To inspire and foster the design of green and efficient vessels
George A. ‘Sandy’ Thompson is the founder of Thordon Bearings Inc., a non-metallic bearing and seal manufacturer producing environmentally sustainable solutions to the global marine, clean energy, pump and industrial markets.
Having graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from Northrop University, Sandy joined the family business, Thomson-Gordon Ltd. (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) in 1965. Since then, he has been the driving force behind the development of polymer bearings. With a strong focus on the health of our oceans, seas and rivers, Sandy was ahead of his time developing seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings used on over 5,000 vessels around the world from workboats on the Mississippi, cruise ships in the Mediterranean, container ships on all the oceans, and Navy and Coast Guard ships for over 50 navies globally.
Sandy’s contributions to the maritime industry include:
• The production of the world’s first polymer alloy bearing, installed into a vertical pump in partnership with a local steel plant replacing traditional rubber bearings that typically wore out in a few weeks.
• The development of a seawater lubricated propeller shaft polymer bearings that does not need oil. In the last 35 years, these bearings have been installed on thousands of vessels around the globe where they have prevented millions of litres of oil from polluting our oceans and seas
• The performance of Thordon’s polymer tailshaft bearings on the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-Class Patrol frigates in the 1990’s that led to its use in over 50 Navies and Coast Guard around the world, including using non-metallic bearing technology on nuclear submarines, German Navy frigates and South Korean Navy destroyers.
• Being a catalyst in the development of a robust tailshaft seal that has a unique emergency seal feature allowing any ship to return to port safely while preventing permanent seal damage.
Sandy is a firm believer in the role of technical societies, such as SNAME, in providing forums for open and collegial discussion and debate, while acting as the guardians of best practice and innovation. Since 1983, when he joined SNAME, Sandy has actively been involved in the Society. This includes encouraging his team, including young professionals, to develop a culture of technical dialogue coupled with a seasoning of business acumen. He and Thordon Bearings have presented many technical papers at SNAME conferences, furthering the movement of seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings.
In 2016 Sandy was designated as a SNAME Fellow for his outstanding personal contribution to the marine/ocean engineering fields through significant achievements in design, research, production, operation and education.
A few years later, in 2019, Sandy won the prestigious Elmer A. Sperry Award for advancing the art of transportation in recognition of leading the innovation for water-lubricated propulsion shaft bearings for marine transport through the application of polymeric compounds.
The Thordon Bearings Graduate Scholarship is part of the SNAME Graduate Scholarships Program. It is open to graduate students worldwide who meet the program criteria and that of the scholarship itself. This includes demonstrating that their innovation will result in significant environmental improvements based on: 1) degree of innovation; 2) technical soundness of the design; 3) potential for environmental improvements; 4) practicality of implementation or production; and 5) commercial viability.
One scholarship for one year of study may be awarded annually. It can only be awarded once to an individual. It is Sandy’s desire that this scholarship will inspire the next generation of students to lead the maritime community, make a strong impact, and help the survival of our planet.