CPI Technologies, which has deep roots in the Ozarks and services thousands of business’ office equipment needs, is the newest corporate sponsor of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
President & Executive Director Jerald Andrews and CPI Technologies President and CEO Erik Crane announced the partnership on Wednesday.
It means CPI Technologies will have a major presence at Hall of Fame events, including the upcoming Enshrinement presented by Killian Construction, four Celebrity Golf Classics, five Sports Enthusiasts Luncheons and the Sporting Clays Classic.
“We are extremely appreciative of the support from CPI Technologies,” Andrews said. “It’s a great, well-run company that has meant a lot to our community.”
Overall, the partnership is a natural fit. Crane grew up in a basketball family. His dad coached for years in Kansas, mainly at Allen County Community College in Iola. Crane himself was a student assistant for the Kansas State University men’s basketball program in the early 1990s.
In becoming a corporate partner, Crane is looking forward to rewarding clients and employees with Hall of Fame experiences.
“That’s a big plus for us,” Crane said. “We obviously can use the events as networking opportunities. But, more than that, it helps the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame keep those stories alive of great athletes, coaches and teams.”
CPI Technologies was previously Copy Products, Inc., which was founded by Vern and Toni Starks in Iola, Kan., in 1963. Its Springfield branch opened in 1992 under the direction of Crane and his wife, Heidi Starks Crane, Vern and Toni’s daughter and also the Chief Operating Officer of CPI Technologies. It now counts nearly 7,000 clients across 80 counties combined in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Cranes purchased the company in 2018.
“We sell so many office products that do not have anything to do with making copies or prints,” Crane said, explaining the name change and noting CPI Technologies specializes in computer hardware, information technology, phone systems, workflow software, scanners and more.
CPI Technologies has been a longtime lead sponsor of the PGA Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, which has gifted more than $17.3 million to Ozarks children’s charities.
CPI Technologies encourages its employees to volunteer four hours a month at local charities during the work week. That was an idea from Heidi, who serves on the board of CASA of Southwest Missouri, whose acronym stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children. CASA is among the charities of the PCCC.
“CPI is very excited to be a partner with the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame,” Crane said. “There are a lot of golf events that the Hall puts on, but there are other events, too, that are appealing.”