Red Line Engineering, Inc.
Red Line Engineering is owned by Matt and Michaela Johnson, and their six-year old son Tucker, who is in the First grade at Georgetown Elementary.
Red Line Engineering was started in 1991 by Randy and Barbara Johnson. Matt grew up in the shop, and swept the shop floors for allowance money. While he attended Golden Sierra he self-trained himself in all areas of machinery, and sent himself to specialty schools. Twelve years ago he took over as General Manager. In 2017, he purchased the shop from his parents and has updated the look and feel of the brand which is well known with their customers.
Already ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certified, which demonstrates they
meet or exceed requirements for standardization and quality assurance, they are now migrating to the
new ISO 9001:2015 to ensure superior reliability and performance. Michaela described their business as one that provides parts for equipment that is used from deep in the ocean to outer space, “Red Line Engineering is difficult to discuss briefly. On the Divide people know us as the big shop that puts out all the Christmas lights.
“We make precision machine parts for things like the Trident D5 Missile and for NASA. The core
of our business is the liquid natural gas industry. We make parts for pumps that go deep in the ocean,
on ships and on land. While we make parts that are as large as seven feet, the precision of our parts is
often measured in numbers that are as small as the circumference of a human hair. It’s a fast paced and highly stressful business that includes a lot of big, dangerous parts.”
Into the new year approaching, Red Line Engineering is considering a 5-Axis Machine which will
greatly increase their capabilities. They are also in the process of upgrading their computers to meet the new cyber security requirements.
Not only do the Johnsons provide large, impressive machine parts, they also have large hearts
for community. Red Line sponsored the Chili Cook-Off last year through the PTA, and they have a vision for making it a large community event in itself and hope someday it will grow big enough that the Main
Street can be shut down for it to support the community.
Michaela described the background and importance for this special event, “I spent a year
through the PTA applying for grants, and trying to raise money for our kids just to see the funds go to
city schools. Our kids have unique challenges on the Divide, but the heart of our community is huge, and our kids deserve just as much opportunity to learn and to create the life they want.
“The Chili Cook-Off will be hosted at the Hay Lady with Red Line sponsoring, which means ALL of
the proceeds will go to the kids on the Divide.
”With the event being held on Church street on Halloween, I believe we will have a larger
turnout than before. Six contestants, with three returning, include The Divide Restaurant, Jacques &
Sons Construction, The Georgetown Hotel, Matt and Gail Wimple, Yana Lee and Savour Catering
will compete for the BEST chili on the Divide. The prizes awarded will be for 1st, 2nd and Most Creative.”
The winner will get a Red Line designed and manufactured plaque, and bragging rights. Any
donation will receive a sampling of each chili, and their voting ticket doubles as a raffle ticket for neat
prizes that include stunning art by Divide artisans—walnut wood works by Steve DePue, and pottery by
Kay De Lange. Sol Nisbet of the Divide Chamber, and Heather Sutton of the Georgetown Elementary School Board, will triple-count the votes and the money—and announce the winner.
Red Line Engineering will also host the Rain Boot bucket drive (accepting gently used or new rain
boots in any size) as well as a photo area for costume pictures, and the Golden Sierra Junior Grizzlies will be selling drinks. Michaela added, “We love that we are a part of a small community, and all that the Chamber stands for in the way of camaraderie for small business owners and charitable efforts throughout the Divide.
“We are looking forward to continuing a legacy that was started years ago, while embracing new
ideas and strategies for growth. We love being able to work and play on the Divide, that our son is
growing up in the same community we grew up in, and we love that Red Line has its own family. Being
able to employ people on the Divide is incredibly rewarding, we really value the team that we have
here.”
Written by: Sherri Bergmann
