- Jim Watson sold the company to Joseph (Joe) C. Johnson in 1970.
- Johnson held a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Georgia. After serving in the US Army, he worked at Lockheed Marietta selling the Jet Star aircraft in Europe, which was first developed for the US Air Force in the 1960s then became for corporate use.
- Johnson started buying the company upon hiring on under a 10-year buyout.
- Johnson had a working relationship with the Michigan-based Gast family & regularly had Mr. & Mrs. Gast to his Marietta, GA home for dinner.
- Johnson said he gave out many hams at Christmas to boost business, but it didn’t work out. He was on the road in sales for less than one year, then he transitioned to inside sales.