After a University of Minnesota chemistry graduate backpacked from California to Minneapolis with 200 pounds of climbing gear, he started selling it from his kitchen.

Rod Johnson founded Midwest Mountaineering over 40 years ago and now wants to expand past climbing gear. Over that time, Johnson has focused on keeping the business local and helping interested hobbyists.

After he graduated from the University, Johnson started selling hiking and other outdoor gear to his friends wholesale, but he didn’t consider it a career path.

He put a sign outside his house that said “The Johnson Company,” unaware that he would take it to a more serious level.

“The Amazon River, down in Peru, is where I decided to do something with my life and turn the Johnson Company into Midwest Mountaineering,” he said.

In 1970 Johnson opened his first storefront — which doubled as his apartment — on Hennepin Avenue with only 500 dollars in his pocket.

The store grew, and soon Johnson was hiring employees. In 1976 Johnson relocated to Midwest Mountaineering’s current Cedar-Riverside spot.

The building was vacant for 12 years before Midwest Mountaineering moved in, which made it easy for Johnson to grow his storefront.

The upstairs portion of the building is used for retail and the basement houses a free indoor climbing wall.

In 1981 Johnson said he tried to open a second store in downtown St. Paul but failed. He decided then that any expansion should happen within his Cedar-Riverside location.

Johnson said now that he has steady success, he worries less about profit and more about helping customers find the products they need.

“The purpose isn’t to sell as much gear as we can,” Johnson said. “The purpose is to have our customers have as much fun as possible outdoors and to try to get as many people active outdoors as we can.”

Buying Operations Manager Mike Ruschman said the store aligns with Johnson’s values and mission.

Ruschman said Johnson is a friend and mentor to him, as well as a boss.

He said their relationship is collaborative and that Johnson always listens to others’ ideas, which is impressive after 40 years spent running the business.

He also said the shop is different from other climbing stores because Johnson stays so active outside of work. “He really was at the vanguard of climbing in Minnesota and the Midwest,” Ruschman said.

Johnson, 67, said he makes time to go on trips, which people his age wouldn’t normally do.

Johnson met his wife, Sharon Johnson, now Chief Financial Officer at Midwest Mountaineering, at an expo the store hosted.

Sharon Johnson said she knew they had a lot in common when she met him, adding his passion for climbing is what helped grow the business and customer base.

Sharon Johnson said she and her husband like to form long-lasting relationships with customers that they wouldn’t be able to make in a more corporate company.

As a whole, she said she admires Rod Johnson’s positivity and attitude.

“He’s just the right guy to have when you need somebody to get something done,” she said.

Johnson said he hopes to find someone to inherit the company from him as he gets older.

“If I don’t find that person, I’ll probably die owning Midwest Mountaineering,” he said.