Here are a few articles that we hope you will find informative as well as fun to read.
I Didn’t Know That?
Did you know Thomas & Sons is family owned and operated?
In 1941, Z.L. Thomas along with Albert & Lummy Clary established a small dry-cleaners named "Clary & Thomas". A few years later Mr. Thomas purchased the company. With his two sons, Swofford and David, along with his son-in-law Harold West, the company was re-named "Thomas & West". Mr. West left the company to enter the ministry in the mid 1950’s. The company name was changed to "Thomas & Sons". Though our company’s name has changed over the last 60 years, our family’s commitment to quality service and customer satisfaction has remained constant.
Did you know Thomas & Sons’ inventory of tuxedos are in-stock, right here in the upstate?
Many of our customers ask why we stock so many tuxedos. Just because we are a family business doesn't mean we are small. The fact is that we inventory tuxedos for over 150 stores across the Southeast. These authorized partner locations allow competitive pricing with corporate chain stores and empowers small businesses all over the southeast to offer quality, personal service that is rarely found in today’s super store environment.
Did you know Thomas & Sons is on the cutting edge of technology?
Really! One of the most widely used software programs in our industry was written and developed by Thomas Technologies, a subsidiary of Thomas & Sons. As our company grew, we saw the importance of making sure our orders were accurate, our inventory was up-to-date and available when promised. Formal Wear companies travel to our facilities from all over the United States to see how technology can help keep the busiest of times, organized.
Did you know that Thomas & Sons is World Wide?
www.thomasandsons.com. Here you will find our "Styles On-line" catalog of tuxedo and accessories as well as a host of information about appropriate attire and the history of formalwear.
Large inventories and technology are great, but they will never replace our core belief; To give our customers great service, to pay attention to detail and to remember 1941 when people took special pride in their work. If something wasn’t quite right, it was made it right, because it was the right thing to do.
1980
Thomas & Sons Builds New Outlets
Thomas & Sons, Inc. is a story of success and expansion that began in 1940. Since then the firm has become one of the largest formal wear rental businesses in the entire South. In addition to three stores in Spartanburg, Thomas & Sons operates a formal wear rental service in Greenville, Asheville and Anderson. When the Westgate Mall opened in 1975, Thomas & Sons opened a Formal Wear Shop along with Carolyn’s Bridal shop. The firm ships formal wear to over 100 wholesale accounts in 14 states. Although only starting with 15 tuxedos, the firm now has more than 16,000 tuxedos in stock. David Thomas, vice president of the company, says the firm’s expansion program will continue” with a new and larger store opening in Anderson around July of this year. Thomas & Sons also will construct a new warehouse and wed- ding plaza on property adjacent to their S. Church I store early in 1981. The business was founded in 1940 by Thomas and Albert Clary and originally was named Clary & Thomas Cleaners. This name was used until 1948 when Mr. Thomas bought out Mr. Clary. Harold West, who married Mr. Thomas’ daughter, then came into the firm and the name was changed to Thomas & West Cleaners. Mr. West left the firm in 1957. Swofford Thomas, son of Z.L. Thomas, then joined the firm and ran the operation along with his father until 1964 when his brother, David, also joined the firm. The name was then changed to Thomas & Sons, Inc. The elder Thomas retired in 1965 and the company continued to expand. The business was strictly a cleaning establishment with locations on Union Street and on S. Church Street until 1958 when the decision was made to rent men’s formal wear as a sideline to the cleaners. The rental service soon surpassed the dry cleaning business. The third Thomas & Sons store in Spartanburg was opened in 1970 at W. Main Street. “The future looks bright and we are growing with the piedmont,” says David Thomas.
The Spartanburg Herald-Journal Business & Industrial Review, Saturday March 8th, 1980 Pg. H15