CUDAHY, Wis. – C R Industries, LLC, a growing metal fabrication company, has acquired Mod-U-Dock Inc., a Nashotah, Wis,-based manufacturer of maintenance-free, prefabricated modular marine dock systems.
Mod-U-Dock manufactures stationary and floating docks for residential, governmental or commercial customers.
Full production of the docks has been moved to C R Industries’ Cudahy plant at 5757 S. Pennsylvania Ave., where the company’s skilled employees provide the full metal fabrication, welding and powder-coating of the docks on site.
“We were looking to add full product lines we can make ourselves at our plant in Cudahy,” said Rich Ballenger, who acquired C R Industries with his business partner, Erik Thompson, last year. “We believe the Mod-U-Dock brand has incredible potential for growth nationally.”
“Mod-U-Dock is a very high-end product. It’s well-designed with tremendous customer service,” Thompson said.
Mod-U-Dock was founded by Jeff Spence, a former heating and cooling contractor, in Nashotah in 2000.
Spence said his company grew by “word of mouth,” selling docks in “every state, except Hawaii.”
Spence said he was seeking to sell his firm to a company that could take his firm to the “next level,” and C R Industries “seems to be a nice fit. They checked all the boxes.”
Spence will be retained as a consultant at C R Industries, which also has offered positions to Mod-U-Doc’s employees.
Mod-U-Dock’s docking systems are custom-designed and prefabricated to meet the customers’ needs. The docks feature galvanized steel frames and maintenance-free, heavy-duty plastic decking that comes in either UV-inhibited, marine-grade PVC or polypropylene planks.
The modular dock systems are attached as needed by simple brackets that accommodate the customers’ specific needs on the site. The custom-built designs are perfect for boat docks and marinas with multiple piers and boat slips.
The Mod-U-Dock systems also comply with Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
The docks are often installed in marinas at campgrounds and parks. However, Ballenger believes the docks have the potential for substantial more growth among residential customers, especially in Wisconsin and Minnesota, which are home to thousands of inland lakes, streams and rivers.
Ballenger and Thompson both have the pedigrees to transform a business. Ballenger achieved a master’s degree in business administration from the Harvard Business School and a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Thompson, a Pennsylvania native who served in the U.S. military, achieved a master’s degree in business administration from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business and a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice and psychology from Dakota Wesleyan University.
Additional information about the company is available at www.crifabricators.com.
