Business marks milestone by giving back

For five generations, Johnson Transportation has provided children with transportation to school.

In 1924, Axel Johnson began transporting children to and from school by horse and buggy. Johnson and his wife Olga ran the business for years, then passed it down to their son Robert Johnson and his wife Lois. This couple ran the business for many years, and when they retired, the company was passed down to their son, John Johnson, and his wife, Caroline.

In 2019, John and Caroline’s daughter, Connie Johnson, and her son, Cody Haight, took over Johnson Transportation. They acquired Suppa Transportation and merged both businesses, and they are now the fifth generation in this family legacy.

The milestone was celebrated in May when the century-old family business received recognition from Sen. Scott Hutchinson, Mike Keihl of the Warren County School District, and the Warren County Visitors Bureau.

Photo submitted to the Times Observer
Pictured are Connie Johnson, Jerica Slack, Joey Slack, and Cody Haight with a check for Make-a-Wish Foundation.

During that celebration, Johnson and Haight included a “Stuff the Bus” with donations going to a local food pantry and a basket raffle with proceeds of over $3,000 being donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, allowing a Warren County child, Liam, and his family to experience his wish.

Liam and his family went to Florida and enjoyed some theme parks; his mom said, “We just got to be a normal family.”

Johnson Transportation has 14 school bus routes and 19 van routes covering the Warren County schools, including Tidioute Charter School, St. Joseph Catholic School, and Warren County Christian School. The company also buses for field trips and activities.