[7], In the 1960s, he began producing poultry litter and selling it to poultry companies in Arkansas. 4. Nearly 1,000 of them are members of the female-focused employee resource group named GROW that aims to recruit and develop leaders with diverse backgrounds, experience and unique points of view. Nearly 60 years later, J.B. Hunt has grown from that small fleet of a few trucks into a Fortune 500 company. Hunt sitting in an Adirondack chair© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #17: Johnelle DeBusk (Hunt) in a Heber Springs letter jacket with J. Johnelle Hunt agreed, saying resilience and lack of fear of failure were key to her late husband's success. In fact, she did some of the intimidating herself. His first year of operation, he lost $20,000, but eventually turned things around and made a profit, and began shipping poultry throughout the United States. Johnelle Hunt dubbed it "our golden goose.". He was a truck driver who left school after the seventh grade to work, a forward-thinking optimist who didnt like details. ", "It's interesting," explained Matthew Waller, dean of the Walton College and founding chair of the supply chain management department. "There was an entire field to choose from, and his contributions were deemed worth recognizing in its inaugural class. I did shipping and generally anything that needed to be done. Book loads in Carrier 360 to get savings and earn rewards on thethings you need most to keep your fleet moving. He shifted his focus to trucking and created J.B. Hunt Transport Services in 1969. B. On Buzzlearn.com, Johnnie is listed as a successful Businessman who was born in the year of 1927. In 1980, the trucking industry was deregulated, and J.B. Hunt Transport took off. Some have been with us since the beginning. CB Rank (Person) 528,540. Let me tell you, women can get things done, Mrs. Hunt once said. So much so that they used to host company picnics in their home in Springdale, just down the road from headquarters. Streamline your operations with smart shipping and end-to-end load management. He carried a wad of $100 bills in a gold money clip and regularly handed them to people he thought needed the money. If so, login to add it. knowledge, experience as an over the road truck driver and entrepreneurial The Hunts have passed the torch on to todays J.B. Hunt leaders, who continue to stress the core of the companys culture. contracting opportunities that arise at the email address you provided. B. . Today, his company is one of the largest employers in the state, with nearly 15,000 employees and a . "I'm in high school, and he has me typing letters to manufacturers," Johnelle Hunt recalled. B. What makes J.B. Hunt so unique - in our industry, community, even the country - is our people. Technology that empowers. Mrs. Hunt, as it turns out, was born for her role. He eventually borrowed $80 from his aunt and bought an engagement ring. Our growth into a Fortune 500 company is a direct result of the hard work of the 33,000+ employees who consider J.B. Hunt more than just a place to work. (AP file photo by April L. Brown) . He implemented many cost cutting efforts that allowed him to increase profits dramatically. Johnnie Bryan Hunt, Sr. (February 28, 1927 - December 7, . Also, the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Center in Springdale, Arkansas, has been established . "And Lowell wasn't even on the map yet. Hunt on their wedding day© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #22: Charged with assault in accident case by Tracy Neal | October 6, 2015 at 5:45 a.m. BENTONVILLE -- Johnnie Bryan Hunt Jr. pleaded innocent Monday to assaulting a motorist. But she forced herself to carry on building Johnnies dream, and it is what drives her to keep going every day. Arkansas Business Publishing Group [1][2] In 1930, he lived in Peter Creek Township, Cleburne County. He formed another lucrative partnership with the Santa Fe Railroad. B. She bore the wrath of her friend, who didnt speak to her for several days afterward, but she got her man. B. Johnnie drove a red Ford truck with his name on the side of it and hauled livestock to his sale barn. At J.B. Hunt, our people Hunt; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2006© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, Links to important University of Arkansas pages, © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, Coastlines & People (CoPe) Virtual Symposium Project, Sharon Killian and Jami J. Lockhart - Revealing Fayetteville's Hidden Cultural Landscape, Dr. Ariel Ortiz-Bobea - How Climate Change Is Affecting US Agricultural Productivity, J. Weve investedmore than a billion dollarsin capacity solutions and continue toinvest in containersand trailers to better serve the needs of customers while also using some of the newest, most modern tractors available. This K-5 elementary school is located on Silent Grove Road in Springdale, Arkansas. Kent explained that in 1980 about 18 percent of the U.S. economy was attributed to inventory and transportation costs. Whether the best solution is intermodal, truckload, dedicated fleet management, less than truckload (LTL) or another freight mode, J.B. Hunt can help provide the capacity that our customers need when they need it. