Meet the Thompson Family
David Thompson founded TEC Equipment in 1976. He built his business repairing and selling used trucks on a few simple ideas: teamwork, entrepreneurship and being customer-driven. David expanded the business in 1990 by purchasing a factory-owned Mack franchise in Portland, Oregon, then acquired the Volvo franchise four years later. In 1997 TEC expanded into California with the purchase of a used truck center in Fontana. Over the next 20 years, TEC expanded across Oregon and California and into Washington, Nevada and Arizona. The TEC network consisted of 28 locations across five states until in 2022, TEC made its first foray into the Midwest, acquiring four Volvo dealership locations in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota.
Since its founding, TEC has remained a family-owned business. It was always important to David that his sons played an integral role in shaping the future of TEC. David is now joined by his three sons, David O, Chris and William.
David O took an interest in the family business from a young age, working in a variety of roles around the dealerships as a teenager until he joined the company full-time in 2010. He has seen TEC from many angles, working in the warehouse, on the maintenance team, as an insurance agent and now as director of TEC Development. Today he oversees TEC’s full-service real estate development division, leading design and construction through to full occupancy, developing functional, comfortable spaces for TEC. David O graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Oregon State University. Outside of work, he enjoys skiing, traveling, boating and cycling.
Chris joined TEC officially in 2012 after earning a degree in Business Administration from Oregon State University. A people-person to his core, Chris was drawn to sales roles from the start, exploring used truck purchasing, new truck sales and now serving as regional sales manager. Chris plays a key role in growing Mack and Volvo sales throughout Oregon and Washington while also shaping the future of TEC. When not at the office, Chris dedicates himself to giving back to his community and getting outside whether traveling, golfing, snowboarding or boating.
William joined TEC in 2014 after earning a degree in Business Administration from Oregon State University and a degree in Supply Chain Management from Lund University in Lund, Sweden. His work experience at TEC has focused on the fixed operations side, centering on the logistics side of the business before moving into his current role as leasing PMO lead. Today he concentrates on developing and implementing workflows to streamline the leasing support business and reduce logistical friction for easy, efficient customer experiences. When not buried in data, William takes to the sky, flying following in his father’s footsteps in more ways than one, having obtained his pilot’s license and enjoying flying planes.
As the second generation of ownership at TEC, all three Thompson sons have a unified vision for the future of the company. They hope to continue providing industry-leading transportation solutions for customers and fostering a beneficial workplace for employees while continuing to grow the TEC network. Each son sees themselves playing a key role in the future growth of TEC, and they’re excited about it.