In 2024, Johnson Screens® celebrated its 120th anniversary. The company that became synonymous with well screens with the invention of its original Vee-Wire® has diversified its portfolio over the years to provide complete solutions for the water wells industry. This is the story of how it happened.
The story of Johnson Screens began as Edward E. Johnson waited at the train station one cold February morning in Minnesota, USA. There, he received word that a well screen he had been waiting for wouldn't be arriving on the next train. He had ordered the screen over a month before, and now his crew would be held up longer. Johnson's impatience was obvious when the railroad station master suggested he make the same screen himself.
Johnson's reply was, "Nope! If I ever make one, it will be something different and better. Any fool can copy somebody else's idea. I'm going to develop a well screen with a lot more open space for the water to come through."
This conversation prompted Johnson to think about building a better well screen. During the train ride home that very day, Johnson started drawing and making calculations on how to do just that. In March 1904, Johnson completed his first well screen, forever changing the water well industry. After modifying his machine, he made the first Johnson brass strip well screen.
Johnson also envisioned the continuous slot well screen in the early 1900s. He reasoned that it would provide more open area per square foot of screen, allowing more water into the well.
However, he ultimately had to wait until the 1630s for welding technology to catch up.
The widespread use of electric welding and its rapid development in the late 1920s led Edward Johnson to complete his dream of a continuous slot-welded screen using the Vee-Wire concept.
In July 1930, he applied for a patent for this method of manufacturing screens. Later, another patent was obtained for the Electric-Master-Weld screen machine using resistance welding without a switch. The quality of this manufacturing process ensured consistent slot spacing and screen integrity, which ensured the longevity of well completion.
The first continuous slot well screen made with Vee-Wire used for an irrigation well in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a testament to the quality of this manufacturing process.
This screen, installed in 1932 and removed from the well in 1961, was in nearly perfect condition after 30 years, clearly demonstrating the signature durability of a Johnson Screen.
A Global Leader Is Born
The 1960s were a time of rapid growth and global expansion for the company. This trend would continue as the new decade dawned, pushing Johnson Screens ever closer to becoming the organization we recognize worldwide today.
The first Johson Screens international facility was established in Naintré, France, initially to support the company's flagship water well family of solutions.
As the company's workforce continued to expand and new applications for their screening solutions appeared in previously untapped markets, Johnson Screens established additional factories in India (1964), Australia (1967), Japan (1966) and Brazil (2005), all of which contribute to the company's ongoing success.
Johnson Screens also expanded to form its Industrial Screens department, supporting other markets, such mining, pulp and paper, and food and beverage.
In 1966, Johnson Screens published the first edition of the globally recognized Groundwater and Wells book series. That book, known throughout the global water well industry as the "Green Bible" because of its unmistakable green binding, represents a comprehensive guide for designing, installing, and maintaining water wells.
It firmly established Johnson Screens as a technical expert within the water well industry, a role the company has proudly played ever since. In support of the book's teachings, Johnson Screens started to offer Groundwater and Wells Design classes domestically and internationally.
The company was family-owned for the first 60+ years of Johnson Screens' history. That changed in 1966 when the company (then known as "E.E. Johnson Inc.”) was purchased by UOP.
A series of mergers and acquisitions followed that initial purchase. Currently part of the Aqseptence Group, GmbH, Johnson Screens is a sister brand with other historic leader organizations in the water business.
In 2020, a company-wide realignment called ONE Johnson brought all the regional branches together as one global company with one objective: supporting customers and fulfilling their needs.
The company now leverages its global capabilities and expertise under a unified brand identity that resonates with its long-standing history and traditions and aligns with its operational strengths.
Ultimately, the move has consolidated Johnson Screens' mindset as a "solutions provider" rather than a "product manufacturer."
Water Wells Solutions with Tradition in Innovation
That drive is clearly demonstrated in Johnson Screens’ Water Wells portfolio of solutions. Beyond the well screens that initiated its impeccable reputation, the company offers various screening solutions and products with a mission to support our customers on their journey to environmental sustainability with innovative screening solutions
Those complete solutions have been used in high-capacity wells and in challenging environments, such as Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) and Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) projects, as well as Geothermal and Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) wells.
Today, after 120 years, Johnson Screens continues to follow Edward E. Johnson's spirit of innovation by creating better solutions with the aim of serving the industry for another 120 years and beyond.
Through this tradition of innovation, the company commits to providing complete solutions for the mining water well industry.