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Johnny A. Isenhour (Newton, North Carolina), born in Catawba, North Carolina, who passed away on April 21, 2023 at the age of 64. "The first 10 years of the trucking company were really a struggle," Johnelle Hunt said. All rights reserved. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. If there was something that the company could do better, after all, drivers would be among the first to know. Hunt has served on the Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute Advisory Board, the Beau Foundation Board of Directors, and the Advisory Council for the Ozark Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. spirit to make the company a leader in the transportation industry. Haverty had written a thesis in business school about how a railroad and a trucking company should team up to provide door-to-door deliveries, but when he first promoted the idea, people said, "this guy doesn't understand that railroad companies and trucking companies hate each other," Haverty recalled. In 1969, the Hunts relocated to Northwest Arkansas, where we are headquartered J.B. Hunt 360 technology helps you find the right load at the right time. "We got down to Galesburg, Ill., and J.B. walked over to me and said, 'Haverty, we've got a deal.' And she goes, You go ahead and cry. His entrepreneurial legacy lives on at our company and continues to motivate us to achieve greatness. Johnnie Bryan Hunt was born on February 28 1927, in Heber Springs. Sign up for free today. ", Print Headline: J.B. Hunt to be bestowed hall of fame seat, If youd like a notification when I file a new blog post, J.B. Hunt to be bestowed hall of fame seat. Thinking outside the box ultimately led to one of the best decisions in the history of J.B. Hunt Transport.". They had two children and seven grandchildren. They were in school, so Johnnie wanted me full time on the business. Hunt began J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. in 1969 with five tractors and seven trailers. Her vitality and joie de vivre are astonishing. Then he would come to our office and tell me what certain people were doing wrong so that I would go and address it. Haverty was confident in the logic of the idea that capitalized on the two industries' strengths. Were building a technology platform for everyone and creating a digital space where previously unconnected networks can come together to drive out the inefficiencies and waste within the industry. To supplement his income, he sold lawn sod. He was born on February 28, 1927 and his birthplace is United States. B. I heard from his widow and business partner Johnelle Hunt for the occasion, as well as many others from the company and industry about how intermodal happened, and why it's such a big deal. ), We spoke in the penthouse office he had designed, which remains much as he left it, featuring panoramic views, much memorabilia and "J.B. Hunt" embedded in the marble floors. At the time my son was 7 and my daughter was 11. The Arkansas Business Hall of Fame inducted them as a couple in 2001. Spoiler alert - it's been 60 years in the making. Biography. The conversation meant so much to the employee, Hicks says. After visiting them in Lowell in 1988, he invited Johnnie Hunt and then-President Kirk Thompson to see how it could work by riding a passenger car on a freight train from Chicago to Kansas City. Despite her continued involvement in many projects, including an ever-expanding real estate operation, Mrs. Hunt said her heart will always be with the former rice hull litter company in Stuttgart, Arkansas, that grew into a transportation industry leader that employs more than 32,000 people nationwide and is based in Lowell, Arkansas. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. [6] He married Johnelle Terria Debusk on January 19, 1952 in Heber Springs, Cleburne County. The Hunt family's fortune originates with oil wildcatter H.L. By completing this web form, you are agreeing that your information will be used in accordance with J.B. Hunt Transport's. While driving down the road, he handed her the ring on the way to her high school graduation. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. I would type letters to potential customers and financial statements.. ", President and Chief Executive Officer John Roberts said the company is "extremely fortunate to have had Mr. Hunt as our founder. The rest is history. They married two years later and became business partners. There were a few other women employed by the company when it was founded, but not many. All she ever wanted was to take care of her family and home, but Johnnie, her husband of 54 years, and the legendary founder of J. Hunt with Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas, 1980s© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #41: Jane and Johnelle Hunt© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #42: Bill