Krowne, a multi-generational, family-owned company that has been manufacturing high-quality stainless steel products in the US for over 70 years, named Kyle Forman as its new president. Kyle is succeeding his father, Roger Forman, who served as president for more than 36 years. After assuming the role from his uncle, Peter Miller, Roger grew the corporation from a regional, eight-person fabrication shop to an industry-leading manufacturer with over 100 employees and a large international presence.
“When I took over for my uncle in 1984, I had big aspirations for the company,” said Roger. “We’ve experienced tremendous growth over the past several decades and I couldn’t have achieved any of it without my wonderful team at Krowne. I am thrilled to pass the company legacy on to my son who has led the charge on innovation while driving substantial growth since joining the company.”
Kyle is stepping into this role after working in a variety of departments at Krowne over the past 10 years. As vice president, he launched an industry-first 3D and virtual reality bar configurator BarFlex3D with integrations into both Revit® and AutoCAD®. He launched a bartender ambassador program, infusing five award-winning bartenders into their product development team to help drive innovation through experience-driven design. Kyle has launched hundreds of new products allowing the company to rapidly expand its product portfolio. He also created virtual reality and augmented reality bar design tools to provide customers with an immersive design experience and virtual bartender training programs.
Flexible custom solutions
“We’ve made significant investments in robotic machinery over the past few years, transforming into an industry leader through cutting-edge technology and a steadfast focus on exceeding customer needs,” said Kyle. “We’ve become known for our flexible custom solutions which have helped Krowne win contracts on larger projects for stadiums, casinos, hotels and other major entertainment venues. It is an honor to step into this leadership role for our family’s business and I look forward to working with our amazing team at Krowne to continuously create ways to differentiate our brand and carry our momentum forward.”
Krowne’s products range from custom underbar and refrigeration, to hand sinks, faucets, gas hoses and more. Most recently, the company has designed bars at major sports venues such as Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and multiple Major League Soccer stadiums. Krowne also crafted all custom bars for industry-leading hospitality venue, The Guitar Hotel at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, and launched an exclusive partnership to develop the “Bar of the Future” with Jon Taffer for his ground-breaking franchise concept Taffer’s Tavern.
During Roger’s tenure, he led the brand through major changes and company expansion, growing the factory from 30,000 to 200,000 square feet. While Roger is retiring from day to day business operations, he still plans to work on product development and support his son in leading the company’s continued growth.
To view a virtual tour of the Krowne’s cutting-edge factory, visit youtu.be/YgCLK9hrZTQ. For more information about Krowne, visit www.krowne.com.
