JOHNSON SHEET METAL CONTRACTOR SPOTLIGHT:

The family that works together, stays together. That’s especially true for Joe and Jake Johnston, a father and son who belong to Local 17.

For four generations, the Johnston family has been running Johnson Sheet Metal (without a “t”) in Holbrook, Massachusetts. Joe’s grandfather, James Johnston, founded the company right after World War II ended. It was his son, Joe’s father Joseph, who convinced James to unionize the shop in 1958 — and the family has been members of Local 17 ever since.

What started as a small operation with just 4-5 people is now a thriving union workshop with a team of 15-20 members, many of whom have been working for Johnson Sheet Metal as long as the family itself. Together, they have established the business as a local leader in the sheet metal industry, working on homes and hospitals and doing the measuring, fabricating, and sawing in-house.

For Joe, who has been part of the shop “since diapers,” having a family business has been a deep source of joy. “We’re four generations of sheet metal workers. It’s made a life for me, my father, my grandfather, and now my kid. You can’t ask for much more than that,” he says proudly.

Joe’s father, Joseph, passed away in January at the age of 95. After a full life and 70 years as a member of Local 17, he leaves behind a legacy that’s built to last.

His grandson and Joe’s son, Jake, is excited to continue the family business, hoping to grow it while keeping the fundamentals that have made it such a success.

Members like Joe and Jake Johnston, and the generations that came before them, are the backbone of our union. We celebrate them and thank them for their outstanding work!