Clinton with J. We always liked getting everyones opinion and we wanted everyone to feel like they had an input, anyone could come and talk to us., Johnelle speaks at length about her truckers and her staff. Hunt, Rayeanne Cocker; Hot Springs, March 1970© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #37: J. Hunt within a yellow-and-black scroll logo. B. We celebrate her on International Womens Day, and we value the contributions the women who have followed her have made within our company and the industry at large. Johnelle and J.B. Hunt stand in front of one of their trucks in 1988. His first name is "Johnnie" and his last name is . "This honor is something we should be particularly proud of in Arkansas," he said. He was not yet a teenager when he began gathering up wood shavings from his uncle's sawmill . Have you taken a DNA test? Learn more about how we create value for our customers using the right mix of shipment solutions and services. Johnelles friend rode up front with Johnnie, but Johnelle was so taken with the dashing young man that when he passed through town the next night she outran all her friends so that she could sit next to him. Johnelle recounts how she really wanted to be a full-time mother and homemaker, but Johnnie must have seen her business potential and her magical way with people. Through this expansive array of company-owned assets and access to additional capacity through a pool of qualified third-party carriers, J.B. Hunt offers mode-agnostic, customizable solutions to meet modern transportation needs. He declined and later called that his biggest mistake. They did not sell the rice hull business until 1983, when the company went public. She still has the ring more than 70 years later. B. Hunt and other business leaders in Lowell, Arkansas, 1979© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #43: Johnelle Hunt (right) with Harry Ward and Hillary Clinton at the Arkansas Governor's Mansion© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #44: Johnelle Hunt on a motorcycle with her husband, J. She continued to serve in a variety of . I had a landline installed next to my bed so that I could help them any time, day or night., Today J. In 1961, Johnelle Hunt and her late husband J.B. (d. 2006) sold their home and took out loans to start a rice hull packaging operation. B. Thats regardless if they are man or woman, in Lowell or located in a field location, whether they drive for us or they're in an office setting, in one of our maintenance shops, introverted, extroverted, person of color or not.. He also sold the mills wood shavings to poultry farmers for ground cover in their chicken coops. He recalls one of the speakers saying, Welcome to the J.B. Hunt family. And I thought, Family, that's a strange word." He will be inducted alongside Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Co., and Malcom McLean, the developer of the modern shipping container and a friend of Johnnie Hunt. From the time we married I did not work because he worked odd hours. Hunt Rice-Hul Company, Stuttgart, Arkansas© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #29: J. People you trust, technology that empowers, and capacity to deliver are the ideals J.B. Hunt uses to help us keep moving freight forward. B. The 10-year-old had to go to work cutting timber at his uncle's sawmill. And you know what, that was just like pouring fuel on the fire, is when he would come up with these ideas and I would say, Now, Johnnie, why would they do that? Or, Why could you do that? And I think that was the driving force. They found the best talent, shared their vision, got buy in and motivated all of their employees to execute said vision.. J.B. and Johnelle Hunt on their wedding day, January 19, 1952. Want to receive more stories like this in your inbox? We also bring our readers the best of Little Rock's cultural offerings, cuisine, events, party photos, and attractions, and the most comprehensive event calendar in the city. People you trust, technology that empowers, and capacity to deliver are the ideals J.B. Hunt uses to help us keep moving freight forward. Johnnie Hunt currently lives in Springdale, AR; in the past Johnnie has also lived in Rogers AR. Johnnie Bryan Hunt, with the support of his wife Johnelle, founded J.B. Hunt in 1961 outside of Little Rock, Arkansas. He was 79. "With any innovative company, there will always be things you try that don't work. We think of it as a family, an extension of the dedication our founders Johnnie Bryan and Johnelle Hunt put into this company to establish it as one of the largest transportation and logistics operations in the country. In the following decades, as the two built the company into one of the largest and most influential transportation providers in the nation, Mr. Hunt never took his finger off the pulse of the road. Johnnie Bryan Hunt has been a part of the Business list.. On this site which analyses celebrities, Johnnie is well known as one of the top stars. info@littlerocksoiree.com, Toll Free: (888) 322-6397 career with a company that is always finding new ways