About Crawford and Brinkman

This was an article that was written by Nick Pena and published in The Marketeer Central Illinois' Business-To-Business Journal, it really gives you a great background of our company.  Enjoy!

No Job Is Too Large Or Too Small

Crawford and Brinkman
Door and Window
Company does it all
By Nick Pena

When entrepreneur Tom Hoffman decided to go into business for himself in 1991, he realized that his best option would be to purchase an existing company that already had a successful track record and an established reputation in the community. Founded in 1953, the Crawford Door Company seemed like the perfect opportunity. 

Although he didn’t have any previous experience in the garage door industry, Hoffman believed that his knack for sales could be exactly what the company needed in order to rise to the next level.

The business steadily grew over the next two years as Hoffman sold, installed and serviced garage doors and windows throughout Central Illinois. In 1993, he expanded the company further with the acquisition of the Brinkman Door Company.

"Crawford and Brinkman were two of the oldest garage door companies in Peoria. At that time, they were just doing garage doors and windows. I saw that these companies had done very well and I figured that with my sales background I could take it further than what it already was. We started with just two employees, but business snowballed and now we’ve grown to over 20 employees."

Crawford and Brinkman has evolved into a veritable one-stop shop and now offers an array of products for residential, commercial and industrial applications, including entry doors, interior and exterior doors, millwork, vinyl windows, trim, sunrooms, patio rooms, awnings, retractable awnings, pergolas, gutter guards, overhead doors, rollup doors, hollow metal doors, electric garage door openers, stair systems, storm doors and solar shades. Crawford and Brinkman also sells wholesale to contractors.

"You have to service the market and meet demands as they arise," says Tom Hoffman.

"There are new products coming out constantly and if people seem to take interest in a particular product, we’ll take a look at it and see if it fits into our niche."

One thing that makes Crawford and Brinkman so unique is the relationship they have with companies such as Hurd, C.H.I. and Marvin.

Hoffman is a firm believer that one type of window or door isn’t the answer to a customer’s needs, which is why Crawford and Brinkman is one of the few companies that offers all of the options.

"There are almost an unlimited number of combinations of windows and features available," explains Hoffman.

"There are so many options, which range from aluminum and fiberglass windows to vinyl and pocket windows. "We can even handle custom windows. But there aren’t too many companies that have all these options. They may only have one type of window available. Rather than just carrying the cheapest product available, we want to make sure we offer a variety of value-added products in order to suit everybody’s needs."

Many of these options are on display in the spacious Crawford and Brinkman showroom, where the friendly and knowledgeable staff can assist customers in finding the right products and answer any question they might have.

"As the experts, we want people to know that we’re able to answer all their questions and help determine what their real needs may be.

"It could be that somebody is only going to be in their house for a year, in which case they probably won’t want to put in a top-of-the line window, so we’ll help them find something that’s a little more basic and affordable," says Hoffman.

"We can educate our customers and help them make good decisions, rather than just selling them any old product."

"Fifty percent of the time, a customer will come in and not really know what he needs or what’s going to work for him. So we try to educate our customers so they can make good decisions," Hoffman explains.

"If you’re only going to be living in your house for three years, then I wouldn’t advise purchasing the most expensive option. But if you plan on living there for a lifetime, then you should consider upgrading to a higher quality product. Whether it’s for insulation value or aesthetic value, by offering so many product lines, we have options that will address all your issues."

There’s Nothing They Can’t Do

Anyone looking to improve their home will be pleased to know that Crawford and Brinkman offers free estimates and in-home sales consultations.

The carpenters and installers on staff have decades of combined experience and are actually full-time employees, rather than outside contractors.

No job is too large or too small for them; there’s nothing they can’t do.

The company is licensed, bonded and insured, and all labor is backed by a one-year warranty. 24- hour emergency service is also available.