Sandy Thomson

George A. (Sandy) Thomson, BscME

Founder & Innovator

With Thomson-Gordon Group:
Since 1965

Thomson-Gordon Group consists of:

Sandy's Bio/News/Docs
Sandy attended Northrop University in Inglewood, California studying Aircraft Maintenance Engineering but graduated as a Mechanical Engineer. In 1965, he decided to join the family business, Thomson-Gordon Ltd., in Hamilton, Ontario. At the time, this company was primarily a distributor of Engineers Supplies. Looking for a niche where engineered mechanical products made from rubber and plastic components could be designed, he was the catalyst in developing the Thordon polymer in the late 1960’s.

Sandy’s focus on innovation and developing export markets has been the key to Thordon’s success. In 1990, he bought the Russian deep-sea salvage tug, Rudokop, and converted it to a “floating showcase” of Thordon marine bearing and seal products, then captained this ship visiting more than 200 ports in Europe.

With Sandy at the helm, Thordon has become a global leader in seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings and seals as well as offering a complete range of non-metallic sleeve bearing solutions for marine, clean power generation, pump, offshore, and other industrial markets. The Thomson-Gordon Group has evolved with several industrial and aviation companies over the past 30 years. Sandy is also actively involved in Marsh Brothers Aviation, a non-metallic bearing and seal manufactured for aircraft landing gear, besides being the Innovator at Thordon Bearings Inc.

In 2019, Sandy won the prestigious Elmer A. Sperry award for advancing the art of transportation in recognition of leading the innovation for water-lubricated propulsion shaft bearings for marine transport through the application of polymeric compounds.




Critical Documents




Sandy - In the News




If you would like Sandy to present a webinar on the Marine, Hydro or vertical pump industries to your organization or university, please get in touch with us.

Ryan-Edmonds-LinProfile

Ryan Edmonds

Business Development Manager – Hydro Power

With Thordon Bearings:
Since 2008

Ryan's Bio/News/Docs
Ryan has extensive experience delivering bearing and shaft sealing solutions to OEM and End-User customers in the Hydropower and Clean Energy equipment market.  Ryan has been with Thordon Bearings since 2008, starting in Marketing and moving into the field as a Global Service & Support Technician solving technical issues with Clean Power and Marine customers.  Ryan joined the Hydro Clean Power team in 2017 as a Business Development Manager gathering bearing and sealing success stories from power stations and installations around the world.  This diversity of experience gives Ryan a deep knowledge of the mechanical aspects of turbine design, maintenance & operation that he is happy to discuss with anyone who shares his enthusiasm for the Hydropower industry.



Ryan - In the News

If you would like Ryan to present a webinar on the Hydro industry to your organization or university, please get in touch with us.

Jeffrey Butt

Jeffrey Butt, P.Eng.

Business Dev. Manager
Marine

With Thordon Bearings:
Since 1990

Jeffrey's Bio/News
Jeffrey Butt graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada with a degree in Naval Architectural Engineering. Before joining the Thordon team in 1990, Jeff worked at Burmeister & Wain Shipyard in Copenhagen, Denmark and the Port Weller Dry Docks in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Jeffrey has had extensive roles during his many years at Thordon which gives him a deep understanding of the complexities and needs of the marine industry. He started at Thordon as the Engineering Manager before becoming a Product Development Manager in 2001. In 2005 his job became even more hands on as the Global Service & Support Manager where he helped shipowners around the world with the installation of Thordon’s products.

Since 2013, Jeffrey has been a Business Development Manager for the Marine market where he brings his wealth of knowledge and experience to the Thordon sales team.




Jeffrey In the News




If you would like Jeffrey to present a webinar on the Marine industry to your organization or university, please get in touch with us.

Keith Brand

Keith Brand

Strategic Account Manager
Vertical Pumps

With Thordon Bearings:
Since 2007

Keith's Bio
Keith’s first experience with pumps was in his teens when he worked in a steel mill grinding shafts for rotating equipment. When the water pump on his car broke, he became more intimately involved in the mechanics of pumps. Keith studied at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, where he received a BA in Economics and Political Science. He furthered his education in Philadelphia studying Polymer Engineering at Drexel University as well as earning his MBA in Industrial Marketing from La Salle University.

Before joining the Thordon team Keith was a Sales Engineer at the Swagelok Company where he sold valves and fittings to the refining, power, and analytical equipment industries. He later became Product Manager – Polymers, a position he held for 23 years, at Greene, Tweed & Company where he was responsible for the development of PEEK Polymers. Among his first successes were polymers for valves, poppets, and bearings for the compressor industry. Those successes led to the development of carbon fiber and graphite bearing grades for the pump industry. Keith also developed a method of bonding polymers to metal for use in tilt pad bearings and a polymer labyrinth seal design for turbo compressors.

Since joining Thordon Bearings in 2007, Keith has been a Territory Manager, a Business Development Manager and he was recently appointed Strategic Accounts Manager. Keith has been vital to Thordon’s growth in the pump and industrial markets. He has traveled the world training OEM pump engineers how to design non-metallic pump bearings and it is thanks to Keith’s hard work that Thordon’s bearings and currently used by most of the major OEMs.




Keith has conducted presentations at a number of major utilities that include solving bearing issues involving abrasive wear, dry start up, and extending bearing wearlife. He is a Subject Matter Expert who can provide media commentary on the vertical pump industry or participate in related panel discussions. If you would like Keith to present a webinar on Pump or Industrial applications for Thordon to your organization or university, please get in touch with us.

Jim Bright

Jim Bright

Business Dev. Manager
Workboat
Jim's Bio/News

Born on the bluffs of the Mississippi, USA, Jim Bright’s attraction to river life started at an early age. In his 20s he found himself working as a deck hand for Exxon which gave him the opportunity to become a tankerman and acquired his Class A ticket. He enjoyed life onboard a towboat and was drawn to the mechanical side of the vessel and he quickly learned that the engine room was where he most wanted to be. Jim enrolled in the engineering program at the River Academy in Helena, Arkansas. Upon graduation he got a job as Third Engineer, eventually working his way up to Chief. During this time, he also logged wheelhouse time while running a fleet on the Tennessee River. His experience both onboard and in operations gave him the background to join Marine Industries in 1992 where he had his first experience with Thordon Bearings.

Jim designed a self aligning bearing (SAB) using Thordon’s ThorPlas-Blue material to allow operation without requiring lubrication. Introduced in 2009, several thousand have been sold and have greatly improved steering cylinder life by reducing the binding of a traditional sleeve bushing. The split design of the sphere allows it to be replaced, if needed, with nothing but hand tools.

In 2007, Jim worked with Thordon engineering and manufacturing teams to make the tailshaft bearing more user friendly. This would become what is now the RiverTough bearing for abrasive water on boats and cutter head dredgers.

Jim was also the lead on the field team that developed procedures to install and service the TG100 seal. He has hosted numerous seminars and training sessions for both end users and distributors to teach them the sales and service skills they need for these mechanical seals.

Jim was hired by Thordon in 2017 where he has been a Sales Manager primarily focused on the US Inland Waterways and the Gulf of Mexico where he brings his wealth of knowledge and experience to the Thordon sales team.




Jim In the News




If you would like Jim to present a webinar on the Workboat industry in the United States to your organization or university, please get in touch with us.



Thordon Product Inquiries?

Looking for more details on Thordon’s products?
Please fill out our contact form!

To contact the Thordon Team use the contact form: