One of the Southwest Michigan modern-day business community’s staunchest supporters and a global award winning talent has passed from the scene with news today of the death of the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of St. Joseph-based JohnsonRauhoff. Don Johnson was 84 years old at the time of his death on Friday, February 5, 2021.
Johnson was the longtime leader of JohnsonRauhoff which is anchored along Lake Shore Drive in St. Joseph.
It was more than 51 years ago, in 1969, that Don opened JR in the basement of his home and working alongside his wife, Audrey, quickly added accounts and team members. Over the next 51 years, Don would build JR into an award-winning and record-breaking company, proudly going against some of the most prominent advertising agencies and studios in the country.
His team at JR says this morning, “His legacy will be his business savvy, genuine honesty, raw creativity and unstoppable drive to do the impossible,” adding, “The JR team loves and will miss you, Don.”
Johnson was a community icon for decades in Michigan’s Great Southwest, but his biggest legacy is the inspiration he proved to be for his own children who also took up the trade. In his LinkedIn account Johnson shared:
JohnsonRauhoff has come a long way since 1969 when I started the agency in my basement. Three of my children caught the ad bug and help run the business along with our talented team of nearly 100.
JR’s been around a while but I think it’s still one of the best-kept secrets in the industry. A major draw for clients is the in-house production studio that employs a full-service photo and video team.
Companies from around the globe have realized that this award winning creative shop, tucked into the corner of Michigan, can produce smart work, faster and cheaper than big city firms and I couldn’t be happier.
Johnson and his firm garnered many awards and honors over the course of the years for their prolific work, but among those that he attained along the way were these:
- Platinum Telly
- Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow Award
- Marketing Trailblazer Award Winner
- Cornerstone Alliance Business Person of the Year
- Named 8th top agency in the US
- Bronze Herme
- Entrepreneur Of the Year
Here at Moody on the Market, we helped Don and the JR team celebrate their 50th anniversary in business in the summer of 2019 when I shared these words:
Ever notice how some of the most successful people in the world launched their business either in the basement of their own home, the home of their parents, or set up shop in the garage before hitting the big time? Essentially proving that from the most humble beginnings even the most resourceful business people start at the bottom of the ladder to success.
Exhibit A in that arena is right here in Michigan’s Great Southwest as the team at JohnsonRauhoff — or in this day and age simply JR — marks 50-years in business.
JohnsonRauhoff (JR), an award winning strategic content agency, has announced its 50th anniversary is at hand as the agency credits that longevity to client partnerships, technology adoption, and its people.
It was Don Johnson, Army Veteran turned Adman, who founded the company in 1969 as a one man studio operating out of — you guessed it — his basement. During its infancy JR went by the name Don Johnson Art and Design and created Use and Care Guides for its very first client, Whirlpool Corporation. The firm later changed its name to Grose, Johnson & Reed in 1977, then a year later evolved to Grose, Johnson & Associates. It landed on Johnson-Rauhoff Inc. in 1988, later eliminating the hyphen and “Inc” from the name.
After a half century and various iterations of the company name, JR has experience with more than 200 brands with large client partnerships lasting an average of 21-years in that span. Agency personnel claim success at the company is partially due to early technology adoption leading to service differentiators.
Don Johnson retired in 2016 and named his daughter, Jackie Huie, as CEO.
Johnson was laying the groundwork for his outstanding agency well before setting up shop in his basement. He was an Illustrator for Whirlpool Corporation for a year before reporting for duty with the U.S. Army in 1958. During his two years in the military he designed training materials for weapons used during World War II serving in the Washington, D.C. metro area. From 1965 to 1968 he served as Vice President and Creative Director for St. Joseph-based Vivox Advertising before venturing off to create his own nationally-renowned shop which continues to thrive to this day.
The JR team has created an outstanding video tribute to their fallen leader which you can view at the link below:
Funeral arrangements and the formal obituary are pending, and will be shared when ready.
