Meet New Malco COO Scott Crane

 

Headshot of Scott Crane, Malco COO

We’re thrilled to welcome our new Chief Operating Officer (COO), Scott Crane, to Malco. Equipped with an MBA in finance and international business, Scott has a 30+ year career that spans private/private equity-owned and public companies, from start-ups to Fortune 50. He’s a strategic, growth-oriented executive who leverages global expertise in general management and operations to drive substantial improvements in top and bottom-line performance.

Scott became interested in working for Malco because while he grew up in the 80s and 90s, he “witnessed the hollowing out of U.S. manufacturing, as factories and jobs went overseas,” said Scott. “It really had an impact on me. Ever since, I’ve been passionate about helping U.S. manufacturing businesses compete in the global market. To have a chance to help do that within a business in my home state and for employee-owners is really incredible.”

When asked about how Scott will apply his expertise and prior experience to help excel in his new role, he stated, “My natural curiosity and engineering mindset have driven me to learn broad aspects of successfully running a business: manufacturing, supply chain, finance, and strategy are but a few of the areas I’ve been involved with. I have been fortunate enough to have had exposure to some of the best and brightest minds in the business world, which has given me wide-ranging insights on what drives a company’s performance. I’ve been told that I am effective at leading and developing people as well, which is something I’m proud of and hope to leverage here at Malco.”

With an optimistic outlook following the pandemic, Scott noted, “The supply chain disruption and the politics of the matter, I believe, will accelerate the trend toward consumers preferring U.S. manufactured goods, which obviously plays to our strengths. In addition, home building, which drives our business, is accelerating due to pent up and increased demand, as the industry recovers from the pandemic pause and folks migrate out of larger cities.”

Scott’s favorite aspect of his position so far is “definitely the people,” he said. “I really see the ownership mentality shining through, and I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to help our employee-owners create value for their families and society.” As far as what he is looking forward to accomplishing as COO, Scott noted, “Everywhere I look, I see the passion and potential in the people of Malco. And the reputation of the company’s products and service level is second to none. I’m incredibly proud and humbled to be around such an organization. On the flip side, I see a great deal of upside to the business as we refocus on what it is that made us great: recognizing value creation opportunities and quickly seizing and executing on those opportunities. My expectation is that, within a few short years, the organization will be empowered, energized, and excelling beyond anything we’ve done before. Even if I accomplish nothing more than unleashing the talent within the organization, I will consider my efforts a success.”

On a personal note, Scott and his wife of 30 years, Maria, are proud parents to four kids. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and all outdoor activities. He’s also looking forward to getting his first muscle car in the near future.

“We are pleased to bring Scott’s leadership and operations expertise to the Malco team,” said Rich Benninghoff, President of Malco Tools. “His approach to strategy and its execution will be invaluable to the organization as we expand the company’s capabilities during this period of growth.”

“I look forward to joining the team of employee-owners at Malco,” Crane said. “I grew up in a Midwestern manufacturing family and have spent my career helping U.S.-based manufacturing companies grow and keep their operations moving smoothly and efficiently. I am excited to bring that experience to Malco.”


View More Malco News