The story of Crandall Stats and Sensors, Inc.
Any history of Crandall Stats and Sensors has to start with Howard Colman. Mr. Colman was a prolific inventor, holding 149 patents in a wide variety of markets. He would see a problem or need and envision a solution that resulted in a variety of products, which in turn lead to a number of manufacturing units under the name of Barber Colman Company. Barber Colman Company was founded in 1894, by Howard Colman with some seed money from W. A. Barber, a Wisconsin Lumberman and friend of the Colman family. By the mid-1920s, Barber Colman Company was producing Temperature Controls, including Thermostats.
In 1987, Siebe plc. bought Barber Colman and combined Robertshaw branded Pneumatic Thermostats, Transmitters and Relays with the Barber Colman Thermostats and Sensors, all to be produced in the former Loves Park, Illinois Barber Colman facility. Siebe plc. and BTR plc. merged and formed Invensys, Ltd. in 1999. In 2006, Schneider Electric purchased Invensys Building Systems (that included the “Stats and Sensors Value Center” business unit) and merged it with several other companies under the name TAC. In 2009, the former Invensys Building Systems was renamed Schneider Electric.
In 2012, a process began to move Schneider Electric Building Systems manufacturing operations out of Loves Park, Illinois. The Stats and Sensors Value Center, was not a good fit for any of the other Schneider Electric business units, so an effort was made to find a contract house to continue production of the Value Center’s roughly 400 Thermostats, Humidistats, Temperature and Pressure Sensors and Pneumatic Relays. Ultimately in March of 2014, Mike Crandall (a Schneider Electric Engineer for this product offering) his wife Kathy and son Adam purchased the Stats and Sensors Value Center from Schneider Electric. They were very fortunate; approximately 30 brave former Schneider Electric employees were willing to take a chance on the brand new business, resulting in the launching of Crandall Stats and Sensors, Inc. In 2017, Crandall Stats and Sensors moved to a new location at 9918 North Alpine, Machesney Park, IL allowing for additional growth and diversification.
Crandall Stats and Sensors, Inc. continues the heritage of Howard Colman in being problem solvers. Our strengths lie in efficient high mix-low volume assembly. Additional support services performed for our production (as well as our customers) include production of Wire Sets (including cutting, lugging & bundling of wire), Temperature Sensing Bulbs, Thru-Hole PCBs, Spot Welding, and Drilling & Tapping. We have demonstrated an aptitude at extending the life of end of life products and equipment. Mr. Colman demonstrated a philosophy to which Crandall Stats and Sensors subscribes; problems are just opportunities at their inception.