Thompson's Sanitary, third generation locally owned business wins 2007 OSU Austin Family Business Program's 'Excellence in Family Business' in the small business category presented at the Oregon Zoo.

Thompson’s Sanitary Service is thrilled to have been recently honored with the “Excellence in Family Business” award.
The Excellence in Family Business Awards are presented annually by Oregon State University’s Austin Family Business Program. The Awards were established in 1988 to honor the accomplishments and contributions of family businesses, and to recognize their innovation, entrepreneurship, commitment, and community involvement.
Thompson’s was nominated by the Newport Rotary Club and went through a lengthy application and interview process before learning they had won the award in the category of small businesses (10 to 24 employees). TSS was specifically honored for its generations of excellence in community service, for adopting new technologies to keep rates low, for its leadership in environmental responsibility and for valuing diversity in the workplace. During the awards presentation, a video was shown where the Thompson family was interviewed. Rob Thompson spoke about his grandfather, Kenny Thompson and how he gave the company a solid footing. “Grandpa was a doer. Our family culture is still portrayed through that,” he said. Ken Riley added that he strives to carry the tradition his grandfather started and hopes “my kids will grow up working hard, (and) treating people well. We’re all in this together. This is a team, and we’re trying to do what’s best for this company and this community.”
Thompson’s has been in operation since 1963 and is currently being operated by the family’s third generation.