John “Thunder” Thornton was named the recipient of Tennessee Wesleyan University’s 2016 Distinguished Entrepreneur Award this Tuesday. Mr. Thornton is the third recipient of this award, presented annually by the TWU business administration department. TWU Board of Trustees Chairman Allen Carter introduced Mr. Thornton and presented this year’s award.
“To have my name alongside Claire [Tucker]’s and the entrepreneur of entrepreneurs Bobby Goodfriend is a real honor,” Mr. Thornton said.
“I’m so grateful to be here and receive this prestigious award. Thank you all so much.”
Mr. Thornton graduated from Tennessee Wesleyan in 1975 with a degree in business management and began his business career working at Salem Carpets. In 1984, he founded American Rug Craftsmen, Inc., which grew into the country’s largest producer of decorative carpets and floor mats. The company became a supplier to Walmart and was named Walmart’s vendor of the year twice. In 1992, Mr. Thornton was named Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year.
In addition to his success with American Rug Craftsmen, Mr. Thornton also founded Thunder Enterprises LLC, real estate development company in 1991. He also founded Thunder Air, Inc. in 1992. Thunder Enterprises continues to develop high-end real estate in eight states, including Tennessee.
Mr Thornton discussed his business successes with attendees of the event, including many TWU business students, sharing a story about the starting of American Rug Craftsmen. His first day with the business was the day his oldest son was born. He left the hospital and went to work, then did not take a day off for the next five months.
“One of the key ingredients to being successful in your own business is hard work,” Mr. Thornton said. “There’s no substitute for it. You just have to work harder than you could ever imagine.”
Mr. Thornton also discussed the importance of believing in hard work and in the business project. In addition to sharing several life lessons he learned from Pat Summitt, Mr. Thornton shared his insights into being an entrepreneur and starting a new business.
“When you start a business, it’s so important to believe in yourself,” Mr. Thornton said. “I think that’s probably rule number one. You’ve got to believe in yourself and you’ve got to believe in your plan and your project and what you hope to accomplish in that business. You’ve got to know what you believe, and believe it. Believe it with a passion. This is so important.”