PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE/ARCHIVE

• 507 Development Plans

  November 23, 2024

    The new owners of our former 507 E. Michigan building (Bear Real Estate Group – Kenosha Wi) released an overview of their thinking about how they will put the building to use.  They bought the building for $24 million in 2021 and have been leasing it back to Johnson Controls, until all employees could […]

• JCI – 507 News

  September 18, 2024

  I happened to be going through downtown Milwaukee recently and taking note of what has changed since I retired 12 years ago. I note that the 507 building, that I spent much of my time in, no longer has any of the large Johnson Controls signage on it. I know it has been sold, as […]

• Thank You Brian & Richard

  June 21, 2024

  Your WSJ Society is going through a transition at our Treasurer position.  This is a vital role in our organization and the records must be kept accurately.  While we are not a large complex organization, we are incorporated, which necessitates a certain amount of formality in our processes. On behalf of the whole Society, I […]

• What’s your JCI story?

  March 14, 2024

  What do retirees talk about when we get together? There are several things, but interesting personal memories of past JCI stories are one of the things that many of us have in common. They often trigger old memories in others and probably get a bit embellished along the way, to sound a little bit more […]

• 507 – One Last Time

  December 18, 2023

  I took the opportunity to see 507 one last time on Sept 23 when the building was part of “Open Doors Milwaukee”, when hundreds of buildings open up to the public for tours. JCI is planning to be completely out of the whole place within about 6-9 months. It has been sold to a real […]

• WSJ Society – Wants You

  August 20, 2023

  The W. S. Johnson Society of Retirees is looking to add one or two new members to our Board of Directors at this time.  As a general rule there is probably a need for at least one new board member each year as prior members either want to focus on other things, or can’t continue […]

• Auld Maclaren – – Johnson’s Scotch

  June 18, 2023

  Do you recall this Old Scotch Whisky that was once part of Johnson Controls? Since the plan is to have our Johnson Controls Historian/Archivist – Kenneth Wirth at our next luncheon on July 20, I thought it appropriate to dust off this old bottle and offer a toast to the “Good Old Days”. Some history […]

• Your JCI Archives

  March 31, 2023

  I was recently involved in connecting our retiree Arn Quakkelaar to the JCI Historian/Archivist Kenneth Wirth Associate Director, Global Records Management and Archives, about some very old thermostats that Arn had on plaques in his JCI office. He wanted them to find a good home rather than maybe being discarded later by someone not knowing […]

• Election Ads – Are finally over

  December 18, 2022

    Election Ads – Are finally over As I write this, we have just gotten through the 2022 election day media barrage.  I am relieved that the continuous stream of negative ads in every form of media has gone away very quickly.  In one period of frustration, I counted 21 consecutive TV ads, and 20 […]

• It’s time to “Do Lunch”

  September 19, 2022

  It’s time to “Do Lunch” As you can see from this (and prior) newsletters, we are back to having our normal quarterly luncheons at Alioto’s.  These are normally the third Thursdays of January, April, July and October.  Attendance is quite consistent at about 40 retirees and spouses, and we typically have a speaker on some […]

• What’s a Telephone?

  June 24, 2022

  Does anyone still talk on a phone? These electronic marvels we carry with us may be called smart phones, but how often are they used to have a traditional voice-based conversation?  They have so many features built into them that I don’t think I could even list half of them.  Their advertisements go into detail […]

• Spring Coming?

  February 23, 2022

    As I write this the calendar still says February.  The Ground Hog has recently had his (or her) day and I do not recall if the shadow was seen or not.  Here in Wisconsin we are willing to call it Good News – if he tells us we ONLY have six more weeks of […]

• Happy Holidays

  December 16, 2021

  You may be reading this either before or after the current holiday season, but I hope your celebrations were (will be) wonderful.  Hopefully you were able to work through the dynamics that have affected this year’s holiday season.  None of the items you hope for are stuck on one of the many container ships waiting […]

• Fall 2021 Notes

  September 13, 2021

    I hope that each of your lives is getting to a new state of normal as most of us get our vaccines. This new normal may not be quite the same as before, but life goes on, and adjustments are always required. Hopefully we don’t have a second round of the new Delta Covid […]

• Let’s try a luncheon

  May 25, 2021

  Our retiree luncheons have been one of the many activities we’ve lost over the last year. Our retiree group has canceled 5 quarterly luncheons since the pandemic started in early 2020. As of early May 2021, your board of directors has decided to go ahead with the July 15 luncheon. Our recent survey of members […]

• 507 E. Michigan/ For Sale!

