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CRST International company history timeline

1955

CRST was founded as "Cedar Rapids Steel Transport" in 1955 by Herald "Smitty" and Miriam Smith.

1963

By 1963, CRST had reached $1 million in revenue.

1971

John Smith began his career in the family business in 1971.

1983

Gannon began his career at CRST in 1983.

1997

In 1997, revenues were $300 million and John bought out the rest of his family's holdings in CRST.

2003

Brueck began his career at CRST in 2003, where he held multiple progressive leadership roles, including Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Customer Service.

Sandridge has been with Gardner since 2003, serving in various roles and watching the company grow into one of the largest transportation logistics operations in North America.

2010

Brooke Willey joined CRST in 2010 as Vice President of Human Resources.

In 2010, David Rusch became President and CEO of the company with John moving on to become Chairman of the Board.

CRST entered a phase of mergers and acquisitions in the 2010s.

2011

In 2015, CRST purchased Pegasus Transportation which is a high security, temperature-controlled freight company out of Louisville, KY. It acquired Specialized Transportation Inc. out of Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2011.

2013

That same year, CRST acquired The Besl Transfer Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, which specializes in flatbed transportation. It later purchased the Special Products Division of Allied Van Lines in 2013.

2014

In 2014, CRST began building its company headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

2015

In 2015, CRST purchased Pegasus Transportation which is a high security, temperature-controlled freight company out of Louisville, KY.

Founder Herald Smith died in 2015.

2016

He joined CRST in 2016 as Group President/Chief Operating Officer of CRST’s western region of operating companies.

2017

Fleetworthy Solutions has been doing business with CRST since 2017 and currently handles their Driver Qualification File Management and Vehicle Safety Management services.

2018

Hugh Ekberg was appointed President and CEO of CRST in October 2018.

Chris Deschaine joined CRST in 2018 with responsibility for flatbed solutions, overseeing all operations and growth strategies as a growing flatbed carrier serving the United States and Canada.

2019

Stuart Rosenlund was appointed as Senior Vice President of Sales for CRST, Inc. in May, 2019.

Jenny Abernathy was appointed as Vice President of Enterprise Capacity Development in July, 2019, where she oversees the recruitment and driver placement strategies for CRST, ensuring that each division and fleet is capable of meeting customer needs.

Don Sandridge was appointed as President of Gardner Trucking in July, 2019, where he oversees every facet of the company.

Chad Brueck was appointed to President of Expedited Solutions in 2019.

2021

Perry Moser was appointed Vice President of Driver Safety and Success in July 2021, where he oversees safety performance and driver success.

Chad LaGrange is Chief Commercial Officer for CRST, a position he was appointed to in 2021.

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Founded
1955
Company founded
Headquarters
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Founders
Herald Smith,Miriam Smith
Company founders
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CRST International competitors

Company nameFounded dateRevenueEmployee sizeJob openings
C.R. England1920$700.0M4,500552
Western Express1990$500.0M1,973231
Werner Enterprises1956$3.0B12,784100
Schneider National1935$5.3B19,60078
Stevens Transport1969$900.0M7,50033
Covenant1986$1.1B5,50053
Crete Carrier1966$790.0M6,000676
PAM Transport1980$486.8M2,74830
USA Truck1983$710.4M2,50097
Roehl Transport1962$450.0M2,1009,030

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CRST International may also be known as or be related to CRST Inc, CRST International and Crst Inc.