| The RLJ Companies | |
| Type: | Privately held |
| Industry: | Various |
| Founded: | 2002 |
| Key People: | Robert L. Johnson |
| Products: | Investment Holdings |
| Aum: | $5 billion [1] |
| Homepage: | https://www.rljcompanies.com/ |
The RLJ Companies is an American asset management firm owned by entrepreneur Robert Louis Johnson.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] After selling Black Entertainment Television in 2001, Johnson's first company, he created RLJ Companies in Bethesda, Maryland.[7] [8] [9] The company's network includes hotel real estate investment, private equity, financial services, asset management, insurance services, car dealerships, sports and entertainment, and video lottery terminal (VLT) gaming.[4] [10] The company is headquartered in Bethesda and has additional offices in Charlotte, North Carolina; Little Rock, Arkansas; Los Angeles, California; San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Monrovia, Liberia.[11]
Robert L. Johnson founded The RLJ Companies in 2002 in Bethesda, Maryland.[7] [8] Johnson serves as chairman of the company.[4] Previous to founding The RLJ Companies, Johnson owned BET, which he sold to Viacom in 2001.[12] He remained on at BET as its CEO through 2006.[4]
In 2001, Johnson and Tom Baltimore started RLJ Lodging Trust with six hotels.[13] RLJ Lodging Trust started as RLJ Development and changed its name when it went public on the New York Stock Exchange under RLJ on May 13, 2011.[14] [15] The company operates in 21 states with 97 hotels under global brands including Courtyard by Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn, Hyatt Place and Embassy Suites Hotels.[16] [17] In 2008, RLJ Companies formed a partnership with Global Building Solutions to build a 78-room luxury resort and spa in Monrovia, Liberia.[7] The RLJ Kendeja Resort & Villas opened in March 2009. Thomas J. Baltimore Jr. served as president and CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust until his resignation on April 27, 2016, so that he could assume a similar role with Hilton's REIT. Ross H. Bierkan was appointed CEO on August 1, 2016.[18]
David Rubenstein and Johnson partnered with Carlyle Group in 2006 to form RLJ Equity Partners, a middle-market equity firm.[13] [19] RLJ Equity Partners invested in, the largest tour operator in Latin America, in January 2010.[20] In September 2010, it partnered with Enhanced Recovery Corp to gain more presence in the Southeast.[21] It has also invested in Fleischmann's Vinegar, LAI International, TMone, Naylor and R. Thompson Trucking Inc.[21] [22] [23] [24]
In 2014, RLJ Equity Partners acquired Naylor Association Solutions, with its headquarters in Gainesville, Florida.
Johnson collaborated with Mack McLarty and Steve Landers to create RLJ-McLarty-Landers Automotive Holdings, LLC in 2007.[25] It is the parent company for Little Rock, Arkansas based RML Automotive.[26] Johnson holds 60% of RLJ-McLarty-Landers Automotive Holdings, LLC, making it the largest minority-owned automotive dealership in the country.[13]
In response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Global Building Solutions collaborated with RLJ Companies to form Caribbean Opportunity Holdings in April 2010.[27]
Trading under NASDAQ as RLJAU, RLJ Acquisition was formed as a special-purpose acquisition company in December 2010 with the purpose of consummating business combinations.[28] [29] H. Van Sinclair serves as CEO.[28]
RLJ Entertainment Inc. formed when the RLJ Companies acquired Acorn Media Group, Inc. and Image Entertainment Inc. in 2012.[13] [14] It trades under the NASDAQ ticker RLJE.