Thompson Hospitality in the News

Thompson Hospitality Supports Supplier Diversity and Job Creation

Thompson Hospitality is a shining example of a diverse strategic supplier to DePuy Orthopaedics, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics and many other U.S. based Johnson & Johnson operating companies. As the largest minority owned food service company in the United States, it supports supplier diversity and job creation through its many locations across the country.

“One of the most gratifying aspects of running our business,” says Benita Thompson-Byas, Senior Vice President of Joint Ventures and Vice Chair of Thompson Hospitality, “is the opportunity that it provides to truly make a difference in people’s lives.  Our growth has enabled us to support our 3,700 associates and their families, but the impact of our success does not stop there. We’ve also been able to help numerous other minority and women owned businesses through our mentoring efforts, and I feel very fortunate to have done so.”

Thompson Hospitality is also very involved in giving back through community outreach, volunteering with Special Olympics, Community Coalition for Haiti and several of the public schools it serves. Thompson Hospitality is a family business, founded by Warren Thompson in 1992. With siblings Benita Thompson-Byas and Fred Thompson also on board, the Thompson Hospitality business has grown from$30 million to $370 million. Recently, in memory of their parents, Thompson Hospitality donated $1 million to a scholarship fund at Virginia State University, the parents’ alma mater.

As a first-tier supplier to Johnson & Johnson companies, Thompson Hospitality—in partnership with Compass Group, the world’s largest food service company, supports expanding food services at 46 Johnson & Johnson sites in the United States and Puerto Rico. Thompson Hospitality focuses on improving the dining experience with a concentration on diverse and authentic global cuisine.

Not-for-profit healthcare organization Novant Health has a long standing customer relationship with a number of Johnson & Johnson companies, including DePuy Orthopaedics and Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics. Because of the exceptional service Thompson Hospitality provided to those companies, it became a second-tier supplier to Novant Health.

Kevin J. Price, Novant Health’s Supplier Diversity and Performance Manager notes, “It was a commitment to improving the dining experience for patients, along with a shared value of diversity, that brought Novant Health to the proverbial ‘table’ with Thompson Hospitality and Johnson & Johnson.”

Thompson Hospitality was awarded additional second-tier business with Novant Health through Novant’s partnership with Compass Group and affiliate Morrison Food Service.  Price adds, “We are excited about the introduction of Thompson’s signature ‘Austin Grill’ line in our Forsyth Medical Center cafeteria.”

Minority-owned status contributed to making Thompson Hospitality an attractive supplier for Novant Health.  “We want to reflect the diverse population of our patients and employees through our supplier partners,” Price says.

Thompson Hospitality, Novant Health and the Johnson & Johnson companies support the value that supplier diversity brings to our mutual customers and communities. Each company has its own solid supplier diversity program, which complements these mutual values.  Ruben Taborda, Chief Procurement Officer of Medical Devices and Diagnostics and Vice President of Supplier Diversity, Johnson & Johnson, states, “Some of our best suppliers are those that are also suppliers to our customers. These mutual relationships continue to support the growth, capacity and viability of our diverse suppliers.”

Mike Taylor, Vice President of Operations for Thompson Hospitality, comments, “Johnson & Johnson is a world-class organization, with strong customer brand awareness, a commitment to quality and strong corporate ethics—and it ‘walks the talk’ relative to social responsibility within the communities it serves. These are all values with which we align.”

“Diverse suppliers often provide us with a different aspect of considering a bid or project,” Price adds. “They also fuel competition, which helps ensure that we’re getting exceptional quality and pricing. In addition, supplier diversity is about economic development, allowing us to contribute to growing local businesses, as diverse suppliers are often small and local.”

In 2011, Johnson & Johnson became the first healthcare company to join the Billion Dollar Roundtable, which recognizes corporations that have spent at least $1 billion with minority and women owned suppliers.