(Left to Right): Kyle Hooker, Executive Chairman, Cox Lumber and Al Thompson, President, A. L. Thompson’s

With the purchase of Cox Lumber, A. L. Thompson’s will continue its focus on serving the community by offering value-driven products and services for Cayman Islands homeowners and contractors

George Town, Grand Cayman (Friday, 15 September 2023): A. L. Thompson Building Supplies Ltd. (“A. L. Thompson’s”) today announces the purchase of Cox Lumber Ltd. (“Cox Lumber”), bringing the two family-run companies – and their values of excellence, integrity and customer satisfaction – to even more customers while maintaining 100 percent Caymanian ownership of the businesses. 

A. L. Thompson’s, owned and operated by the Thompson family, is acquiring Cox Lumber’s Cayman Islands business which includes the Bodden Town retail store and George Town contractor yard. All Cox Lumber employees will be retained. The Tibbetts family, of Cox Lumber, will retain Tibbetts Lumber Co. and Tibbetts International operating in the United States.

The purchase of Cox Lumber by A. L. Thompson’s will allow A. L. Thompson’s to better serve an enlarged customer base of Cayman Islands homeowners and contractors through a combined 150 years of retail experience, as well as leverage the companies’ unparalleled networks of suppliers to offer an increased range of products at the best available price points. It will allow Cayman Islands homeowners and contractors to benefit from increasing purchasing power and an expanded product selection whilst receiving the same level of personalised customer service they’ve come to know and expect.

“Bringing A. L. Thompson’s and Cox Lumber together allows us to evolve to meet the demands of the people of the Cayman Islands, by combining our Caymanian values and commitment to our customers to create an even better offering,” said Al Thompson, President, A. L. Thompson’s. “I would like to sincerely thank all staff at both businesses for their ongoing efforts to serve our customers over the last 75 years, and I look forward to welcoming our new colleagues from Cox Lumber and expanding the A. L. Thompson’s family further.” 

Mr. Thompson, along with Director, Berna Cummins (née Thompson), MBE, will continue to lead the business through this ongoing transformation and integration and will be supported jointly by A. L. Thompson’s and Cox Lumber’s existing leadership teams.

“The two businesses are highly complementary, bringing together Cox Lumber’s traditional focus on building materials and supplying contractors and A. L. Thompson’s on home improvements and a wider retail selection,” said Kyle Hooker, Executive Chairman, Cox Lumber Ltd. “We are confident the business built by my grandfather, the late Mr. Linton N. Tibbetts, OBE, will continue to grow and prosper under the Thompson family’s leadership. We are excited that the legacy will continue as a wholly owned Caymanian company, a factor that was incredibly important to me in this decision. I personally would like to thank our dedicated team and customers for their unwavering support over the past three decades in the Cayman Islands and I am honored to hand Cox Lumber Ltd. over to Mr. Thompson and entrust our customers and team to his service level and care.”

There are no immediate plans to bring the two Cox Lumber locations under the A. L. Thompson’s brand, and Mr. Thompson stressed that there will be no changes to their day-to-day operations, staffing and customer accounts.  

To learn more about the history and evolution of these two Caymanian household names, visit www.althompson.com and www.coxlumberltd.com.  

About A. L. Thompson’s 

Celebrating over 70 years of business, A. L. Thompson’s has become a household name in the Cayman Islands, providing the widest selection of building supplies and home improvement products within the islands. With over 160,000 sq. ft. of retail space, a list of exclusive brands and multiple showrooms, A. L. Thompson’s is where contractors, homeowners and do-it-yourselfers go for all their needs. A. L. Thompson’s has two convenient locations, the main store in George Town and a satellite store in Countryside Shopping Village in Savannah. The family owned and operated business focuses on offering a large range of products at the best possible prices to meet and exceed the needs of its customers and community. To learn more, visit www.althompson.com. 

About Cox Lumber

Founded in 1949, Cox Lumber began as a small hardware store and grew into one of the largest home improvement retailers in Florida and the Cayman Islands. With two locations in the Cayman Islands, Cox Lumber is the go-to headquarters for homeowners, contractors and builders for all their construction needs. In addition to retail, we offer truss manufacturing, door assembly, rebar product fabrication and much more.  For more information, please visit www.coxlumberltd.com