PORT ORANGE, Fla. — Thompson Pump & Manufacturing Co. hosted an open house celebration at its new Summerville, S.C., branch recently. The company hosted area contracting companies, engineering firms, industrial accounts and municipalities with a catered barbecue lunch and facility tours.

The Summerville branch also held a drawing for a free one-month pump rental at the event, and the Thompson Pump Blue Crew made an appearance signing calendars and passing out their signature hard-hat stickers. Engine distributors representing manufacturers such as John Deere, Deutz, Lombardini, Perkins, Hatz and Isuzu were on hand to educate attendees on new Tier 2 and Tier 3 engines. Thompson Pump corporate staff provided insight into unusual and unique applications, new products, sewer bypass, and field preventive maintenance and service.

The Summerville branch office, one of 19 Thompson Pump branches nationwide, serves more than 200 customers in the South Carolina area. Under the direction of industry veteran, Tim Creech, southeast region manager, and branch manager, Mike Arnold, the branch provides a full line of Thompson Pump products for sale or rental and the expertise to provide solutions for tough dewatering, bypass and special pumping applications.

In other company news, Thompson promoted Kenny Midgett to branch manager of its newly relocated Pocomoke City, Md., branch, which serves more than 200 customers in the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Eastern shore territory.

Midgett, hired as a field service technician in 2003, and promoted to operations manager in 2005, will be responsible for overseeing sales, rental and service in his new position. He will manage customer service, assuring all rental equipment is serviced and maintained to Thompson Pump quality standards.

Thompson Pump, a family-owned company based in Port Orange, Fla., is No. 45 on the RER 100.