Greg Thompson and his wife Tana had their children early — their first was born when they were still teenagers — and Thompson worked hard to overcome the difficulties and stereotypes of being young parents.
“Tana got pregnant and we left school, and I was pretty much discounted and thought of as a loss — I was just a worthless kid in a lot of people’s eyes,” Thompson said. “But the work I put forth, the faith I have, and what I believe in helped me drive to be where I’m at now. I might not be standing on top of the mountain, but it was a big climb to get where I’m at.”
Now the plant manager of Olam Edible Nuts, Thompson has had a successful career and is a proud father and grandfather. “I give all the glory to God and all the blessings He’s put on me,” he said.
Thompson moved around quite a bit as a kid, and went to Dublin schools on and off starting in fourth grade. He spent most of his high school years there, and his now wife, Tana, was his high school sweetheart.
The Thompsons were members of the class of 1995, but left school in 1994. Thompson began working with his dad, a mechanic, at his business GT Service in Stephenville, then spent time working at a couple of peanut companies in the area. “That was a good foundation for working in the peanut industry [later on],” he said.
But before he found his current career, Thompson spent eight years working at Cain Pool Co. in Dublin building swimming pools. He enjoyed the work. “Building swimming pools was a lot of fun,” he said. “You got to see multiple job sites, got to meet all kinds of new people, got to see all kinds of different areas. It was good hard work, and there was a lot to it. Dirt work, operating heavy machinery, doing concrete, electrical — all that stuff is a lot of good experience.”
Then, in 2006, he found a new career at Olam Edible Nuts, formerly Universal Blanchers. “A friend of mine had recommended that I come out and apply for a job in the maintenance department,” he said. “With all the mechanical and electrical experience I learned from all those years of construction, going into maintenance here was a really easy transition for me.”
Thompson started as a maintenance technician and worked his way up from there. “At a certain point, the plant manager at the time saw some leadership potential in me, and offered me a supervisor position on production,” he said. “I did that for a few years, and then I worked really closely with our quality manager, and she retired, so I stepped into her role as a quality manager for a few years, and then they opened up an assistant plant manager position, which they gave to me. And then just a couple of years ago, our plant manager retired, and then I became the plant manager.”
As plant manager, Thompson does a little bit of everything. “I’m still involved in maintenance. I’m heavily involved in all production. And safety is really important for us. We like to take care of everybody and look after safety really well. So it’s just a handful of things, [I have to be] a jack of all trades and wear many hats.”
Business has remained steady, and the Olam plant is the exclusive provider of peanuts for Payday candy bars. “Any payday candy bar that’s being created or consumed throughout the world — the peanuts were dry roasted here in Dublin,” he said.
Thompson’s favorite part of the work is his coworkers. “I’m a people person — I just enjoy being around people,” he said. “I enjoy problem solving and trying to be a good example to everybody.”
In the future, Thompson hopes to keep advancing within the company. “I’d like to take the next step and maybe get into regional management,” he said.
When he’s not working, Thompson loves spending time with his wife Tana, who he met at Dublin High School, and their two grown sons, Gregory, 32 and Devan, 30. “We’re now very happy, proud grandparents of three beautiful grandchildren,” Thompson said.
Thompson also enjoys playing disc golf. He helped design the disc golf course in the Dublin park, and is one of the creators of the Dublin Disc Golf Club, which started in 2020.
“That’s when the sport really grew because of the outdoor activity, and COVID gave people the chance to get out and do something new,” he said.
Throughout his life, Thompson has found inspiration in his faith. He and his family attend the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn. “God and my religion has really driven me and kept me rooted in what I believe,” he said. “Following that has really kept me going.”
Thompson’s advice to Dublin graduates is to work hard. “Never give up, just keep your head down, keep doing what you do, and things will come to you,” he said.
— Where Are They Now chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@dublincitizen.com.