Timeline
TDC time line of major milestones and projects
1937 – W. Ted Thompson graduates from Kansas State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
| 1945 – W. Ted Thompson starts Thompson Dehydrating Company as an alfalfa dehydrating company with a plant in Topeka, KS. |
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| W. Ted Thompson |
Plant in Topeka, KS |
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1945 – Ted's father, Walter, joins the company.
1946 – TDC starts modifying and rebuilding the drying systems in their possession.
1946 – TDC builds its first new dryer for its Topeka plant.
1947 – TDC sells its first dryer.
| 1953 – Ted's son, Stan Thompson joins the company. |
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| Stan Thompson |
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1963 – Julie Thompson, Stan's wife, joins the company.
| 1965 – TDC purchases a second plant in St. Mary's, KS and appoints Stan as the plant manager. |
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| St. Mary's, KS |
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1966 – Julie Thompson graduates from Kansas State University with a degree in Accounting.
1968 – Ted's son, Stan graduates from Kansas State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering
1968 – Stan Thompson becomes a partner in the company.
| 1969 – TDC opens the Boiler Works (originally used as a boiler fabrication shop before TDC purchased it), as a secondary fabrication shop. |
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| Boiler Works |
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1970 – Article in the Topeka State Journal (currently the Topeka Capital Journal) about TDC.
1971 – First patent titled Method of dehydrating a crop issued to Stan Thompson.
1971 – Patent titled Crop dehydration issued to Stan Thompson.
1973 – Patent titled Flighting for dehydrator drum issued to Stan Thompson.
1973 – Patent titled Incinerator issued to Stan Thompson.
1973 – Patent titled Crop dehydrator and method issued to Stan Thompson.
1974 – Patent titled Flighting for dehydration drum and method issued to Stan Thompson.
1974 – Patent titled Method of drying a product issued to Stan Thompson.
1975 – Patent titled Flighting for dehydration drum and method issued to Stan Thompson.
1975 – Patent titled Stack sampling method and apparatus issued to Stan Thompson.
1975 – Patent titled Method and apparatus for separating particulate matter from gas stream issued to Stan Thompson.
1975 – TDC sells the first waste heat drying system to Camron Sawmill in Grand Ronde, OR to dry wood residue.
| 1978 – TDC/Rader retro-fit a waste heat drying system for Stimson Lumber Company in Forest Grove, OR to dry wood residue. |
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| Stimson Lumber Company Forest Grove, OR |
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| 1979 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to Green Bay Packaging's Arkansas Kraft Division in Morrilton, AR to dry wood residue. |
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| Arkansas Kraft Division in Morrilton, AR |
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1980 – W. Ted Thompson passes away.
1980 – TDC licenses Rader Companies to use its designs and patents to build dryers in the forest industry.
1980 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to Hamakua Sugar Co. in Paauilo, HI to dry bagasse for pelletizing.
| 1980 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to Hilo Cost Processing in Papeekeo, HI to dry bagasse. |
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| Hilo Cost Processing in Hawaii |
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1980 – TDC/Rader sells a direct fired drying system to
Royal Dutch/Shell Group in Hearst, Ontario to dry wood residue.
1981 – Julie Thompson joins TDC full time.
1981 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to Merry Companies Inc., now Boral, in Augusta, GA to dry sawdust.
1981 – TDC/Rader sells a direct fired drying system to Woodex Industrial Fuels, Inc., in Presque Isle, ME to dry wood residue.
1981 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to Lyons Falls Pulp & Paper in Lyons Falls, NY to dry wood residue.
1981 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat/direct fired drying system to Kingsford Products Co, in Springfield, OR to dry bark for charcoal briquettes. First 16 foot dryer ever made.
1981 – The Beloit Corporation, now Metso Paper, buys the Rader Companies and takes over management of the licensing agreement with TDC.
1982 – TDC closes the St. Mary's plant.
1982 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to Great Lakes Paper Co., now AbitibiBowater, in Thunder Bay, Ontario to dry wood residue.
1982 – TDC/Rader sells two direct fired drying systems to Timber Products in Medford OR, to dry sawdust for particleboard.
1982 – TDC/Rader sells five rebuilt direct fired drying systems to Champion International, now International Paper Company, in Gaylord, MI, to dry sawdust for particleboard.
1982 – TDC/Rader sells a stainless waste heat drying system to Kimberly Clark's, Scott Maritimes LTD plant in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia to dry wood residue and sludge. This was our first stainless drying system.
1983 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system for Forsnas Sagverk in Osterbymo, Sweden, to dry shredded bark.
1983 – TDC/Rader sells a rebuilt waste heat drying system to Waialua Sugar in Waialua Oahu, HI to dry baggasse.
1983 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to T.N.E.E in France to dry shredded bark.
| 1983 – TDC closes the dehydrating part of the Topeka, KS plant but keeps open the fabrication shop. |
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| Fabrication Shop |
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1983 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to
Packaging Corporation of America's Tennessee River Pulp & Paper plant in Counce, TN to dry wood residue.
