Preston Croft was born in South Texas and raised in a hardworking family in the 1950s. Surrounded by people who valued both effort and humor, he learned the importance of perseverance early on. His father and grandfather spent their careers in the oil and gas industry. Growing up with limited means, Preston learned to appreciate and take care of everything he had. Preston Croft began his career on the drilling side of the oil and gas industry, learning the grit and grind and gaining firsthand experience in the demanding process of bringing wells to life. But it didn’t take long for him to realize that drilling was just the beginning — the real challenge lay in making a well productive, efficient, and safe for the long haul. With that insight, Preston transitioned into operations, managing his own wells and consulting on hundreds more throughout the 1980 to early 2000s.
The Spark
One day, during a routine site assessment, Preston noticed something unusual — a glycol dehydrator wasn’t operating. He sent his right-hand operator to relight the pilot. What happened next would change everything. As the operator struck the ignition, unburned gas had unknowingly flooded the chamber. The pilot light sparked a flash ignition, causing a blowback. The operator was thrown back, his eyebrows singed and face scorched. Shaken but unharmed, he turned to Preston and uttered the words that would echo for decades: “There has to be a better way than this.” That single sentence ignited a different kind of fire within Preston. It became the catalyst for a lifelong mission — to find safer, smarter, and more efficient ways to process natural gas. From that moment forward, Preston dedicated himself to innovation. What began as a spark of frustration grew into CROFT, a company built on engineering excellence, relentless problem-solving, and the bold belief that “there has to be a better way.”
The Movement
Today, CROFT is more than a company — it represents a movement. With in-house engineering, manufacturing, and service teams, CROFT has reshaped the standards of gas processing. The company holds multiple patents, has earned industry accolades, and has been recognized by regulatory bodies, including the EPA. CROFT experts have spoken at TCEQ events, lectured at universities, and trained hundreds of engineers, all driven by the same rallying cry that started it all. What began with a dangerous misfire evolved into a legacy of innovation. And it all started with one man, one moment, and one powerful idea.
