Gates Manufacturing

What Gates Manufacturing does

Gates Manufacturing is a privately held, family-owned industrial fabricator founded in 1974 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The company designs, engineers, fabricates, and installs custom conveyor systems and floor troughs for commercial foodservice facilities in the United States, operating with design, engineering, fabrication, and installation teams all under a single roof.

The product portfolio centers on two lines: Conveyor Systems (soiled dish return systems, tray make-up conveyors, mass feed systems, and multiple belt technologies including power roller, waffle belt via the proprietary GatesGlide lubrication-free system, Lexan slat belt, fabric belt, skate wheel, roller, and butted slat constructions) and Floor Troughs (welded 14-gauge stainless steel drainage systems with ADA-compliant and secured grate options). Differentiated technical features include standard NEMA 4X control enclosures (industry-unique at standard offering level), PLC controllers with universal plug-and-play wiring, energy-efficient 90VDC TENV wash-down motors, sealed-for-life stainless steel shafting, and patented Lexan slat belt designs enabling tool-free removal. Certifications include UL Listing (File E70237), NSF International food equipment certification, FDA food-grade approval on specific product lines, and WBENC women-owned enterprise certification.

The business model is project-based one-time capital equipment sale with custom quotation, multi-year contract cadences for institutional buyers, and zero e-commerce or self-service channel. Go-to-market relies on a nationwide network of 25+ independent regional sales representative territories across all U.S. regions (Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Western, Mid-Atlantic) targeting institutional verticals — hotels and casinos, hospitals and senior care, K-12 schools and universities, and correctional facilities. Named customer logos include Disney, Google, USAA, RIT, University of Missouri, SSM Health, University Health, University of Texas, and University of Chicago, with corporate affiliation to SERVCO Equipment. No revenue, headcount, funding, or financial metrics are publicly disclosed.

Name

Gates Manufacturing

Legal name

Gates Manufacturing

Website

https://gatesmfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gates Manufacturing is a family-owned, St. Louis-based fabricator founded in 1974 that designs, engineers, and installs custom conveyor systems and floor troughs for U.S. commercial foodservice facilities, serving hotels, casinos, hospitals, schools, and correctional institutions through a nationwide independent sales rep network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Food Service Conveyor Equipment

NAICS

Conveyor and Conveying Equipment Manufacturing (333922), Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (33331)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Handling & Conveying for Processing Lines (Augers, Elevators, Conveyors) (AFAAAJAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial conveyor systems
• Soiled dish conveyors
• Floor trough fabrication
• Commercial food service equipment
• Tray make-up systems

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Conveyor System Sales: Gates Manufacturing generates revenue through the design, engineering, fabrication, and installation of custom conveyor systems and floor troughs for commercial food service facilities. These are typically one-time capital equipment purchases with full project execution from conception to installation.
2. Floor Trough Sales: Custom fabricated floor trough systems sold as part of complete installation projects or as replacement components for existing facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Gates Manufacturing designs, engineers, fabricates, and installs custom conveyor systems (tray make-up and soiled dish) and floor troughs for commercial food service facilities. Products include power roller, waffle belt (GatesGlide), slat belt, mass feed, fabric belt, skate wheel, roller, and bandveyor systems, along with welded stainless steel floor troughs. The company provides turnkey project execution from conception through installation using in-house designers, engineers, fabricators, and installation technicians.