to grow, search jobs to find an opening near you, He quit school at 12 to help support his family, earning $1.50 a day at his uncles sawmill. . That consistency helps lay the path for the next generation of J.B. Hunt leaders. Main Line: (501) 372-1443, Circulation The name on the side of hundreds of thousands of trucks, trailers and shipping containers spread out across the country read J.B. I was, therefore, surprised when she said she's thinking about moving. He let everybody know how much he cared about them, what a good job they were doing.. The Women's Foundation of Arkansas named her 2012 Woman of the Year. Our founder, Johnnie Bryan Hunt, was a dreamer, and his spirit of innovation is still very much felt at J.B. Hunt today. His education was driving those trucks all those years, because he had so much time alone.". At that time, as today, the two industries competed intensely for freight. When someone works with J.B. Hunt, they know they are working with people they can rely on to get the job done. These ideals have fueled our growth for more than 60 years and will continue to propel us into the future. Some people came there right out of high school and college and now are retired., Inevitably for such a big-hearted woman, philanthropy is a huge part of Johnelles life, as it was for Johnnie. When we started our own business he asked me to help out part time. J.B. Hunt's commitment to entrepreneurialism and prioritization of customers seem to remain at the company today. Its just a thrill to help people, and theres a reason why people are put in front of you. And because she broke into the industry and forged her path, others could follow in her footsteps. None of us can see it, but the people that are passing by can. Over the few hours I spent interviewing Mrs. Hunt, 84, I learned a great deal about her husband, the early days of trucking in NW Arkansas and that she has an admitted weakness for shoes (as her husband had one for cowboy hats). Bryan Hunt is heir to one of the largest transportation companies in North America. -- the center of the universe,'" Johnelle Hunt recalled. B." Sign up for free today. In 1961 Hunt and his wife, Johnelle, started J.B. Hunt Company in Stuttgart, specializing in the sale and transport of rice hulls to be used as poultry litter, and he invented a machine to compress the hulls. Despite the overhead cost of new containers and equipment to enable the transitions from tractor to rail, "After a year of business there was $30 million worth of revenue. Hunt and Johnelle DeBusk (Hunt) (right) with their friends on Petit Jean Mountain, Arkansas© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #20: J. B. Having events like this will raise money and awareness, and there are children out there who really need that help.. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Johnny A. Isenhour to pay them a last tribute. He and Johnny Cash used to pick cotton together as kids, later on Johnny and June would come up and stay with us from time to time.. More headlines. The late Johnnie Bryan Hunt Sr., founder of J.B. Hunt Transport, showed off the saddle that once belonged to actor John Wayne in this August 2003 photo. The caring she feels for each individual is palpable. I have been the wife of a trucker myself, so I would often speak to their wives if they were upset. Johnelle Hunt said that while she and her husband thought about quitting, they never thought about moving from Arkansas. A few years after what began as a rice hull operation, J.B. Hunt purchased IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Lowell, Arkansas, is the company's headquarters. J.B. Hunt employees are the human capacity working to create . Weve dedicated ourselves to makingour J.B. Hunt 360 platformthe best, most comprehensive digital platform in the industry. I learned to drive very early and I would take one of Daddy's big trucks on a Sunday afternoon and put my friends all in it and drive around in the neighborhoods right there in town, driving that big truck. _____________________________________________. Johnelle Hunt, who co-founded J.B. Hunt with her late husband, Johnnie Bryan Hunt, said that when they moved the company to Northwest Arkansas over 50 years ago, its major industry was poultry . Hunt died on December 7, 2006 in Springdale, Washington County, after injuries he sustained when he slipped on ice and fell, hitting his head. Johnnie was the idea man, and she focused on the fine details that kept things moving behind the scenes. No one had ever managed to find a way to pack them because rice hulls are difficult to compress. Johnelle also recounts seeing John F. Kennedy at a luncheon for the dedication of Greers Ferry Dam on Oct. 3, 1963, just weeks before his assassination. Cooking Up Down-Home Dishes for Youth Ho Voices Carry: Sharing Stories of Addicti Accents: Highlights of the March Issue Ballet Arkansas Presents "New Works" at Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Be a Part of the Cure Walk benefiting the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Cirque Over Broadway presented