<p><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" height="175" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-kletter-of-crane/id1517156345?i=1000663792959"></iframe></p>



<p><a href="https://www.crane.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Crane</a> came to life alongside America — and like America, it&#8217;s had quite a challenging 2024. Actually, make that a few challenging years. This is actually the second episode of The Paper Fold covering Crane; my <a href="https://thepapernerd.com/portfolio/7-crane-takes-back-its-narrative/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first</a> dealt with its previous owner, Mohawk Fine Papers, having to move the entire Crane operation from its North Adams, Massachusetts, facility, opened in 1799, to Cohoes, New York, during lockdown in 2020. ;</p>



<p>The Crane story reignited last February as Mohawk Fine Papers was being acquired by the International Fedrigoni Group, owned by Bain Capital, a Boston-based private investment firm, and BC Partners, a British international investment firm. Once the acquisition went through, Fedrigoni abruptly shuttered Crane and unceremoniously laid off 76 employees. Retailers who had open orders hadn&#8217;t a clue what to tell their customers. I <a href="https://stationerytrends.com/?s=crane+&;x=0&;y=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">followed the story at Stationery Trends</a> and as February slipped into March, I began to fear that Crane had printed its last piece.</p>



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<p>But, with assistance from the former CEO at Mohawk Paper, an Albany, New York, investment firm, WP Strategic Holdings, was able to acquire Crane, and its Managing Partner Todd Kletter suddenly found himself with a new title: Crane CEO! </p>



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<p>Now Todd himself drops in The Paper Fold to recount it all — ;and give a glimpse of what the future holds for this all-American brand.</p><div class="inline-post clearfix"><div class="see-also byline">See also</div><div id="block-wrap-92879" class="block-wrap-native block-wrap block-wrap-23 block-css-92879 block-wrap-classic columns__m--1 elements-design-3 block-ani block-skin-0 tipi-box block-wrap-thumbnail ppl-m-1 clearfix" data-id="92879" data-base="0"><div class="tipi-row-inner-style clearfix"><div class="tipi-row-inner-box contents sticky--wrap"><div class="block block-23 clearfix"><article class="tipi-xs-12 clearfix with-fi ani-base tipi-xs-typo split-1 split-design-1 loop-0 preview-thumbnail preview-23 elements-design-3 post-10002704 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-celebrations category-off-the-press tag-blind-embossing tag-christmas-cards tag-christmas-photo-cards tag-copper-foil tag-crane tag-embossing tag-gold-foil tag-holiday-cards tag-holiday-photo-cards tag-laura-seele tag-photo-cards tag-sarah-schwartz tag-silver-foil tag-stationery tag-stationery-blog tag-stationery-design tag-stationery-designer tag-the-paper-chronicles" style="--animation-order:0"><div class="preview-mini-wrap clearfix"><div class="mask"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/cranes-12-days-of-christmas-cards/" class="mask-img"><img width="100" height="100" src="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ContemporaryHolidayCards-02.jpg?resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ContemporaryHolidayCards-02.jpg?resize=150%2C150&;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ContemporaryHolidayCards-02.jpg?resize=200%2C200&;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ContemporaryHolidayCards-02.jpg?resize=24%2C24&;ssl=1 24w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ContemporaryHolidayCards-02.jpg?resize=48%2C48&;ssl=1 48w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ContemporaryHolidayCards-02.jpg?resize=96%2C96&;ssl=1 96w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ContemporaryHolidayCards-02.jpg?resize=300%2C300&;ssl=1 300w" sizes="(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px" /></a></div><div class="meta"><div class="byline byline-2 byline-cats-design-4"><div class="byline-part cats"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/category/celebrations/" style="color:#b79b0d" class="cat">Celebrations</a><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/category/off-the-press/" style="color:#b79b0d" class="cat">Off The Press</a></div></div><div class="title-wrap"><h3 class="title"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/cranes-12-days-of-christmas-cards/">Crane&#8217;s 12 Days of Christmas (Cards)</a></h3></div><div class="byline byline-3"><span class="byline-part date"><i class="tipi-i-calendar" aria-hidden="true"></i> <time class="entry-date published dateCreated flipboard-date" datetime="2019-10-29T14:12:23+00:00">October 29, 2019</time></span><span class="byline-part likes-count"><a href="#" class="tipi-like-count " data-pid="10002704"><span class="likes-heart"><i class="tipi-i-heart-o" aria-hidden="true"></i><i class="tipi-i-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="tipi-value">0</span></a></span></div></div></div></article></div></div></div></div></div></tipimidc>



<p>__________________</p>



<p>I couldn&#8217;t not include a few not-so-great shots I took on my phone of Crane &; Co.&#8217;s magnificent &#8220;windows&#8221; surrounding their National Stationery Show booth pre-2020. Awash in exquisite detail, they capture the history and magic of this brand (and America!) in a way words simply cannot. How I miss gazing at them every May!</p>



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DBEF2A94-AC4C-4B58-8B75-1DF22B87502B_1_105_c.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-10016352"/></figure>

Todd Kletter of Crane
