Peter Jennings’ family has been here for 11 generations.
Maxx Crowley — a 4th-generation Westporter — is, by comparison, a new arrival.
For years, the 2 families’ businesses have been friendly rivals — and sometimes partners — in the property management field.
Now they’ve joined forces. A recent merger created a new firm that offers a wide range of services — leasing, maintenance, bookkeeping and more — to commercial and residential owners from Westchester to Hartford.
But they’ll still concentrate on — and be headquartered in — Westport.
SCA Crowley trucks and team outside one of their properties: the 55 Greens Farms Road office complex.
After 28 yeas with the HK Group, Jennings started his own firm, Bayberry Property Management, in 2009. He eventually serviced, and served as a broker for, 80 buildings.
SCA Crowley — the business formed by Maxx’s father Steve — recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. Steve started as a real estate broker, but soon realized that property owners wanted leaf removal, snow shoveling, landscaping, pothole fixing, painting and many other services.
COVID sparked a change in SCA’s real estate management. Homeowners moving from Manhattan and Brooklyn needed help learning about irrigation systems, hot water heaters and pools, and jobs like power-washing patios. The company — whose clients already included Playhouse Square, MoCA Westport, office buildings, medical centers and Homes with Hope facilities — expanded their residential property portfolio.
(From left): Bobby, Steve and Maxx Crowley.
SCA and Bayberry had been friendly for a while. They referred customers to each other’s services.
Now, Crowley says, their combined operations will be even more seamless.
“We’re a Swiss army knife,” Jennings adds.
The merged company will be called SCA Crowley Real Estate Services. (“Steve won the coin toss,” Maxx Crowley jokes.)
Peter Jennings
The only change, Jennings adds, is the purchase of new logowear and business cards.
The new firm’s offices will be on Kings Highway North, near Main Street. Its trucks will be at Riverside Avenue.
Though properties extend from White Plains to Hartford, it will still be a “mom-and-pop” company.
Plus other family members.
Maxx Crowley works with his siblings Bobby and Judy. Jennings is joined by his sister Karen, daughter Katie, and sister-in-law Beth.
Both families will continue to contribute to Westport, in non-property management ways too. Steve Crowley is a longtime volunteer with many civic causes. Maxx Crowley is president of the Westport Downtown Association. Jennings is the Green’s Farms Congregational Church historian.
After 15 combined generations, the Jennings and Crowley family histories continue.
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