In his early years running his new parquet flooring business, Samuel worked tirelessly. He was salesman, bookkeeper and business manager. Five days a week, he toured the countryside selling flooring to contractors for fine homes, churches, hotels and public buildings.
On Saturdays, he returned to Racine to fill out orders and tend to managerial duties. After the first year, the flooring company showed a net profit of $268.27. And the business continued to grow, with sales coming in from Colorado to New England, and south to Mississippi.
As sales multiplied, so did letters from customers who purchased Johnson flooring, asking how to care for their new floors. Cleaning with the standard soap and water tended to ruin the floor’s fine finish, and the water warped the small blocks of parquetry.
So, Samuel did what any good entrepreneur would do: He started looking for the best way to meet his customers’ needs. Company legend has it that he mixed up batches of floor wax in his bathtub, working to find the perfect mix that would protect floors and give them a lasting glow.