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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 M AY 2 , 2 0 1 6 He named his fi rst small company Johnny Appleseed after the American pioneer nurseryman, and in the fall of 1974 moved temporarily to use farmland friends off ered in Dixmont. Johnston sent out the fi rst seed catalog from his parents' home in Massachusetts in 1974. e following year he moved to the 120-acre former dairy farm in Albion. Johnston's company quickly became known for its simple white seed package and the catalog, which included growing information and variety descrip- tions that he wrote. e retail store in Winslow opened in 2003, the company's 30 th anniversary. "I'm interested in having a face on the food. Supporting regional agriculture is a real opportu- nity for market gardeners to produce food year- round for clientele and grow it through the winter," Johnston says, using new technologies and hoop houses that extend growing seasons. Employee owned e company now employs about 210 full-time and seasonal workers. In 2005, Johnny's formed an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, or ESOP, and the company became fully owned by employees in 2012. "I wondered what's going to happen with the company when I grow old," says Johnston. "An ESOP is a graceful transition. One of the risks is that an organization can then become too conservative. I'm careful, but I am investing in a few businesses, including plant breeding and tools. I'm not investing too fast, as it stresses the organization too much." Employees can join the ESOP at age 21 and if they've been working at the company at last 1,000 hours per year. ey are vested 20% each year until they reach 100%, says Cheryl Wilson, operations lead in the distribution center and one of the ESOP owners. " ere certainly is more vested interest in how a company performs and it has a unique culture," adds Mehlhorn. Employees can nominate and vote for board members. ere's a sign-up list for three employees to sit in on and audit board meetings. Exacting work A walk through the retail store and distribution cen- ter is the complete opposite of the peace and quiet in the research center. Seasonal and full-time workers fi ll the center, moving constantly to fi ll orders. High season runs from January through March, when farmers and gardeners are planning their crops. Everything in the distribution center is mea- sured in some way, from the weight of the seeds in a packet to the number of bulk-sale bags on a palette to the distance of the most frequently sold items from the warehouse shipping door. High-volume sales items also are kept on middle shelves to help ease the strain of employees bending over to lower shelves, Wilson says. e distribution center handles about 200 diff erent vendors of tools and seeds "We weigh everything," she says. "And we have an internal lab to meet USDA and FDA standards." Temperature and humidity also are strictly con- trolled to keep the seeds from spoiling. Order turnaround is fast. If an order comes in by 2 p.m., it ships the same day. AAA Energy's preventative maintenance programs can extend your mechanical equipment's life, while increasing its reliability and eciency. Be proactive, to keep your customers and employees comfortable, your products consistent, and your processes running smoothly. To learn more call 207.883.1473 or email info@aaaenergy.com AAAENERGY.COM Proper Maintenance or unexpected repairs? HEATING AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERATION MAINTENANCE DESIGN/BUILD Brunswick Office Space F O R L E A S E Call Lee for more information: 617-227-2000 Handsome brick building on Federal Street 5000 sq feet with plenty of parking Triple net lease C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » S O U R C E : Johnny's Selected Seeds Seeding the world Customer breakdown: Global reach: Exports to 50 countries 83% seeds 17% tools / supplies Average annual sales: $40 million 70% commercial 25–30% avid home gardeners

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