On April 24, at the AGMA/ABMA Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas, the membership of the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) and the American Bearing Manufacturers Association (ABMA), voted to approve a merger between the two associations, creating the Motion and Power Manufacturers Alliance (MPMA).
AGMA and ABMA will continue to keep their names in the marketplace as the 108-year-old AGMA brand and the 107-year-old ABMA brand have significant history and value to their respective memberships.
The new MPMA entity will continue to deliver value via standards creation under the AGMA and ABMA brands, education and workforce development, connecting the supply chain via face-to-face and media programs, and advocacy at the federal and executive branch level.
“For the past 18 years, AGMA and ABMA have worked closely together,” said Michael Cinquemani, AGMA board chair and CEO of Master Power Transmission. “Creating the Motion and Power Manufacturers Alliance brings together leading power trans-
mission companies. This merger allows two of the best-in-class associations to work together for the greater good of its members and industry.”
The organizations will unite their committee structures to ensure both gearing and bearing issues and opportunities are explored; standards and programming will continue to be identified under the AGMA and ABMA names, and members will be encouraged
to continue to identify as AGMA or ABMA members as a part of MPMA.
“Our united voice is a stronger one,” said Matt Frady, ABMA chair and general manager, Dodge Industrial. “And by uniting the best minds throughout the gearing and bearing community, we enhance the standards and advocacy communities, our education and training programs, our two publications, the MPT Expo, and our online B2B community.”
The MPMA will have a united board of directors and continue to be governed by an executive committee including a chair, vice chair, treasurer, past chair, and two at large seats. AGMA Member, Sara Zimmerman, Sumitomo, will serve as the chair in 2025-2026.
Combined, the MPMA will consist of more than 425 member companies representing the full spectrum of private and public companies, global and domestic business, open gear, enclosed gears and the full range of bearing solutions.
Why did this happen?
ABMA and AGMA have a long history of working together, including:
- 18 years of joint annual meetings.
- 9 years of AGMA’s Power Transmission Alliance.
- 70-plus industry mergers and acquisitions in 10 years.
- 5 years of managing ABMA.
- 2 years of board and task force discussion.
What does this mean for AGMA members?
The two associations are made up a diverse group of companies: both large and small, from family-owned businesses to global corporations.
To best serve the respective members, the two associations are committed to looking to the future while continuing their main pillars of membership value: Standards, Education, Emerging Technology, and Industry Information.
“This merger is in the best interests of the organization and its members, and we are confident it will provide significant benefits to all involved,” said Matt Croson, president of AGMA, and Jenny Blackford, president of ABMA, in a joint statement. “By joining together, we have a stronger voice in the standards and advocacy community; we enhance our education and training positions and add value to our two publications, the MPT Expo, and our online B2B community. Simply put, we are stronger together as this merger unites the brightest and best minds throughout the gearing and bearing community.”
The bottom line is the association exists to unite and serve its members. The creation of the MPMA will move the industry forward and allow the AGMA and ABMA to thrive through the next 100 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is happening between AGMA and ABMA?
The two 501C (6) trade associations are merging into a new parent trade association called the Motion + Power Manufacturers Alliance (MPMA). The MPMA will be a stand-alone non-profit with its own employment identification number (EIN), combining the revenues and expenses of both the AGMA and ABMA into one single entity for tax purposes.
Why are AGMA and ABMA forming the MPMA?
The two, separate, independent boards of directors unanimously agreed that the industry is coming together through mergers and acquisitions, and after 18 years of collaboration between the two 108-plus-year-old associations, it made sense to come together as one to focus on joint efforts.
What will change with the new MPMA?
The MPMA will focus on all issues and opportunities affecting the power transmission industry including standards, workforce, advocacy, emerging technologies, business connections, and networking. Combined, MPMA will have more than 35 classes focused on all aspects of mechanical power transmission, create and maintain more than 200 standards and information sheets, produce Gear Technology, Power Transmission Engineering and Motion + Power Technology Expo, as well as the Fall Technical Meeting and Annual Meeting.
What’s in it for me? How does this support my company?
Bringing together the brightest minds, companies, and leading innovators from both the gears and bearings world will provide opportunities for members to align customer responses, standardize the performance requirements across both components, enhance education experience with a broadened focus, and connect leaders across the mechanical power transmission space.
Will the names of the organizations change?
No. The MPMA is a parent organization designed to unite the industry to focus on matters of shared importance. Both boards of directors felt strongly that both the AGMA and ABMA brands are powerful in the market, and members should continue to use these names as identifiers with customers and suppliers. The MPMA staff team will be encouraging members to continue to leverage the AGMA logo and name and the ABMA logo and name in any marketing materials or promotional efforts.
In addition, regarding standards, the naming of the standards for both organizations will continue to be AGMA and ABMA standards and information sheets at both the ANSI and ISO levels.
Will there be a new board of directors?
