Reprinted from GRAIN JOURNAL November/December 2011 Issue
Johnson System Inc. was established on Jan. 1, 1983 by owners Kathleen and Howard Johnson. The couple, who started the business from their basement, has grown the company to become a leading manufacturer of catwalks, towers and support structures in the United States, and beyond. The company operates from two sites in the Marshall, MI area and has 48 employees.
“For about six months or so, my parents sold other companies’ grain bins, dryers, and additional products from our basement,” explains son Mike Johnson, who is in sales and marketing. “As the demand for towers and catwalks grew, and with Howard’s passion for building things, they decided to form their own business and manufacture their own designs.
“They bought some property, and the company started with the two of them and one guy out in the shop. The business has evolved ever since adapting to demands for increased heights, spans, and widths. We want to continue to evolve and grow with the industry, as leaders with cutting-edge ideas and technology.”
Today, Kathleen is president of Johnson System Inc. in charge of business operations, while Howard is vice president in charge of product development, sales, and customer relations.
As of August 2011, two other family members joined the team on a full-time basis. Their son Mike deals with marketing and sales, while their daughter Marguerite works on product design. A few years ago, an older daughter Jenny also worked in the business on a part-time basis.
Mike says: “I was three years old, when the company was started, so I’ve grown up in the business doing everything from sweeping floors to welding to integrating computer systems. My parents have a unique relationship and do well together in business, where I think most married couples would struggle. I love being able to work with my family, and I think they do, too. Although we work hard and wear multiple hats, we still love each other, and at the end of the day, we still talk.”
Two Locations
The main office and manufacturing site for Johnson System Inc. is located just north of Marshall in Convis Township at 18999 U.S. Highway 27 North. A downtown location, at 1120 Industrial Drive, serves other needs. Both have a Marshall, MI mailing address.
“Probably 90% of our work is done at our main location, where all of the metal cutting and punching out takes place, as well as most of our heavy fabrication,” explains Mike. “Our downtown location is used more for our niche into making decks and superstructures for customers. For those, you need a lot of open space, in order to bolt things together and make sure everything lines up just right.”
ISO and AISC Certifications
Johnson System Inc. recently received ISO 9001 certification for all of its manufacturing and expects to receive another certification very soon. On Sept. 2, 2011, a companywide luncheon was held to celebrate the final ISO 9001 certification audit. ISO certification is an international consensus standard on good quality management practices.
“Our goal in earning official certifications is to ensure that we have all of the right procedures and policies in place and to give our customers the utmost confidence in the quality of our products,” says Mike. “We are taking raw materials and turning them into products that may extend hundreds of feet into the air, so it is very important to know that the proper procedures were followed to create high-quality products.
“We worked on obtaining ISO certification for about two years, and I believe we’re the only grain handling fabrication business in the United States to have earned it,” he adds. “It is very important to have, because it validates our quality to both domestic and global customers. They know that all of our products are made with quality control checks and balances in place to ensure customer satisfaction. We want our customers to feel that we communicated well with them to deliver a quality product in a timely fashion and that they got the product they needed.”
By early 2012, Johnson System Inc. also expects to receive certification from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). “This is a very prestigious certification going even further than ISO certification,” says Mike.
Towers and Catwalks
Approximately 90% of Johnson System’s business is estimated to fall under the category of towers and catwalks.
“Steel towers, elevator towers, and catwalks make up the majority of our business,” says Mike. “Our niche within this niche is that our product lines can be customized depending on the situation and a customer’s needs. We offer a wide variety of options for towers and catwalks, and we can provide the complete design of a system. Our sales staff has over 75 years of combined sales experience.
“We also provide an advantage that you can’t put a price on, and that is Howard’s years of knowledge and experience in all aspects of design. When you purchase our products, we pass along that design knowledge and attention to details, and you know our products will bolt together easily and will stand for a very long time.”
Johnson System sells directly to customers who assemble products themselves, but more often to a manufacturer or contractor who assembles the product for an end user. Most sales are in the United States, and product generally is shipped via flatbed truck. However, some product goes outside the country and is shipped in containers, for which the product line was adapted, so that it can be packed into the containers.
Other Products
Superstructures (that you can drive a truck underneath to access a hopper tank loadout area) and decks (to provide access at any elevation) make up a smaller portion of the business.
“We can design structures for load out and access that give customers a lot of adaptability in their set up,” says Mike. “We offer hundreds of options.”
Temporary storage systems provide an effective, cost-effective way to increase storage capacity. “Sales of these systems is very crop-dependent,” says Mike. “When there is a bumper crop, we sell more, but with the weather conditions this year, sales have been minimal.
“However, temporary storage is an area in which we are pushing the envelope. Over the last 15 years, we have evolved that product line and are taking it to the next level with our aeration system. We have a patent coming up on how air passes through our retaining walls.”
Grain and bean ladders, stair systems, and other grain handling accessories are also available from Johnson System Inc.
Green Energy
For several years, Johnson System Inc. has been working on renewable energy products such as wind turbines and solar panel racks. Howard and Kathleen Johnson formed a sister company called Great Lakes Waterjet and Laser that specializes in cutting steel and metal, in particular for wind and renewable energy products. The sister company is located in Albion, MI, just 15 minutes away from Marshall.
“We’ve been working with a company to develop towers and components for wind turbines,” says Mike. “In October, we completed installation of a vertical axis wind turbine. The equipment at Great Lakes Waterjet can cut anything, which gives our product lines a lot of diversity and capability.”
New Website
The company is excited about its new website at www.johnsonsysteminc.com. “We see this as a sales and educational tool about our products to support our dealers and customers,” says Mike, who has been very involved with developing the site.
“We launched a two-minute video to introduce people to who we are and what we do. The more information we can share with customers, the better in helping them make the best decisions. Although the major work on the website is done, there will continue to be new features and content,” he adds.