Product overview

Gates Manufacturing is a family-owned company that designs, engineers, and fabricates high-quality conveyor systems and floor troughs for commercial food service facilities. The product portfolio centers on two main categories: Conveyor Systems (including Soiled Dish Systems and Tray Make-Up Systems) and Floor Troughs. The conveyor offerings comprise multiple belt technologies including Power Roller Soiled Dish Systems, Soiled Dish Accumulator, Soiled Dish Waffle Belt Conveyor (GatesGlide), Soiled Dish Slat Belt Conveyor, Mass Feed Conveyor Systems, Fabric Belt Systems, Skate Wheel Conveyor, Roller Conveyor, Bandveyor Belt Systems, and Butted Slats with Stainless Steel Pin. All systems are designed for commercial food service environments including hotels, casinos, hospitals, senior care facilities, schools, and correctional facilities, with options for custom fabrication to meet specific application requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Power Roller Soiled Dish Systems Heavy-duty powered roller systems for soiled dish applications, featuring stainless steel frames, 1.9" slip clutch rollers with dual sprockets, and variable speed 90V DC motors concealed for safe operation. Designed for commercial food service dishroom environments.
• Soiled Dish Accumulator Heavy-duty accumulation systems for high-volume soiled dish management in limited footprints, configurable with 6-23 electro-polished stainless steel carriers with 3, 4, or 5 tray tiers, featuring photo-eye limit switches for safety.
• Soiled Dish Waffle Belt Conveyor (GatesGlide) GatesGlide Waffle Belt Conveyor enabling operation without trays or chemical lubrication, featuring the GatesGlide System for reduced friction, improved wear life, and energy efficiency, with PLC controllers and plug-and-go wiring.
• Soiled Dish Slat Belt Conveyor Flexible conveyor systems with lightweight Lexan slats that negotiate turns as tight as 18" radius for up to 360°, featuring TAD (Tray Accumulator Device) option for energy savings during off-peak times. Patented design allows tool-free removal of entire belt for cleaning.
• Mass Feed Conveyor Systems FDA and NSF approved fabric belt systems designed for banquet facilities, nursing homes, convention centers, and hotels, with integrated hot and cold food pans, safety plate features, and easy-clean slider pan design.
• Fabric Belt Systems Low maintenance fabric belt systems for straight runs in dry environments, FDA and NSF approved for food grade applications, featuring safety plate at unload end for instant belt stop.
• Skate Wheel Conveyor High quality systems with 2" diameter nylon skate wheels and stainless steel ball bearings mounted to stainless steel frames, providing smooth efficient motion for flat bottom trays.
• Roller Conveyor

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy efficient 90VDC motors standard on all conveyors
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SERVCO EquipmentcoreOthersSERVCO Equipment is the parent/affiliated company of Gates Manufacturing. SERVCO Equipment's logo appears on the Gates Manufacturing website alongside the Gates Conveyors logo, indicating a unified corporate presence. The Instagram account referenced is under SERVCO Equipment.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KMG International: Manufacturer of conveyor belts and conveying equipment for industrial and food service applications. Directly comparable as a specialty conveyor manufacturer with similar product breadth in belt systems for processing and handling environments.
• Heat and Control: Manufacturer of food processing and packaging equipment including conveyor systems for food production. Comparable as a direct peer in food industry conveying equipment with overlapping customer base in food processing and service operations.
• Cambridge Engineered Solutions (Ashworth): Manufacturer of metal and wire mesh conveyor belts including for food processing applications. Comparable as a specialty conveyor belt manufacturer with similar product positioning in food service and processing environments.
• Kason Corporation: Manufacturer of screening, separating, and conveying equipment for food, pharmaceutical, and chemical processing. Comparable as a specialty industrial equipment manufacturer serving food processing customers with custom-engineered solutions.
• Meyer Industries: Manufacturer of custom conveyors and material handling equipment for food processing and industrial applications. Comparable as a custom-engineered conveyor manufacturer serving food industry customers with project-based sales and installation.
• FEECO International: Manufacturer of custom processing and material handling equipment including conveyors for bulk material and food applications. Comparable as a custom-engineered industrial equipment manufacturer with similar project-based business model in conveying and processing systems.

Broad incumbents

• ITW Food Equipment: Division of Illinois Tool Works producing commercial food service equipment including warewashing systems under brands like Hobart. Comparable as a large incumbent in institutional dishroom and food handling equipment, overlapping with Gates' soiled dish conveyor offerings.
• Ali Group: Global manufacturer of commercial food service equipment including conveyor dishwashing and material handling systems. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving institutional and hospitality food service operators with a much wider product portfolio than Gates.
• Middleby Corporation: Large diversified commercial food service equipment manufacturer with conveyor and material handling systems in its portfolio. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same institutional food service customers (hotels, hospitals, schools) with overlapping conveyor and dishroom solutions.

Emerging players

• Reading Bakery Systems: Manufacturer of food processing equipment including conveyor systems for bakery and snack food production. Comparable as a specialty food processing equipment maker with conveyor product lines, though more focused on the baking segment than Gates' dishroom focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/servcoequipment
• Xx.com/gsgates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gates-manufacturing

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Gates Manufacturing