We had the good fortune of connecting with William Johnston and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi William, what do you attribute your success to?
There are a few factors that have contributed to the success of Johnston & Co. One of the biggest factors is the way that we view our role as developers. We focus on the importance of Stewardship. We want to make sure that what we develop and create brings a positive lasting impact in the community. Our goal is to take our family values of honesty, humility & hard work and apply them to everything that we do. Whether it is small scale or large scale development, we strive to see the end result create a lasting legacy.

What should our readers know about your business?
Johnston & Co. is a firm that specializes in real estate development, operations, and manufacturing. We are most proud of the development that has been created on our family’s farm. Agritopia had their official ground breaking in 2001, and in 2023, we had our ribbon cutting for Epicenter at Agritopia, the downtown vertical mixed-use project that completes the overall Agritopia development. Through patience and perseverance, we have been able to create a one of a kind community that blends agriculture, various housing types, education, commercial uses, and so much more all in a very unique master planned development. It has not been easy, but the end result is better than we could have ever imagined. We overcame these challenges by sticking to the vision and being patient with the land that our family had for decades. Our story is one of stewardship and of dedication to creating a positive place for the Town of Gilbert and the Valley as a whole.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to Epicenter at Agritopia. It might sound selfish, but it has so many of our Valley favorites all in one spot. We could start the day at Matt’s Big Breakfast, grab a coffee at Peixoto Coffee, head over to UrbAna to grab some fun gifts, and then wind up grabbing lunch at Source. Or if we want a different kind of day, we could go to Buck & Rider for happy hour, snag a small dinner at Belly, walk off the meal by shopping at Bunky Boutique and Manor, and then wrap up our night at UnderTow. All of these business and a whole lot more are all at Epicenter and truly create one of the most unique walkable lifestyle centers in Arizona. Food brings me a ton of joy, so this is a perfect day for me to share my love of dining with ones I love!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family! My dad for being the best mentor I could have ever wished for. My mom for teaching me valuable life skills and encouragement. My kids for supporting me and loving me…and of course my wife, for being my biggest fan and helping me succeed in life.

Website: johnstonandcoaz.com agritoipa.com epicenteraz.com

Instagram: @johnstonandcoaz @agritopia @epicenteraz

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