Hunt had been in critical condition at a hospital in Springdale, Ark., after hitting his head on ice in a fall Saturday. She bore the wrath of her friend, who didnt speak to her for several days afterward, but she got her man. Mr. Hunt always dreamed big, and Mrs. Hunt provided the [1][2], In the 1990s, the company grossed over $1 billion annually, employed thousands of people, and operated in Mexico and the United States. Then I came here (Northwest Arkansas), but I have never once felt like I was intimidated by a man, she said in 2017. The J.B. Hunt Story Emma N. Hurt He will be inducted alongside Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Co., and Malcom McLean, the developer of the modern shipping container and a friend of Johnnie Hunt. Throughout our storied history, J.B. Hunt has always been a company deeply rooted in growth and innovation. 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. Known as JB Hunt, Johnny Bryan Hunt, Sr. was an entrepreneur from the United States and the founder of JB Hunt Transport Services, the nation's largest public trucking company. While driving through Stuttgart, he noticed people burning rice hulls and decided to find a way to sell that byproduct instead. (At the time he was involved in close to 90 projects. In 2015, that number was down to 8.5 percent, he said. Johnnie passed away on December 7 2006, at age 79. I know how hard it is for the drivers, they are away so much and often miss family occasions. [1][2], In 1945, he lived in Miller, Arkansas. She continued to serve in a variety of . Her husband died on Dec. 7, 2006, from injuries sustained in a fall six days earlier. I went to school with children that didnt even have a lunch to bring, so my parents would help out feeding kids. © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #16: Johnelle DeBusk (Hunt) and J. Hunt began J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. in 1969 with five tractors and seven trailers. After visiting them in Lowell in 1988, he invited Johnnie Hunt and then-President Kirk Thompson to see how it could work by riding a passenger car on a freight train from Chicago to Kansas City. Springdale, Arkansas (AR), US. When asked if she gets tired of it all she says, well, yes, but I promised Johnnie Id look after things.. "We were both determined it was going to work, and we told our people to make sure that it did work," Haverty said. 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. Save time on shipping and get reliable service with Shipper 360. The caring she feels for each individual is palpable. From the time we married I did not work because he worked odd hours. [4] He enlisted in the Army on January 9, 1946 and was stationed at Camp Joseph T. Robinson in Little Rock, Arkansas. Johnny A. Isenhour Obituary. "We never lost any money in the rice hull business after that. He eventually borrowed $80 from his aunt and bought an engagement ring. How to avoid leaving money on the table, Congressional investigators blame airlines for most flight cancellations, First Republic Bank stock plunges to record low as rescue plan proves elusive, Fed faults Silicon Valley Bank execs and itself in bank failure. One of her friends who also fancied Johnnie didnt talk to her for three days, but the race was indeed over. 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. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Johnny A. Isenhour (Newton, North Carolina), born in Catawba, North Carolina, who passed away on April 21, 2023 at the age of 64. I also did the hiring, but that was when we were smaller. Johnnie had big dreams despite his humble background. CCJ Staff (CCJ) Dec 7, 2006. He also sold the mills wood shavings to poultry farmers for ground cover in their chicken coops. One way to do that is ensuring people can bring their whole selves to work, where they feel like they are being care for personally and professionally, says Shelley Simpson, chief commercial officer and executive vice president of people and human resources. 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. J.B. Hunt Has Big Plans for the Future. "He was an entrepreneurial individual. He started his own hugely successful chicken litter company using rice hulls in 1961 in Stuttgart, but Johnelle says hed had the idea 15 years before it started. . That was 42 years ago, and she has been working full time ever since. B. Hunt has served on the Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute Advisory Board, the Beau Foundation Board of Directors, and the Advisory Council for the Ozark Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. He quit school at 12 to help support his family, earning $1.50 a day at his uncle's sawmill. Instead, Mr. Hunt spent 30-45 minutes asking questions and trying to understand that drivers life on and off the road. 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. He was able to carry more freight and provide more work for the drivers. We have always been this way, and I learned this from my parents because they went through the Depression. J.B. and Johnelle were married for nearly 55 years until his death in 2006. Records may include photos, original documents, family history, relatives, specific dates, locations and full names. 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. Hunt family gives $5 million to Fayetteville Library project "This deal changed the entire landscape of long-haul freight transportation in America," Thompson said. B. Hunt© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #18: Johnelle DeBusk (Hunt)© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #19: J. As we choose which clothes to photograph her in, her cellphone dings constantly with text messages. We always liked getting everyones opinion and we wanted everyone to feel like they had an input, anyone could come and talk to us., Johnelle speaks at length about her truckers and her staff. When Johnnie Hunt died suddenly, she came out of retirement to take the helm of his real estate development company, Hunt Ventures. B. "Let's just say I have been laughing a lot.". He did a good job with communicating with people. Johnelle Hunt - Crunchbase Person Profile . It was hard work, integrity and honesty that helped carry them through those trying times and eventually turn that venture and the transportation company that was incorporated in 1969 into a success. Mrs. Hunt would be beside him for the rest of his life. Sorry about that, she says. Johnnie Bryan Hunt was born on February 28, 1927, in Heber Springs, Arkansas. Hunt in his red pickup truck, Heber Springs, Arkansas© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas, #15: J. Today, JB Hunt is a Fortune 500 company with over 29,000 employees and a fleet of more than 12,000 trucks. Thinking outside the box ultimately led to one of the best decisions in the history of J.B. Hunt Transport.". Our more than 60 years in the logistics industry have taught us what keeps freight moving forward. We encourage you to research and examine these records . encouragement to turn those dreams into reality. Sign up for free today. 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. In many cases, this helped both drivers and the company. Johnnie Hunt eventually did, and the family moved to Stuttgart where, in 1961, they founded J.B. Hunt Co. Their first year in business they lost $19,000. Your email address will not be published. Cooking Up Down-Home Dishes for Youth Ho Voices Carry: Sharing Stories of Addicti Accents: Highlights of the March Issue Ballet Arkansas Presents "New Works" at Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Be a Part of the Cure Walk benefiting the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Cirque Over Broadway presented by Arkansas Circus Arts, Equip Small Business Series: Creating a Promotional Video Script for your Business, Little Rock Hope CARE Workshop with Alzheimer's Arkansas, Little Rock Soire Head of the Class 2023, Little Rock Soire Mental Health Resource Guide 2023, Life Cycle: Pedaling Out a Passion for Cancer Care, Mental Health Resource Guide: Pinnacle Pointe Behavioral Healthcare System. Read Also: Kurt Rappaport Net Worth 2023. B. He's also a generous guy with a great sense of humor. Her father was in the poultry business and he owned trucks to deliver feed to poultry growers. Transportation Industry Leader. A legend leaves the trucking stage | FleetOwner To get a more detailed understanding of what that means, we met with several company leaders and influencers to discuss our culture, its evolution over the past 60 years, and the spirit of the people who give it life. 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. Save time on shipping and get reliable service with Shipper 360. And I always felt like that was the most important thing that he did for the company. It makes me feel so great because this will always be my baby. After he retired, Hunt pursued interests as a private investor in real estate, construction and development. 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. J.B. and Johnelle were married for nearly 55 years until his death in 2006.