You can’t stay in business for long unless you’re really good at something.
You can’t stay in business for nearly 120 years unless you’re really good at a lot of things.
Johnson Brothers, the Idaho Falls-based architectural supply company is a perfect example.
Since its establishment in 1905, the company has continually re-shaped itself to capitalize on opportunities in the marketplace. Originally a residential contracting business operating its own planing mill, today, the company’s facets are wide-ranging:
The common thread through all of these facets is a commitment to quality: quality products, quality service and quality craftsmanship.
That devotion to high standards cuts both ways. As an employer, Johnson Brothers is a top-tier organization. Need proof? The average term of employment is more than 15 years. It’s an indication that they do right by their employees. It also means that no matter what service their clients are seeking, Johnson Brothers’ 60-plus employees have an unparalleled depth of experience and skill to tap. This is a particular point of pride with company ownership. “I’ve always said the success of Johnson Brothers is due to our employees,” says co-owner Chris Sargis. “They’re very knowledgeable and professional. We’re low pressure with our sales process and we are committed to providing high quality products with great customer service at a fair price. It’s been our formula for the past 114 years.”
The consistency and quality of goods they deliver has garnered Johnson Brothers a reputation that has created a growing demand throughout Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.
The Johnson family and original company owners photographed in the early 1900s. Back row: Oscar, Robert, Adolf, Emil, Eno. Front row: Ernest, Alfreda, Carl Alfred, Maria Sophia, Frederick.
In 1905 Carl Johnson and his wife Maria moved to Idaho From Illinois with their sons Robert, Oscar, Fred, Adolph, Ernest, Eno and Emil. Within a year they had established a family residential construction business and had purchased one of the young city’s two planing mills.
This purchase was key to their longevity and success. Soon the Johnson Brothers were transforming rough-sawn lumber delivered by horse-drawn wagons into doors, sashes, windows and casework for their own projects, and selling it to other contractors as well.
The tight-knit family learned the business from the ground up, and first employed their construction and woodworking skills by building residential homes for some of the 1,200 residents of Idaho Falls.
The Butte County Courthouse and the Masonic Temple in Arco were some of the company’s first marquee projects, which they undertook in 1916. Eno and his wife Lelah spent six months living in a tent on the desert. He managed and worked with the crew while she washed the workers’ laundry in a nearby creek and also cooked them three meals each day.
The company’s work on public and commercial buildings helped them survive the great depression. They were able to negotiate government contracts and also put up schools, churches, service stations, and even took on remodeling projects in downtown Idaho Falls businesses.
The 1970s saw the inception of a sales distribution division. Starting operations in a few hundred square feet of office space in the millwork building, demand necessitated a move to larger quarters a block south on Basalt Street. In 2000, a new 7,000 square-foot showroom was added next door.
Over time, they’ve honed their skills, upgraded their tools, and built a reputation solid enough to provide millwork to iconic building projects such as the Idaho Falls Civic Auditorium and the original Idaho Falls High School. Their work is in LDS Temples from California and Oregon to Colorado, the Jackson Hole Airport, Melaleuca headquarters, and countless banks, hospitals and dental offices throughout the Intermountain West.
These efforts built a bedrock business, becoming the cornerstone of specialty construction and millwork enterprise, with a focus on architectural detail.
In 2004, a fire decimated the moulding shop, claiming hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of inventory, equipment and structural loss. After only four months, the facility was once again operating at capacity.
In 2005, a sales and distribution center was established in Boise. Earlier this year, that center was moved to a larger location with a retail showroom/design center.
Currently, business continues to boom on both sides of the state.
