The Word for Today

Johnnie Joe Young or Papajoe as he is known, is a Christian, husband, pastor, father, grandfather, great-grand father, great-great grandfather, and a South Carolinian Businessman (Logger). He was voted Logger of the Year in 1998 and presented the Charles H. Flory Distinguished Service Award in 2000 and the National Logging Business of the Year Award for 2004. For countless years (more than eighty (80) years), "Papajoe" has been a fixture on the "landscape" of Georgetown, South Carolina. He is married to Linda for 57 years and they are inseparable, and they are an example to the "Biblical Institution of Marriage." Together, Joe and Linda have 3 daughters (including Deanna "Dee" Young Avant who is deceased), 3 sons-in-law, 5 grandsons and 1 granddaughter, 10 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren. In 1967, Joe and his brother Hank Young established Young Brothers, Inc. Then in the 1970's, their younger brother, Mike came to work with them and became a stock owner in the business. In 1974, Young Brothers Trucking was formed. Then in 1982, Low Country Forest Products, Inc. of Georgetown, SC was established, and Young Brothers Trucking was phased out. In 1986, the companies were re-organized. Hank and Mike Young bought Young Brothers, Inc. and Joe Young bought Low Country Forest Products, Inc. and continues to serve as President. He has 51 years of experience in the timber industry and, with his family, owns and manages a family forest in South Carolina. Although honors and accolades continue to come his way, Papajoe, now 80 years of age, doesn't dwell on them. He doesn't have time; and would not, even if he did. There's always another meeting to attend, a contract to negotiate, a decision to make, a friend or neighbor to engage, a system to tweak, lemons to be made into lemonade, a relationship to hone, and/or an opportunity to address. Papajoe serves on numerous boards and committees, too numerous to name them all; however just to mention a few: He serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the Forest Resources Association. He is the past President and Board Member of the South Carolina Timber Producers Association. He formerly served in the S. C. Legislature, Santee Cooper Board of Directors, American Loggers Council Board of Directors, Chairman of South Eastern Technical Division Policy Council of FRA, Chairman of the S. C. Forestry Association and Chairman for the Georgetown County and City Planning Commissions. What he exemplifies most is that he is born-again, precisely means "born from above." (See John 3:3-7). Joe became a born-again believer when he was twenty-eight (28) years of age, during a revival in a Presbyterian Church, in Andrews, SC.