Our 50th Birthday Year … Let the Celebrations begin!

Our 50th Year … let the celebrations begin!

In May 1967 my Father, Col Crawford, started his own business on a small block of land in Brookvale. Dad was really lucky that a Bank Manager was prepared to back him, lending him the money to buy the Pittwater Rd land that had a burnt out cottage on it. Dad certainly didn’t have the money himself. Together with my late Mother Pamela, and with much hard work, the cottage was semi knocked down/ semi refurbished to become a humble office and the land turned into a car yard. One of the memorable stories we tell is Dad borrowing some cars from his mates on the weekend to look as though he had something to sell as on Opening Day the inventory he owned and had as trading stock amounted to 2 vehicles. On Open Day, Dad had can can girls dancing out the front with high kicks to create attention and thus was the start of Col Crawford Motors.

So 50 years later … I’ve watched our family business grow. I am a part of the business and now operate it. It is a success and I enjoy being part of the workforce that make it happen daily along with 235 others. The business lives and breathes our wonderful local area and we are proud to give back back to our community. I am thrilled to see a third generation of Crawfords coming through the ranks of the business and along with my sisters, we are all very proud. Our gorgeous Mum would be looking down very proud as well. Proud of a man that started from nothing, had a go and made it happen. A person that had morals, principles and who valued friendships and relationships. A person that wanted to give others an opportunity and always had consideration for those not as fortunate as he. Dad is a person that others were prepared to back, a bloke absolutely prepared to work hard, an entrepreneur and a marketer, a make it happen guy.

It was my desire therefore, as part of the company’s celebration of this milestone, to create a “Congratulations Col” campaign which you will see in The Manly Daily from this week. A key component of the campaign was also a 30 second movie cinema advertisement with Dad, my 3 sons and I quickly covering some important aspects of our business over the 50 years. The advertisement is to me a trophy to my Father, a sincere thank you for the opportunity he has given me and many others and an expression of pride that we all share. I hope you enjoy it.

Congratulations Dad on 50 years, proud and humble.

To read more of the ‘Crawford Story’ in detail, please see previous Blog posts.

What drives you, drives us! ~ Stephen Crawford

#ColCrawfordLifestyleCars #50th #50thBirthday #Celebration #Family