CrainCo honored with Regents Business Partnership Excellence Award for collaboration with Southeastern

OKLAHOMA CITY - Southeastern Oklahoma State University alumni-owned local business CrainCo has been honored with the 2026 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education's Regents Business Partnership Excellence Award (RBPEA) as announced Friday.

The RBPEA is designed to highlight successful partnerships between higher education institutions, businesses, and the community that create meaningful pathways between education and employment. Through these collaborations, institutions work directly with industry partners to align academic programs with employer needs, ensuring students gain relevant, in-demand skills.

Southeastern is proud to partner with CrainCo, a locally owned, Durant-based custom metal fabrication company serving commercial waste equipment and steel skid markets. CrainCo (formerly known as Texoma MFG) provides skilled manufacturing and fabrication jobs that strengthen Bryan County's economy and support an essential workforce sector in southeastern Oklahoma.

The company's leadership, including owner and Southeastern alumnus J. Scott Crain, sons Drew Crain (also a SE alumnus) and Chase Crain, maintain strong ties to the university through student support, scholarship funding via the SE Foundation, and engagement with campus events. This partnership helps expand educational access, promote workforce readiness, and retain skilled talent in the region.

"Partnerships between local businesses and our public colleges and universities strengthen our workforce, benefiting both our state and individual students," said Chancellor Sean Burrage. "The State Regents are proud to recognize these collaborative efforts that drive economic growth, foster innovation, and expand career opportunities for Oklahomans."

Information on all 16 of this year's RBPEA winners can be found here.

For more information about RBPEA, visit https://okhighered.org/econ-dev/rbpea/.