Established in 1960, Johnston & Co. is a multi-disciplinary development firm that focuses on agriculture, manufacturing, food & communities. Simply said, we make things & places.
History
For generations the Johnston family has maintained a heritage of culinary innovation. In the late 1800s Herbert L. Johnston helped pioneer what became the modern Kitchen Aid mixer and Hobart Manufacturing has been established as a worldwide leader in foodservice equipment. Today, Johnston & Co continues to innovate and grow with a focus on tradition and honest hard work.
“There is nothing more important than honest, hard work. My Father taught me this, and my Father’s Father taught him this.”
— Jim Johnston, Farmer & Entrepreneur
Innovations
Herbert L. Johnston, started Hobart Manufacturing Company in 1897 to adapt the electric motor to foodservice equipment, revolutionizing kitchen productivity. The firm also added a consumer line under the KitchenAid brand. With over 120 patents from the electric coffee grinder to mixers and dishwashers, he was a prolific inventor. He was also deeply involved with his community, Troy, Ohio.
His son, Edward S. Johnston, continued in engineering with Hobart and became the Vice-President of the company. Edward also was awarded a number of patents and helped set up Hobart and KitchenAid in South America. He also helped manage the firm during World War II, when production was changed to making wartime equipment. Hobart and KitchenAid remain to this day benchmarks of quality and US manufacturing in the culinary field.
farming
In 1960, Jim Johnston and his wife Virginia thought owning a farm would be ideal for their growing family of three boys. They purchased the farm and built a home on the land.
The Johnston family loved their rural existence. Jim grew cotton and wheat and the boys attended nearby schools, working on the farm during the summers. The younger sons, Steve and Paul, majored in agriculture at The University of Arizona, returning to the family farm to work after graduation. The eldest son, Joe, graduated from Stanford University with an engineering degree. By the late 1990s, when Gilbert’s rapid growth meant suburban development near the farm, the Johnstons began brainstorming ways to preserve their land.
Development
Joe Johnston’s engineering expertise helped plant the literal and figurative seed of Agritopia®. Collaborating with a land planner, landscape architects, the Town of Gilbert, and community developers, in 2000, Joe spearheaded the evolution of the family’s vision for their farmland: a simpler but fuller life, set in a present-day village that honors the farming traditions of the past.
Since then, Johnston & Co has created and established itself in the field of real estate development and innovation, most notably on the original farmland Jim purchased in the 1960’s. After developing Agritopia®, Johnston & Co repurposed the original farm barn and created Barnone, a craftsman community. The barn hosts 11 unique local makers and craftsman including shops, beer, wine, and food. Currently, plans and construction are underway for Epicenter, an urban living environment with local retail and restaurants.