2022: A Year of Resilience

A holiday message from Mary Jo Johnson, EO Johnson Business Technologies Owner and CEO

As I write this, I am thinking about the last few years and all that we have been through together. When I shared my message at this time last year, I remember having such a strong feeling of optimism. Personally, I was excited to see people out in the community again and to hear people make plans to gather with friends and family for the holidays. And professionally, our company had adapted in numerous ways to help with the technological changes of the new ways we do business today.

Today, I’m still optimistic. But something else is top of mind for me this year – resilience. At EO Johnson, resilience is a commitment we make to ourselves and our customers as part of our Cornerstone Core Values. We are committed to finding stability for our employees and customers in the midst of inevitable challenges. And as this year has likely tested your resilience, this year has tested ours too.

Being resilient means recognizing and responding to adversity. We were not immune to the supply chain issues this year, and it, unfortunately, caused delays at times in how we were able to support our customers. We are a business technology company, and the microchip shortage especially impacted us. I appreciate everything our employees did this year to find creative solutions and keep an open line of communication while we worked through this instability. And I appreciate our customers granting us grace and patience. Thank you.

Being resilient means finding new solutions for the many changes in how we all do business. We know you share information differently now, and employees need access to it from anywhere. We know there are ever-changing threats to your networks and data, and your security position is top of mind. Most importantly, we know you rely on us to stay on top of all these technology trends to serve you better, and we thank you for putting your trust in us.

Being resilient also involves finding stability, and growth is one of the ways we do that. Our acquisition of ShelDon Business Solutions was one of the highlights of this year. Along with the strategic growth and enhanced customer support we can now provide to businesses in Northern Minnesota, we also gained a great team of dedicated employees. I’m looking forward to all the new relationships that will develop there in the coming years.

And ultimately, being resilient means we serve our customers and communities with the long game in mind. I was truly humbled this year as I reflected on our 65^th anniversary and the rich history of this company that was founded by my father, Emery O. Johnson. We are purposeful about building business and community partnerships that stand the test of time.

As the year comes to a close and you take time to reflect as well, I hope you can appreciate the storms we have all weathered both at home and in the workplace. Find joy in the lessons you have learned and the connections you have made. Having resilience and stability brings a greater sense of belonging and peace, and those are gifts we all hope to receive.

May you give thanks and find joy this holiday season and throughout the new year.