Mary Lake-Thompson wholesale for Tennessee and Kentucky retailers
Mary Lake-Thompson Wholesale
Original artwork, printed in the USA.
A mother-daughter artist team, themed units that make restocking easier, and giftable towels shoppers grab every season.
AmyFay Chandler represents Mary Lake-Thompson through Tango Showroom in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Original artwork · Printed in the USA · Mother and daughter artists
To order Mary Lake-Thompson wholesale in Tennessee or Kentucky, contact AmyFay Chandler — Mary Lake-Thompson’s rep through the Tango Showroom — at [email protected] or 865-217-6790.
The Mary Lake-Thompson Story
Mary Lake-Thompson is a real artist — not a brand name borrowed from a founder who left, but the actual person whose original artwork appears on every product. She studied art at the University of Colorado, then moved to San Francisco in 1970 to attend the San Francisco Art Institute, where she earned a photography degree. There she met Richard Thompson, her husband and business collaborator.
The couple settled in Oroville, California, where Mary built a career as a commercial artist. Her early inspiration came from her daughters, Sara and Abby, along with the regional wildlife and landscapes around her. Her breakthrough came in the early 1980s when she sold 60 paintings at an exhibition at The Nut Tree in Vacaville. From there, she built a greeting card company, attended the New York Stationery Show with Richard, and secured licensing deals including C.R. Gibson. An Eddie Bauer gift basket order inspired her to develop branded products — and the flour sack towel line was born.
Today, Mary’s daughter Sara Thompson creates Montgomery Street Designs — an elegant kitchen towel collection that offers a more refined, modern interpretation of household textiles. Mother and daughter, two artistic voices, one company. The designs are original, the towels are printed to order in the USA, and every product starts with real artwork from one of two real artists.
The Unit System
Mary Lake-Thompson built the whole ordering system around a simple concept: themed units that make restocking effortless.
A unit is six to nine different towel designs, two of each, inside a branded display tin. The tin either reads “Flour Sack Towels” or matches the theme of the towels inside it — dogs, bees, birds, holiday, whatever fits the store. When those sell through, the retailer orders the refill — same assortment, no tin. The display stays on the counter and the refill restocks it.
That refill system is the reason retailers keep coming back. Set up the display once and from then on, reordering is a single SKU. No rebuilding an assortment from scratch every time.
The towels come folded and bagged — gift-ready without wrapping, clean presentation in any store environment.
The Full Line
Two distinct aesthetics live under one company. Mary’s designs are whimsical and fun — bees, birds, gnomes, dogs with hats, cats in garden hats, holiday scenes, seasonal florals. Sara’s Montgomery Street designs are more refined and elevated, with a larger 11×17 print on the 30”×30” towel format. Two voices, one order, one invoice.
Flour sack towels are the line’s #1 seller and the signature product — 30”×30” cotton, folded and bagged, gift-ready. Sponge cloths are the #2 seller and pair naturally with towels as a gift add-on.
The catalog expands from there: aprons in the same design families as the towels, totes and bags that scale the artwork for different uses, melamine for the outdoor-entertaining set, tea and cocoa for the gift-basket fill, drinkware and serveware, wine bags, and greeting cards that match the towel designs.
The seasonal catalog is deep — spring florals, summer garden themes, fall harvest, holiday — plus a permanent evergreen collection of dogs, cats, bees, and birds that sells regardless of season. Individual towel designs can be ordered outside the unit system with a minimum of six of one design, then increments of one.
How Mary Lake-Thompson is made
Original artwork, licensed nowhere. Every design starts with Mary or Sara — two real artists with decades of fine art and commercial art experience between them. The artwork is so strong that other manufacturers license it for their own products. The designs are proprietary and cannot be printed by a competitor.
Two generational design voices, one vendor. Mary’s whimsical bees, birds, and gnomes and Sara’s refined Montgomery Street designs serve two different customers from one order and one invoice. A competitor would need two artists who happen to be mother and daughter to replicate the dynamic.