by Arkansas Circus Arts, Equip Small Business Series: Creating a Promotional Video Script for your Business, Little Rock Hope CARE Workshop with Alzheimer's Arkansas, Little Rock Soire Head of the Class 2023, Little Rock Soire Mental Health Resource Guide 2023, Life Cycle: Pedaling Out a Passion for Cancer Care, Mental Health Resource Guide: Pinnacle Pointe Behavioral Healthcare System. B. and Johnelle Hunt's getaway car before their wedding© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #24: Johnelle Hunt's parents, Johnie J. and Ollie Jane DeBusk, 1953© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #25: J. Instead, Mr. Hunt spent 30-45 minutes asking questions and trying to understand that drivers life on and off the road. As the company grew, the Hunt family grew along with it. That's just par for the course with being innovative. He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. He headquartered his company in Lowell, Benton County. She tells the story with a laugh because years later, in 1969, Johnnie Hunt bought five tractors and seven trailers. "This deal changed the entire landscape of long-haul freight transportation in America," Thompson said. B. Hunt in his red pickup truck, Heber Springs, Arkansas© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #15: J. Johnnie Bryan Hunt Sr., a former truck driver who founded one of the nation's largest trucking companies, died Thursday, the company announced. Hunt, one of the countrys largest trucking companies, had other ideas. Hunt Sr. She cofounded J.B. Hunt Company with her husband in 1961, and in 1969 they created J.B. Hunt Transport Services. Sorry about that, she says. Johnnie Bryan Hunt, with the support of his wife Johnelle, founded J.B. Hunt in 1961 outside of Little Rock, As our founder, Johnnie Bryan Hunt, once said, "Today is going to be better than yesterday." . The fruit of the family's sacrifices and labor came soon enough, and J.B. Hunt Transportation Services Inc. now stands as one of North America's . the nation. B." Johnnie Bryan "J. As we choose which clothes to photograph her in, her cellphone dings constantly with text messages. After a bank loan, the Hunts were officially back in the trucking business, and they moved to Northwest Arkansas. Aside from his business success, Hunt was known for his kindness to others. Hunt joined the Army at 18 and was recruited for officer training school. Today, JB Hunt is a Fortune 500 company with over 29,000 employees and a fleet of more than 12,000 trucks. Other names that Johnnie uses includes Bryan Hunt, Bryan Johnnie Hunt, Johnnie B Hunt, Johnnie C Hunt and Johnnie B J Hunt. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? He briefly served in the army before working as a truck driver for Superior Forwarding Company. J.B. Hunt employees are the human capacity working to createa culture that values safetyand delivers on our promises to everyone we interact with when we say we will do something, we do it. He came into work in the morning and would go round speaking to everyone in the company. Its late founder is being inducted into the Supply Chain Hall of Fame tomorrow (alongside Henry Ford and Malcolm McLean) for his industry-changing deal with the Santa Fe Railway Company, which made intermodal transportation work for the first time. Haverty also faced skepticism from his peers, though it quickly faded. circulation@abpg.com. Hunt with his grandchildren: Martin Tinnin; twins, Tessa and Phoebe Hunt; Bailey Hunt; Tarra Tennin; and her cousin, Ellen Tennin; 1991© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #47: Hunt family at the beach, 1995© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #48: J. J.B. Hunt 360 technology helps you find the right load at the right time. If someone asked Johnnie a question and the answer was going to be a no, he would say, you have to speak to Johnelle about that. , Was he making her the bad cop? It's a long story, but trust me, a lot shorter than I could have written, given all that people wanted to say on the subject. August 05, 2021 3:30 PM. Every year, this culture is celebrated when many of the companys best drivers gather at the corporate headquarters in Lowell, Ark. We are constantly focused on growth. and St. Louis. But whatever it took, I stayed on that phone all day long, being not a very nice person to those people that wouldn't pay, but I had to because that's how we paid the bills.. In the beginning, though, he drove trucks out of Texarkana and Little Rock while she stayed with their children. J.B. Hunt 360 technology helps you find the right load at the right time. To supplement his income, he sold lawn sod. About Johnelle Hunt. It has gotten so large now, but I love to go and see everyone, I really enjoy it. J.B. Hunt Has Big Plans for the Future. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. The one thing I did not want was to move. He and his wife, Johnelle, remained the largest shareholders of J.B. Hunt stock. Save time on shipping and get reliable service with Shipper 360.

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