On Friday, August 28, we celebrated something we don’t get to celebrate every day: 50 years of J&K Communications.
Customers, employees, partners, vendors, friends and family joined us at our Columbia City location for the afternoon. It was a great turnout and gave us a chance to celebrate with many of the people who have been part of J&K over the years.
50 Years of J&K Communications
J&K Communications got its start in Columbia City, Indiana, in 1976. The company has changed quite a bit since then. What began as a local, family-owned communications business has grown to four locations across Indiana, while J&K has remained family-owned and based in the community where it started.
Today, J&K has locations in Columbia City, Fort Wayne, Kokomo and Indianapolis. We work with public safety agencies, schools, businesses, local governments and other organizations throughout Indiana and across the Midwest.
The equipment has changed quite a bit too. Over the years, J&K has grown from the communications technology of the 1970s into the two-way radio systems, public safety communications, dispatch equipment, industrial communications and telemetry technology we work with today.
Even with that growth, the way we do business has stayed pretty simple. We want to take care of our customers, provide dependable service and be a company people know they can call when they need us.
Multiple Generations, One J&K
One of the best parts of Friday was having multiple generations of the J&K family together to celebrate the anniversary.
Being family-owned has always been an important part of J&K. Fifty years means several generations have now had a hand in the business, and it was special to have them together with current and longtime employees, customers and friends of the company.
There are a lot of people behind 50 years in business. Some spent years of their careers at J&K. Some have been customers for decades. Others are part of the company today and will help determine where it goes from here. Friday was a chance to get many of those people together in the same place.
Fifty years is something we’re proud of, but we didn’t get here on our own. Thank you to everyone who has worked here, done business with us or supported J&K along the way.
Celebrating With Our Customers, Partners and Friends
We wanted Friday to be more than a chance to look back at J&K’s history. We wanted everyone who came out to be able to relax, grab some food, catch up with people and enjoy the afternoon with us.
Throughout the event, we held giveaways with prizes for our guests and had gift tables set up as another way to say thank you to the people who came to celebrate with us.
We were also happy to be joined by representatives from EFJohnson, Zetron, Panasonic and EM Wave. We’ve worked with great manufacturers and partners throughout J&K’s history, and we appreciated having them in Columbia City to be part of the day.
Most of all, it was good to see everyone. We had longtime customers, employees, vendors, friends and family all spending the afternoon together. Some have known J&K for decades, while others have only recently started working with us.
Thank You
To our customers, employees, partners, vendors, friends and family, thank you for coming out and celebrating with us.
We appreciate everyone who made the trip to Columbia City, spent part of their Friday with us and helped make our 50th anniversary a great day.
A Special Thanks to 1897 BBQ
We also want to thank 1897 BBQ for providing the food for Friday’s celebration.
It was great to have another Columbia City business be part of the event. Their team took care of a big crowd and served a great meal, and we appreciate everything they did for us and our guests.
Here’s to the Next 50
Looking back on 50 years, it’s hard to fit J&K’s history into a few paragraphs. The company has grown, technology has changed and our reach has expanded well beyond Columbia City. Along the way, a lot of people have helped J&K become what it is today.
We’re thankful for the employees who have worked here over the years, the customers who continue to trust us with their business and everyone else who has supported J&K since 1976.
Thank you to everyone who joined us Friday and everyone who has been part of the first 50 years of J&K Communications. We’re looking forward to seeing where the next 50 take us.
From our family to yours, thank you for 50 years.
Here’s to the next 50.
J&K Communications has been providing communication systems, equipment and service since 1976. With locations in Columbia City, Fort Wayne, Kokomo and Indianapolis, J&K serves public safety agencies, schools, businesses, government organizations and other customers throughout Indiana and the Midwest.
