Craig Harper on J.B. Hunt: ‘He Was a Dreamer’

Johnelle and J.B. Hunt

This week’s story about the visionaries who could see the Pleasant Valley subdivision in a horse farm reminded us of one more story from Craig Harper’s more than 31-year executive career with J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. of Lowell.

Some of his favorite stories involve company founder Johnnie Bryan Hunt. Harper, who retired as chief operations officer at the end of 2023, said he went house hunting, pheasant hunting and even boot shopping with his colorful boss.

Their excursions usually started when Hunt would approach Harper in his office and ask what he was doing.

“Your name is on the trucks, Mr. Hunt. What do you want me to be doing?” Harper would answer.

Harper’s favorite story is going boot shopping with Hunt. Hunt pointed out some nondescript landscape in Benton County and asked Harper what he saw. Harper replied he just saw some land with a bunch of trees.

“He said, ‘Oh, no, I see an airport,’ and that’s where the airport is today,” Harper said. “He said, ‘I see a baby Dallas,’ and that is where Pinnacle is today. I hate to say it, but I was thinking in my mind, ‘Is this guy crazy or what? I don’t see an airport out here, and I don’t see a baby Dallas over there.’

“Mr. Hunt, he was a dreamer. He could dream things that most of us couldn’t even think were possible.”