Crawford Communications, Inc. has bulked up big time with the acquisition of Gulflink Communications, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Gray Communications, Inc. The acquisition enhances the operations of Crawford's Satellite Services division, creating the largest transportable fleet in the nation. Crawford will now operate seventeen Ku-band and eight C-band units, expanding its coverage area significantly. "Our goal is to provide the highest level of customer service, coupled with the most technically sound fleet on the road," explains Jim Schuster, senior vice president of Crawford Communications and president of Crawford Satellite Services. "We are excited about our acquisition of Gulflink and the new opportunities it will bring," he added.

Crawford intends to continue operating Gulflink's technical support facility located inBaton Rouge. Transportable scheduling, operations and maintenance will occur in both Atlanta and Baton Rouge.

Gulflink's entire staff has agreed to become Crawford employees. "All of us at Gulflinkare proud to join the Crawford family," said Morris Verlander, Gulflink's former generalmanager and now general manager of Crawford Transportables. "They are an excellent company and we look forward to taking our business to the next level."

Both Gulflink and Crawford have continually upgraded their fleets of transportables; many units now include digital compression, HD encoders, VTRs, cameras, and other production equipment. "Consolidation of transportable operations and the increased coverage area will allow Crawford to more broadly serve large news and sports network clients," stated Paul Edwards, director of Transportables and Production Services for Crawford.