One of them being, he bought his own trucks instead of leasing them. Dec. 8, 2006 12 AM PT. More than 30,000 employees is a long way from the early days when Mr. and Mrs. Hunt worked days and nights at their rice hull processing plant in Stuttgart, Ark. Mrs. Hunts steady presence in our organization has helped establish us a welcoming company. 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 . J.B. Hunt 360 technology helps you find the right load at the right time. On Buzzlearn.com, Johnnie is listed as a successful Businessman who was born in the year of 1927. Another trend he set was to keep driver pay as low as possible. B. 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. So, too, have the J.B. Hunt drivers who put in mile after mile to make sure our customers shipments get to the right place at the right time. He devoted the remainder of his life to pursue other investments, philanthropic activities, and real estate development. He carried a wad of $100 bills in a gold money clip and regularly handed them to people he thought needed the money. We know that Johnnie's political affiliation . The late Johnnie Bryan "J.B." and philanthropist Johnelle Hunt, the chairman of Hunt Ventures in Rogers, co-founded Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. Jane Hunt Meade and . Sign up for free today. Johnnie proposed to Johnelle on their way to her high school graduation with a small diamond ring he had bought with $80 borrowed from his aunt. Hunt was instrumental in the growth and success of their businesses, functioning in numerous roles, including credit manager, secretary-treasurer, and corporate secretary. With solutions and amenities such as Perks for carriers, automation, machine learning and APIintegrations with popular enterprise resources, we are focusing on providing access, transparency and visibility into the industry. ), 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. Spoiler alert - it's been 60 years in the making. Supply chain professionals who have "changed the world we live in," said Brian Hancock, a member of the council's board and chairman of the hall of fame development committee. Mr. Hunts passion for thinking outside the box can be felt in all we do at J.B. Hunt as we seek to create the most efficient transportation network in America. People you trust, technology that empowers, and capacity to deliver are the ideals J.B. Hunt uses to help us keep moving freight forward. But being a business tycoon was never part of her plan. Biography. Its a lifestyle our founder, Johnnie Bryan Hunt, knew well. J.B. Hunt employs thousands of women across the country. That's just par for the course with being innovative. At that time, as today, the two industries competed intensely for freight. Learn more about our 60th anniversary celebration. Powered by our people, the opportunities at J.B. Hunt are endless. When the trucking industry deregulated in 1980, Johnnie Hunt and others were able to take advantage of the free market. I did shipping and generally anything that needed to be done. 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. We offer career When Johnelle Hunt (nee DeBusk) started as the default business manager of J.B. Hunt Co. when the company was founded in 1961, she entered an industry where she had very few female peers. Eight years later, the couple bought . Last year, J.B. Hunt Transport made about $3.7 billion in revenue from its intermodal segment, comprising about 1.8 million loads and about 60 percent of its total business. "And Lowell wasn't even on the map yet. Three years later, the company went public and by 1983 it had $63 million in revenue. B. Though Johnnie Hunt died in 2006, Johnelle Hunt and their two children will attend the the council's annual conference in Florida to accept the award on his behalf Tuesday. B. Innovative, driven, disruptive, integrity all terms we heard often with great passion. "We were both determined it was going to work, and we told our people to make sure that it did work," Haverty said. Or if a driver had a problem on the road that they couldnt sort out themselves they knew they could call me. Find loads for owner-operators, fleets, power only carriers and home delivery carriers. In 1969, the Hunts relocated to Northwest Arkansas, where we are headquartered A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Hunt and Johnelle DeBusk (Hunt) on Petit Jean Mountain, Arkansas© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #21: Johnelle and J. It required Mrs. Hunt to set the tone for the organization. The conversation meant so much to the employee, Hicks says. It's helped him deal with some misinformed reactions to his latest business venture. B. Hunt Transport Services. 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. It was just what we did, things like that. He's also a generous guy with a great sense of humor. . 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 . 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. "He always was thinking. Save time on shipping and get reliable service with Shipper 360. Thinking outside the box ultimately led to one of the best decisions in the history of J.B. Hunt Transport.". B. and Johnelle Hunt at the Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #46: J. