Small Business Week

During National Small Business Week, we would like to recognize the history of Gear Motions, Buffalo Operations!

In January 2023, Gear Motions proudly unveiled its brand-new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Tonawanda, NY. Today, we’re thrilled to have both Oliver Gear and Niagara Gear operating together under one roof, enhancing our manufacturing capabilities, and strengthening our commitment to delivering exceptional quality and personalized service to exceed customer expectations.

Oliver Gear and Niagara Gear are two well-established gear manufacturing companies with a long historyMachine shop of providing quality products and services to their customers. Both companies have unique stories of their own, but they share a common goal of providing exceptional quality and personalized service to exceed customer expectations.

Oliver Gear was founded in 1892 as a machine shop, and incorporated as a gear works in 1907. Its founder, Arthur F. Oliver, had previously worked at the New York Car Wheel Company and a small machine shop on Cherry Street that eventually became A.F. Oliver Manufacturing. Oliver Gear was the first exclusive gear manufacturing plant in Buffalo, and originally powered its gear equipment using a system of pulleys and belts before the widespread adoption of electricity. By the early 1920s, the company had outgrown its first home and moved to larger quarters. It made gears for a wide variety of equipment, including elevators, ski lifts, petroleum exploration and refining equipment, agricultural machinery, and more. In 1947, A.F. Oliver retired at the age of 77 and sold the company to the Smith family of Buffalo. It remained under the control of the Smith family until Samuel T. Haines purchased it in 1973. Oliver Gear was brought into the newly formed Gear Motions family as part of a strategy to build a diverse group of custom gear shops organized into one corporate family.

Manufacturing plantNiagara Gear Corporation was established as a precision gear manufacturer in Buffalo in 1974 by Matt Babisz. Matt was introduced to the gear industry at Riley Gear Corp, where he served his apprenticeship. Over the years, he helped with the growth of the company and earned a promotion to Plant Manager. In 1974, Matt left and purchased a small local company, Niagara Gear. Over the years, Matt continued to build a customer base, new equipment was added, and the company moved to a larger location. In January 2014, Niagara Gear was acquired by Gear Motions and Babisz retired.

Both Oliver Gear and Niagara Gear are dedicated to upholding the values of Quality, Service, andMen working in manufacturing plant Technology. Oliver Gear specializes in crafting custom gears across various sizes and styles, catering to low to moderate production volumes. Their capability to manufacture large pitch and diameter gearing up to 10 feet is especially valued by Gear Motions customers. Niagara Gear excels in precision ground spur, helical, and pump gears, boasting comprehensive capabilities to meet stringent tolerance requirements. Both companies prioritize customer satisfaction, employing cutting-edge technology and world-class processes to consistently exceed expectations.

Today, both Oliver Gear and Niagara Gear are part of the Gear Motions family of companies, which was formed to build a diverse group of custom gear shops organized into one corporate family. Gear Motions continues to embrace innovation, such as Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP), to ensure that the companies it acquires continue to thrive and provide exceptional quality and personalized service to their customers.