Gary D. Clarkson has died.
The co-founder of manufacturer CRL Systems died Friday at his home in Safford, Ariz., according to an announcement from Orban. A memorial service will be held sometime in January.
“Clarkson, along with the late Ron Jones, co-founded the former brand of professional broadcast audio processing known worldwide as CRL Systems,” Orban stated.
“Founded in 1974 by these two Devry Institute of Technology graduates, the company achieved great success in the early 1980s with high-performance AM processors, later developing a full line of audio processing for AM, FM and TV stations. The company went public in 1983, as an over-the-counter market bulletin board stock under the symbol CRLI. The company purchased Orban from Harman International Industries in 2000, and operated as a reporting company to NASDAQ until January 2009. CRLI ceased operations March 5, 2009.”
Orban President Jay Brentlinger described Clarkson as “an inspiration for my involvement in CRL and later Orban.” The two were both former chief engineers for Phoenix radio stations in the 1970s and 1980s.
“My family purchased part of the former CRL from Gary Clarkson in 1999, and Gary served as our vice president and on the board of directors until CRL ceased operations. Gary was loved by everyone he worked with at both companies and he will be truly missed.”
