Lance Crane, who has led Crane Engineering since 2007 and its parent company, Crane Group, since its formation in 2023, will transition from chief executive officer to executive chairman effective Jan. 1.
Crane Group President Chris Brown will succeed him as CEO.
Crane joined Crane Engineering in 2004 and became owner, president and CEO in November 2007. Under his leadership Crane Engineering invested heavily in service and repair, grew the integrated systems business and expanded relationships with major customers and new markets. With its growth, Crane Engineering also added 43,000 square feet to its headquarters in Kimberly.
During Crane’s tenure, the company grew revenue tenfold and posted record growth year after year since 2008. Crane Engineering earned an innovation award from the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce.
“When I joined Crane Engineering, I dreamed of turning our family business into a national distribution company powered by great people and a winning culture. Seeing that dream become a reality has been the privilege of my career,” said Crane. “We’ve solved countless technical problems, created exciting new product lines, helped our customers succeed, built a great home for our team members and made a difference in our communities. I’m incredibly proud of what this team has accomplished.”
In 2023, in a move designed to accelerate growth, Crane partnered with AEA Investors to form Crane Group, the parent company of Crane Engineering. Today Crane Group has 440 employees and 17 locations across the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic and Canada. Its rapid growth includes 10 acquisitions since 2023.
Crane has been preparing for the leadership transition by elevating Brown to president of Crane Group earlier this year.
Brown previously led the Mid-Atlantic-based Geiger Pump and Equipment prior to its 2024 acquisition by Crane Group, then served as Crane Group vice president.
“I’m excited to take on this new role and continue executing our ongoing plans around leadership and growth,” said Brown. “Reflecting on the journey of Crane Group, I think about Lance’s parents, Jim and Carole Crane, who I’ve known since joining Geiger Pump in 1994. I think of not only the legacy for the Crane family, but also the hundreds of families that are connected to our enterprise today. It’s that responsibility to our families, our customers, supplier partners and the communities where we work that drives me and our team every day.”
Crane will remain on the Crane Group board of directors and serve as a strategic advisor. He is a past board president of the Boys & Girls Club of the Fox Valley, a sponsor of the Appleton Technical Academy at Appleton West High School and will continue to front local rock band, Mistrial.
