Thornton Brothers Commemorates 85 Years Serving Athens And Northeast Georgia

Members of the Thornton Brothers Leadership Team, from left to right, are Clay Gilbert, Kerrie Lang, Sherry Lott, and Kelly Embry. (Photo courtesy of Thornton Brothers)

Thornton Brothers (www.thornton-brothers.com), based in Athens, GA, recently celebrated its 85th anniversary with a Customer Appreciation Event. More than 200 customers joined the company’s employees and enjoyed a full lineup of engaging industry seminars and hands-on product demonstrations.

In addition to the celebration with customers, President and CEO Clay Gilbert recognized Thornton’s longest-serving team member, Lamar Duncan, who has worked for Thornton Brothers for 50 years in sales and represents the company’s values of hard work, dedication and trustworthiness.

“For 85 years, Thornton Brothers has thrived thanks to the loyalty of our customers and the support of our trusted supply partners,” Gilbert said. “We’re also incredibly fortunate to have dedicated employees who embody our values and consistently deliver for our clients. This anniversary celebration is our way of expressing gratitude to everyone who has been part of our journey.”

In the first days of the company’s founding, Frank Thornton and his sons, Charles and James, began selling and delivering tissues, towels and paper bags to local grocery stores among product shortages during World War II. As demand for those items grew, they quickly began expanding product lines to accommodate the needs of their clients.

For decades, the company flourished under Charles, who envisioned a business built on relationships with its clients. When Charles passed away in the late 80’s, he was succeeded by Jimbo Thornton and Clay Gilbert, who shared his vision. They kept to the core values Thornton Brothers believes in, and over time brought massive improvements to the company, including a new facility in 2003.

“Thornton Brothers’ mission is the same today as when it was founded, to empower organizations to succeed by providing quality solutions and services in the janitorial, packaging, and safety supplies industry, thus allowing customers to focus on what they do best,” according to the company. “The milestone event enabled customers to step away from their daily routines, connect with the Thornton team and see innovative solutions to enhance operations, productivity and sustainability.”

President and CEO Clay Gilbert (left) is shown with Lamar Duncan, the company’s longest-serving employee. (Photo courtesy of Thornton Brothers)