Donor Advised Fund
The Thompson Family
At 27 years old, Pat Thompson took a calculated step into business ownership when he moved his young family to Holland and established West Michigan’s first deep draw metal stamping company: Trans-Matic. Over 55 years later, the company remains family-owned and continues to thrive.
Pat’s choice to uproot his family was made partly out of necessity as the company he was working for in Illinois had been sold to a national conglomerate. However, the decision to make Holland their home was intentional. Pat had developed connections in West Michigan through his professional network and was impressed by the work ethic, the small-town feel, and the entrepreneurial spirit. There was also a small but active Catholic community which was ready to welcome them.
“There’s still no other place I would rather live than Holland, and I’ve lived a lot of places,” Pat said. “My family may not have been born and raised here, but it will always be home.”
The family lived frugally, investing all they had into the business. Pat’s business acumen, technical knowledge, and eye for recruiting talent allowed the company to grow, and by 1977 Trans-Matic broke ground on a new plant on 48th St. That facility doubled in size in 1998 to accommodate rising demand from their customer base.
Pat’s children, P.J. Thompson and Karen Groenhof, each contributed to Trans-Matic’s growth over the years. Karen was recruited by her father to implement a quality system across every shift and department. This gave her the opportunity to learn every aspect of the business and form relationships with the employees. P.J. returned from a job in North Carolina to work in Operations, Sales, and then Executive Management, and eventually succeeded his father as company President.
As Trans-Matic’s success grew, so did the family’s desire to give back to their chosen home of Holland/Zeeland. “We feel like to whom much has been given, much is expected,” said Karen. “Agencies that are fulfilling immediate needs, like food and shelter, are a priority for us. We also support projects that will enrich the community, like the ice rink and the aquatic center expansion.”
Fielding a large number of requests for charitable donations, Trans-Matic adopted a policy of rotating gifts. The company has about 90 organizations it supports, most of which receive a gift once every three years. A donations committee meets quarterly to review requests and make giving decisions.

“There's still no other place I would rather live than Holland, and I've lived a lot of places. My family may not have been born and raised here, but it will always be home.”
– Pat Thompson
P.J. said, “We have the best social service organizations. The talent and leadership are outstanding, and so is the innovation and collaboration that’s happening within the sector. We want to be broadly supportive of the nonprofit ecosystem and rotating our support helps meet that goal.”
To help organize some of their personal giving, the family established the Thompson Family Fund at CFHZ in 2015. They use their family fund to make some of their larger gifts, including support of the Thompson M-TEC center for vocational training, Grant Me Hope’s capital project, and CASA/Step Up at Hope College. They were also the very first donors to the Foundation’s Emergency Human Needs fund during the pandemic.
“CFHZ is a great asset for individuals and companies who want to give back and need help to steer their charitable decisions,” said P.J. “Their expertise helps you create a sensible, equitable strategy for your philanthropy.”
The family relationship with CFHZ extends beyond financial gifts. Pat was honored with the Foundation’s Hall of Fame award in 2006, which recognizes a person who has made a significant contribution to the quality of life in our greater Holland/Zeeland area in a variety of settings over time. P.J. serves on the Investment Committee, helping to guide the responsible stewardship of CFHZ’s assets.
As the Thompsons contemplate their family and company’s legacy, a profound affection for their hometown shines through. “Holland/Zeeland is a great place, filled with good people, and we want to be among those good people,” said Karen. “That’s at the heart of everything we do.”