On April 28, 2018 in Atlanta, GA, Sheen Magazine hosted their annual Kimmie Awards which honored a host of stars including Power actor Rotimi; social media star, Kway; music mogul Dr. Mathew Knowles; Empire actress, Serayah; Saints & Sinners actor, Keith Robinson; celebrity makeup artist, AJ Crimson; and Project Runway contestant Terri Stevens to name a few. Amongst these honorees was hair industry connoisseur, Cornell McBride, Jr., who received the Legacy Torch Award for his leadership and successes in running one of the leading black-owned and family operated hair care brands Design Essentials®. Cornell helped grow a family-owned venture into a global, multi-million dollar beauty business with over 25 years in operation.
Cornell is the second-generation CEO of McBride Research Laboratories — manufacturer for the leading hair care brand, Design Essentials®. Cornell followed the footsteps of his father and took charge of the family business where he became president of Design Essentials® in 2010. Since then, he’s grown the company’s revenue, customers, and global market coverage exponentially — always staying ahead of the curve even within the constantly changing beauty industry trends. Under his leadership, the company has reinvented itself by launching Design Essentials® Natural products for natural hair textures and releasing new products that encourage hair health and hair growth, such as detoxifying scalp treatments and vitamin drops for the scalp and skin.
In his Kimmie Awards acceptance speech, Cornell acknowledged his father’s impact on his life and the beauty industry, saying, “I would also like to thank my father, Cornell McBride, Sr. for his hard work in pioneering the black hair care movement and establishing a secure foundation for Design Essentials to thrive as a family run business. Dad, thank you for the many lessons you instilled in me since childhood to become the man and leader I am today.”
McBride also acknowledged the customers as the reason behind the company’s mass global success. “I would also like to thank our customers, who continue to support us by choosing our products to accommodate your haircare needs. The Mcbride name is a name that carries authority in the beauty space, but it would not be so without you,” said Cornell. “You are the primary reason for our success as a black-owned family business and we are tremendously appreciative of you all! Let us strive for greatness together. Invest in small black businesses and invest in yourselves.”
