardner said in a news release. cat: 'fashion-beauty', } He donated tens of thousands of dollars to causes that sought to end gun violence; to that end, he helped create the nonprofit organization Black On Black Love. subcat: '', In 1994, the company posted only a .6 percent increase over 1993 sales. The Rev. Ads tout the products' natural ingredients, herbs and vitamins. The increased consumer use of gels, sprays, and moisturizers, in tandem with the continued sales growth of the Care Free Curl and Optimum Care lines, elevated Soft Sheen's sales to $87.2 million in 1989. In part, this effort resulted in the election of Harold Washington as Chicagos first Black mayor. (Provided) Edward Gardners early efforts at making Black hair care products started in the family kitchen, with his He leaves a legend of love and a powerful life for the world to remember. In 1964, he left a career as a popular teacher and assistant principal to } CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY ANNOUNCES PLANS TO OPEN TWO NEW LOCATIONS IN MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENTS, AND FUNDING FOR A NEW BRANCH IN WOODLAWN, Cubs Adbert Alzolay Helps Distribute Food at Advocate Health Cares Food Farmacy Day, REP. KELLY, SENATORS DUCKWORTH, DURBIN INTRODUCE TWO BILLS TO INCREASE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, Cook County Commissioner Monica Gordon Gives Employers Incentive to Hire Formerly Incarcerated Individuals, CONGRESSMAN DANNY K. 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In a November 1996 interview with Drug Store News, she promised that consumers would see new Soft Sheen products in the stores in the first quarter of 1997. url: 'honoring,the,legacy,of,a,great,chicagoan,and,black,business,giant,edward,g,gardner,passes,away,at,98', They eventually moved into an old factory at 87th and Dobson and renovated the building that would become Soft Sheens new campus. In 1996, the Gardners established an WebTen-year-old Gary Gardner, Soft Sheen s future president, mixed Soft Sheen Hair and Scalp Conditioner and demonstrated it at trade shows. Dismayed by the level of violence in the community, in the 1980s he created the non- profit organization, Black On Black Love. Son of Edward George and Betty Ann (Gueno) Gardner. The 27-year-old Gary Gardner had been involved with Soft Sheen since its earliest days, when he and his siblings helped their parents by filling shampoo bottles. Now, retail outlets can't stock enough of the products. See Photos. Since the 1970s, its flagship product Black Enterprise magazine has covered African-American businesses with a readership of 3.7 million. div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', Like every other event involving a red carpet these days, the White House Correspondents Association Dinner has become yet another opportunity to use a moment of image-making to generate conversation and influence public opinion. 1-877-812-1590, Companies scramble to keep abortion off annual meeting agendas, With WWE deal, Ari Emanuel doubles down on contact sports, Gunman kills three at Michigan State; suspect found dead, Sponsored Content: Food insecurity set to grow as emergency SNAP benefits end, Outcome Health execs convicted in federal fraud case, The Most Powerful Women In Chicago Business.
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