2007 Jim Thompson Europe. She works closely with the digital marketing team to create social media graphics, email newsletters, and digital advertisements for Factorys brand partners. Leland has an MBA from Columbia University. Everybody is running for the hills. Sign-up for our weekly newsletter! This guy, Krajsa said of Thompson, knows what he is doing, and he moves at lightning speed.. 2023 BridgeTower Media. My goal is to own the mindset of people who want to find and share information about pets and meet other pet lovers. Lehigh Valley was among the busiest industrial markets in the nation during the pandemic. The building is equipped for the production and packaging of powdered drinks, supplements and energy/protein bars. Therefore, the community knows where to go to adopt a pet, which brings the shelter and the community together.How did you do that?When you open the [Zootoo] site the first time, it asks for your ZIP code, shows you the shelters near you and asks you to select one-or you can enter the name of any shelter you'd like. He moved to Lehigh Valley to build the business with an investment from Factory and Richard Thompson. Trey worked at Discover Lehigh Valley, the destination marketing board for the Lehigh Valley. Nearly five years ago, Thompson and his team launched Factory LLC in Bethlehem, a business innovation center for food, beverage and pet companies looking to scale up. His multidisciplinary skills span digital and traditional media, and his experience includes print and packaging design, digital solutions, brand identities, and integrated campaigns. When youre a small company, you cant hire all that expertise, Cunningham said. Can you take the heat of The Blast Furnace?, Said Marz: Its kind of a real life Shark Tank, but its in our backyard.. Overnight on Wall Street is morning in Europe. Always have the best team members possible to build your business and give them the tools/training to do it!, Thomas Williams, CFP, CPA CEO, Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor Domani Wealth As a senior wealth adviso[], Jeane Vidoni President and CEO Penn Community Bank As president and CEO of Penn Community Bank, Vidoni l[]. We made a few dollars. And I can put 500 people in here and have my Shark Tank event, Thompson said, referencing the reality TV show in which budding entrepreneurs get the chance to bring their business dreams to fruition. FISCHER CUSTOM COMMUNICATIONS, INC. Appliances, Electrical, and Electronics Manufacturing Torrance, California Stuffed Puffs is part of a long tradition in the Lehigh Valley of innovation and the production of brand name products, Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Don Cunningham said. Serving foodservice, in-store bakery, retail, and industrial markets. Richard Thompson has led three emerging companies to exits valued at $3 billion - American Italian Pasta Company (which in 15 years grew from a start-up to the second largest pasta manufacturer in the world), Meow Mix and Freshpet. Accomplished manufacturing entrepreneur Rich Thompson and his team of seasoned pros have spent the last five years luring innovative food, beverage and pet food (Think Freshpet) companies to the Lehigh Valley and helping them to scale up at a business innovation center named Factory LLC in south Bethlehem. The 16 acres of grounds on the Hoosic River in North Adams, Massachusetts, encompass a [] Over the past 10 years she has contributed to a variety of creative teams- developing, designing, and coordinating the production of home goods, largely in the kitchen category. The production facility at 157 N. Commerce Way in Hanover Township, Northampton County, is leased from J.G. Her personal work ranges from photojournalism to abstract art. Join Facebook to connect with Judith Thompson and others you may know. Its something you want to be around, a private equity group with all the resources that allow a company to have the resources of a $100-million company. The airplane is managed by Maine Aviation and all the flights are Part 135, even the ones I do. So they go to a pet store instead of adopting a pet. Mike Janes/Four Seam Images via AP Images. Fidelity Advisor Stock Selector Small Cap Fund - Class Z. Most recently, he was director of North American distribution, logistics and customer service for Godiva Chocolatier where he was responsible for overseeing multiple third-party distribution networks consisting of multi-channel fulfillment, including retail, wholesale, CPG and ecommerce. Copyright 2023 Factory, LLC | All Rights Reserved. In his previous role as a senior packaging engineer for Godiva Chocolatier, he created packaging for approximately 150 new SKUs annually and spearheaded a packaging standardization project that saved $2 million in materials costs year-over-year. Focused on continuous improvement projects, she boosted efficiencies by incorporating descriptive and real-time analytics into business intelligence tools, which resulted in significant cost savings. Anthony Salamone is a reporter covering general news in Northampton County. "He has also been in the oil and gas business in North Dakota, founded the American Italian Pasta Company ("the largest pasta company in North America") and bought and sold Meow Mix, earning himself a tidy sum. The 40,000 square-foot innovation center offers services in everything from food safety, product development, supply chain, social media