Forty Under 40: Josh Thompson

When Josh Thompson was promoted last year to president of Lew Thompson & Son Inc., he took the reins of a company he’d worked for more than half his life.

In fact, if you count washing trucks on the weekends and after school, Thompson’s career in the family business began at age 12.

At 16, he started working in the maintenance shop, and he altered his plan to go to college at the University of Arkansas in order to lend a hand at the company.

“Dad needed some help in the office in the dispatching side of things, so I went into that — and I never looked back from there,” Thompson said.

“The main drive I have to succeed is to make sure that the business my mother and father started years ago continues to succeed and provide a great place to work for all of our employees,” he added.

One thing his father taught him? “Always keep your word.”

Thompson remembers instances where his father kept his promise, even when it didn’t serve him well, and how that earned trust and built relationships in the community.

To him, relationships are the company’s bread and butter, even as he has overseen rapid growth in the past few years.

“When we had 50 trucks five years ago, I thought, one of these days when we get to a 100 that’ll be it,” Thompson said.

“I honestly didn’t think we’d have more than 100, and now that we’re there, I’m looking at that 200 mark,” he added.

However, to Thompson, the focus has never been on the number of vehicles in his fleet.

“It’s not really about trucks. It’s more about building relationships along the way,” he said.