Johnson & Quin Celebrates 150 Years

Johnson & Quin kicked off the new year celebrating our 150th anniversary at our holiday party on Friday. It was a fun opportunity to reflect on how the company has grown and evolved over the years, from our beginnings in 1876 to where we are today.

Founded in Chicago by Nels Johnson as the N.M. Johnson Company, the business produced ruled ledger books for banks and businesses. In 1896, Thomas Stephen Quin joined the company, forming Johnson & Quin. By 1919, the company earned a patent for an improved ruling board, and in the 1920s, Tom Quin helped shape the industry as the first president of Chicago’s Master Printers Federation.

Innovation continued across generations. In 1928, Ralph L. Johnson joined the business and later developed the electrocardiograph mounting card, which became a medical standard. As printing technology advanced, J&Q transitioned to offset printing in the 1930s and expanded into large-scale commercial work.