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Family HoldingAllocates capital directlyLAST VERIFIED Oct 2026 · 8 SOURCES

Crane Group

Columbus, Ohio family-owned holding and investment company (est. 1947) that acquires and grows home- and pet-services businesses and invests as an LP in private equity, real estate and hedge funds.

USEFUL FOR Fund managers raising capital · Business owners seeking a long-term partner · Co-investors

Family-owned holding and investment company in Columbus, Ohio, descended from the plastics company Robert Crane Sr. founded in 1947. Not Crane Co., the industrial manufacturer.

Family & background

FAMILY
Crane
WEALTH ORIGIN
Plastics and building products (Crane Plastics, vinyl siding, TimberTech decking), founded 1947 by Robert Crane Sr.
HEADQUARTERS
Columbus, United States
FOUNDED
1947

Investment approach

SECTORS
Consumer & E-commerceIndustrial & ManufacturingReal Estate & PropTech
GEOGRAPHY
United StatesCanada
STAGES
GrowthBuyout
ROUTES
Direct investments · Funds (as LP)
STRATEGIES
Direct investmentsPrivate equityFunds (as LP)Real estateHedge fundsPublic equitiesImpact
LATEST DEAL
Fairwood Brands (L.M.L. Estate Management) (Acquisition) · Feb 2023
INBOUND
Accepts submissions

Overview

Crane Group is a family-owned company based in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1947 by Robert Crane Sr. as a plastics business; it later built vinyl siding and TimberTech decking businesses before selling its legacy plastics operations in the 2010s and repositioning as an investment company with fourth-generation family members involved. Its current operating portfolio comprises Pet Paradise (pet boarding, grooming and veterinary services), Crane Renovation Group (Able Roofing, Mr. Roof) and Fairwood Brands (landscaping and estate management). It states preferred investments in home or pet services companies with revenue above $20 million and EBITDA above $5 million and a sales presence in the U.S. and/or Canada, and it also invests as a limited partner in private equity and real estate funds, makes direct minority equity and real estate investments, holds hedge funds, stocks and bonds, and makes social impact investments in affordable housing and wealth creation for people of color.

Investment thesis

Invests in industry-leading companies in home or pet services that share its values, combining the performance focus of private equity with flexible capital and support in strategy, leadership, legal, finance, IT and HR.

Holdings & investments (26)

  • Pet ParadiseNOTABLE
    Consumer & E-commerce · since 2016
  • Crane Renovation GroupNOTABLE
    Consumer & E-commerce
  • Fairwood BrandsNOTABLE
    Consumer & E-commerce · since 2023
  • Sensit Technologies
    Industrial & Manufacturing · since 2014 · Exited
  • Screen Machine Industries / Diamond Z
    Industrial & Manufacturing · since 2013 · Exited (sold to Metso, 2024)
  • TimberTech
    Industrial & Manufacturing
  • Irth Solutions
  • Burns, Morris & Stewart, Inc.
  • Compression Polymers
  • Crane Fencing Solutions
  • Crane Materials International
  • Crane Performance Siding
  • Crane Plastics Manufacturing
  • Crane Products
  • C-Loc Retention Systems
  • Profile Solutions, Inc.
  • Contractors, Inc.
  • Evermark, LLC
  • Framesaver Investors / Framesaver Management
  • Gator Dock & Marine, LLC
  • Signature Control Systems, Inc.
  • North East Gate Operator Supply Company, LLC
  • P3
  • Suburban Steel
  • D.R. Short Steel Co., Inc.
  • Transcom

People

  • Andy Hackett
    President, Investments · source
  • Dan Crane
    President & CEO · source
  • Chad Utrup
    CFO & COO · source
  • Christine Murry
    SVP & General Counsel · source
  • Tanny Crane
    Executive Chair (Crane Group Board) · source
  • Mike Crane
    Director Emeritus (Crane Group Board) · source
  • Rob Crane
    Board member · source
  • Vivek Dhir
    Board member · source
  • Laura Karet
    Board member · source
  • S. Christian Nielsen, III
    Board member · source
  • Christine Poon
    Board member · source
  • Brian Westwater
    Board member · source
  • Tally Wolff
    Board member · source

Classification

Family Holding. A family's holding company that owns stakes in several separate businesses or invests beyond its own group, without calling itself a family office. How family capital is classified →

FAQ

Crane Group is a family holding based in Columbus, the United States, founded in 1947.

Crane Group invests on behalf of the Crane family (Plastics and building products (Crane Plastics, vinyl siding, TimberTech decking), founded 1947 by Robert Crane Sr.).

Crane Group invests directly in companies and in third-party funds as an LP. Its stated asset mix includes direct investments, private equity, funds (as lp), real estate, hedge funds, public equities and impact.

Crane Group invests at Growth and Buyout stages in Consumer & E-commerce, Industrial & Manufacturing and Real Estate & PropTech.

Key people at Crane Group include Dan Crane (President & CEO), Chad Utrup (CFO & COO), Andy Hackett (President, Investments) and Christine Murry (SVP & General Counsel).

Crane Group's holdings and investments include Pet Paradise, Crane Renovation Group, Fairwood Brands, Sensit Technologies, Screen Machine Industries / Diamond Z, TimberTech, Irth Solutions and Burns, Morris & Stewart, Inc., among others.

The most recent publicly reported investment by Crane Group is Fairwood Brands (L.M.L. Estate Management) (Acquisition), announced in Feb 2023.

Crane Group states that it accepts submissions through its official contact page.