Crystal Lake’s JA Frate founder Doug Jennings dies at 82: ‘Always wanted to give back’

Richard Douglas “Doug” Jennings, the founder of Crystal Lake-based transportation and fulfillment company JA Frate who was known for supporting local veterans, has died.

Jennings died Tuesday at age 82.

Jennings carried core values of hard work, generosity and integrity in his life and business, his daughters Jill Dinsmore and Jennifer Herman said. Since his passing, the family has been receiving an outpouring of support from people whose lives have been touched by their father.

“I think that’s what has been so overwhelming about this experience,” Herman said. “He just always had a big impact and always wanted to give back to this community. He loved Crystal Lake.”

Jennings had traveled from his hometown of Huntington, Indiana, to Huntley for a job when he noticed a need for local transportation services and decided to start his own. In 1971, he started JA Frate at the age of 28 with four children.

The whole family would help out and answer phone calls while he ran the business out of his Lakewood home. It would be about six years before Jennings would hire his first employee, Dinsmore said.

Now the company has about 150 employees and has been operating out of its Pyott Road facility since 1990, Herman said.

It continues to be a family affair, with Dinsmore serving as CEO, and Herman working in human resources. Jennings’ two sons, Jim and Jeff, worked for decades as drivers and in the warehouse.

“His colleagues and employees respected and loved him for his fair dealings, genuine care for others, and the way he conducted business,” the obituary reads. “He approached every business relationship with honesty, kindness, and respect.”

JA Frate expanded over the years by hiring strong workers and always giving them opportunities to grow, Dinsmore said

“He was the guy who would always give somebody a shot, especially if they were willing to work,” she said.

The company is well known for its dedication to support veterans, although Jennings never served, probably because he was a father of three by the age of 21, Dinsmore said.

“He was an incredibly patriotic man, and he felt that the way he could give back was to hire veterans,” she said.

It turned into a team effort throughout the whole company to ensure everyone remembers the sacrifices that fallen soldiers have made, Dinsmore said. With the help of veteran and former president Joe Alger, JA Frate created trailers that feature fallen soldiers from McHenry and Lake counties that can be seen driving around and at local events.

The 40th anniversary of the company in 2011 is when Jennings really felt capable of giving back to the community through various efforts like supply drives and highway cleanups, Dinsmore said. The company continues its giving legacy by supporting local veterans organizations through volunteering, transporting and storage services.

“That was the time when it really hit home and it has never stopped,” Dinsmore said.

Jennings also co-founded the foster care resource organization Believe in the Children with his wife and two friends in 2018, according to , according to his obituary posted by Burke-Tubbs Funeral Homes.

A memorial celebration will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Dole Mansion at 401 Country Club Road in Crystal Lake. The family will have on hand the 1967 Saab station wagon Jennings used to start the business, Dinsmore said.

“It speaks to, really, the humble beginnings of the organization to where it is today and the number of people that it has taken to get here,” she said. “It’s an amazing tribute to this team that really does it every day.”