About Us
Thermal Scientific: A Legacy Built on Hard Work, Vision, and Family.
Thermal Scientific’s story began with Wallace “Wally” Wilhelm, a World War II Navy veteran from Breckenridge, Texas. The youngest of five children, Wally grew up on a farm during the Great Depression and learned early the value of hard work, perseverance, and service.
After serving in the Navy, Wally earned a degree in chemistry from Hardin-Simmons University and began his career at Industrial Scientific in Odessa, supplying chemicals and laboratory equipment to petroleum laboratories.
In the 1950s, he founded Thermal Scientific, officially incorporating the company in 1962. From the beginning, Thermal Scientific was built around service, reliability, and relationships. Wally’s dedication quickly made the company an important supplier for oil, gas, and petrochemical customers throughout the Permian Basin.
By 1969, Thermal had just four employees, but Wally’s work ethic and commitment to customers laid the foundation for decades of growth. Thermal expanded to Amarillo in 1972 and Corpus Christi in 1974.
As the company continued to grow, Wally looked for a successor who could help carry the business forward. In 1985, he brought his son-in-law, David Wishert, into the company. Together, they strengthened Thermal’s existing branches and opened a Beaumont location in 1991. In 1994, Wally stepped into an advisory role and named David President.
The next generation continued building on that foundation. In 2004, David and his son, Chad Wishert, expanded Thermal Scientific into the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Coby Wishert joined the company in 2013, further strengthening the family’s long-term leadership and vision.
Under the leadership of David, Chad, and Coby, Thermal continued to grow while remaining rooted in the values that shaped the company from the beginning. David retired in 2018 after years of leadership and meaningful contributions to Thermal’s success.
In 2019, Coby and Chad brought on childhood friend and retired U.S. Air Force Major Clifton Linde to lead operations, allowing them to focus more deeply on strategy, growth, and the future of the company. In 2022, Clifton established Thermal’s first official leadership team, bringing together department leaders to support continued growth, strengthen internal culture, and improve the experience for customers, suppliers, and employees.
Following our 2025 merger with Houston-based General Lab Supply, Thermal Scientific now operates a unified network of six Texas branches:
- Amarillo
- Beaumont
- Corpus Christi
- DFW
- Houston
- Odessa
With more than 84,400 square feet of warehouse space and access to a broad range of products from leading manufacturers, we serve customers across petrochemical, oil and gas, industrial manufacturing, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, education, and other laboratory-driven industries.
Today, Wally Wilhelm’s legacy lives on through a company still built on hard work, relationships, service, and family leadership. From our earliest days in Odessa to our expanded Texas network today, Thermal Scientific remains committed to helping customers find the products, support, and solutions they need to keep their work moving forward.
