Who We Are

Decades of History

Crane Renovation Group is the largest company in the family-owned Crane Group portfolio. We have the resources and financial backing to take on all sizes of projects, and the latest technology to better define scope and ensure the most accurate pricing. 

 

Crane Group began as a modest plastics manufacturing company in 1947, and went on to pioneer vinyl siding for exteriors in the 1970s and composite decking in the ‘90s.

1929
The stock market fell. New construction came to a halt, and no one needed a new lighting fixture. The Crane family lost everything.
1930
With his sons at war, Robert Crane reinvented himself and entered the burgeoning plastics industry.
1947
Robert Crane forms his own plastics company, known as Taytec Corporation, and gave birth to what would later become Crane Plastics.
taytec-begins-selling-the-hula-hoop
1958
Taytec begins selling the hula hoop, which helped the company turn a recession year into a profitable one.
1962
Mr. Roof starts as a small, family-owned residential roofing company based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Crane Forms The Vinyl Siding Materials VIPCO
1977
Crane forms the Vinyl Improvement Products Company (VIPCO) to sell vinyl siding under its own brand.
1981
Able Roof is founded by a chimney sweep in Columbus, Ohio.
1997
Able Roof joins Crane Group family.
1998
Contractors Inc is founded in Memphis, Tennessee.
2003
Tanny Crane is named President and CEO of Crane Group.
2007
Crane Group acquires Mr. Roof, a residential roofing company based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
2007
Crane Group acquires Contractors Inc, a specialty building services company based out of Memphis, Tennessee that provides maintenance and repair work to multi-family housing, commercial, and hotel markets.
2013
Responsiv Disaster Recovery is formed as a mitigation and remediation provider for Contractors Inc.
2014
Crane Renovation Group is founded to include Able Roof, Mr. Roof, Contractors Inc, and Responsiv Disaster Recovery. Jim Ziminski joins as President.
Crane Renovation Group Reaches Over 300,000 Happy Customers
2019
Crane Renovation Group reaches over 300,000 satisfied customers.

Leadership

Meet the team of leaders guiding the next generation of Crane Renovation Group.

Jim Ziminski

President

Jim joined Crane Renovation Group as President in August, 2014 to lead the company on an aggressive growth plan.

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Kirk Graven

Vice President, Marketing

Kirk joined Crane Renovation Group as the Director of Marketing in 2014 after seven years as Marketing and Media Manager for a regional furniture company.

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Drew Vennemeyer

President, Contractors Inc.

Drew joined the Crane Renovation Group in 2018 to lead Contractors Inc as the Executive Vice President.

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Stephanie Niswonger

Chief Financial Officer

Stephanie joined Crane Renovation Group in 2021 as the Chief Financial Officer. In addition to soundly managing the financial functions of the company, she plays an integral role in establishing long-range goals and supporting significant growth through mergers and acquisitions.

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Ryan Huyghe

President, Able Roof/Mr. Roof

Ryan joined the Crane Renovation Group in 2019 as the Executive Vice President of Able Roof and Mr. Roof.

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Greg Kirby

Vice President, Human Resources

Greg Kirby joined Crane Renovation Group in January 2013, after seven years in Human Resources leadership roles with Crane Performance Siding and TimberTech, Crane Group Companies.

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Greg Kirby
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Owens Corning Award Winning Shingles

Award-Winning Roofing Materials by Owens Corning

March 10, 2021

For the fourth year in a row, Owens Corning has been recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. Crane …

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Drew Vennemeyer, President of Contractors Inc; Ryan Huyghe, President of Mr. Roof and Able Roof

New leadership to secure company growth in 2021 and beyond

January 14, 2021

From left, Drew Vennemeyer, President of Contractors Inc; Ryan Huyghe, President of Mr. Roof and Able Roof Crane Renovation Group has promoted Drew Vennemeyer to …

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Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish and Contractors Inc Team Up to Make a Playhouse Dream Come True

January 6, 2021

Make-A-Wish partners with individuals and organizations to make life-changing wishes come true for children with critical illnesses. This isn’t only to bring moments of joy to …

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Jim Ziminski, President of Crane Renovation Group

Jim ZiminskiPresident

Jim joined Crane Renovation Group as President in August, 2014 to lead the company on an aggressive growth plan. Jim has experience in rebranding and growing companies. In 2000 he joined Crane Group as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing of their siding group that was called VIPCO at the time. Jim led the rebranding of the company to Crane Performance Siding and became President in 2002. The company continued to grow and ultimately was rebranded as Exterior Portfolio by Crane.

In February of 2011, he led the successful sale of the company to Georgia Gulf Corporation (now Axiall). Jim was able to keep his entire key management team intact during this process. In fact, when the decision was made to merge Royal Siding and Exterior Portfolio’s sales and marketing teams, Jim was chosen to lead the group. He eventually also led the merger of Royal Trim and Mouldings into the group as well.