1984 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to Creusot-Lorie, in Bagapel, Mauritius to dry bagasse.
1984 – TDC/Rader sells a stainless waste heat drying system to Smurfit Newsprint Corp., now Blue Heron Paper Company in Newberg, OR to dry sludge and wood residue.
1984 – TDC closes it's fabrication shop formally known as Topeka Steam Boiler Works.
1984 – TDC/Rader sells a direct fired drying system to Willamette Industries, now Weyerhaeuser in Bend OR to dry sawdust for particleboard. This is the last dryer fabricated by TDC.
1984 – TDC/Rader sells a retro-fit waste heat drying system to Louisiana Pacific Corporation in Standard, CA to dry wood residue. This dryer was used in operations at TDC's plant in Topeka, KS.
1984 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to Electricite De France in French Guiana to dry wood chips.
1985 – TDC closes the last Topeka fabrication shop and focuses on consulting and design.
1985 – Patent titled Flighting for horizontal dryers issued to Stan Thompson.
1985 – TDC/Rader sells a stainless waste heat drying system to Louisiana Pacific Corp. in Ketchikan, AK to dry wood residue and sludge.
1985 – TDC/Rader sells a retro-fit waste heat drying system to U.S. Gypsum Corp., in Danville VA to dry wood residue. This dryer was originally used in our St. Mary's, KS plant.
1985 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to Zellstoff Poels AG in Poels, Austria to dry wood residue.
1985 – TDC/Rader sells a direct fired drying system to S2MC/Franatone, in France to dry wood chips.
1986 – Patent titled Flighting for horizontal dryers issued to Stan Thompson.
1986 – TDC/Rader sells a direct fired stainless drying system to Bear Island Paper Co, in Ashland, VA to dry wood residue.
1987 – TDC/Rader sells a stainless waste heat drying system to Willamette Industries, now Weyerhaeuser, in Lebanon, OR to dry wood residue.
1988 – Patent titled Flighting for horizontal dryers issued to Stan Thompson.
1988 – TDC/Rader sells a stainless waste heat drying system to International Paper in Jay, ME to dry wood residue.
1988 - TDC sells a direct fired drying system to Lucerne Farms in Easton, ME to dry alfalfa.
1989 – Patent titled Flight arrangement for rotary drum dryers issued now owned by TDC.
1989 – TDC rebuilds its first direct fired drying system in the ethanol industry for Alchem LTD, in Grafton, ND to dry Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS).
1990 – Patent titled High turndown rotary dryer flights issued now owned by TDC.
1991 – TDC/Rader sells two direct fired drying systems to Truss Joist-MacMillan in Deerwood, MN to dry 12" OSB strands.
1992 - TDC sells a rebuilt direct fired drying system to Lignetics in Sandpoint, ID to dry wood waste for pelletizing. This dryer was originally built by TDC in 1960 and has been in near continuous use for 48 years as of November of 2007.
1992 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to Papier Cascades Cabano Inc, in Cabano, QC to dry wood residue.
1992 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to Projet De Desencrage in Cap de la Madeleine, Quebec to dry sawdust and wood residue.
1992 – TDC sells a rebuilt direct fired drying system Heartland Grain Fuels in Aberdeen, SD to dry DDGS.
1992 – TDC sells a rebuilt direct fired drying system to Morris Ag-Energy in Morris, MN to dry DDGS.
1993 – Patent titled Method and apparatus for increasing dehydrator efficiency issued to Stan Thompson.
1993 – TDC sells a rebuilt direct fired drying system to Broin Enterprises Inc., now Poet, in Scotland, SD to dry DDGS.
1994 – Patten titled Tramp removal system issued now owned by TDC.
1994 – TDC/Rader sells a stainless direct fired/waste heat drying system to Western Forest Product's, Western Pulp plant in Port Alice, British Columbia to dry wood residue and sludge.
1994 – TDC/Rader sells a rebuilt waste heat drying system to HC&S in Maui, HI to dry baggasse.
1994 – TDC sells its first new direct fired drying system in the ethanol industry to Alchem LTD. in Grafton, ND to dry DDGS.
1994 – TDC sells a rebuilt waste heat/direct fired drying system to High Plains Corp., now Abengoa Bioenergy Corporation in Colwich, KS to dry DDGS.
1994 – TDC sells three direct fired drying systems to High Plains Corp., now Abengoa Bioenergy Corporation in York, NE to dry DDGS.
1994 – TDC/Rader sells a direct fired drying system to Forex, now Louisiana Pacific Corp., in St. Michel des Saints, Quebec to dry OSB strands.
1994 – TDC/Rader sells a direct fired drying system to Panneaux, now Louisiana Pacific Corp., in Chambord, Quebec to dry OSB strands.
1994 – TDC/Rader sells two direct fired drying systems to Jager Strandboard Inc., now Weyerhaeuser, in Wawa, Ontario to dry OSB strands. These were the largest dryers in the world at the time at 18.5 foot dia.
1995 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat/direct fired drying system to ThyssenKrupp Industries in India to dry a cellulose product.
1995 – TDC sells a rebuilt direct fired drying system to Morris Ag-Energy in Morris, MN to dry DDGS.
| 1995 – TDC sells three direct fired drying systems to Nebraska Energy LLC in Aurora, NE to dry DDGS. |
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| Nebraska Energy LLC Aurora, NE |
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1995 – Patent titled
Method and apparatus for increasing dehydrator efficiency issued to Stan Thompson.
1995 – TDC sells a rebuilt direct fired drying system to Heartland Corn Products in Winthrop, MN to dry DDGS.
1995 – Patent titled Large Diameter wafer dryer with adjustable flighting issued now owned by TDC.
1996 – Patent titled Resilient rotary dryer seal issued now owned by TDC.
1996 – TDC/Rader sells a waste heat drying system to F.F. Soucy Inc., in Riviere du Loup, Quebec to dry wood residue.
1996 – TDC/Rader sells two direct fired drying systems to Forex Maniwaki Inc., now Louisiana Pacific Corp., in Bois Franc, Quebec to dry OSB strands.
1996 – Stan's son Josh Thompson graduates from Kansas State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
| 1996 – Josh Thompson joins the company. |
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| Nebraska Energy LLC Aurora, NE |
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| 1996 – TDC sells a direct fired drying system to Al-Corn Clean Fuels in Claremont, MN to dry DDGS. |
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Al-Corn Clean Fuels in Claremont, MN
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1996 – Patent titled Process for recycling combustion gases in a drying system issued to Stan Thompson.
1997 – TDC/Rader sells a direct fired/waste heat drying system to Kingsford Products Co., in Springfield, OR to dry bark for charcoal briquettes.
1997 – Patent titled Safety method for a drying system issued to Stan Thompson.
| 1998 – TDC sells a direct fired drying system to Commercial Alcohols Inc., in Chatham, Ontario to dry DDGS. |
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Commercial Alcohols Inc., Chatham, Ontario
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1998 – Patent titled Combustion Chamber issued to Stan Thompson.
1998 – TDC sells its first Integrated Thermal Oxidation System in the form of two ITO's to Roquette in Keokuk, IA to thermally destroy VOC's.
1999 – TDC focuses on consulting in various industries as a trouble shooter and problem solver.
1999 – Patent titled Process for splitting recycled combustion gases in a drying system issued to Stan Thompson.
2000 – Patent titled Combustion chamber to accommodate a split-stream of recycled gases issued to Stan Thompson.
2000 – Beloit goes bankrupt and TDC gets the full rights to all patents and designs for rotary dryers.
2000 – TDC and Alpha agree to make dryers together.
2000 – TDC/Alpha sells a direct fired drying system to Forex, now Louisiana Pacific Corp., in St. Michel des Saints, Quebec to dry OSB Strands.
2000 – TDC/Alpha sells a direct fired drying system to Panneaux Chambord, now Louisiana Pacific Corp., in Chambord, Quebec to dry OSB strands.
2002 – TDC ends its agreement with Alpha to build, design or sell dryers.
2002 – TDC hired by Alchem LTD in Grafton, ND to consult on dryer heat source conversion project.
| 2003 – TDC is hired by Adkins Energy LLC., in Lena, IL to consult on rebuilding of competitors drying system. |
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| Adkins Energy LLC., in Lena, IL |
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2003 – Stan's son, Ted Thompson graduates from Kansas State University with degrees in Operations Management and Marketing.
2004 – Ted Thompson joins the company.
2005 – TDC is hired by Louisiana-Pacific Corp to rebuild four drying systems.
2005 – TDC is hired by ACE Ethanol in Stanley, WI to rebuild competitors drying systems.
| 2006 – TDC is hired by Al-Corn Clean Fuel in Claremont, MN to increase production through the dryers. |
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2006 – TDC is hired by CK Processing in Muscatine, IA to design a drying system and biomass burner.
2006 – TDC is hired by Westway Trading to repair their drying systems in Mapleton, ND and Cordova, IL.
2006 – TDC is hired by Nebraska Energy in Aurora, NE to rebuild two drying systems.
2007 – TDC is hired by Corn Plus in Winnebago, MN to rebuild competitors drying systems.
2008 - TDC supplies a new drum to Westway Trading for their Mapleton, ND plant.
2009 - TDC is hired by Konza Renewable Fuels to develop a pilot torrefaction system.
2010 - TDC is hired by TDT to build a drying system for Trebio Inc's wood pelleting plant in Portage-du-Fort, Quebec.
2011 - TDC is hired by TDT to build a drying system for Corn Plus in Winnebago, MN.
2011 - TDC is moves into its new office at 2953 SW Wanamaker Drive, Topeka, KS.
