The Beginning

He left school at 15, he started a haulage business, and he built it into the biggest plant dealership in the country. Yes, the name is TBF Thompson and the company TBF Thompson (Garvagh) Ltd.

Thomas Bacon French Thompson was born above his parents’ grocery shop in 1915, the “French” being his mother’s tribute to the terrible toll of the trenches on the Western Front.

When his father bought a Model T Ford, the first car in Garvagh, young Tom was driving it around the deserted side roads by the time he was 12. At 15 he joined the family business to serve behind the counter, at 18 he persuaded his father to buy a lorry to replace the horse and cart on the grocery round, and within a few years had built up such a thriving trade that a bigger lorry was needed, a 1.5 ton Bedford.

Before long he bought a three-ton Bedford for a milk contract, then hauled potatoes to Belfast and brought back loads of feeding stuffs and fertiliser or lime, buying yet another lorry as the business grew. During World War II he and his friend R J Pattison Nutt leased several quarries from which they hauled stone to the airfields under construction at Nutt’s Corner and Millisle.

1940's -1950's

In November 1946 TBF bought 70 ex-Army lorries in convoy from a war surplus sale at Toome, lining them up and down Garvagh's Main Street ready for rebuilds to civilian specification. The good folk of Garvagh thought another invasion was being mounted.
In 1947 the partnership bought the Strabane Service Station, acquiring with it a young employee called R J Gillanders. It was the beginning of a lifetime's successful business partnership.

By the early 1950s the Thompson Motor Company had acquired a Hillman car franchise, together with Commer and Karrier commercial vehicles. The two-stroke Commer TS3 proved a best seller and Mr Thompson built the first extension to his premises, opening two late nights a week.

In 1953 Mr Gillanders joined him at Garvagh, working a 60-hour week. Northern Ireland's road network was being improved and new housing was under construction, but tippers were hard to come by. So the hard-working Bertie would seek out and buy lorries in England, bring them home, shorten their chassis and turn them into tippers. Indeed the business grew so quickly that in 1958 Mr Thompson was advised to turn it into a limited company. But the name was already registered to a firm in England, so the nearest choice was TBF Thompson (Garvagh) Ltd.

1960's

In 1961 TBF bought the business of Leyland distributor J A Potter on Ravenhill Road in Belfast, changing its name to TBF Thompson (Belfast). Within two years he held a show of his Leyland, Albion, Scammell and Ford Commercial franchises, which sold over £250,000 worth of vehicles in one week - a vast turnover for those days, comparable with £40 million today.
As early as 1963 two-way radios were fitted to service and other key vehicles, covering most of the Province. With good product and service to match, the company won a major share of the market. Garvagh was equally busy, and in 1966 Prime Minister Terence O'Neill opened extended workshops and offices. Shortly afterwards TBF Thompson (Belfast) was sold to the long-established firm of Charles Hurst.

The founder had another project in mind, following a call from another entrepreneur called J C Bamford. But some still perceived Garvagh as being far in the country, so Mr Thompson bought premises on Shore Road, Belfast, to giver better service to his scores of customers in Belfast, Co Down and Co Armagh. The Bamford family including the founder's son, young Tony, now Sir Anthony attended the opening in 1969 by Prime Minister James Chichester-Clark. Before long JCB was market leader in Northern Ireland, Mr Thompson giving a record order of £2 million to JCB. But the Garvagh Empire still had a long way to go.

1970's - 1990's

In June 1971 TBF bought R J Maxwell & Son, the highway specialist, followed by civil engineering firm W M Bolton.
In 1973 Mr Thompson and Mr Gillanders were joined by a young civil engineer called Kenneth Cheevers, forming a team that within 20 years would take the Northern Ireland business world by storm - but that's another story.

In 1977 TBF bought Farrans, the long established firm which had constructed airfields, power stations, reservoirs, factories and housing all over the UK. With it came plant firm Strangford which was distributor for dumper leader Thwaites. Other acquisitions included Ready Use Concrete, the sand supplier Scott of Toomebridge and Carmean Limeworks.

Another venture was the Dublin subsidiary TBF Thompson (Ireland) - today trading under the name of TBF Thompson (Plant) Ltd.In 1978 Cement Roadstone, the Dublin aggregates multi-national, asked to buy the TBFT Group. Solicitors and accountants met for dinner at Mr Thompson's Garvagh home and the deal was completed by 4.30 am. Mr Thompson sat on the Cement Roadstone board until his retirement from the TBF Thompson (Garvagh) Group in 1985.

It was with great sadness that TBF Thompson's passing was announced on the 1st January 2009. He left behind a great legacy in the form of a company that still bears his name and his impact on the community, especially regarding employment in the Garvagh area, cannot be underestimated. Many a gold watch has been handed out for long service at Garvagh, and staff turnover has been low over the years, but one link is stronger than most.

In 1968 a young accountant called Andrew Magowan carried out an audit of TBF Thompson (Garvagh) Ltd. A few months later he joined the firm as assistant accountant, became chief accountant in 1973 and a director in 1974. Today Andy Magowan is one of the best-known and respected figures in the plant industry, not only in the United Kingdom but further a field. The Garvagh firm exports all over the world and its engineering company makes trailers for several African countries.

The changes he has seen over his 40 years at Garvagh have been immense. In his first year turnover was £1 million, last year it was £40 million. Under his management the business continued to expand. Notable milestones were the Chicago Pneumatic agency in 1984, Bomag in 1986, Hino in 1987, Bitelli in 1988, the Blackwood Hodge Belfast purchase in 1990, Hitachi in 1991, and the Leyland DAF distributorship for Northern Ireland in 1995.

Present Day

In 1999 a management buyout returned the company to local ownership when the company was sold by C R H to a management team comprised of Andy Magowan, Raymond Crilly and Mark McCluskey.

In May 2001 the premises at the DAF depot in Mallusk were extended and refurbished. The new TBF Thompson DAF dealership brings the latest technology, service and choice to the wide portfolio of DAF customers in the province.

2004 saw the relocation of both the Dublin and the Portadown depots to purpose built premises. In 2006 we opened our 6th location situated in Loughrea, Co. Galway. Recent franchise acquisitions include LTI (2005), Iveco Engines (2006) and BeA (2006) as well as the extension of the LDV Group franchise to cover the whole of Ireland. 2007 was the year that we acquired Deutz engines for the Republic of Ireland, and also Montabert Breakers for Northern Ireland. In 2008 this was extended to cover all of Ireland.

In its 50 years TBF Thompson (Garvagh) has become a Northern Ireland institution. Like a great tree its roots run deep; and while it may sway in the storms, the Garvagh firm and those who depend upon it should thrive for many years to come.