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, What the work-from-home era has done to office politics, Regulators seize First Republic Bank, sell to JPMorgan Chase, First Republic up in air as regulators juggle banks fate. Mrs. Hunt, who just turned 90 years young, was recently honored at halftime of an Arkansas Razorback basketball game to celebrate the occasion. During the event, Mrs. Hunt made a point to tell Weston how much he meant to the company. About Johnelle Hunt. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Hunt, one of the countrys largest trucking companies, had other ideas. I know how hard it is for the drivers, they are away so much and often miss family occasions. None of us can see it, but the people that are passing by can. Haverty was confident in the logic of the idea that capitalized on the two industries' strengths. He got a job driving a truck between Texarkana and Fort Smith, and by 1952, had paid off the debt. When Johnnie retired, he started drawing out his Social Security pension and people would say, he is so rich, he doesnt need it. But he would carry his Social Security money in an envelope in his pocket and by the end of the month he would have given it all away to people who were in need., On Oct. 13, Johnelle will be honored by the Childrens Advocacy of Central Arkansas as a Woman of Inspiration. In her typical, humble manner she says, I dont know why they chose me, there are so many more people who deserve to be honored, who have done so much more than I have, but I said that if it will help then I would do it. Your email address will not be published. "If you look at companies historically, when they focus on delivering value to customers, they wind up doing these things that seem counterintuitive. He was one of northwest Arkansas's most active promotors for business development. She had hoped to save us the journey by coming to us, but her grueling schedule wouldnt allow it. ", According to Bryan Hunt, chief operating officer at the time, when he questioned why the company should turn over freight to their railroad competitor, his father responded, "The customer wants the best for the least, and that's what the railroad and us can do.". The name on the side of hundreds of thousands of trucks, trailers and shipping containers spread out across the country read J.B. 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. B. August 05, 2021 3:30 PM. Hunt grew the business by courting Wal-Mart Stores Inc. owner Sam Walton, who eventually became Hunts largest customer. I can rent that out for a lot!". 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. Hunt had been in critical condition at a hospital in Springdale, Ark., after hitting his head on ice in a fall Saturday. Soon, he met Johnelle, a 16-year-old from Heber Springs. We also realized that in fact, one could argue she helped create my job, since the paper has a reporter covering each of the three Fortune 500 companies and their industries here: Walmart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt. They were in school, so Johnnie wanted me full time on the business. . Hunt Sr. was born on February 28, 1927, in Heber Springs, Cleburne County, Arkansas. We will continue to invest in people, technology and capacity. I went to school with children that didnt even have a lunch to bring, so my parents would help out feeding kids. By cherishingthe logo, weensurethat as wedream ofnew ways to innovate and grow, westay grounded inthetrust, integrity and purpose onwhich we were founded. J.B. Hunt used his industry However, on arrival to Rogers Johnelle realized that the truckloads of company paperwork that had been moved from Stuttgart were in disarray and wouldn't make sense to the new team, so she decided to go in for just a few weeks to get everything organized and orient . "A significant portion of that is because we've put trailers on the railroad.". Hunt is . I told her: Twenty-six years ago from today, I was shaking your husbands hand and today Im shaking yours. And Im probably going to cry, Weston said. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. We celebrate Mrs. Hunt and all the women who are part of the J.B. Hunt family, today and every day. 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. Hunt within a yellow-and-black scroll logo. B." They did not sell the rice hull business until 1983, when the company went public. Bryan Hunt's house. J.B. Hunt Has Big Plans for the Future. Skip Ancestry main menu . Hunt has about 10,000 trucks, 70,000 containers/trailers and 11,000 drivers, but Johnelle still goes to meet as many as she can. B. Johnnie Bryan Hunt rose to prime prominence as a Business. Every year, this culture is celebrated when many of the companys best drivers gather at the corporate headquarters in Lowell, Ark. Before he and his wife Johnelle Hunt started this company in 1961, Mr. Hunt was a driver with a regular route between Little Rock, Ark. . But we knew that wasnt enough. Going Off the Tumbling Shoals Bridge - 1:11, Johnelle's Introduction to Johnnie - 4:11, The Building of the Dam in Heber Springs - 3:54, AUDIO-HUNT-JB-Johnelle-20060516 - 2:13:37, TRANS-HUNT-Johnnie-B-and-Johnelle-Memories-20060519-FINAL, Pryor Center Interview with Johnelle Hunt. 