  February 22, 2021

    More things are changing! Now the place many of us knew as the center of the controls world since our namesake, Warren S. Johnson built it, is up for sale. This was the late January news in Milwaukee TV and newspaper. That location has most of Johnson’s history tied to it. The name and […]

• It’s Back

  December 8, 2020

  Just like the Health Experts predicted Of course Covid 19 never left, but as I write this in mid- November, the pandemic is getting very active. I hope it’s better by the time you read this, and those vaccines that we are now hearing about, are proving to be effective. Your Board had to again […]

• Not Everything has Changed

  August 23, 2020

  Let me try to find something other than the ever present pandemic to write about. While we spend a lot more time working on house, yard, and car projects, and sidewalk supervising neighborhood changes, there are some things, that couldn’t care less about any virus. We have several deer visiting our yard and nibbling on […]

• What’s a New Normal?

  June 9, 2020

  No – I don’t know what that will look like either, but I find it interesting to guess at how our current pandemic will change what the future will look like. How many of the new habits we are quickly learning and adapting to will become engrained into that “new normal” and which ones will […]

• Warren. S. Johnson – Recognition

  February 20, 2020

  Warren. S. Johnson – Receives an Award Our namesake was included in this ceremony at the recent international conference. ASHRAE Recognized the outstanding achievements and contributions of members to the Society and the built environment industry during its 2020 Winter Conference in Orlando. “We congratulate each of ASHRAE’s Honors and Awards recipients for their leadership […]

• WSJ Society Newsletter SUBSCRIPTION

  December 4, 2019

  The times they are always changing. The Good Old Days don’t last forever, and that is now going to catch up with us and our newsletter. I am sure you all have gotten many requests to “Go Green and Save a Tree” by accepting electronic copies of everything from monthly utility bills and bank statements […]

• Johnson Controls’ Retiree Medical Insurance is Changing

  October 12, 2019

  Retiree Medical Insurance Is Changing DO NOT Ignore or Procrastinate Did you receive the August 29, 2019 letter from Johnson Controls regarding the change in the ‘retiree health benefit(s) program’? Note the warning on the first page in bold: “It is important to understand that your current retiree health benefit(s) program under Johnson Controls will […]

• “One Giant Leap for Mankind”

  August 27, 2019

    As I write this in summer, much of the news stories are covering the 50th anniversary of Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin making their historic Apollo moon landing. I’m not sure if it will still be in the press as you read this. I’m sure that historic accomplishment is well within the memory span […]

• Newsletter in Print may be at Risk

  May 28, 2019

  Our Newsletter in Print may be at Risk We need your email address to build a backup communication channel. See the following. Our printed newsletter has been a mainstay of our organization for most of our 30 years of existence. It is our most used form of communication with you – our members. Until now […]

• How You Doin?

  March 12, 2019

  March 12, 2019 What’s the latest on your—-< __fill in the blank__> ? auto restoration —bad knee —grandkids —golf game —summer trip —old hobby —medical insurance —————-famous recipe —social security —investments —spouse —gardening —vacation rental — —————————–part time job — reading list —hearing aid —etc., etc. Have you heard from < _Bob/Sue lately >? Is […]

• A Good Time Was Had by All

  December 11, 2018

  December 11, 2018 Reunion The 2018 reunion of our Society came together very well and appeared enjoyable to all those attending. As always the JCI Corporate Headquarters in Glendale WI. proved to be an excellent location on a beautiful fall day. The Amenities room provided a great naturally lit space for socializing with others not […]

• A Smartphone — Finally!

  June 5, 2018

  June 5, 2018 With considerable hesitance I finally purchased my first smartphone. I’ve lived with a dumb cell phone for many years, but maybe it’s time. I’m sure I’m well behind the younger generations, but I wonder if my fellow retirees are as addicted to them as our kids and grandkids are? You may think […]

• Chicago ASHRAE

  March 13, 2018

        … in the Rear View Mirror March 13, 2018 The 2018 ASHRAE show is now history. I wonder if they hit their 70,000 attendance target – I wasn’t counting, but it was a massive sea of people. Chicago knows how to handle a convention of that size and keep everything working smooth. […]

• A Big Show in Chicago

  December 10, 2017

  As I write this it’s mid- November and I’m packing for the Wisconsin Deer hunt, and planning to join the 600,000+ members of that Blaze Orange army that attempts to thin out our state deer herd each year. That’s more armed folks than the US has in most countries where we have troops fighting. I […]

• Remember the Cold War?

