Fred Luster, Sr.

The late Fred Luster, Sr., a successful hairstylist in Chicago, Illinois, was inspired to develop a line of hair care products that would specifically cater to the health and maintenance of the hair of African-Americans. At the outset, he sold his personally developed products exclusively in his salon. Mr. Luster founded Luster Products, Inc. in 1957, is one of the leading African-American owned and operated manufacturer of premium personal care products servicing people of African descent worldwide.

Luster Products' brands include Pink Oil Moisturizer, products for women; S-Curl, products for men; PCJ Pretty-n-Silky, children products; Designer Touch, salon products and ArtEffex, the international brand.

Luster Products employs more than 400 people worldwide. It had sales of $52.5 million in 2002 and was #69 on the 2003 Black Enterptise 100 Industrial/Services list. Their products are sold internationally through numerous retail outlets. The company's main facility -- corporate offices, plant and warehouse -- is situated on 17 acres in Chicago's Stockyard Industrial Park. An aerosol production plant is located in suburban Blue Island, Illinois. The company also has branch offices in London, Puerto Rico, Nigeria and a plant in South Africa.

Today, Luster Products has emerged as one of the most respected African-American businesses in America and is under the leadership of Blondell Luster, chairperson; Jory luster, president, Fred Luster II, vice president of Research and Development; and Sonja Luster-Munis, vice president of Systems Administration.