Griffin Gear

What Griffin Gear does

Griffin Gear Inc. is a Roebuck, South Carolina-based industrial manufacturer founded in 1967 by Joe Griffin that produces custom replacement gearing, gearbox rebuilds, and heavy precision-machined components for industrial customers across the U.S. and Canada. The firm machines and cuts gears from 1/2 inch to 20 feet in diameter and offers complete in-house capabilities spanning gear cutting, gear grinding to AGMA Q15 quality, large-scale fabrication with a 1,400°F car-bottom furnace and 50-ton welding workstation, CNC turning up to 260 feet in length, and a 15,000 sq ft reducer repair facility with dedicated disassembly, clean room, and storage areas. Core products include custom worm, helical, bevel, spur, herringbone, sprocket, double helical, rack, internal, and spline gears; reverse-engineered drop-in replacements for OEM gearboxes from manufacturers such as Falk, Flender, Boston, Hansen, and Lufkin; and full gearbox rebuilds qualified to OEM clean room standards.

The business model is project-based enterprise sales: customers submit Requests for Quote, Griffin prices based on complexity, size, materials, and turnaround, and the firm delivers under standard lead times or via premium 24/7 emergency breakdown and expedited services with on-site removal and installation. Customer concentration is intentionally diversified across heavy industrial manufacturing, mining and minerals processing, power generation and utilities, food processing and healthcare, and infrastructure and transportation segments — sectors where unplanned downtime is the dominant pain point Griffin addresses through speed, in-house capability, and the ability to manufacture discontinued parts.

Griffin Gear is a portfolio company of Mangrove Equity Partners, which in 2024 facilitated the acquisition of Birmingham Gear and Machine in Dora, Alabama, extending the firm's geographic reach and service breadth. The firm carries Timken Bearing Certified status and serves as a regional consolidator in the Southeast U.S. industrial gearing market, competing primarily on in-house capacity, equipment breadth, emergency response speed, and reverse engineering capability rather than on digital or AI-enabled differentiation. Leadership includes Gary Obermiller as Chairman alongside the founding Griffin family's legacy.

Name

Griffin Gear

Legal name

Griffin Gear Inc.

Website

https://griffingear.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Griffin Gear is a Roebuck, South Carolina-based industrial manufacturer founded in 1967 that produces custom replacement gearing, gearbox rebuilds, and large precision-machined components for heavy industrial customers across the U.S. and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Gear Manufacturing

NAICS

Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612), Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (33324)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Gearmotors, Gearboxes & Speed Reducers (IMAGACAF)

Keywords

• Custom gear manufacturing
• Gearbox repair services
• Precision gear grinding
• Industrial machining services
• Reverse engineering gears

Headquarters

HQ city

Roebuck

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Gear Manufacturing: Manufacturing of custom replacement gears for industrial applications, ranging from 1/2 inch to 20 feet in diameter. Products include worm gears, helical, bevel, spur, herringbone, sprocket, double helical, rack, internal, and spline gears. One-time project-based revenue with pricing based on complexity and size specifications.
2. Gearbox Repair and Rebuild Services: Complete gearbox repair and rebuild services including bearing change-outs, full rebuilds, redesigns, and upgrades. Services include free disassembly and inspection, detailed repair proposals with pictures, failure analysis, and on-site services. Revenue generated per job with 24-hour breakdown service available.
3. Precision Machining Services: Large-scale machining capabilities including turning up to 260 feet in length and 32 inch swing, 20-foot diameter turning capability, CNC lathe services, and fabrication work from 100 lbs to 50,000 lbs.
4. Engineering and Design Services: Gear engineering services including gearbox modifications, reverse engineering for drop-in replacements, and component design for ratio changes and upgrades.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Griffin Gear manufactures custom industrial replacement gears (from 1/2 inch to 20 feet in diameter) and provides full gearbox and reducer repair and rebuild services. Operations are fully in-house, covering gear cutting, AGMA Q15 grinding, large-scale fabrication and heat treating, precision machining, and reverse engineering for obsolete components. The company primarily serves industrial enterprise customers in heavy manufacturing, mining, power generation, food processing, and infrastructure across the U.S. and Canada.

Product overview

Griffin Gear is a full-service industrial gear manufacturing company offering a portfolio of integrated products and services for industrial applications. The core offerings include Custom Gear Manufacturing (gears from 1/2 inch to 20 feet in diameter), Gear Grinding Services (AGMA Q15 qualified), Gearbox/Reducer Repair & Rebuild, Precision Gear Engineering and Design, Large Fabrications, and Machining Services. These products operate as complementary capabilities within a single facility spanning over 100,000 square feet, allowing Griffin Gear to perform complete in-house customized jobs from gear cutting and grinding through gearbox rebuilds and reverse engineering. The company also expanded its portfolio through the acquisition of Birmingham Gear and Machine in 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Gear Manufacturing

Quantifiable outcome

• Gear manufacturing range: 1/2 inch to 20 feet in diameter
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Birmingham Gear and MachinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic acquisition of Birmingham Gear and Machine Co., founded in 1950 by Oscar Noles as Noles Machine and Welding. The acquired company evolved under Royce Chambers and his grandsons - Ock, Len and Royce Chambers - transitioning to a specialized gear and machine shop in 1989. The acquisition strengthens Griffin Gear's market position with complementary service offerings, customer base, and geographical reach in Alabama.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SEW-Eurodrive: Global manufacturer of gearmotors, drive electronics, and mechatronic drive systems; competes with Griffin Gear in industrial gearmotor service and replacement markets and serves overlapping heavy-industrial customers.
• Flender (Siemens): Global Siemens subsidiary manufacturing mechanical drives and gearboxes; another major OEM brand Griffin Gear services and competes with on industrial gearbox repair and replacement parts.
• Lufkin Industries (GE Vernova): GE-owned manufacturer of large industrial gear drives and power transmission equipment; directly overlaps Griffin Gear's industrial gearbox rebuild and replacement gear business but at significantly greater scale, with OEM-brand recognition that Griffin Gear reverse-engineers against.
• Philadelphia Gear (Timken Power Systems): Timken-owned brand specializing in industrial gear drives, gearboxes, and field service/rebuilds; overlaps Griffin Gear's core reducer repair and replacement gear business with a national service network.
• Regal Rexnord (Falk): Falk brand under Regal Rexnord is one of the most recognized industrial gear drive OEMs in North America and a key reference brand Griffin Gear rebuilds for; competes in the same heavy-industrial end markets (steel, mining, cement, power).
• Bonfiglioli: Italian global manufacturer of gearmotors, drive systems, and inverters; broad incumbent in the same power transmission category that Griffin Gear supports through its custom and rebuild offerings.
• David Brown Santasalo: Global gearbox manufacturer specializing in heavy industrial applications; comparable to Griffin Gear in product scope (custom gear units, rebuilds, service) but with broader international footprint and larger installed base.

Direct peers

• Cleveland Gear Company: Regional U.S. precision gear manufacturer offering custom gearing, gearbox repair, and machining services; directly comparable to Griffin Gear in product mix, customer profile, and project-based revenue model.
• Horsburgh & Scott: U.S.-based custom industrial gear manufacturer and gearbox repair specialist; very closely comparable to Griffin Gear in capabilities (custom gears, gear grinding, gearbox rebuild, reverse engineering) and customer base, making it the most direct domestic peer.

Emerging players

• Workhorse Industrial: Smaller regional industrial gear and machine shop competitors that operate in Griffin Gear's Southeast service territory; relevant emerging/regional pressure points for the same RFQ-driven, custom-gear opportunity set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/griffin-gear-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Griffin Gear