Profile

The Thompson Machine Tool Group is looking to the future and redefining its ‘PURPOSE’ in the machine tool market and specifically the Metal Cutting & Forming and Metal Removing segments.

A Brief Historical Background

Thompson Machinery was founded in October 1971 and focused on the buying and selling of used machine tools. Over the last 34 years the company has grown to become a competitive force in the South African machine tool industry. Thompson Machinery is now known as Thompson Machine Tools, and is part of the Holding Company Thompson Machine Tool Group. Other than Thompson Machine Tools the Group comprises of six other companies; Craft Machine Tools, with its core business in new machine tools, Interprovince Engineering Supplies, focusing on machine tool accessories, Trison Machine Movers, Landson Properties, FKF Finance and Trackman Auctioneers.

Back in the early nineties, Thompson Machine Tools saw a gap in the new machine tool market and it was then that Craft Machine Tools was ‘born’. Craft Machine Tools is now the dominant force within the group and is challenging in a market that has recently becoming extremely competitive.

In 2005 as part of the Craft Machine Tools initial growth strategy the Group decided to take Craft Machine Tools and its brands into the other provinces. Craft Machine Tools opened a branch in Kwazulu Natal and further acquired shares in a machine tool dealer in Cape Town, Marriott Machinery now known as Marriott Craft and shares in a machine tool dealer in Port Elizabeth, Clarkson Machine Tools.

View the group organisational structure