Orbus Visual Communications Acquires CRĒO Industrial Arts

Orbus Visual Communications, Woodridge, Illinois, announced that it has acquired Seattle-based CRĒO Industrial Arts, a custom fabricator that specializes in architectural and exhibit products for organizations that include museums and public art installations. Financial terms of the deal were not released.

“We are excited to collaborate with CRĒO’s remarkable team,” said Orbus CEO Gary Keefer. “Their outstanding capabilities in technological design, metal fabrication, woodworking, lighting and more are best in class. Further, CRĒO’s custom interior and exterior solutions complement and supplement Orbus’s existing custom offerings.

Orbus specializes in visual communications solutions for exhibits/live events, retail and interiors through brands that include Orbus, Nimlok, Fabric Images, SEG Systems, SEG Services and now CRĒO.

In 2022, Orbus acquired SEG Systems and Services. In March of this year, Orbus announced it would relocate SEG’s operations to a new manufacturing facility in Huntersville, North Carolina, a $25 million investment from Orbus to create 100 new jobs, as well as moving 86 positions from SEG’s Charlotte location. The facility incorporated systems such as printing, metal fabrication, fabric architecture manufacturing, woodworking, powder coating and lighting.

Orbus did not specify whether it would relocate any of CRĒO’s current operations from Seattle. CRĒO has been making what executives described as high-end architectural elements for more than 40 years, “executing the vision of the world’s finest architects, designers and landscape architects,” the company said.

“Being a part of the Orbus family will enable CRĒO to serve its clients even better than we do today, and it will significantly fuel our strategic growth plans,” Jeff Braaten, president of CRĒO, said in a statement. “Access to a larger platform of manufacturing operations enables our company to expand our reach throughout North America and increases the breadth of capabilities we can provide.”

In addition to the investment into SEG Systems’ new Huntersville location, Orbus has enhanced its own print capabilities with new equipment, such as dye-sublimation and UV print equipment in January.

Strategic acquisitions will continue to play a role in Orbus's growth and development.

"Orbus Visual Communications Group is planning for more acquisitions over time that continue to bolster its position it as a market-leading group of brands," Natalie Whitehead, vice president of marketing for Orbus, said. "The brands in the Orbus Group collectively have a passion for visual storytelling - some focused on exhibits/live events, some focused on retail, and some on the interiors market segment."