HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-11-05, Page 149GSSIWednesday, Nov 5, 1986
Gearco
precision
Continued from Page 20
was hired to establish the new
Champion subsidiary and set about
acquiring the necessary equipment
early in 1973. By August of that
same year, Gearco began producing
gears in a new building in the town's
industrial park.
While Champion was, and remains
ttvda,y, maw: customer, the
company also supplies other
Canadian companies with gear
components for commercial speed
reducers and a series of transfer
cases are produced for application in
the logging industry.
Touay, Gearco boasts of outside
sales in excess ,ef $1.5 million. Smith
has°led the company through several
developmental projects and
expansion phases in his 13 years as
Gearco's manager. In January 1986,
he assumed a new role within
Champion.
From its inception, Gearco
expanded and the building which
now houses the company's training
facility, was used for transmission
assembly. Much of Gearco II's
functions have been integrated into
the manufacturing scheme of the
main plant.
"The Gearco operation is working
to capacity now and assembly has
,been moved to the main plant,"
Smith explained. "It takes a while to
develop the gear business and
Gearco produces a high-level quality
product. It's always excellent."
STEVE HAMMILL
oday, Gearco employs 20
people on a three -shift basis
under the direction of plant
superintendent, Steve Hammill and
foreman, Ron Brown.
Hammill, an employee of the
company for over 10 years,
explained that because 40 per cent of
the company's product is sold to
other manufacturers, it has allowed
Champion the flexibility to develop
its own powertrain group.
While the development and
standardization of the transmission
has assisted m streamlining the
Gearco operation, the company must
still supply an inventory of service
parts dating back to the 1950s when
Dana transmissions were part of the
Champion grader.
Today, the average Gearco part is
subject to nine separate operations,
three of which are completed at the
main plant, before assembly. Some
of the operations involved include:.
broaching, bobbing (rough cutting of
teeth), shaving, heat treatment to
harden the gear, cylindrical, internal
and surface grinding, shaping and
carburization, a process which
hardens the outer surface of the
gear.
With the implementation of
Manufacturing Resource Planning
( MRP) well in hand, Hammill says
Gearco is attempting to build the
inventory to a comfortable position.
"To be accountable you have to
get the inventory to a certain
position and we are building some
inventory in areas of high use," he
explained. "We will loosen up in
other areas."
Gearco's operations peaked in
1983-84 and while the company has
now "trimmed back" to a
comfortable level, it's only concern
is the production of high quality
gears.
1
'✓ Thank you Champion
for the opportunity to help
record those memories
along the way.
MAC
PBEL
oyal Bank Block, The Square, Goderich
s��,=F..�... �... 524-7532 ...
GODERICH - THE HOME OF 1
al CHAMPION®
THE GRADER PEOPLE
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WELCOME TO
GODERICH
The Prettiest Town In Canada
BENJAMIN
OUAUTV PNO ORN/SH/NG
wmn..,rN
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