Joined Ames: July 2007
Position: Crane Operator
Friday the 13th in July 2007 was lucky for Crane Operator Tony Johnston. That was the day he started at Ames, and 18 years later, he’s retiring from the company.
The first project he was sent out on, the 35W Crosstown Interchange in Minneapolis, was memorable because, with 12 cranes, it was the biggest job he had ever worked on up to that point.
The Highway 101 project in Shakopee also stands out because that’s where Superintendent Scott Busch trusted him to start pile driving. “I worked for Scott for 9 years, and I’d like to thank him for everything he did for me. Driving pile turned out to be my favorite thing to do.”
Another favorite memory is watching people like Nick Larson and Johnny Demeyer begin their careers “in the trenches” and work their way up to leadership roles. “I have a lot of respect for those guys,” Tony says.
Tony would like to thank the Ames family along with “Red” [Justin Gabrielson] and Jason Block “for keeping me employed all these years.”
“I’d also like to thank everyone who made my experience as an operator better. Stay safe and remember, there is no 'I' in team.”
Retiring in late November, Tony is looking forward to not commuting in rush hour traffic. He and his wife, Stephanie, plan to “chase snow” this winter snowmobiling. Next spring they will start remodeling their homestead with the possible goal of selling and moving further north to enjoy fishing, wheeling, and dirt biking.