JohnsonRauhoff Pays Tribute to Trailblazing Founder, Don Johnson
ST. JOSEPH, Mich., Feb. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative agency entrepreneur, U.S. Army veteran, and philanthropist Don Johnson passed away peacefully at his home on February 5, 2021. He was 84. According to Jackie Huie, Don's longtime business partner and Chairman & CEO of JohnsonRauhoff, the creative agency her father founded, "He was the greatest ad man I ever met, never gave up and never admitted retirement from the company he built and loved. His legacy for going the extra mile for clients continues in the team today."
Over the years, JR has gone up against the biggest agencies and studios in the country, driving results for clients, ranking as high as #8 in the PROMO 100 and garnering several national and international awards. Since 2016, JR President Mike Huie has worked alongside both Don and Jackie, adding, "Don was a remarkably innovative entrepreneur and trailblazer, leading JR as a beta test site for several new software technologies. To this day, we remain cutting-edge, recently introducing the Virtual Live Studio to allow clients to be on set without leaving their home offices. The VLS system was something Don was very proud of, and I envision his passion for technology continuing to drive our company."
In 2019, Don helped celebrate the 50th anniversary of the company that he and his wife Audrey started in the basement of their home. "Many great companies started in basements and garages, and JR is no different," according to JR Studio & Ops Director Rob Regovich, adding "I actually moved to Michigan from a Chicago studio to compete with JohnsonRauhoff, but joined JR once I met Don and saw the incredible company he'd built. Everyone wants to be a part of a winning team, and JR has an outstanding talent pool and admirable roster of clients that I am proud to work with."
A hard worker and a visionary, oftentimes quoting Vince Lombardi on what it takes to build a winning team, Don built JR from nothing and led with an 'all-in' team mentality while driving positive change for clients. With the foundation built by Don, the company plans to stay true to his vision to become the ultimate strategic partner to brands, only now, as a woman-owned company, led by Jackie Huie. "There were no glass ceilings in my Dad's world. He'd be very proud of this," added Jackie.
As a legacy gift to Don, the JR team documented his success with a tribute video shared during a company Christmas party in 2015: https://rb.gy/v1q1i0. For more of Don Johnson's story, visit https://rb.gy/ss0fxx.
Don is survived by his wife of 52 years, Audrey (Evans) Johnson, four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. The family requests that any memorial gifts be made to the Bissell Pet Foundation; bissellpetfoundation.org or Caring Circle at Spectrum Health Lakeland; spectrumhealthlakeland.org/caring-circle.
About JohnsonRauhoff
As the ultimate strategic partner to brands, JohnsonRauhoff is an agency with an in-house studio, a key ingredient for providing higher quality, value and service. For more information, visit johnsonrauhoff.com.
SOURCE JohnsonRauhoff
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