The Curse Of Oak Island's Craig Tester Does More On The Show Than You Think

"The Curse of Oak Island" fans have long known Craig Tester as one of the most dependable allies of the Lagina brothers as they carry out their grand treasure hunt. Tester has been part of the team since day one, notably being there to help consult the group on how best to move forward and where to plan future Oak Island digs. There's no denying that he has been absolutely instrumental to the History series — perhaps even more so than the show's devotees realize.

Not everything that Tester is responsible for as a "The Curse of Oak Island" member is immediately visible on-camera. In addition to his role as part of the Oak Island fellowship, Tester has actually served as an executive producer for a very large chunk of the show. If influencing the structure and development of "The Curse of Oak Island" wasn't enough, Tester has also worked as an executive producer on the behind-the-scenes talk show series "The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down." Indeed, Tester has been pivotal both to the Lagina brothers' long-running Oak Island treasure hunt, and the formation of one of History's most well-known media franchises.

"The Curse of Oak Island" actually isn't what brought Marty Lagina and Craig Tester together for the first time, nor is it the only venture the pair have collaborated on. Tester's history with Lagina actually runs all the way back to their school days, as the duo were roommates during their studies at Michigan Technological University. Throughout their post-academic lives, that friendship has endured.

With both being professional mechanical engineers, Lagina and Tester actually have a history of major partnerships outside of their Oak Island operations. In the 1980s, the pair co-founded Terra Energy, an oil and gas company centered in the state of Michigan. Far more recently, the pair continue to work as co-founders of Heritage Sustainable Energy, a company that focuses on the development of wind farms as sources of renewable energy.

Tester and the Lagina brothers are also on pretty even footing in terms of their Oak Island ventures. Not only does Tester have a stake in the Oak Island Tours business that operates concurrently with the production of "The Curse of Oak Island," but he also owns part of the island along with his fellow series stars.