Crimson Fire Adds Industry Veterans To Team

Kevin Crump has joined Crimson Fire as executive vice president and general manager, leading the day-to-day operations of the Brandon, S.D.-based manufacturer of custom fire trucks and rescue vehicles.

Additionally, Larry Bezemer is Crimson’s new West Coast regional sales manager, responsible for dealers in 11 states, as well as territory in Canada.

Working with Crimson’s current leadership team, including Crimson President Jim Salmi, Crump will have a significant role in developing and implementing the company’s strategic objectives.

“Kevin brings an exceptional operations skill set to Crimson Fire, and we are pleased to welcome him to the team,” said Salmi. “His experience in the emergency-rescue industry, as well as his background in lean manufacturing and related areas, will be invaluable as Crimson continues to grow.”

Salmi said Crump understands the importance of giving the customers what they want at a competitive price in a timely manner. “His entire career is a testament to this formula,” said Salmi, “and we feel he is the right leader to take our South Dakota operations to the next level.”

Crump brings more than 20 years of manufacturing and management expertise to Crimson, the majority of it in heavy-duty vehicles. He has experience in production, engineering, purchasing, strategic sourcing, logistics, materials management, quality assurance and related areas.

Prior to joining Crimson, he served as director of operations for Seagrave Fire Apparatus, where he was responsible for the production of its lineup of customized vehicles. During his tenure at Seagrave, he instituted systems to streamline the manufacturing process for highly-customized fire apparatus.

“Kevin’s results at Seagrave were impressive,” Salmi noted. “By systematizing the manufacturing process, Kevin and his team delivered double-digit increases in earnings, significant reductions in time from order to delivery and strong improvements in cash flow. As a result, dealer and end-user satisfaction improved exponentially.”

Before Seagrave, Crump served as vice president of operations for Optima Bus Corp., a maker of urban and suburban transit buses. During his tenure with the Kansas manufacturer, he was responsible for improving productivity, reducing material cost and better managing inventory, according to Crimson. Crump also spent significant time with Nova Bus, a manufacturer of urban and suburban heavy-duty transit buses owned by Volvo.

Larry Bezemer joins Crimson after a successful tenure with Boise Mobile Equipment, a strategic partner of Crimson Fire, having served as that company’s sales and marketing manager and operations manager. He brings more than two decades of professional sales, marketing and management experience to Crimson.

“Larry will be an excellent addition to Crimson Fire,” said Salmi. “He has a stellar track record of successfully launching new products, increasing sales of existing product lines and growing dealer networks. He also has deep knowledge of product, sales, ordering and manufacturing, which makes him the ideal person to assist Crimson in its expansion plans.”

In addition to providing customer support to existing dealers, Bezemer will work to identify new dealers to expand Crimson’s reach, according to Salmi.

Crimson Fire manufactures a full line of pumpers, rescues, aerials, quick-attack vehicles and other emergency rescue vehicles from facilities in Pennsylvania and South Dakota.

For information call 605-582-4000 or go to www.crimson-fire.com.