Johnson Brothers

Johnson Bros. beginning occurred when Edwin Johnson, Sr. decided to go into business himself. In 1947, he started constructing the company`s first roll forming machine (now in storage) in his basement. He had offered his five brothers and equal share of the business if they matched his life savings, $700 investment. One brother, Harold Johnson, did; hence the name Johnson Bros. When the first machine was finished and tested it had to be disassembled, carried from his basement and reassembled in Edwin`s garage. After a few months the neighbors complained about the noise as production of small orders began and Edwin was forced to find new quarters. He found an uninsulated, dirt-floor garage that had formerly been a stable at Cicero Ave. and Chicago Blvd. in Chicago. The brothers, Edwin Sr. and Harold, insulated the garage/plant, built a small office and heated the building with a small stove in the cold months.