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W.W. Thompson Concrete Products has been owned by the Thompson family since 1909. It was founded by R.B. (Burt) Thompson, his brother, D.C. Thompson, and partner I.C. Clausen in downtown Brainerd. In 1931, the Thompson brothers took full control of the company and, 15 years later, Bill Thompson bought out his uncle and became a full partner with his father, Burt, in Thompson Concrete Products.
In 1954, Bill became sole owner after his father passed away, and the company began a phase of improvement and expansion that continues today. In 1959, the concrete plant moved to its current location and incorporated as W.W. Thompson Concrete Products Co. In 1971, Bill’s son, Todd, began working with the company and, eight years later, bought the entire business.
In the early 1980s, the industry was plagued by high interest rates and inflation, but W.W. Thompson Concrete Products continued to grow, thanks to its reputation for quality workmanship and customer service and its location in the popular Brainerd Lakes Area. In 1985, Todd added the new Keystone landscape products to his steadily-growing lines of concrete block and concrete landscape products.
Todd updated the manufacturing plant and instituted multiple shifts in 1992 and, throughout the 1990s, improved technology and equipment to keep pace with changing product shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. By 2001, a completely new manufacturing plant was constructed, allowing expansion into the construction supply business to better serve the Lakes Area’s growing commercial and residential markets. W.W. Thompson Concrete Products now serves an area that extends 100 miles from Brainerd, everything from St. Cloud to Walker, New York Mills to McGregor, and beyond.
Today the fourth generation of the Thompson family has come on board, as Todd’s son, Brett, and daughter, Sara, joined the team. Through name and location changes, and industry ups and downs, the company has maintained a tradition of providing the highest quality products and best customer service. W.W. Thompson Concrete Products, like the concrete block it manufactures, just gets better and stronger with age. |
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