Short answers, pulled from the story.
Arthur Friedman began selling rubber aprons to chemists in 1900. He was a Cleveland, Ohio native who started selling these protective garments to keep scientists safe from hazardous chemicals. This initial venture eventually led to the formation of the Chemical Rubber Company in 1903.
The company officially changed its name to CRC Press, Inc in 1973. This change occurred after the company decided to focus exclusively on publishing ventures in 1964 and exit the manufacturing business entirely. The manufacturing line was spun off as the Lab Apparatus Company to allow CRC Press to concentrate on its core strength.
The Times Mirror Company acquired CRC Press in 1986. This acquisition brought the publishing group under the umbrella of a major media conglomerate. The Times Mirror later announced the sale of CRC Press to Information Ventures in December 1996.
CRC Press became part of Taylor & Francis in 2003. This subsidiary of the UK publisher Informa integrated CRC Press into a larger network of academic publishers. The acquisition enhanced the reach and influence of the company within the global market.
As of 2025, the branding of CRC Press presents it as part of the Routledge branding. The CRC Press and Routledge imprints are key components of Taylor & Francis's academic publishing. This integration allows CRC Press to leverage the strengths of both imprints to offer a wider range of titles.