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How We Help

Our History

Our Approach

Our Virtues

Our People

Our History

The longest-running Association Management Company in America.

In 1913, Woodrow Wilson became the 28th President of the United States. Ford unveiled a new production line to speed up manufacture of the Model T. Hawaii was still 46 years away from becoming a state. And D.S. Hunter & Associates began operating as an association management firm in Cleveland, Ohio.

By 1946, Hunter took on Ben Thomas as a partner and the organization changed its name to Hunter-Thomas Associates. Hunter retired in 1958, and we’ve been Thomas Associates ever since—with a history reaching back more than a century.

While our longevity is noteworthy, what’s more important are the reasons behind it. What has propelled our organization for more than 100 years are the values that our clients experience with every interaction. Personal service, unequaled knowledge, attention to detail, and a commitment to being an extension of their industry.

These make up our bedrock. It was there on day one, still exists today, and will continue in the future.

Our Approach

Small firm personal attention. Large firm resources.

We focus on understanding your industry and solving industry issues, with a high level of professionalism and effectiveness that makes us stand out. We are reputable, accredited, and trustworthy, with dedicated client service teams that get to know your industry. Because we avoid account executive turnover that sometimes plagues others, the same people stay with you.

We offer truly customized management solutions, covering all aspects from administrative and event/meeting planning, to financial and accounting, and engineering services. Everything is tailored to the needs of your organization. Our technical focus gives us the ability to manage stats, understand industry conditions, collect and interpret data, keep current with building code changes, implement building code changes, and orchestrate the interaction of competitors within associations to collectively move the industry forward.

The depth of our engineering and technical expertise is rare in the association management world. Our technical department is managed by an experienced Professional Engineer (P.E.) with a Ph.D., and works with the model code organization ICC, state code regulatory bodies throughout the U.S., and most major standards organizations. Thomas Associates provides our technical services on a project basis to handle your group’s important technical functions involving codes, standards, and regulatory work.

From full service to a la carte service, whatever level you choose is managed by dedicated staff who are responsive and easily accessible. By doing what we say we are going to do, we have earned a reputation for excellent customer service. Because of this, the associations that join us stay with us.

Our Virtues

Relationships matter.

Our clients can expect attentiveness, honesty, communication, knowledge and, yes … friendship.

The same team stays with you, for unmatched consistency and continuity of service. It’s not unusual for dedicated staff to service the same account for 20, even 30 years. Our high rate of client retention tells the story.

Friendly servant leadership that treats people right and owns the results. That’s the Thomas way.

Respect

for one another, clients, and partners.

Loyalty

Actions, thoughts, and behaviors are always for the greater good.

Communication

Be open, direct, and fair.

Honesty

Be straightforward and have the difficult conversations for the good of clients.

Listening

Don’t just hear what someone is saying, fully listen and understand.

Accountability

Own our mistakes and successes. Follow through on responsibilities and promises.

Be a team player

Each stakeholder is meaningfully involved in the success of the whole. All ideas and perspectives are welcomed.

Engagement

Raise questions, voice your opinions and thoughts, encourage and embrace differences in backgrounds, views, and ways of thinking.

Fun

Work together, laugh, and enjoy your work.

Our People

Continuity of service.

Thomas Associates offers its clients a continuity of service that’s unprecedented in the industry. Just as our organization as a whole has enjoyed remarkable longevity, the tenure of many of our people is similarly impressive. Careers of 20 to 30 years with us are not unusual.

For clients it means familiar faces working on their accounts. People who have grown with their industries and understand the ins and outs like no one else could. Their experience elevates our newer employees by acting as a living resource for the right way to conduct business.

This continuum of service also includes resources you won’t find in other association management companies. Like in-house engineers, a department of statisticians, and more. These specialized services are available to all clients to help resolve complex engineering issues, prepare statistical data, forecast economic trends, and aid in your members’ understanding.

The Thomas name stands for something, and comes with a team of long-tenured individuals to back up its mission—and, more importantly, your industry’s mission.

Meet our team!

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