History of Stark & Cronk

The founders of Stark & Cronk brought together a wealth of heating industry experience and technical expertise for the benefit of customers. This formula has sustained the company for more than half a century.

Otto W. Stark was a steam fitter and oil burner technician. His first major employer was Murray & Dougdale, Water Street, Haverhill, where he worked until about 1935. He then ventured into the heating service business for himself from his home at 10 Pleasant St., Groveland. About 1944, Otto was asked to manage the new heating division of Cranton & Co., where he met Lawrence “Larry” Cronk, an oil burner technician and sheet metal worker from West Newbury. Larry managed the oil service portion division.

In 1947, after the Cranton Co. filed for bankruptcy. Otto and Larry opened their own business at 308 Main St., Groveland.

The following year, Stark & Cronk was incorporated. The company operated solely as a heating business until Gregory W. Stark Sr. joined it in 1954. Greg Sr. had worked at Murray & Dougdale for three years while attaining his journeyman plumber’s license. Stark & Cronk added “plumbing” to its title when Greg Sr. came onboard.

Otto passed away in 1958, leaving Greg Sr. and Larry to operate the company. In the mid-1960s, Greg bought Larry’s share of the business. Stark & Cronk was successful during the following years because of its strong relationships with quality custom homebuilders such as Thompson & Gould, Olde Town Builders and Eliot Sargent Building. In 1976 Greg’s son Gregory Stark Jr. entered the business as a plumbing apprentice. Through the 1980s Greg Jr. worked for the company gaining field experience and licenses before purchasing the business in 1990.