Rita Kress

Founded in 1965 by Ted Kress, Kress Corporation endures as a leading manufacturer of heavy equipment. Operating today under the supervision of company President Rita Kress, the corporation ships products worldwide to numerous companies in the mining, steel, and earth-moving industries. An accomplished football player, Ted Kress played for the University of Michigan, where he pursued his Bachelor of Science in Production Engineering. Selected in the 1954 NFL draft, Mr. Kress joined the Washington Redskins under Coach Curly Lambeau. Following his football career, he started Kress Corporation in the role of President. In 1977, he married Rita Kress who took the post of Treasurer for the family business. Mr. Kress remained at the helm of the corporation until his death in 2003. Forging ahead in her husband’s footsteps, Rita Kress continues the company’s growth. Truly a family-owned business, Mr. and Mrs. Kress’s son Nathan also works for the corporation in several capacities. In exposing her son to the inner workings of the company, Rita Kress instills three fundamental concepts she feels are essential to success: personal responsibility, prioritization, and cooperation. Rita Kress earned her education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, after which she managed an advertising business. During this time, she learned a variety of skills required for running a successful enterprise. Some business fundamentals that Rita she holds in high regard include hard work, tenacity and adherence to one’s vision, and the flexibility to adapt in an ever-changing market landscape. Today, Rita Kress oversees all aspects of the firm's operations. A centerpiece of the business community in Brimfield, Illinois, Kress Corporation employs nearly 200 people and offers a broad range of products designed for hauling heavy materials. Some of the products offered by the company include slag pot carriers, the company’s flagship product line; coal haulers with a specially designed soft suspension system allowing an encumbered vehicle to reach higher speeds than previously possible; and oil and gas exploration equipment designed to withstand temperatures in the vicinity of 50 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.