Early Life
James E. "Jim" Thompson was born on January 14, 1940, in Jersey City, New Jersey, and raised in Bayonne. His father served in the United States Navy, and he spent his childhood in various locations, including Guam. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from San Jose State University.
Rise to Success
In 1963, Jim Thompson began his career in the moving industry at Intercontinental Transport in Yokohama, Japan. In 1965, he founded Transport Services International in Japan with an initial investment of $1,000. The company expanded to Hong Kong in 1970 and other Asia Pacific locations, becoming the leading moving company in Asia by the early 1980s. The company was renamed Crown Pacific and then Crown Worldwide Group. Crown Worldwide Group now operates in over 45 countries, offering relocation, records management, and logistics services. Thompson moved the company's headquarters to Hong Kong in 1978 and became a permanent resident. He stepped down as chairman in 2025 and is now chairman emeritus.
Key Business Strategies
Thompson's key strategies included: starting small and expanding geographically; diversifying into related services like records management and fine art transportation; and acquiring companies to accelerate growth, particularly in the late 1990s. He focused on providing comprehensive services for relocations, including storage.
Philanthropy
Jim Thompson has been involved in various charitable initiatives. He is passionate about helping underserved communities, working with children's, health, and education charities. He also established the Hazel Joyce Library in Cambodia.