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. Hunt Rice-Hul Company; Stuttgart, Arkansas© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #28: J. With the company's growing success, he moved the base of operations to Lowell. Johnnie Bryan Hunt was a truck driver in Little Rock when he suggested to his wife, Johnelle, that he quit to start a new business in Stuttgart. But Johnnie promised me that if we moved I did not have to work.. J.B. and Johnelle were married for nearly 55 years until his death in 2006. He also secured a lucrative contract to haul merchandise for Walmart Inc., which became Hunt's largest customer. One evening as he drove down Main Street, Johnelle and her group of friends flagged him down for a ride. He implemented many cost cutting efforts that allowed him to increase profits dramatically. But when the soon-to-be Mrs. Hunt outraced all of her friends to his truck one day, she claimed the seat beside him. Johnnie Bryan Hunt Sr., a former truck driver who founded one of the nation's largest trucking companies, died Thursday, the company announced. The Hunt family's fortune originates with oil wildcatter H.L. May 4 Ballet Arkansas Presents "New Works" at Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, May 6 Be a Part of the Cure Walk benefiting the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, May 7 Cirque Over Broadway presented by Arkansas Circus Arts, May 10 Equip Small Business Series: Creating a Promotional Video Script for your Business, May 12 Little Rock Hope CARE Workshop with Alzheimer's Arkansas, Enews Unsubscribe | About Us 4. Our office and field employees and maintenance team have all played vital roles in helping us build North Americas most efficient transportation network. 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.. She continued as his partner in business and life until his death and afterward. We are working on a mining operation in Honduras, so people need me to make decisions. When I speak with Johnelle just a few weeks later, she has already sold that company. Hunt, Rayeanne Cocker; Hot Springs, March 1970© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #37: J. All rights reserved. Weve learned that three core ideals drive everything we do: People you trust. "We never lost any money in the rice hull business after that. The Hunt family donated the land for the school, valued in excess of $500,000. 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. A few years after what began as a rice hull operation, J.B. Hunt purchased Save $25 when you book your first LTL shipment. 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. Privacy Policy | Terms, Conditions & Notices | Comment Policy. Kirk Thompson, then president and current chairman of the J.B. Hunt board, called it "one of the best decisions in the history of J.B. Hunt Transport." B. He was able to carry more freight and provide more work for the drivers. B. He had worked 45 weeks and earned $500. Also, the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Center in Springdale, Arkansas, has been established . "The thing that I know for sure about J.B. Hunt is that they really pride themselves on being innovative," said Esper. "The first 10 years of the trucking company were really a struggle," Johnelle Hunt said. 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. Today, J.B. Hunt is an industry leader in transportation and logistics, offering Dedicated, Intermodal, Truckload and Final Mile solutions to customers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Johnelle Hunt said that while she and her husband thought about quitting, they never thought about moving from Arkansas. He declined and later called that his biggest mistake. We think of it as a family, an extension ofthe dedicationour 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. "With any innovative company, there will always be things you try that don't work. As the company grew, the Hunt family grew along with it. After completing seventh grade, Hunt worked at his uncle's sawmill and sold lumber. JB Hunt- Early Life, Real Name, and Family. Hunt with his son, Bryan, (left) and a friend© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #36: Stuttgart Bridge Club: Dr. Jack and Bonnie Pritchard, unidentified couple, Don Underwood, Dr. Dean Laird, Johnelle Hunt, Anne Laird, Betty Underwood, J. It really does feel like a family.. Save time on shipping and get reliable service with Shipper 360. Most of us humans won't do it, but for entrepreneurs, it's part of being an entrepreneur.". Nearly 60 years later, J.B. Hunt has grown from that small fleet of a few trucks into a Fortune 500 company. Other names that Johnnie uses includes Bryan Hunt, Bryan Johnnie Hunt, Johnnie B Hunt, Johnnie C Hunt and Johnnie B J Hunt. Whileour company has significantly evolved since 1961,one thinghas remained the sameour scrolllogo.