Worcester Business Journal

22 Worcester Business Journal | April 29, 2024 | wbjournal.com With the passing of Worcester Red Sox chairman and former principal owner Larry Lucchino and the taking over of the franchise by Diamond Baseball Holdings, a New York-based corporation that now owns dozens of minor league teams, minority owner Ralph Crowley Jr. has arguably become the local face of the franchise Yet, his WooSox ownership is only small part of the Crowley family empire Ralph leads. Part of the fourth generation of the family to run Polar Beverages, Crowley took over the helm of the drink manufacturer in 1992. His name has appeared in WBJ countless times since, as under his leadership the company has continued to grow. Today, Polar's 2,300 total employees help the company manufacture more than 300 million cases of beverages a year. Beyond his WooSox involvement, Crowley has also found other ways to engage the sports world; in October, Polar announced it inked a distribution deal with A-GAME Beverages, a sports drink company whose board members include former Boston Red Sox and New York Yankee outfielder Johnny Damon and former professional football and baseball all-star Bo Jackson. Polar has even taken to the high seas, as in January the company was named the official seltzer partner for US Sailing, the governing body for the sport responsible for selection and training of the team representing the United States in the Olympic Games. Polar's leader is already part of the winter sports scene, as the Crowley family owns Wachusett Mountain Ski Area on the border of Princeton and Westminster. e 27-trail ski area has been operated by the family for more than 55 years, and the mountain's 900,000 visitors in 2023 made it the second-largest tourist attraction in Central Massachusetts. - E.C. P O W E R 1 0 0 A R T S & D E S T I N A T I O N S Ralph Crowley Jr. President & CEO Polar Beverages, in Worcester Employees: 2,300 Residence: Worcester Colleges: Bowdoin College, Clark University Clifford Rucker Founder Rucker Investments, in Worcester and Beverly Employees: 20 Residence: Worcester and Danvers College: Tufts University It's fair to say Rucker has a well-diversified portfolio. As the founder of Rucker Investments, he has his hands in a number of high-profile ventures in Worcester, including the Worcester Railers minor league hockey team, Off e Rails Restaurant & Bar, Worcester Ice Center, and the Palladium concert hall. e Railers have played an important role in filling a gap in the region's cultural landscape created by the departure of the AHL's Worcester Sharks in 2015, a move that le hockey-loving Central Massachusetts without a professional team. e Railers have now completed six full seasons in Worcester, providing the DCU Center with a solid tenant to help draw regular crowds. ose crowds don't have to travel far for a pre- or post-game drink, as Rucker's Off e Rails sits just outside the arena. Since its opening, Off e Rails has expanded its footprint to include outdoor dining and has been a go-to venue for country performers and other entertainment acts. And just across the parking lot from Off e Rails sits the Palladium, which Rucker shares ownership in. Long known for its indoor shows, the Palladium now hosts outdoor concerts in its parking lot, attracting such musical acts as e Flaming Lips, Simple Plan, and Sum 41. Rucker played a key role in saving a Worcester institution: Table Talk Pies. When the company was struggling financially in late 2022, Rucker and a handful of other prominent Central Massachusetts business people stepped in to offer the company a financial lifeline and consulting to help right the ship. is move helped the 100-year-old dessert manufacturer stay in the Worcester area and even expand its presence across the United States and Canada. - E.C. Larue Renfroe President & owner New England Sports Center, in Marlborough Employees: 67 Residence: Concord College: Tulane University Ask any North American-born hockey player at almost any level of competition if they have ever heard of Marlborough, Massachusetts, and there's a high probability they'll answer in the affirmative. at's all thanks to the New England Sports Center and its founder, Renfroe. Frustrated with the lack of available ice for his children's team, Renfroe decided to take action. e typical hockey venue only has one rink, but New England Sports Center started with four. en, Renfroe just kept adding rinks; today, the venue has eight full-size rinks and two smaller practice rinks, making it one of the largest ice sports venues on the planet. NESC attracted 1 million attendees in 2023, according to data it provided to the WBJ Research Department, making it the most visited tourist attraction in Central Massachusetts and a major economic driver for the city with a population of just under 41,000. e facility is home to 18 high school hockey teams, a litany of youth programs, charity competitions, and academy programs. NESC has been the home to a number of other ice-related activities, including figure skating, curling, and sled hockey, a version of the game playable for people with limited lower body movement. e 22,000-square-foot complex hosts more than 50 tournaments a year, with one notable recent example being the 2023 American Collegiate Hockey Association Championship, a competition featuring 76 men's and women's college teams. In addition to owning NESC, Renfroe happens to own the Providence Bruins, the minor league affiliate of Boston's NHL franchise, making him a facilitator of hockey from the peewees to the pros. - E.C. PHOTO | COURTESY OF WORCESTER RED SOX Ralph Crowley Jr. (center) stands with the late Larry Lucchino (right) and Worcester Mayor Joe Petty (left) at the 2019 ground- breaking of Polar Park.

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