As an executive at two Chicago-area electronics companies, Craig E. Bauer filled three passports with business travel to Europe, Asia and South America.
Mr. Bauer was president and chief executive officer of Wood Dale-based Videojet Technologies Inc. from 1997 to 2002. He intended to retire, but instead became president in 2002 of Schaumburg-based Omron Electronics LLC, a unit of Omron Corp., based in Kyoto, Japan.
Mr. Bauer, 55, died Sunday, June 25, of an infection at his Deer Park home.
He started at Videojet Technologies, a supplier of digital imaging systems, in 1978 in marketing and sales. He was executive vice president and chief operating officer from 1993 to 1997, before taking over as president.
“He helped build that company and a huge distributorship system in the Far East, Europe and Africa,” said his daughter Natalie. “By the time he left, it was a $350 million company.”
According to his family, he led the company to a sales growth of 52 percent and profit increases of 30 percent in a 3-year span.
In 2002, “he was going to retire, but that lasted about a month,” said his wife, Belinda. “He was bored to death, and then went to work at Omron.”
“What Craig brought to the company was a strategic focus,” said Robert Jacobs, vice president of administration at Omron. “He was a man of incredible integrity, energy and passion for the business, both in service to customers, distributors and owners.”
Mr. Bauer was born in Chicago and moved with his family to Indianapolis, then to northwest suburban Cary. He graduated from Cary-Grove High School in 1969.
He received his bachelor’s degree in 1973, and his master’s in engineering in 1974, both from Northwestern University. He received his master’s degree in business administration in 1980 from the University of Chicago.
He met his wife at a fraternity party at Northwestern, and the two married in 1974.
“He was a very involved father, especially when the kids were very young,” his wife said. “I was a Realtor and worked a lot of nights and weekends, and we never had sitters. He made it a priority to spend that time with them.”
He was an active supporter of Homer Glen-based Shady Oaks, a camp for disabled children and adults, which a friend’s daughter attended.
“He was full of energy,” his daughter said. “It was a rare moment when you saw him sitting down or taking a nap.”
In the early 1980s, he taught marketing and new product development at the Keller Graduate School of Management. He also was an avid gardener and cook.
“Family was important to him and setting the right example and being an honest, ethical person,” his daughter said. “He was a big proponent of teamwork and demonstrated the importance of collaboration, diligence, discipline and hard work. I very much admired him and considered him my hero.”
Other survivors include a son, Ryan; two brothers, Brian and Gary; and a sister, Barbara.
Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the noon service Saturday at the Presbyterian Church of Barrington, 6 Brinker Rd., Barrington.
