Richard Thompson never expected to stay in the Lehigh Valley when he moved here from Kansas, but after falling deeply in love with the area for its boundless outdoor opportunities, he decided to stick around and set up shop. Aside from the beautiful outdoors, Thompson appreciated Bethlehem's bountiful potential. “We have it all here,” he says. With college students to hire, easy distribution, numerous airports and 40 percent of the country's population within the nearby states, the decision was easy. He stayed and he launched Factory LLC, an investment company that partners with growing food, drink and pet health companies.
Factory is a fun and modern place where fledgling businesses can get on their feet with the help of Thompson and his team of experts. Their many connections and a one-of-a-kind facility allow investors and investees to work together to plan, scale and market their new businesses.
“This is a whole new business technique that has never been done before,” Thompson says. “We work with companies on all aspects of their business, from marketing to investment to human resources to construction. We assist in it all.” Thompson compares it to a university for new business owners and entrepreneurs.
Thompson's 40-plus years of experience in the retail grocery-store product business has allowed him and his team to help launch grocery-store staples like Stuffed Puffs, Honey Stinger and Mikey's.
“We love seeing new businesses grow faster and with less mistakes,” Thompson says. He enjoys seeing his investment model at work, helping new companies hit the market. For him, seeing this new innovation makes the work all worth it.
