Our Story
The Story of JOhnstone & The Founders Group
From Humble Beginnings to Industry Leader
Discover the milestones that have shaped our company. From humble beginnings to where we are today, our timeline highlights the key moments, achievements, and growth that define who we are and what we stand for. Explore the story behind our success and the vision that drives us forward.
1945
Meet Our Founder
Having sold his father’s millinery business and eager to start a new career at the age of 34, Mr. Shank bought a small appliance parts house for $19,000. Thus, Johnstone Supply was born!
At that time, Johnstone Supply was primarily a commercial refrigeration business with very low margins and well-established competitors. Mr. Shank began by implementing a “consistent and aggressive merchandising program backed up with a kind of service people had never seen before.” He started a monthly mailer using the slogan “Ride the Mail to Johnstone”. None of his three member staff would go home at the end of the day until all orders had been shipped and stamped with “This order shipped same day as received.”
1953
Johnstone Supply Is Born
John M Shank was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He served in the Army AirCorp during WWII. He was a fighter pilot in the South Pacific, flying P-38 Lightnings. He flew 60 combat missions and was awarded the Flying Medal. He was discharged with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in 1945. He continued his passion for flying as a private pilot throughout his life.
John Shank came to Portland, Oregon from Minneapolis with his wife Bette and three daughters.
1959
Just Getting Started
In October of 1960, Johnstone Supply opened the first company-owned branch in Salt Lake City. One year later, the first franchise branch opened in Denver. The seeds were sown for what was to come.
1960
By the close of the 1950’s, Mr. Shank had developed his strategy for growth: Hire a resident salesman to develop enough volume to assure a branch would be profitable. And when sales grew to a predetermined number, open a branch and make the salesman the branch manager.
Salt Lake City Opens
1965
Continuing to Grow
In 1981, Mr. Shank decided to retire, and in doing so created a cooperative business model where stores would rely on each other to buy in bulk to create price efficiency and leverage vendors. The first board of directors was founded in 1981 and featured the founder of store #1 (Portland and now Clackamas), Greg Popma Sr., Mr. Shank’s son-in-law.
1981
The Next Evolution
By 1965, Johnstone Supply had eight company-owned stores and two branches opened by independent distributors in the Rocky Mountain region.
1980s
GAP Supply
During the 80’s and 90’s, Johnstone Supply experienced exponential growth as demand for the brand exploded across the nation. As owners of the new co-op franchises began to get older, their children started to take over.
Corky Popma, Matt Popma and Mike Martinson (Greg’s Son In-Law) took over operation of the business and pushed for expansion and growth in both the Northwest and in the North Bay area of California. Following in Greg’s footsteps, the three men helped lead Johnstone into a new era of digital commerce, consolidation of ownership groups and expansion into new states.
1990s
A Family Affair
Greg and his wife Penny founded GAP Supply (Greg and Penny Supply) and began building their chain of stores across the Northwest. As the Johnstone Supply Co-Op grew, they built their headquarters close to the original location in North Portland near the Portland International Airport. Portland has been, and continues to be, the national home of Johnstone Supply and The Founders Group.
2021
A Franchise is Formed
In 2021, The Co-Op decided to accept investment from Redwood Capital and changed to a franchise model. This allowed the company to invest heavily in technology and logistical solutions across the country to better serve their customers.
Today
A New President
In 2023, The Popma family decided to slowly begin stepping away from the day-to-day operations of business and start focusing on the overall company strategy. They hired a professional management team to lead the business forward.
The new President, Steve Porter, brings over 30 years of distribution experience and has assembled a leadership team that will set the Founders Group up for success for many years to come. The current Founders Group store map encompasses 6 states with 20 locations in Oregon, Washington, California, Utah, Idaho, and Alaska.
As the Founders Group continues to grow and expand, we continue to embody the beliefs that drove the company to its early success.
“If they get better and faster service at Johnstone than elsewhere, this is where they will trade.”
– John Shank