HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Pleasure products manufacturer Doc Johnson is celebrating its ruby anniversary—that’s 40 years for those who don’t keep up on traditions—and at the end of the ANME Founders Show, company officials and employees hosted a number of distributors, retailers and more at a Hollywood party July 20.
The soiree started on the roof of Hollywood toast spot Madame Tussaud’s on Hollywood Boulevard, where a dance floor with the manufacturer’s logo was surrounded by tables adorned with floral centerpieces. Attendees mingled as waitstaff passed through with hors d’oeuvres. Bar stations offered a number of cocktails, including two drinks themes for the night: Doc’s Orders, a mixture of bourbon, iced tea and juices; and the American Bombshell, flavored vodkas mixed with juices and more (named after, of course, one of Doc's signature lines).
Before the doors were opened to the three-story museum that features realistic wax sculptures of various celebrities staged in various settings, Ron Braverman, who founded the company in 1976 (read about the business in this AVN article and see a photo gallery of the North Hollywood, Calif.-based company on AVN.com), addressed the crowd.
“It’s 40 years, and really, it’s gone by in a blink,” he said.
Braverman talked about how, when he started the business with a 1,300-square-foot facility and eight employees, he believed that was as high as he could go. There was never the idea, he said, that 40 years later he would have a crew of more than 500 people, three of whom have been there from the start.
Braverman, who talked about how he’s given his life to the industry he loves so much, also thanked others who helped grow the industry in its early days: Kenneth Guarino, founder of Metro, who operated stores in New England; Bob Pine Sr., founder of Williams Trading Co. who got his start driving around the East Coast with stag films in the trunk of his car; Mike Moran of Lion’s Den; and more.
“I am proud to be in the business and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you,” Braverman said. “I also have a great team of people with me every single day … I don’t really think of them as people who work for me, but people who work with me.
“You can’t do it without your vendors, you can’t do it without your clients, you can’t do it without your friends,” he continued.
Before closing out his remarks for the evening, the elder Braverman took the opportunity to sing the praises of his children: son Chad, who serves COO for the company, and daughter Erica, who is the business’ marketing manager.
“To be able to do what I do every day and come into my office and have my children there, getting to see my children every day is one of the real blessings of life,” he said to rounds of applause. “It’s fabulous to see how they’ve matured, taken charge and stepped up to the plate to let the old man leave every day at 1.”
Following the brief remarks, guests were able to wander through the museum, enjoy a catered dinner from Southern California staple In-N-Out Burger, pose for pictures with the wax statues, enjoy tunes spun by two DJs and take home a souvenir 3-D wax mold of their hand.
For more, visit DocJohnson.com.
Above, Ron Braverman and family at the 40th anniversary party; photo by Chris King/ReelSeduction.com.
