2025 Power 100: Ralph Crowley Jr.
Photo | Courtesy of Worcester Red Sox; Photographer: Kate Foultz
Ralph Crowley (center), president & CEO of Polar Beverages
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In a space dominated by the big players of Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Crowley has dug out a unique role as the head of a beverage company beholden to no one, except its loyal customer base.
Part of the fourth generation of the family to run Polar, Crowley took over the helm of the drink manufacturer in 1992. The company’s products were mostly unknown outside of Greater Worcester when he took over, but now are available all over the country.
A trip to the company’s Worcester facility reveals a seemingly endless warehouse full of beverages, staffed by an army of quick-moving workers. It’s all the more impressive when you consider it's just one of a dozen Polar facilities across the country, responsible for more than 300 million cases of drinks every year.
Hardly just a drink mogul, Crowley has hands in a number of other endeavors, including his role as the most-prominent remaining local owner of the Worcester Red Sox, following the 2023 sale of a majority of the ballclub to Diamond Baseball Holdings.
His sports-related portfolio isn’t just limited to baseball, as the Crowley family owns Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Westminster. The winter sports destination will receive a $20-million upgrade this summer with the installation of a new high-speed lift.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
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