Sharing a Commitment to Service & Quality
In the mid-1980s, two brothers invested $2,700 in a tile machine and a dream. By 1990, they officially incorporated Johnston Land Improvement, which over the past three decades has grown into a booming business in Victoria, Illinois. Specializing in drainage systems for construction sites, the company is well-known in their community and in the region for providing an incredible level of service. Bryan Johnston, one of the brothers and current president of the company, says, “We’ve really got it good with our customers. Business has been good. It’s been fun.”
Meet Brandon Herron
Coworkers that feel more like family than business associates are a common theme among Fratco employees. Brandon Herron echoes that sentiment, proudly serving as the Mount Pleasant location’s plant manager.
New Fratco Spaces & Places
When you work in manufacturing, adding extra sunshine into the day makes everything brighter. That was one of the ambitious goals Fratco brought to the design table when planning the new employee break room at its Francesville location. Wrapped in windows, the break room is warm and inviting with thoughtful touches throughout. New tables and chairs, a big-screen television, vending machines and a large refrigerator to store lunches are just a few of the amenities you’ll find.
Meet Willie Parish
Since 1987, Willie Parish has been part of the Fratco family. Recently promoted to Manufacturing Superintendent, Willie began where so many start their careers at the four-generation strong business. “What did I do previously?” he laughs, recalling all the stops along the way, “A little bit of everything.”
Sentimental Journey
Pennsylvania civic leader Dr. Benjamin Rush was a physician, politician, humanitarian, educator and one of the historymakers who helped pen then added his signature to the Declaration of Independence. Born in 1746, Dr. Rush was the figurehead Rush County and the town of Rushville, Indiana were named for. It’s also where you’ll find Hoeing Supply, Inc.
Dry Spell
Farming seems like a pretty simple process, right? Till the soil, plant seeds, nurture plants and, finally, it’s harvest time. If farming were that easy, growers would be delighted, and their yields would thrive no matter the climate, weather or terrain; a little piece of heaven on earth.
Farm & Family
For decades, Hollywood has shaped our view of agriculture through their storytelling lenses of what rural farm-living looks like. If you loved Eva Gabor and Eddie Albert’s 1965 sitcom Green Acres, then you witnessed a socialite uprooted from NYC when her lawyer- husband yearned for a simpler life. Children of the 1970s were convinced Little House on the Prairie was the real deal: outhouses, Nellie Olson- types and lemon verbena perfume. In the 1990s, we lived vicariously through Kevin Costner’s film Field of Dreams with the infamous line: “If you build it, he will come.” Life on the farm seems easy when storylines tie neatly into a bow at the end, don’t they?
Greener Fairways & Good Deeds
When it comes to golf course planning, a developer’s focus is location, location, location. For landscape architects and contractors creating a scenically manicured 18 hole experience, their mantra is drainage, drainage, drainage.
Growing Hometown Roots with Eads & Son Bulldozing
The Wabash River snakes through a series of towns and cities that generations of Midwestern families have called home. Where it branches into the Salamonie River, you’ll find Lagro, Indiana. Founded in 1835, Lagro is a cozy community made up of generations of residents who love their tight-knit hometown. It is also where you’ll find Eads & Son Bulldozing, owned by Fratco partners and cousins Tadd and Scott Eads.
2021 Trends
Agriculture’s influence is global. Local and international growers and producers have a strong voice that sets the industry’s tone for the year. From career changes to choosing new crops to invest in, here are trends to keep an eye on in 2021.