Johnson Oil Company Timeline
Check out some of the most significant events that shaped the future of the Johnson Oil Company of Gaylord and eventually grew into the Johnson Family of Companies.
1950 - 1953
In 1950 Dale Johnson was married in Northern Michigan and was working for another area oil company. Shortly after their wedding in 1953 Dale became involved in the Korean War.
1954 - 1955
After returning from the Korean War Dale was informed that his previous job was no longer available to him. To make ends meet he worked some odd jobs until he was able to secure a loan from the Petoskey State Bank, then he was able to purchase his first single bay fuel station.
1956 - 1960
After securing his first fuel station, Dale and his wife moved into a house attached to the station so that he could offer his customers 24 hour service 7 days a week. Dale worked 7 years straight before taking a day off. His business also expanded into fuel delivery with the purchase of a fuel truck.
1960 - 1972
Dale continued to be devoted to his customers and his work, as another 7 years went by before taking another day off. But, all the hard work was paying off, slowly, Dale was buying up existing fuel stations & delivery services in order to expand his business throughout Northern Michigan.
1973 - 1991
Dale found additional ways to grow his business by adding convenience stores to his fuel stations, he called them S & K Foods, named after his sons Steve & Kevin.
1992 - 1993
In 1992 Dale noticed that fuel oil delivery was beginning to decline, and the number of customers switching to propane service was growing. So, as his son Kevin identified the potential growth available through propane, the company bought its first propane delivery truck.
1994 - 1999
After expanding into the propane business more areas of growth were identified and the Johnson Oil Company began distributing fuel to other gas stations and continued growing their own customer base by building and creating their own Marathon branded gas stations.
2000 - 2009
Through the 2000s the Johnson Oil Company of Gaylord began expanding its footprint around the city of Gaylord and began purchasing available commercial properties, adding commercial real estate into the business portfolio.
2010 - Current
In 2010 Kevins oldest daughter Jada Johnson began showing an interest in hunting and the outdoors, which aligned well with Kevins enthusiasm for the outdoors, and together they created and produced the popular television show Big Boys TV. In 2015 they held the first annual Big Boys TV All Girls Bootcamp which trains passionate women about the outdoors and hunting.
2016 - Current
In 2016 one of the commercial real estate properties became available after a large tenant changed locations. This left the Johnsons with over 30,000 square feet of empty space, so they built one of the largest and most versatile event centers in Northern Michigan and named it The Ellison Place as a tribute to their father. The first event held in the facility was the Johnson Oil Company Christmas party.
2019 - Current
Shortly after the passing of Dale Johnson the company wanted to honor his legacy in the Northern Michigan community which timed well with the Otsego Memorial Foundations capital campaign to raise funds for a new Emergency Department. After receiving a $750,000 commitement from the Johnson Oil Company the hospital chose to name the emergency department after the late company founder, it is now called the Dale E. Johnson Emergency Department and his legacy continues to save lives every day.
2024 - Current
2024 was a year full of changing and reshaping for the future at Johnson Oil Company. As brother Steve Johnson has moved into retirement, Kevin Johnson has positioned the company into a more streamlined and efficient business, focusing on the core services of propane and bulk fuel delivery and transportation. With this new model implemented, the Johnson Oil Company is poised for growth well into the next generation of ownership.
