Who’s behind the tools at HURST Jaws of Life? It’s guys like Bruce R. Johnston, director of marketing and product management. Here’s a cool fact: his middle name is Ringer, and it fits. Bruce is a ringer for the creative ideas, strategic thinking and eye-catching communications that keep HURST’s customers in the know about tools.

Bruce has spent his entire professional career in, or somehow related to, the automotive industry. And don’t let those youthful good looks fool you – that career spans more than three decades, and some pretty cool stories.

He graduated from UNC Charlotte and went on to spend the first part of his professional career with global filtration manufacturer WIX Filters. His job: make sure everyone – from you and me to farmers, truck drivers and NASCAR’s top competitors – knew to turn to WIX for high-performance filtration products to not only protect their vehicle’s engine but also provide them with the speed and power to win. The partnerships and sponsorships he negotiated gave Bruce the opportunity to work with some passionate superstars, including three-time Super Bowl Champion Coach Joe Gibbs and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart. But if you ask Bruce to describe passion and stardom today, it’s a sure bet his stories would be about the passionate first responders he’s met and worked with through HURST Jaws of Life. With HURST, high-performance, speed and power take on a whole new meaning for Bruce.

“One of the most rewarding parts of my job in marketing and customer service is that I get to hear from first responders firsthand about their experiences with HURST Jaws of Life,” Bruce said. "They take passion to a new level. That’s something I see throughout our industry. Firefighters, police, EMTs and the HURST Jaws of Life team at our plant in North Carolina who make the tools and serve our customers – these are real-life heroes.

Bruce joined HURST seven years ago, and he works closely with the sales and customer service teams to better understand the needs of HURST’s dealers and first responders. He launches new products, sets brand initiatives, dives into market research and sets the strategy for all pricing and marketing communications, including advertising campaigns, website management, social media marketing, trade shows and more.

In fact, he’s rarely at rest. An exercise enthusiast, Bruce is an avid runner who has five marathons under his belt and numerous CrossFit competitions.

Back at work, Bruce directs his energy to something we all agree would medal in any competition: promoting 46 years of HURST Jaws of Life tool history, innovative new tools, and the everyday heroes using those tools to save lives.  #BehindTheTools