Announced on February 14, 2003, Schafer Gear Works, of South Bend, Indiana, has acquired Chicago Gear Works of Cicero, Illinois, according to Bipin Doshi, president. "With the growing trend of consolidation and demand for more services from manufacturers, this acquisition expands our ability to service all major customer gear requirements," says Doshi.
Chicago Gear Works was a major supplier to many industrial manufacturers, and the acquisition will increase Schafer’s manufacturing capacity with bevel gear and worm gear technology in South Bend. Chicago Gear Works was established in 1907.
"Furthermore, current demand in the U.S. industrial gear market involves increasing product quality, decreasing product delivery times, and increasing the number of services offered," says Stan Blenke, Schafer Gear Works executive vice president. "The purchase of Chicago Gear allows us to stay competitive and to continue to provide superior product and service."
According to Blenke, the Chicago Gear manufacturing operations have been moved to the Schafer headquarters facility in South Bend, with turning operations moving to Schafer’s precision machining plant in Fort Wayne. The 50 people employed at Chicago Gear were given the option to move to South Bend.
Schafer Gear Works is QS-9000/ISO9002 certified facility and a major supplier to Tier 1 suppliers and many industrial applications. The company is dedicated to making continuous upgrades and improvements to its systems and machinery to maintain AGMA Class 11 standards, and in 1999, Schafer Gear invested in a new, air-conditioned, 108,000-sq.-ft. high-tech manufacturing facility. Production machinery includes CNC turning, hobbing, shaping, shaving, broaching, honing, deburring, and grinding. The company has the machine capacity to produce from 1/8 inch up to 36 inch spur or helical gears, as well as worm and worm sets, sprockets, timing belt pulleys, and internal gears and splines. Schafer also produces assemblies involving gears, bearings, couplings, and additional components. In addition to its facilities in South Bend and Fort Wayne, Schafer Gear Works also operates a gear manufacturing plant in Rockford, Illinois, which was purchased two years ago. It produces large gears for agricultural, industrial, and construction machinery.
For more information, contact Schafer Gear Works at (574) 234-4116, or visit the company’s Web site at www.schafergear.com.