  August 28, 2017

    How many of you fellow Johnsonites recall our involvement in the Minuteman Missile silos? We provided the temperature regulation for both the silo’s, where the missiles stood ready, and the underground Launch Control Centers. The inherent explosion proof nature and durability of our pneumatic controls were important qualities for this application. My JCI tenure […]

• Uncle Sam’s Payday

  June 13, 2017

    Well – That expensive tax date which many of us have been dreading is now behind us – unless you filed for an extension. In that case you may still be wrestling with the myriad of details involved. I have gotten calls on the topic from all over the country, mostly from retirees or […]

• JCI Future Dividend Withholding

  February 15, 2017

  February 15, 2017 I foolishly said my last president’s message might be the final one addressing JCI’s transition issues. There may be more issues to discuss than I thought, so as I ended the last message, I’ll start this one – “Never say Never”. If you have no JCI stock you can grin and skip […]

• Johnson Controls in Transition

  November 16, 2016

  November 16, 2016 Stay on top or your tax obligations. As I write this in mid- November the Johnson Controls – Tyco merger has happened as well as the Adient spin-off. By the time the newsletter gets into print and in your hands it may well be almost January 2017. If you kept some of […]

• The Tax Man is Coming!

  July 27, 2016

  By the time you read this printed newsletter the August 17, 2016 shareholder vote on the merger will be complete, but as I write this, it has not yet occurred. For that reason there may be added details available as you read this. The company must be confident in the outcome of that vote, since […]

• Member Interests in the Merger

  June 1, 2016

  I have heard more from our members in the last few months since the merger has been announced than in all of the last 2 years I have served in this position. The topics have varied, but there are a few recurring subjects that I will try to summarize in the interest of sharing what […]

• Consult Your Tax Advisor

  February 9, 2016

  I expect most of you have heard of Johnson Control’s plan to merge with Tyco, the fire and security company, in a process known as an Inversion, where it comes out the other end as a company headquartered in Ireland. This is some very big news. If you haven’t heard, or want to know more, […]

• Retiree Discounts

  November 21, 2015

  While I type this on my HP laptop, using my discounted official version of Windows Office, sitting in my Luxaire (JCI York division) heated and cooled home, I wonder how many of you are aware of, and use, the Retiree discounts available to us via the Benefits-Opportunities Page of our website. Find it under the […]

• Bylaws Change: New Membership Options

  September 8, 2015

  Change opens membership for those still working. For 26 years our membership has been open to either Johnson Controls retirees OR those still working for JCI and having at least 20 years of employment with JCI. Due to today’s ever changing work environment, your Board of Directors has found more examples of individuals either still working […]

• ASHRAE is calling me back!

  May 19, 2015

  For those of you who were technically inclined toward the HVAC industry, I’m sure you will recall that ASHRAE (American Society of Heating Refrigeration and AirConditioning Engineers) is the primary industry association in that industry. Since ASHRAE had their annual show and technical/business meeting in Chicago this past January, I took the time to take […]

• R.I.P. Norm

  March 10, 2015

  The nature of our Retirees Society is that unless one of us chooses to leave the Society for other interests, we will eventually be saying “Good Bye” as we do at this time to Norm Janisse. He passed away Dec. 14, 2014. While this position cannot do so for everyone, I feel the need to […]

• 25 Years Young

  October 31, 2014

  November 2014 To most of this audience 25 years doesn’t look like a very long time. That is how long this Warren S. Johnson Society of Retirees has been in existence, and is doing quite well. The original Articles of Incorporation were written by Ken Voss in 1989 and had four initial directors; Norm Janisse, […]

• Ramblin’ & Movin’ On

  August 21, 2014

  July 27, 2014 In writing this column for the last four years, it has been a challenge to write something that would be of interest to the membership. Writing is not my forte. Most of the time there have been life events that prompt a theme which can in some way conclude with encouragement for […]

• Relationships

  May 14, 2014

  May 13, 2014 Think of all the relationships one develops over a lifetime. We begin with our immediate family and other close family members. As we grow, we develop friendships in our neighborhoods and then the schools we attend. We can go on and on with other phases of our lives that result in building […]

• The Beauty of Winter . . .

  February 12, 2014

  February, 2014 Ah, the beauty of winter. This photo from January 2014 is the St. Joseph Lighthouse on the southeast shore of Lake Michigan. Ice and snow can produce some beautiful scenes. However, those of us who have to navigate through and clear it from our walks and driveways soon become weary of it. Almost […]

• A Lesson from Baseball

  November 9, 2013

  If you have previously read my columns, you know that baseball is my favorite sport and that I am a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. That’s why baseball has often been mentioned in my columns. So if baseball is not your thing and you’re tired of my mentioning it, you may want to consider […]

• Society Updates and Sharlene

  September 17, 2013

  WSJSociety.com Even as this is being written, the new WSJ Society website is being tested. By the time you read this, it will be up and running. Some of you will probably be reading this on the new website. It is without question the most dramatic change in the way the organization functions since its […]

• Introducing Our New Website and New Opportunities to Connect

  May 22, 2013

  Welcome to WSJSociety.com, the new Warren S. Johnson Society website. With your participation, we want to make this site more than a source of information. We want to build a community that enriches our lives and the lives of others. In my 40 years at Johnson Controls, the company was not only a source of […]