A Groton local will be joining Northern Electric Cooperative’s crew as a lineman. Journeyman Lineman Landon Johnson was hired after Kenny Swanson, former Redfield foreman, retired earlier this year. Landon has been hoping to work at Northern since he graduated from line school.

Most of Landon’s family lives in the area and he wanted to stay local. Except for his half-sister who lives in Montana, Landon’s two brothers, dad (Alan Johnson), mom (Kristi Eckrich) and stepdad live in the Groton/Columbia area. While he waited for a position to open up, Landon worked as a traveling lineman for several years before becoming a lineman for the City of Groton.

Safety is Landon’s number one priority when on the job.

“The second most important part is going home at the end of the day,” Landon said. “I think it’s nice that everybody at Northern is on the same page.”

Landon has five years under his belt as a journeyman lineman already. He’s experienced handling high-stress situations and knows the value of adhering to safety protocols.

“There’s a lot that can go wrong when you’re doing line work. It doesn’t need to go wrong if you follow protocol and don’t cut corners,” Landon said.

Landon became a lineman because he enjoys spending time outdoors. That extends to his hobbies. In his downtime, Landon hunts, fishes, and spends time with family.