About Us

Quaker Roots

Wilbur K. Thomas Humanitarian, Scholar, Quaker Leader

Wilbur K. Thomas was far more than a businessman—he was a humanitarian whose leadership of the American Friends Service Committee helped earn the organization the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947. Under his direction, the AFSC provided relief to millions affected by war and famine across Europe and beyond.

A man of extensive erudition and intense industry, Wilbur embodied the Quaker tradition of marrying intellectual depth with practical service.

1st Generation

Lester Howard Shingle Titan of the Leather Belt Industry

In an era when leather belting was the lifeblood of industrial power transmission—driving the machines that built modern America—Shingle mastered every aspect of the trade. His expertise and entrepreneurial vision led him to found Shingle & Gibb.

He mentored his son-in-law, Thomas Folger Thomas Sr., passing on decades of knowledge. The principles Shingle instilled—quality, reliability, and customer partnership—would endure long after leather gave way to rubber and synthetic materials.

2nd Generation

Thomas Folger Thomas Sr. 1945 – 1994

With the founding of Thomas & Muller, Thomas Folger Thomas Sr. struck out on his own. He was shaped by two powerful influences: his father Wilbur K. Thomas—a humanitarian of international renown—and his father-in-law Lester Shingle, a titan of the power transmission industry.

From his father, he inherited Quaker values: integrity, service, and quiet industriousness. His travels in interwar Europe while studying at the University of Berlin proved formative experiences that broadened his worldview. But his greatest achievements lay in chemical processing—he became a titan of the field, collaborating with DuPont on the development of Titanium Dioxide and Kevlar.

3rd Generation

Thomas Folger Thomas Jr. 1994 – 2014

Before taking on the family business, he had already proven himself an entrepreneur—founding his own company designing and building sailboats. When he joined Thomas & Muller, he brought that same innovative spirit to bear on the energy industry.

His foremost contributions were in R&D, partnering with countless universities to experiment with screw design under abrasive conditions. He oversaw the conversion of coal boiler feedstock to BioMass at colleges and hospitals across the region.

4th Generation

Frazier Wallace Powell Thomas Sr. 2014 – Present

Taking the company worldwide, Frazier Sr. has travelled extensively to job sites across the globe—from Siberia to Chile to Europe—bringing Thomas & Muller’s expertise to the most demanding industrial environments.

His foremost accomplishment lies in extensive R&D on heating and cooling screws—thermal conditioning of material while conveying. This expertise has found application in the lithium mining and battery processing sector, as well as significant environmental remediation work. Most notably, he contributed to the glass-forming system at the Hanford Site—one of the most complex nuclear cleanup projects in history.

5th Generation

Frazier Wallace Powell Thomas Jr. Present & Future

The apprentice learning at his father’s side, Frazier Jr. represents a unique synthesis of classical education and hands-on industrial training. His formal education is rooted in the Great Books tradition—studying the timeless works of philosophy, literature, and history.

His practical knowledge comes directly from apprenticeship under his father. Working alongside Frazier Sr., he has learned the art of engineering and the craft of entrepreneurship not from textbooks, but from decades of accumulated family wisdom.

This blend of classical training and real-world mentorship positions the fifth generation to honor the past while innovating for the future.