diff --git a/container_files/bin/setupcron.sh b/container_files/bin/setupcron.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee1ec96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/container_files/bin/setupcron.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+CRONFILE=/opt/tier/tier-cron
+
+#set env vars for cron job
+#  this script creates /opt/tier/env.bash which is sourced by the cron job's script, which was not seeing the environment set by the Dockerfile
+/opt/tier/setenv.sh
+
+#build crontab file with random start time between midnight and 3:59am
+echo "#send daily beacon to TIER Central" > ${CRONFILE}
+echo $(expr $RANDOM % 59) $(expr $RANDOM % 3) "* * * /usr/bin/sendtierbeacon.sh >> /var/log/cron.log 2>&1" >> ${CRONFILE}
+chmod 644 ${CRONFILE}
+
+#install crontab
+crontab ${CRONFILE}
+
+#create cron logfile
+touch /var/log/cron.log
+
diff --git a/container_files/bin/startup.sh b/container_files/bin/startup.sh
index ff771bf..9916e74 100644
--- a/container_files/bin/startup.sh
+++ b/container_files/bin/startup.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@ crontab ${CRONFILE}
 touch /var/log/cron.log
 
 #start crond
-/usr/sbin/crond
+/usr/sbin/crond -n
+#if crond args are needed, then:
+#source /etc/sysconfig/crond && exec /usr/sbin/crond -n $CRONDARGS
+
 
 #start tomcat
-/usr/local/tomcat/bin/catalina.sh run
+#/usr/local/tomcat/bin/catalina.sh run
diff --git a/container_files/system/supervisord.conf b/container_files/system/supervisord.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6af4ba5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/container_files/system/supervisord.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+[supervisord]
+nodaemon=true
+
+[program:cron]
+command=/usr/sbin/crond -n
+autostart=true
+autorestart=true
+redirect_stderr=true 
+stdout_logfile=/dev/stdout
+stdout_logfile_maxbytes=0
+stderr_logfile=/dev/stderr
+stderr_logfile_maxbytes=0
+directory=/usr/bin
+
+[program:tomcat]
+command=/usr/local/tomcat/bin/catalina.sh run
+autostart=true
+autorestart=true
+redirect_stderr=true 
+stdout_logfile=/dev/stdout
+stdout_logfile_maxbytes=0
+stderr_logfile=/dev/stderr
+stderr_logfile_maxbytes=0