Jon Thompson, Jack of all Trades.

Jon Thompson answered a help wanted ad we had posted in our local newspaper. Lucky for us he was leafing through pages he typically doesn’t read. Hiring Jon was an easy decision. Both Danielle and Bethany liked him instantly. He is a quiet man, not at all boastful. He was very interested in touring the tannery and he asked all the right questions about our operation. We came to learn that Jon had lived his whole life in Argyle, Wisconsin where Driftless Tannery is located. He was very familiar with the building we are in as it has been a staple of manufacturing in Argyle since it was built in 1890 as a butter factory. As a kid Jon had sampled cheese straight out of the cheese cave-a 3300 sq ft space built entirely underground in 1924 for aging cheeses when the factory became a cheese factory. In the 1980s the building changed ownership and became Louie’s Pudding factory. Jon knew and had done many odd jobs for Louie Lancaster, the founder of Louie’s pudding. The building had been vacant for at least five years when we moved our operation into it in 2022. The building, much like Jon himself, has a long history in Argyle.

Though he wasn’t raised on a farm, he grew up bailing hay and fencing as was typical of anyone who grew up in a rural town at a time when there were still many small dairy farms. Jon has worked in construction and lumberyards, in manufacturing plants and even the local ski hill. At heart, Jon is an artist. Over his lifetime he has painted many murals on buildings and barns across our community including an installation on State Street in Argyle celebrating the sesquicentennial. One of his works can still be found on the side of the Argyle Fiber Mill. Be sure to drive by the corner of South Street and Milwaukee Street so you can see the mural when you come to town to visit us.

Since we hired him in August of 2022, Jon has been a faithful and dependable employee. Truly one of the easiest people we have ever worked with. While his main duties have him managing the finishing department, he shows up every day willing to do whatever needs to be done. His artistic vision has really helped to shape how we finish the hides. His knowledge of machinery has helped us build and maintain all the pieces of equipment we have. He is always willing to follow Bethany down a rabbit hole of “what if we tried this”. He not only helps us get the job done, he also patiently listens and helps us troubleshoot on all the building projects we have. His unique skill set has been invaluable to us over the years and we are forever grateful that he answered our ad.