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“Improving lives with the Lord’s guidance by providing the highest quality plant experience”

This is the mission statement of Johnson Nursery; we actually call this our core focus and have five core values supporting this. Nothing tests your values, your mission, and your faith like a storm. We are still recovering from Hurricane Florence and are now facing COVID-19.

When I explain our core focus to a new employee, I explain the most important lives of Johnson Nursery are those of our employees and their families. We want to be a company that provides the best possible pay, benefits, and working culture. We then want to focus on our customers and have a business that improves our customer’s lives. Next is valuing our vendors and then our community.

We attempt to accomplish this by providing high quality experiences. I believe my son, Chason, said it best: “Our goal is to provide positive experiences, we just happen to do this by selling plants”

Thankfully, we are in agriculture and are located in Willard, NC, where we have lots of open space. The majority of our employees are spread over 125 acres. Being outside on a bright and sunny day is good for the mind, body, and soul. I believe these conditions may not be a favorable environment for the coronavirus.

If Johnson Nursery were to close, many of our customers and suppliers would feel the effects. Closing could potentially have the most impact on our employees.

In light of the above, Johnson Nursery will continue to remain open to our wholesale and retail customers and run our business taking into account every recommendation and restriction placed on us by our government. The leadership team of Johnson Nursery meets every morning to address these issues and how best to move forward each day.

When I meet with a new employee, I also mention “the Lord’s guidance.” I quickly explain that this is not a statement that our employees are asked to embrace; this is a statement about a 26-year-old who began this business in 1981. My faith in Jesus Christ is very personal to me and has carried me through the challenges of running this business for all of these years. I believe it would be difficult to be a farmer and not have faith. This business would have never survived if it depended upon the wisdom, expertise, and strength of David Johnson.

COVID-19 may be the largest challenge our nation, state, local community, and Johnson Nursery has ever faced. No one can meet this challenge alone. We are going to depend on each other to be responsible and to assist where possible. Many of us are also going to depend on our faith and, as I have said many times, “4:13” which refers to Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who given me strength.”

Thanks and God Bless,

David Johnson