Nexus Founder Passes Away

Chris Beytes

Until they sold it to Gibraltar Industries in 2016, Cheryl Longtin and Mike Porter owned Nexus Greenhouse Company, buying it from the original founder, Donald Edwin McCrimmon. The long-time Colorado resident and engineer passed away March 8 at the age of 94.

Don, who earned a degree in civil engineering from Colorado State, founded Nexus in 1967 to answer the industry’s need for a well-built greenhouse that would meet building requirements and withstand severe weather. It was one of his many business ventures, including Dalco Engineering, a steel fabrication company. He sold the business in 1994 to Cheryl and Mike, whose experience in international corporations allowed Nexus to go beyond the traditional greenhouse manufacturing role. Don’s legacy lives on at Nexus even under the current Gibraltar ownership: his son-in-law Craig Kaiser is operations vice president and his grandson Aric is a customer service representative. GT