Please meet John D. Johnson, the Founder of J-Squared Consultants, Inc., a firm dedicated to helping mid-market businesses thrive through strategic revenue growth and cost optimization.

John brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across the distribution, manufacturing, and consumer goods sectors. Prior to founding J-Squared, he served as Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Revenue Officer at Pitman Creek Wholesale, the nation’s leading distributor in the sportfishing industry. His decade-long tenure was marked by transformational growth and operational excellence.

When John joined Pitman Creek, the company operated out of a modest 12,000-square-foot warehouse with a regional customer base and 40 employees. Under his leadership, the company scaled exponentially — growing top-line sales by more than 600%, expanding gross margin by 370 basis points, and moving into a 230,000-square-foot fully automated facility after outgrowing five previous locations.

John was the architect of Pitman Creek’s strategic expansion, establishing primary relationships with national retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Academy Sports, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Walmart, and farm-and-home giants Tractor Supply and Rural King. His vision for customer experience, backed by strong operational teams, enabled the company to reach over 8,000 retail doors with weekly shipments and offer direct-to-consumer fulfillment for top retail accounts.

He also spearheaded major investments in technology and business intelligence, implementing system upgrades and dashboard reporting tools that elevated the company’s performance and responsiveness.

Earlier in his career, John spent over 20 years in sales and senior leadership roles at Altria Group (NYSE: MO) — including work with brands such as Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, John Middleton, Helix Innovations, and NJOY. His deep understanding of market dynamics, operations, and customer behavior made him a go-to leader in complex and highly regulated industries.

John is also passionate about the outdoors and a strong advocate for environmental stewardship. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Sportfishing Association and the Keep America Fishing Foundation. He and his wife, Sara, live in Danville, KY, where they are active members of their church and community. They are proud parents of two daughters, Emily and Ella.