2012 marks Thompson Ahern International’s 100th year of growing and responding to the ever-changing needs of our clients. We like to think of it as our initial “Century of Excellence in Crossing Borders”...

These first one hundred years have provided a solid foundation for our well- established brokerage firm that now also includes a number of totally integrated logistics solutions. We look forward to continuing to offer an even larger range of international services in the future as we grow to meet the demands of expanding markets here in Canada and abroad.

One hundred years ago, Thompson, Ahern International acquired C.W. Irwin, a Customs Broker, Ticket Agent and Merchant Delivery Firm that had been operating in Toronto since 1875. Our initial office was located in the heart of downtown — at 40 Yonge Street — a building in which we owned and occupied all three floors. As former President, William Atkinson, now 90 years young, reminds us, “The location served our clients well as it was across the street from the Customs House.” 

In the early years, our company hired young messenger boys who rode bicycles (pictured below). According to Atkinson, who got his start as a bicycle messenger, these boys hand-delivered the company’s invoices, customs papers, cheques and bills throughout the city.

As Thompson, Ahern expanded, our company earned the reputation of being a respected leader in the Canadian customs brokerage and freight-forwarding industry. Our Foreign Department initially handled only American clients, many of whom are still with us today. We have since gone on to establish clients worldwide.

Throughout 100 years of varying economic cycles, Thompson Ahern has been a steadfast and completely reliable presence in the trade community.  Part of our continued success, we believe, is our consistently excellent standard of customer service; a factor that has contributed to a 97% client retention rate. Current President and General Manager, Rod Kyle, remembers that clients used to meet with the firm at our offices — all that changed in 1975 when Thompson Ahern introduced the (then) new concept of visiting clients at their own place of business in order to better understand their operations and unique requirements. 

Over the years, our office location has changed a few times, responding and adapting to the evolving businesses of our customers.  In the 1970s, for example, we opened a satellite office at the airport where we could expedite paper work with greater efficiency. Currently, we maintain our head office on Airport Road (adjacent to PIA) in Toronto, with satellite offices in Fort Erie and Windsor.
 

Windsor (Ambassador Bridge) processing facility and Toronto (Airport Road) Head Office

What do we see ahead as we enter into our next century of business operations?  With the rapid proliferation of e-commerce throughout all aspects of the trade environment, we will continue to focus on the development of flexible, data-intensive solutions that provide our clients with immediate information to facilitate greater supply chain transparency and the actionable intelligence needed to help better manage their bottom-line.  

On the horizon, customs processes will inevitably continue to evolve and shift the regulatory paradigm in response to the changing demands of business and government. Thompson Ahern is dedicated to meeting these challenges with the latest tools and technology and, just as importantly, maintaining our commitment to keeping our clients informed and helping them navigate the learning curve to ensure a smooth and efficient operational transition.

As we celebrate a century of service excellence in 2012, Thompson Ahern International would like to sincerely thank our loyal clients, employees and partners for enabling this significant milestone. We look forward to being a valued trade partner in the coming years to both current and future clients...