In the late 6O's Rawling Gear was acquired by Samuel T. Haines. The ten-man company served a local New England market for custom gear products. The company grew, renovated and enlarged its facility and began to look for new opportunities.
In 1973 Samuel R. Haines joined the firm with a business plan for purchasing "Turn Around" specialty gear shops as begun and "Gear Motions" was Incorporated. The vision was to develop a regional network of companies whose unique specialties could be leveraged to better serve customers' wide ranging needs. The larger organization would be able to bring the management, marketing and financial strengths of size, while maintaining the unique service aspects of the smaller regional shops.
Oliver Gear, in Buffalo, NY, was the first acquisition in 1973. This acquisition added large diameter gearing, coarse pitch rack, and tripled the size of the company.
Nixon Gear was purchased out of bankruptcy in 1978. This acquisition added precision ground gearing and moderate OEM volumes to the newly formed corporate package, as well as substantially enlarging the sales territory into the Midwest and mid-Atlantic states.
Gear Motions began its Sales and Marketing activities in earnest at about this time,developing a national sales force providing coverage from Texas east to the Atlantic. In the early 80's The Plastic Gearing Services Division was created providing design and development of high strength plastics gearing for the burgeoning business machine market.
At about this time a national sales force, comprised primarily of Independent Sales Representatives, was assembled; providing coverage from Texas east to the Atlantic. The Plastic Gearing Services Division was also created providing design and development of high strength plastics gearing for the burgeoning business machine market.
In 1988 the company acquired Gear Supply and Broaching, a California company, but in 1990 Glasnost completely altered the long-term outlook and the company was sold.
Today Gear Motions is comprised of the original two companies: Oliver & Nixon, and a stream- lined sales and workforce.
Sales have grown from under $1mm in 1973 to nearly $12mm thirty years later in 2003.
is a 1973 MBA graduate of Babson College in Wellesly, MA. Sam joined the company in 1973 and participated in various aspects of the acquisitions of Oliver Gear and Nixon Gear, and the development of a national sales and marketing program. In 1980 he moved to Syracuse to assume the management of the Nixon Division as Vice President and General Manager. In 1985 Mr. Haines became President of Gear Motions.
Earned a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting at LeMoyne College and her MBA in Operations and Finance at Syracuse University, where she later became an Instructor for Managerial Accounting. Barb has worked as Operations and Director of Finance, Production Control and Planning Manager and "Manufacturing Area Manager".
is a 1971 graduate of Clarkson College with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Distribution. Mike joined the Nixon Division in 1973 and has worked in every aspect of the operation including Manager of Engineering, Operations, and New Business Development.