marketing, and packaging, design and engineering. Look no further than Thompson/Center's new Compass bolt-action rifle for proof. So I thought, being a pilot and understanding how planes work, we could take it apart and rebuild it, which we did. Just north of Route 22 in Lehigh Valley, along a mile stretch that includes medical equipment, plastic bottle and pet food manufacturers, a new factory for a company called Stuffed Puffs looms with a smiling marshmallow painted across the otherwise innocuous faade. Chad received his undergraduate degree from Bloomsburg University and his MBA from Moravian College. Richard was a big part of it, said Tierney, whose companys frozen baked goods, pizza pockets and more are sold online and at supermarkets, including several locally. Were talking to some fairly big contractors and theres not a lot of hydration plants on the East Coast, he said. Top Factory Motor Parts Integrations and Technologies. Nobody knew what Zootoo was six months before. Its a reason why the Lehigh Valleys manufacturing had an economic output of $8.4 billion, making it the largest contributor to the regions $47 billion gross domestic product, which measures total market value of the goods and services produced in a region over a year. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Petrucci Co., was among the 5.2 million square feet of industrial space delivered so far this year in Lehigh and Northampton . free, frozen food to subsidize his marshmallow passion. Peter Polt, Executive Vice President at Petrucci, said the pandemic created challenges as the team worked through the uncertainty as to what qualified as an essential business (food processing ultimately was) and social distancing protocols. But if someone comes in with a high enough price-who knows?Speaking of entrepreneurs, how did you become one?I was born an entrepreneur. But its not a manufacturing site. Rich Thompson, founder and managing partner of Factory LLC, recently started a plant to makes powdered drinks, protein bars and other consumable products. Stuffed Puffs netted a distribution deal with Walmart and started production in Wisconsin at their R&D facility. By the time Thompson left his post as CEO in 2016, the refrigerated pet food maker saw annual revenue jump since 2015 nearly 34 percent to $116 million. At Factory, Mike assists our brand partners in establishing operational procedures using business analytics to streamline their processes and deliver cost savings to the bottom line. She also procures materials, assembles packaging prototypes, and crafts sales and influencer kits. He has a BA in economics and European history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Previously, Rich was the Board Member at Covenant House. No one knows better than the person who is touching that problem or opportunity.How does the U.S. economy look to you?It looks crappy. She helped me get rid of the 210. He has deep operational experience across multiple disciplines, having helped build each of these organizations, including marketing and sales, manufacturing, supply chain and distribution, and innovation infrastructure, and he has supervised the design and construction of seven manufacturing facilities. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 1980 Jim Thompson Factory. Her high standards, attention to detail and always-upbeat attitude are valued by everyone on the Factory team. The person who helped bring Stuffed Puffs and Freshpet to manufacture their products in the Lehigh Valley is starting another food and beverage operation in the area. Find nearby businesses, restaurants and hotels. So you have to be in a position where you can take advantage of the opportunity. Prior to joining the Factory staff, she won a branding contest sponsored by Factory and subsequently served as an intern in the graphic design department. Lead Manager. Now I pay the normal charter rate and what I'm doing is funding part of the maintenance on the plane myself. APRIL GAMIZ / THE MORNING CALL, Rich Thompson, Managing Partner, helped create over $3 billion in enterprise value as CEO of American Italian Pasta Company, The Meow Mix Company and Freshpet. Shannon has over 10 years experience in ecommerce, online merchandising, and website management at major retailers, including Party City, Lord & Taylor, and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Tim has four decades of CPG marketing and brand-building experience, was vice chairman at two of the worlds largest global ad agencies, Y&R and Dentsu, and co-founded a data analytics company. With his extensive expertise in both supply and demand planning, Chad helps our brand partners hone their forecasting accuracy and supply chain efficiency. RHP Rich Thompson assigned to Toros del Este. Copyright 2023. We sold it to Del Monte in 2006. Hobbies include flying, biking, skiing, squash and golf. Finally back home in the Lehigh Valley, she helps prepare breakfast and lunch for the Factory team and our VIP guests. With a stage at his feet, multiple video screens behind him, and a World War II-era overhead crane above, entrepreneur Richard Thompson has launched Factory in south Bethlehem, a business-innovation campus for small companies looking for growth. She has a passion for words and people, and has woven together a career that has allowed her to work on marketing campaigns and public relations while always keeping the consumer top of