Johnson, Jay Robert.

Born on Nov. 6, 1967 in Springfield, Ill., and grew up in rural Waverly, where his father, Robert, farmed on tenant property. In 1975, his father founded the Robert Johnson Grain Company and began to truck corn directly from farmers' fields to various barge terminals on the Mississippi River. That proved to be a lucrative venture, and Robert gradually increased his trucking business and decreased his involvement in farming. Meanwhile, Jay majored in finance at Illinois State University, and upon his graduation in 1990, was hired by the First Chicago Bank. He spent the next few years living in downtown Chicago and working as a financial analyst. In 1991 Robert purchased a grain elevator in Palmyra. Jay moved back to Waverly around 1993 when his father asked Jay to help manage the growing business. They purchased a grain elevator in Waverly in 1996, and Jay later took the lead in the business. A few years later, Jay was approached by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad about operating a rail loading facility, and in 2003 the BNSF helped him finance the construction of a grain terminal, building a rail spur onto the family's property outside Waverly. Within months, the facility shipped its first 110 unit train of corn destined for the Texas and Mexico markets. By 2006 they loaded their 100th train, and the business has grown rapidly ever since. Jay was selected as the Illinois Small Business Person of the Year in 2006, and was runner up at the national level.