Roy and his brother, Willard Johnson, had a small building in Toledo, Illinois they called Johnson’s Garage. Steve, Roy’s son, tinkered and started his walk down the auto repair path there.

Steve graduated from Southern Illinois University and then worked for several auto dealerships as a line mechanic until 1969 when he took a teaching position with Lake Land College in the automotive technology department. In 1977 he decided to fulfill his dream and establish his own shop. He bought the original garage building, and after some renovation, Johnson’s Automotive Service was born at 8th and Madison Avenue, today’s location. That was the location of my introduction to the automotive service. I’m David Johnson, the current owner and operator. I helped my dad by working late nights installing a ground hoist and cleaning up the shop. Additional lots and another building were acquired and Johnson’s Automotive expanded in size. While I attended Eastern Illinois University, my father asked me to fill the position of service manager. Within two years, I relieved Steve of his customer relations responsibilities which enabled him to concentrate on the technical aspects of the job. Then, in 1998 we added 1000 more square feet of shop space.

Improvements to the office area and customer waiting room have now been completed, offering space and comfort for customers who opt to wait for automotive repairs.

For many years Johnson’s Automotive Service has continued to move forward in our industry, but we’ve never forgotten how we got here. And remember, “service is a part of our name.”