mind. You need to know what everyone is thinking about on a project. Rich Thompson, Factory founder and managing partner, said most investment firms' idea of a partnership is putting people in a conference room and "talking about a marketing plan." A photo from inside Factory's Innovation and Scale-Up Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Thats in part, Cunningham said, because of the potential spin-out of more out-of-area companies finding out about Factory and relocating to the Valley. Our Lehigh Valley, PA-based and GMP-audited facilities are equipped with top-of-the-line automated equipment for blending, dispensing, and packaging powders. She liaises with internal stakeholders to manage the design teams workflow and ensure projects are completed accurately and efficiently. I got my pilot's license in June 1967.You said you've had several piston airplanes, but you stopped flying. Get our free e-alerts & breaking news notifications! His knowledge base includes Six Sigma and Minitab software, a certification in SAP, and understanding of forecasting techniques and ERP systems. Thats a good distribution waypoint.. We wanted to provide quality manufacturing with innovation in both product and in packaging.. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Rich helped create over $3 billion in enterprise value as CEO of American Italian Pasta Company, The Meow Mix Company and Freshpet. Mikeys and Stuffed Puffs brands were among the Factorys early investments. Jessica brings with her years of HR leadership experience in the manufacturing and hospitality fields. The project reflects Lehigh Valleys continuing growth in food and beverage manufacturing, including Bowery Farming, the largest vertical farm in the nation, is expanding into Bethlehem. Mike Tierney, who founded Mikeys in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 2014, said he moved his headquarters and two employees to the Lehigh Valley from Arizona to join Factory, bolstered by Thompsons enthusiasm and Factorys $5 million investment in his company. We have the combination of decades of experience, expertise, and state-of-the-art equipment with the added benefit of in-house R&D experience provided by Allen Flavors. APRIL GAMIZ / THE MORNING CALL, Rich Thompson, Managing Partner, helped create over $3 billion in enterprise value as CEO of American Italian Pasta Company, The Meow Mix Company and Freshpet. In the microcosm of this one factory-campus, it is possible to trace the arc of industrialization and post-industrialization of New England, and indeed the world. Rich Thompson Position: Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Right 6-1 , 210lb (185cm, 95kg) Born: July 1, 1984 (Age: 38-281d) in Hornsby, Australia au More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 63 54 Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Thompson said he left Freshpet, which is based in Secaucus, N.J., partly because of his interest in pursuing this venture. Jessica is a SHRM certified professional and holds a bachelors degree in Business Administration and minor in HR Management from Bloomsburg University. Directory of Profiled Business People: Rich Thompson Thompson, Andie - Thony, Steve > Thompson, Reuben - Thompson, Rosario > Thompson, Rich - Thompson, Richard > Thompson, Rich 1-25 of 1,583 Contacts Shes a versatile photographer who can bring brands to life for ecommerce and social media. The Lehigh Valley is an ideal location within driving distance of a third of the U.S. population. "I've never had a job my whole life that I didn't create," he told me as we talked in his finely refurbished Hawker 700A on the Jet Aviation ramp at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport.Thompson left El Paso [Texas] Community College after two years in the early 1970s seeking adventure. You see this in the tech industry and in other spaces, but you dont see it in [consumer product goods], not something this immersive.. Prior Factory, Leland worked at AUA Private Equity Partners, Wild Oats and Guggenheim Securities where he completed transactions in food and beverage, restaurants and e-Commerce. He spoke more like a visionary than an entrepreneur. At Factory Manufacturing, we provide the highest quality powders and are constantly innovating and seeking taste and texture solutions that will also optimize costs and get products to market faster. Linsey is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute, earned her B.A. All rights reserved. What makes Factory MF stand out is that every aspect of design was meticulously thought through and non-conventionally engineered to reach the safety, quality, and operational thresholds needed as a flexible and expanding powder and bar manufacturing facility, said Kevin Brown, operations and maintenance manager. Factory Manufacturing is the second manufacturing facility to arise from the Factory LLC. It also cuts down on plastics because customers can pour the powder into their re-usable bottles, reducing the need for single-use plastics. from Kutztown University. Bethlehem Attorney Dorota Gasienica-Kozak, a partner in King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul LLC an[], PSECU, which is headquartered in Harrisburg, but has locations throughout the state, has named Gina [], Eights Gym & Fitness, a gym and fitness center, has opened for business in Alburtis.

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