Yes. The AGMA and ABMA Boards will unite under one governance structure. For two years, the new MPMA Board will include all of the current board members from AGMA and ABMA. For the next two years, as board seats expire, MPMA will not add any new board members. In 2027, the MPMA nominating committee will begin to follow the normal process of seeking candidates who meet the full spectrum of power transmission companies, including gearing companies, bearing companies, private and public entities, open gearing companies, etc.
Will there be an executive committee?
Yes. Following a similar construct as the board, for two years, the executive committee will be the same group that is currently leading AGMA and ABMA, respectively. In year one, an AGMA leader will be the chair and in year two, an ABMA leader will be the chair. In 2027, MPMA will begin following the normal 2-2-2 pattern of a treasurers, chair, and past chair governance model. In addition, there will be two “at large” seats on the executive committee. One will focus on technical programs, and one will focus on business programs.
Will the committees change?
Yes. All technical and business committees will now incorporate bearings companies. The annual meeting planning committee has had this type of approach for 18 years since we have worked with both groups on this program. All future agendas for education, emerging technology, annual meeting, technical, SNL Forum, etc., will include a broader focus to account for both gearing and bearing issues and opportunities.
Upcoming Events & Courses
Gear Manufacturing and Inspection
May 6-8 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
While function and rating are important factors in a successful gear design, to be truly optimal and successful, the gear designer must also design the gears to be manufactured and inspected. In this course, we will address key factors in a wide variety of manufacturing and inspection processes to enable the gear designer to better design optimal gears considering both rating and the necessary manufacturing and inspection processes to produce the gears as designed. We will also help the designer understand how to interpret inspection data so they can ensure the gears meet the design. To be clear, this is not a course in how to operate the various machines. Rather, it addresses the design provisions required to allow the gears to be optimally manufactured and inspected. The learner will develop a broad understanding of the methods used to manufacture and inspect gears, as well as interpret how the resultant information can be applied and interpreted in the design process.
Fundamentals of Parallel Axis Gearing
May 13-18 | Minneapolis, Minnesota
Gain a solid and fundamental understanding of gear geometry, types and arrangements, and basic design principles. Starting with the basic definitions of gears, conjugate motion, and the Laws of Gearing, learn the tools needed to understand the inter-relation and coordinated motion operating within gear pairs and multi-gear trains. Basic gear system design process, gear measurement, and inspection techniques also will be explained. Fundamentals of the stepwise process of working through the iterative design process required to generate a gear pair will be reviewed.
Analytical Gear Chart Interpretation
May 20 | Live-Online
This course is an introduction to the methodology of analytical gear inspection and the evaluation and interpretation of the resulting data. The application of this information to identify and correct manufacturing errors will be explored. Additionally, it will review chart interpretation and apply inspection data to understand the causes and cures of manufacturing errors. Many chart examples will be used to understand cause and effect.
Gearbox Systems Design
June 24-26 | Clearwater Beach, Florida
This course focuses the supporting elements of a gearbox that allow gears and bearings to do their jobs most efficiently. Learn about seals, lubrication, lubricants, housings, breathers, and other details that go into designing gearbox systems.
Gear Failure Analysis
June 24-26 | Chicago, Illinois
Explore gear failure analysis in this hands-on seminar where students not only see slides of failed gears but can hold and examine more than 130 specimens with the same failure modes covered in the seminar. Approximately half of the course time consists of students in groups identifying failure modes on failed gears and working on a case study. Microscopes are available to examine failed specimens.
To register for a course, go to: www.agma.org/events-education/upcoming-courses.
Upcoming Meetings & Events
2025 AGMA/ABMA Annual Meeting
April 24-26 | Austin, Texas
Join gear and bearing professionals from companies all over the world as the industry gathers to learn from experts in economics, trade, workforce development, political forecasts, and AI in manufacturing.
There are overarching issues affecting the whole industry, including the workforce shortage, the skills gap, and technology and AI adoption. With executives representing companies of all sizes and industry thought leaders, the depth and breadth of knowledge and viewpoints at the Annual Meeting is a goldmine. For more information, go to: www.agma.org/event/2025-agma-abma-annual-meeting.
ABMA/AGMA Washington, D.C. Fly-In
May 12 -13 | Washington, DC
This is an unparalleled opportunity for industry leaders to converge in Washington, D.C., meet with federal agencies, legislators, and regulators to champion the industry and issues vital to the manufacturing sector.
2025 Strategic Networking & Leadership Forum
June 4-6 | Greenville, South Carolina
The AGMA SNL Forum is a group that brings together AGMA members from across the gear industry. The goal of the SNL Forum is to provide a dynamic, educational, and collaborative event to help participants grow, both within the industry and the association. The SNL Forum offers robust, peer-focused networking opportunities to mid-level managers and next-generation executives in the gear industry, giving attendees new tools to use in a rapidly changing industry and economy. The event features educational opportunities in business training, thorough exposure to both leadership and emerging technology resources, and hands-on learning with a tour of a future-focused industry facility.
For more information on AGMA Events, go to: www.agma.org/events-education/upcoming-events.
