ROCK ISLAND, IL – Crawford Company has announced that Bob Frink will retire as president on Mar. 31, 2017. Frink has spent 45 years at the company and 43 of those years in his role as president. Frink began his career at Crawford in 1972 as an estimator and project manager. In 1974 he became president, following the passing of company founder Harvey Crawford.

Crawford was founded in 1952 and has been located in Rock Island for all 65 years. The company moved into its’ present location at 1306 Mill Street in 1965 and presently occupies 67,000-sq. ft. Frink will be honored at a retirement reception from 2:30-pm until 5-pm on April 21 at the Rock Island location.

In the early 1970’s Crawford had fewer than 10 employees and worked primarily in residential HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) and Sheet Metal markets. Today the company has 180 employees and specializes in HVAC, Plumbing, Laser Cutting, Welding, Fabrication, Micro-Brew Equipment, Monoxivent Source Capture Products, and Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic products. The company presently competes in residential, commercial, and industrial market segments within the USA and Canada. The company also has a second facility, Crawford North, located in Dubuque, IA.

“It’s always been about good people doing good work and making sure they had the support they needed to be successful,” said Bob Frink.

Frink and Jim Maynard Sr. helped the company evolve into commercial and industrial markets in 1985 and one year later the company added a weld shop with efforts to grow the fabrication division. In 1990 the company underwent its’ first expansion adding 3,200-sq. ft. Shortly thereafter Jim Maynard Jr. joined the management team at the company. In 1994 another 3,600-sq. ft. were added for the fabrication division. A coil line and sheet metal ductwork fabrication was added shortly thereafter. Jim Maynard Sr. retired in 1996. Office space was added in 1998 and the total footprint at Mill Street was 26,000-sq. ft.

In 2000, Crawford expanded into laser cutting and purchased Monoxivent Source Capture Products. Ian Frink also joined company shortly thereafter. In 2001, the company grew to 47,000-sq. ft. and by 2003 employment numbers had grown to 80. In 2008 the company added Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Products and in 2010 a Plumbing Division was created. By 2013 the facility reached the present 67,000-sq. ft. size, the company opened Crawford North in Dubuque, and began the Brewing Equipment division.

At a 2012 groundbreaking for a company expansion Frink said: “Crawford’s history has always focused on what works, being prepared to set aside what doesn’t, and to embrace change. Crawford has continued to look to the future. We are doing what we always do we make the next step.”

The company will now feature two owners: Ian Frink and Jim Maynard Jr. Larry Anderson will continue on the management team as CFO.

“Jim (Maynard Jr.) and I will continue to strategically grow our company based on the solid foundation that has been built,” said Ian Frink. “Crawford and its’ employees will continue to live by our core values: teamwork, innovation, quality, customer service, and integrity.”