Jim has served on several boards including Crittenton Community School as Vice Chair, VSI as Chair and has been a Big Brother since 2006.

He is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.S degree in Marketing.

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KirkG

Kirk GravenVice President, Marketing

Kirk joined Crane Renovation Group as the Director of Marketing in 2014 after seven years as Marketing and Media Manager for a regional furniture company. As the Director of Marketing for Crane Renovation Group, he expanded the marketing department, led the rebranding of three major business units, and transitioned the department to a digital-first strategy. His efforts culminated in Mr. Roof and Able Roof being recognized as the National Roofer of the Year in 2016.
 
In 2018, Kirk was promoted to the Vice President of Marketing where he oversees the Crane Renovation Group company brands, including website optimization, customer experience, consumer insights, digital marketing, creative development, social presences, reputation management, media, and communications.
 
Kirk serves on the PR & Marketing Committee of the Central Ohio Diabetes Association, and is a participant in Big Brothers, Big Sisters. He is a graduate of the University of Findlay with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design. He lives in Worthington with his wife and three children.
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Drew Vennemeyer

Drew VennemeyerPresident, Contractors Inc.

Drew joined the Crane Renovation Group in 2018 to lead Contractors Inc as the Executive Vice President. He has a long history in the design and construction industry working on a variety of project types and forming strong relationships with clients, contractors, designers and community leaders. Drew leads the growth and development of CI’s dynamic team of 150 professionals across twelve offices that service the Midwest, Midsouth, Southeast, and Southwest regions. He guides the company’s vision to be an industry leader providing exceptional service to all of our customers.

Before joining the Crane Renovation Group, Drew led the Ohio operation for Quandel Construction Group serving as President & COO for five years. Prior to that Drew held senior leadership roles with Pepper Construction Company and DesignGroup.

Drew graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The Ohio State University and also earned a Masters Certificate in Facilities Planning and Management from OSU. He is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP BD+C) and also has his Healthcare Construction Certificate (HCC) from the American Society of Healthcare Engineers.

He is an active member of the board of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP).

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Stephanie NiswongerChief Financial Officer

Stephanie joined Crane Renovation Group in 2021 as the Chief Financial Officer. In addition to soundly managing the financial functions of the company, she plays an integral role in establishing long-range goals and supporting significant growth through mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to joining Crane Renovation Group, Stephanie served as CFO for Power Distributors, a national distributor of lawn and garden equipment that experienced rapid growth through acquisitions. During her career, she has held other finance management positions within distribution, the restaurant industry, and financial services, in addition to 3 years in public accounting at KPMG. Stephanie prides herself on mentoring and developing those on her team and within the overall organization.

Stephanie received her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Bethany College and her MBA from Capital University. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Ohio.

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RyanH

Ryan HuyghePresident, Able Roof/Mr. Roof

Ryan joined the Crane Renovation Group in 2019 as the Executive Vice President of Able Roof and Mr. Roof. He is leading Able Roof and Mr. Roof towards bold growth goals by leveraging the company’s legacy, brand, and unmatched quality of service. All the while, upholding the Crane core values and protecting Able Roof and Mr. Roof’s unique company culture.

Prior to joining the Crane Renovation Group, Ryan was an owner at Petrol, Inc. During his time at Petrol, he had the opportunity to appear alongside his business partner on an episode of ABC’s “Shark Tank Season 9”. Before that, he was the Chief Operating Officer at Controlled Products Systems Group, Inc., the leading wholesale distribution platform in the gate automation and perimeter access control market. He is an experienced leader who loves to promote ideation that supports and encourages company values.

Ryan Graduated from the University of Dayton with his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in Accounting. During his time at the University of Dayton, he led the varsity football team as their captain! He later graduated from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law where he got his Juris Docter (JD) Degree.

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Greg Kirby

Greg KirbyVice President, Human Resources

Greg Kirby joined Crane Renovation Group in January 2013, after seven years in Human Resources leadership roles with Crane Performance Siding and TimberTech, Crane Group Companies. In his current role, Greg is responsible for providing vision, strategic decision-making, and leading the company’s Human Resources, Leadership and Development, and Safety and Risk Management programs in support of all employees representing Crane Renovation Group’s four brands: Able Roof, Mr. Roof, Contractors Incorporated and Responsiv Disaster Recovery.

Greg partners with the business unit’s executives and management to ensure an unwavering commitment to leadership development, compliance with ethical and regulatory standards, all personnel-related decisions are made in the best interest of the company, and the Human Resources department is completely aligned to serve the requirements of the business today and expected growth and expansion in the future.

Greg currently serves on the board of trustees for Ohio Wildlife Center. He also is an active member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and Human Resources Association of Central Ohio (HRACO).

Greg is a graduate of The Ohio State University’s Max M. Fisher College of Business with a BSBA in Human Resource Management and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) with Human Resources Certification Institute and with Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM-SCP).

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