Robert L. Johnson is the Founder and Chairman of The RLJ Companies, an innovative business network that provides strategic investments in a diverse portfolio of companies in hotel real estate investment; private equity; financial services; asset management; insurance services; automobile dealerships; sports and entertainment; and video lottery terminal (VLT) gaming. In July 2007, Johnson was named by USA Today as one of the 25 most influential business leaders of the past 25 years.
Core assets of The RLJ Companies include:
RLJ Lodging Trust is a hotel investment company focused on acquiring premium-branded, focused service and compact full-service hotels. RLJ Lodging Trust has a portfolio of 141 hotels in 20 states and the District of Columbia, with a total of more than 20,600 rooms.
*On May 11, 2011, RLJ Development , previously a privately held real estate investment company, became RLJ Lodging Trust. Robert L. Johnson serves as executive chairman of the board.
RLJ Equity Partners, LLC was founded together with The Carlyle Group and specializes in middle-market leveraged buy-outs, leveraged recapitalizations, and growth equity. RLJ Equity Partners’ strategy is to make control investments through affiliated private equity investment limited partnerships. RLJ Equity Partners invests in companies with enterprise values between $50M and $250M within aerospace/defense; automotive/transportation; business services; consumer/retail; general industrial and media sectors. As of November 2011, RLJ Equity Partners has 5 portfolio companies.
RLJ Credit Opportunity Fund makes senior debt and subordinated debt investments in lower middle market companies. RLJ Credit provides flexible capital solutions to facilitate buyouts, recapitalizations, refinancings, and growth financings. The Principals of RLJ Credit have extensive experience partnering with middle market companies, across a broad range of industries, to support growth and create value. We successfully partner with private equity firms, investment banks, and operating executives to deliver our full range of financial and strategic resources.
RLJ Acquisition, Inc. (RLJAU) is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), also known as a blank check company that will seek to acquire a privately-held operating company. RLJ Acquisition, Inc. raised $143.75M in its initial public offering and intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to acquire one or more operating businesses through a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination.
RLJ Financial, LLC develops innovative financial solutions for overlooked consumer and business communities. RLJ Financial partners with consumer organizations to deliver products across diverse markets. Product expertise includes: stored value cards (including prepaid, payroll and gift), consumer lending products, traditional consumer and commercial deposit products positioned for underserved markets, and commercial lending products for small businesses.
RLJ Insurance Services, LLC, is the nation’s premier minority Managing General Underwriter for Medical Stop-Loss representing A and A+ rated insurance companies. RLJ Insurance Services has formed strategic partnerships with leading national insurance carriers and brokerage agencies with the goal of becoming the partner of choice for providing services to state and municipal governments, and corporate clients who are seeking to significantly amplify their Minority Business Enterprise participation allocation. Additional capabilities include services specializing in cost-effective insurance/reinsurance solutions for voluntary benefits, healthcare, and property and casualty. RLJ Insurance Services writes business in all 50 states and maintains a solid client base. RLJ Insurance Services focuses on providing organizations an opportunity to reach and exceed established goals for MBE participation. Our business philosophy is about building long term relationships with our carriers, our producers and our clients.
RolloverSystems, a financial services company based in Charlotte, NC is the leading provider of outsourced retirement plan rollover services for financial services institutions, plan sponsors, and third party administrators. RolloverSystems provides 401(K) and IRA rollover services for terminated employees who are leaving their current employer for a new job or retirement. RolloverSystems improves fiduciary risks for employers by offering full service “outplacement” services to terminated employees and reduces costs and administrative burdens of tracking and maintaining benefits for terminated employees.
RLJ Western Asset Management, LLC is the only minority-owned entity designated by the U.S. Treasury Department as a pre-qualified fund manager to participate in the Public Private Investment Fund Program (PPIP). RLJ Western Asset is focused on residential mortgage backed securities and is designed to allow banks and other financial institutions to re-deploy capital and extend new credit to households and businesses. To date, RLJ Western Asset has raised $610M for the fund.
RLJ-McLarty-Landers Automotive Holdings, LLC is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas and consists of 35 automotive franchises and three Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealerships across the South Central, Southeast, and Midwest regions of the country. RLJ-McLarty-Landers was ranked 31st on the Automotive News annual list of “Top 125 Dealerships in the U.S.” and is the largest African American owned automotive franchise in the country.
Bobcats Sports & Entertainment, which is comprised of the franchise and arena operations, is a professional basketball team and member of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Bobcats debuted in 2004 and is a part of the Southeast Division of the NBA’s Eastern Conference. The Bobcats play home games at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC. On March 17, 2010, Bob Johnson sold majority ownership to Michael Jordan and MJ Basketball Holdings, LLC. Johnson retains a minority ownership interest and serves as the Bobcats’ governor to the NBA.
Caribbean CAGE, LLC is a route-installed gaming company headquartered in Puerto Rico that focuses on the installation, operation and management of video lottery terminals (VLTs), linked gaming systems and game content throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. CAGE has entered into several strategic alliances to install and operate VLTs in targeted Caribbean countries with the goal of enhancing local economies and employment opportunities.
Our Stories Films, LLC is the first African-American owned film production studio that produces theatrical motion pictures that showcase the talents of African Americans on both sides of the camera and in the creative process. Founded in 2006, Our Stories Films is headquartered in Hollywood, CA and targets underserved, urban audiences within the family and urban comedy genre with a production budget of $5M-$7M per film.
The RLJ Kendeja Resort & Villas is a 78-room villa style hotel located on 13-acres of ocean front property overlooking the Atlantic Ocean outside of Monrovia, Liberia. The four-star luxury resort is the first of its kind in Liberia and one of the first in all of West Africa. Construction began in March 2008 and the resort property opened in June 2009.
Prior to forming The RLJ Companies, Mr. Johnson was founder and chairman of Black Entertainment Television (BET), the nation’s first and leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news, sports and public affairs programming for the African American audience. Under Mr. Johnson’s leadership, BET became the first African American-owned company publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2001, Mr. Johnson sold BET to Viacom for approximately $3 billion and remained the Chief Executive Officer through 2006.
Currently, Mr. Johnson serves on the following boards:
- KB Home
- Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
- Strayer Education
- NBA Board of Governors
- Deutsche Bank Advisory Committee
- The Business Council
- Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture