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OUR STORY
Tommy’s Upholstery was started in 1949 by Tommy (Aubrey) Thompson. As a young man, he served his apprenticeship with Thomas Plimley Ltd. which began doing horse-drawn carriage work and later moved to automobiles. During his youth, sports provided Tommy with an important outlet and sense of connection. Even after he stopped playing himself, he spent many years at stadiums, fields, and parks watching his grandchildren and great-grandchildren play.
Tommy married Frances Moore in 1933 and later had 3 children, Elinor, Ann, and Doug; the family remained a central focus for their entire lives. Tommy and Fran were loyal community members and could be seen in the stands at the Victoria Shamrocks lacrosse games until he passed away in 1997.
Tommy and Fran’s son, Doug, was the first employee when he was just a teenager and later, in 1966 formed a partnership with his father. Ten years later, Doug bought Tommy out and continued to expand the business into a more “progressive shop”. During this time, Tommy enjoyed more golfing and fishing but continued to work at the shop a few hours each day along with his son until he was well into his eighties. He died at home peacefully at 84 years of age. He was a well-loved and enthusiastic man and continues to be missed to this day.
Once a trim-only shop, Doug began to diversify moving into custom interior work on classic cars and restyling add-ons like sunroofs. Doug also focused on the retail end of the business and created a showroom to sell accessories. Along with the diversification, Doug made customer service a priority and worked to create a solid reputation in the community. As a result, Tommy's was named an “All-Star” by Auto Trim and Restyling News in 1993 and Doug spoke at several conferences during these years. Doug's wife, Sharon, was the Bookkeeper for many years and his son, Darin, worked at the shop for over 10 years with his wife, Amy, taking over some Bookkeeping duties for a short time.
In 2001 Doug's daughter, Wendy, took over the Bookkeeping position and a year later her husband, Christopher Mandorla, began his apprenticeship. Several years after completing his apprenticeship, Christopher began managing the company along with Doug. In 2015, Wendy and Christopher Mandorla bought Tommy's Upholstery and continue to act as owner operators of the business. Doug continues to participate and advise on many aspects of the business.
Over the years Tommy's has acted as an ITA (Industry Training Authority) Employer Sponsor supporting 12 employees to complete their apprenticeship. We have trained over 30 employees in the upholstery trade and have provided work-experience opportunities for numerous high school students. We are committed to keeping the upholstery trade alive and are always on the lookout for enthusiastic experienced tradespeople or new apprentices seeking to join our team.