The Crawford Group recently invested in the automotive aftermarket parts industry as a hedge against the competitive pressures in the U.S. manufacturing industry. As a distributor, parts can be acquired from the most cost competitive manufacturers throughout the world, thereby eliminating the cost issues associated with manufacturing in the U.S. Its first acquisition in this market was Beck/Arnley, a 92-year old distributor of foreign name plate automotive and truck parts.

Beck Arnley
In 2005, Mr. Crawford acquired a 40% interest in Beck Arnley. Beck Arnley, headquartered in Nashville, TN, was founded in 1914 and focuses on the distribution of foreign nameplate parts to the automotive aftermarket.