Craig Van Den Avont, President, GAM Gear (video link)
 

Randy Kuper, Dan O'Neall and Michael Seward are part of the GAM sales/engineering team.  While they deal directly with the customers they also are the ones who design and manufacture the parts.
 

Dan O'Neall, Application/Product Engineer, demonstrates the GAM one step scheduling system.
 

This is a "custom" servo-gearbox.

by Joe Romanowski
Chairman & CEO

GAM Gear located in Harwood Heights, IL was started in 1998 by Gary Michalek, CEO, and Craig Van Den Avont, President.  GAM Gear www.GAMgear.com employs 13 people and owns one new Mazak Integrex.  When I asked our salesmen for suggestions of customers to interview, Eric Hilliard, strongly recommended that I put GAM Gear on my list.  His enthusiasm immediately peaked my interest…

Today all successful U.S. metal cutting companies must have visionary leadership, financial strength and the courage to invest in equipment, systems and people.  GAM Gear is right there and then some.  Their number one strategy is “give the customer exactly what they want, be able to do it in small batches, quickly, and at a value to the customer.”  As their president, Craig Van Den Avont, stated, “GAM specializes in the manufacture of servo couplings, gearboxes and customized mounting kits that will adapt any motor or gearbox to any linear actuator.”  While Craig and his staff have done a very impressive job of developing the processes to deliver these customized mounting kits very quickly at a very competitive price, the real story is their involvement with their sales representatives.   The year they began their business they began meeting with their sales representatives in focus groups.  As an example, in 1998 the industry delivered servo-gearboxes in 6-8 weeks.  Their focus group told them that to be a market leader, GAM would have to deliver in 4 weeks.  Today, GAM is delivering on average in 21 days and intend on bringing it down to 7 days.

The only way GAM could meet these delivery targets was to significantly increase their plant throughput and reduce their manufacturing costs.  Their parts used to run across three machines and require significant time for set-up and run.  Today, set-up time has been reduced 90% and run-times reduced 75% with only one handling.  Along with their lightening speed machining process they developed software to reduce their scheduling process down to one step.

Craig describes their shop floor as a “low volume, high mix, high value, fast delivery, made to order environment.”  Craig further described their culture as a “start up hobby shop mentality, to GAM that means, embracing the opportunity to provide customized products to their customers."  They are so flexible that their eager staff believes they can respond quickly to almost any special customer request.  Craig said that they’re going to do everything possible to maintain that culture as they continue to grow.  When almost everyone else was headed into the 2000 recession, GAM Gear began to grow.  They have increased 30% every year since 2001.

During the interview it became obvious to me that what really makes GAM Gear special is the way they treat their sales agents.  They guarantee them an exclusive territory, listen to them through periodic focus groups and then the big step — are willing to make significant investments to give their representatives what they need to get the business.  Point and click (video link) to see and hear Craig explain GAM’s powerful market differentiation.  With that philosophy they have developed an enthusiastic and trusting environment with their dealer organization that flows through the entire GAM staff.

It is always refreshing to experience a culture focused on the customer.  GAM doesn’t concern themselves with beating their competitors.  They do everything they can to make their customers successful.  They know the orders will come.