Then & Now: Crawford expects business to grow significantly over 5 years

From a young age, Cody Crawford knew he wanted to be in the construction business. Throughout high school and college, he worked for his father’s friend, who was a contractor. Crawford “really admired the guy and his story and how he built his company.”

He knew he wanted to do the same.

Now 46, he’s head of the company he founded, C.R. Crawford Construction, one of the largest construction companies headquartered in Arkansas. Since its inception in 2006, the company has grown to 95 employees, has revenue of $200 million and does work all over the United States.

The company’s portfolio includes practically every sector imaginable including health care, warehouses, education, multifamily projects, office buildings, retail, restaurants and banks. Large projects include a $150 million plus project for Simmons Foods Benton County Processing Facility and a current multifamily project for Blue Crane, Tom and Steuart Walton’s real estate development company.

Crawford earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management with a minor in finance and real estate in 2001 from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. After college, he worked for Systems Contracting Corp. in his hometown of El Dorado, then Dave Grundfest Co. of Little Rock before moving to Northwest Arkansas to open Bell-Corley Construction’s Rogers office.

In 2006, after developing relationships in the area, and seeing opportunity, he launched C.R. Crawford, at age 27, with some partners.

“I was young and naïve and decided that it was probably the right time to give it a shot, so I did it,” he said.

In the first year, operating out of his house in Fayetteville, the company brought in about $30 million in revenue. Due to that success, in 2010 he was named to the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 class.

Now as chief visionary officer, Crawford focuses on strategically growing the business, building relationships with clients and meeting clients’ needs.

Crawford expects the business to “take a significant step forward over the next five years, growing 50%, or even double,” he said. “I don’t want to say that’s set in stone, but I feel like we have enough irons in the fire and enough things that look like they’re going to happen.”

Past projects have been in the $20 million to $30 million range, but Crawford said he’s “starting to see more opportunities of $80 million to $100 million projects. Those will take us to the next level.”

In 2021, John Teeter was named CEO of the company, and Crawford credits him with the day-to-day success of the organization.

“I’m more a dreamer and a deal guy, dreaming up the direction the company is going,” Crawford said. “From a leadership role, John’s as important as me or anyone at this company. I just recognized early on that he’s very capable and probably had a very strong future in the Arkansas construction world, and I went after him.”

Crawford’s strength is recognizing talent to fill a void that he’s not good at or the company “doesn’t have a lot of horsepower at. But we have the right people in the right seats here now,” he said. “That has really gelled in the last two to three years.”

Crawford credits his ability to build good relationships for his success.

“It’s the philosophy that guides me and it’s carried me a long way in life,” he said. “Just connecting with good people and having a good nose for who is a good person and either having them work for you, or those are the kind of clients you want to work for.”

Being a general contractor is a very challenging business, Crawford said.

“The expectation is to build projects on time, under budget and to build them perfect. That can be challenging because you know your goal is to keep them happy. We work very hard at that.”

Crawford is also involved in development through various real estate transactions, including developing recreational-type hunting properties around the country, such as a duck lodge in Forrest City.

On Armor Bank’s board, Crawford just rotated off the Game & Fish Foundation Board. He and wife, Joni, have three children.