Curated units, not pick-your-own. The themed display units come with a specific container and a specific assortment — the retailer doesn’t choose what goes in them. That’s intentional. Mary Lake-Thompson curates the design mix so the unit reads as a cohesive collection on the counter, not a random grab bag. The curation is part of the product.
Printed in the USA. Every towel is printed to order in the Oroville, California workshop. The cotton is 30”×30”, the print is vivid, and the finish is folded and bagged for gift presentation straight from the shipment.
Retailer FAQ: Mary Lake-Thompson
Common questions from Tennessee and Kentucky retailers about carrying Mary Lake-Thompson. Click any question to expand.
What is the wholesale opening order minimum for Mary Lake-Thompson?
The opening order starts at $250, with a $150 reorder minimum. The themed unit system makes ordering straightforward, and the line sells better with presence — retailers who go deeper than the minimum see stronger sell-through because customers discover these products by browsing. Order through Tango.
Where is Mary Lake-Thompson available for wholesale in Tennessee and Kentucky?
AmyFay Chandler represents Mary Lake-Thompson across Tennessee and Kentucky through Tango Showroom at AmericasMart Atlanta. Contact AmyFay directly at [email protected] or (865) 217-6790 to set up your first order or walk through the catalog together.
What is the difference between Mary Lake-Thompson and Montgomery Street?
Both lines come from the same company but feature different artists. Mary Lake-Thompson designs are whimsical and fun — bees, birds, gnomes, dogs, cats, and seasonal themes. Montgomery Street is designed by Mary’s daughter Sara Thompson and features a more refined, elevated aesthetic. Both are 30”×30” flour sack towels printed in the USA. Many retailers carry both lines to serve different customer preferences.
How does the unit ordering system work?
Mary Lake-Thompson offers themed units containing six to nine different towel designs, two of each, in a branded display tin. The retailer can purchase just the unit, or order a refill (same assortment, no tin) for restocking. For individual designs outside the unit system, the minimum is six of one design, with increments of one after that.
Ready to carry Mary Lake-Thompson wholesale in your Tennessee or Kentucky store?
Tell me about your store and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours. No pressure — just a conversation about what works for your customers.
Ready to order now?
Open your Mary Lake-Thompson account through Tango →Or tell me about your store below and I’ll set it up.
Thank you — I’ll be in touch within 24 hours.
Your message comes straight to me. If you’re in Tennessee or Kentucky, expect a note from me directly.
Outside Tennessee or Kentucky?
Mary Lake-Thompson is represented nationwide by reps in other regions. If you’re reading this from outside TN or KY and you want to carry MLT, email me — I’ll point you to the rep who covers your area.
If you reach out, tell them where you found it. One sentence — “I saw it on AmyFay Chandler’s site” — is how a page like this becomes something Tango and Mary Lake-Thompson can actually see.
If Mary Lake-Thompson is right for your store, these probably are too
Other lines I represent in Tennessee and Kentucky that pair well with Mary Lake-Thompson:
True South Puzzles — American-made puzzles at a similar impulse-friendly price tier. Both brands thrive on seasonal refresh and gift-ready presentation.
Whispering Willow — Handcrafted natural apothecary from North Carolina. Towels in the kitchen section, neck wraps in the gift section — the same woman shops both on her Saturday browse.
Compendium — Books, cards, and gift-giving stationery. Add a Compendium card to the towel on the counter and the ticket jumps by itself.
About AmyFay Chandler
I’m AmyFay Chandler, a Knoxville-based wholesale sales rep serving independent retailers in Tennessee and Kentucky through Tango Showroom. I also represent Sweet Tree Jewelry and Caroline B Cook nationwide. Before I became a rep, I built two T-shirt lines, ran my own retail business, bought home and gift for Elder’s Ace Hardware, and worked with Werner Frank. I have been the maker, buyer, retailer, rep, and person at the register, so I evaluate every line from the store floor first.
I write the Retail Tidbit, a Friday read for local retailers I’ve published since August 2021, to help them buy smarter, merchandise with intention, and keep their stores valuable. Years of past issues live on my blog. Email me. More about me →