Family Affair: Thompson Traders
Author:Lindsey Shook
Heritage is at the very core of Thompson Traders. Known for their custom sinks, tubs and hoods, the coppersmith craftsmanship that makes their company so unique dates back 60 centuries by some estimates. In 2002 founder and creative director Alejandra Ochoa de Thompson, brought the family’s dream to life when they started selling collections at high-end showrooms. Now their hand-made pieces are sold around the world. Here we speak with Thompson about the industry and how their family values make their business a success.
–Why is the family so passionate about the kitchen and bath industry? Because I come from a very close knit and large family – I am the youngest of 14 and our gatherings are always food related. Growing up my mother and father were always entertaining, so making a beautiful area where families can gather is very important to me. The bathroom was a natural extension of what we were already doing, creating a beautiful space.
–What core values have contributed to the success of your business? Treating everyone like family. We really believe that everyone from our employees, to the designers, to the sales representatives are our family. We go the extra mile to insure customer satisfaction no matter the cost.
–Can you share one of the biggest highlights or success stories to date? There are so many to choose from it is hard to pick. But I think one of our proudest moments was winning the Best Small Booth Design at KBIS in 2018 and 2016. We were chosen amongst some very prestigious companies. We design, build and assemble our booth all in house.
–How has your clientele changed since the start of your business? At first, we were just focused on dealers, showrooms and resellers and now we turned our focus to designers because we realized that they are who drive our business.
-What is the biggest challenge selling artist made luxury products? People understanding that handmade products have unique features that make them all one of a kind. What we produce isn’t pumped out on a machine an artist takes hours sometimes weeks to create a work of art.
