First Gear Engineering & Technology

What First Gear Engineering & Technology does

First Gear Engineering & Technology is a US-based precision gear and spline contract manufacturer operating from a 48,000 sq ft facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Founded in 1997, the company produces high-precision gears, splines, and Swiss-Type CNC machined components for customers in defense, aerospace, space exploration, automotive, industrial, medical, food processing, and racing. Its manufacturing platform combines gear cutting, grinding, and inspection equipment — including Mori Seiki, Mitsubishi, Koepfer 200, Reishauer, and Studer machines and Zeiss coordinate measuring machines — with a proprietary REM Isotropic Superfinish (REM ISF) process developed in-house. The company is qualified under AS9100 Rev. D, ISO 9001:2015, ITAR, CMMC Level 1, DD2345, and JCP, positioning it for controlled and classified defense programs as well as commercial aerospace work.

The core business model is quote-based contract manufacturing: First Gear sells custom machined parts and assemblies to tier-1 OEMs under engineering drawings and specifications, with a mix of prototype and production volumes. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting named customers such as Bell Helicopter, Moog, Dana, Allison Transmission, Eaton, Boston Gear, Belden, C&A Tool (MinebeaMitsumi), and Vance & Hines Racing. Revenue is generated per-part or per-batch, with pricing tied to material, tolerance, finish, and certification requirements rather than a subscription or licensed-technology model. The company is privately held (First Gear, Inc.) with no disclosed parent, funding rounds, or M&A activity, and operates with 11–50 employees.

Strategic positioning is anchored in three pillars: (1) a high-certification regulatory stack that filters out non-qualified competitors for defense and aerospace work, (2) a proprietary REM Isotropic Superfinish capability that differentiates finishing quality, and (3) a 25+ year workforce with embedded process know-how. Recent moves — the 2022 Swiss-Type CNC Machining launch and the layering of CMMC, DD2345, and JCP certifications on top of AS9100/ITAR — signal capacity and qualification expansion rather than a pivot in business model. The company does not disclose AI/ML capabilities; its competitive identity is craftsmanship, certifications, and qualified supplier status rather than algorithmic differentiation.

Name

First Gear Engineering & Technology

Legal name

First Gear, Inc.

Website

https://first-gear.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First Gear Engineering & Technology is a Fort Wayne, Indiana-based precision gear and spline contract manufacturer serving defense, aerospace, automotive, medical, industrial, and racing customers with AS9100- and ITAR-certified machining and proprietary REM Isotropic Superfinish processes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Gear and Spline Manufacturing

NAICS

Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612), Machine Shops (332710), Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (33272), Precision Turned Product Manufacturing (332721)

SIC

Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540), Screw Machine Products (3451), Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA), Grinding, Honing & Superfinishing Equipment (IMAHADAE), Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping) (IMAHADAC)

Keywords

• Precision gear manufacturing
• Spline manufacturing services
• Gear cutting services
• AS9100 certified machining
• Defense aerospace components

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

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, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Precision Gear Manufacturing: One-time transaction-based manufacturing services for gears, splines, and precision components. Services range from prototypes (fast-turn) to high-volume production runs. Approximately half of business is gear cutting on customer-supplied blanks.
2. Contract Inspection Services: Contract gear and CMM (coordinate measuring machine) inspection services offered to external customers on a per-job basis.
3. Tool Sharpening Services: Hob and shaper cutter re-sharpening services offered to other gear and coating companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

First Gear Engineering & Technology is a precision gear and spline contract manufacturer providing gear cutting (grinding, hobbing, skiving, shaping), CNC machining (Swiss-type, turning, milling, ID/OD grinding, wire EDM), and finishing services (REM Isotropic Superfinish, honing, laser marking, center hole grinding) from a 48,000 sq. ft. AS9100-certified facility in Fort Wayne, IN. The company serves defense, aerospace, space exploration, medical, industrial, food processing, and racing customers from prototypes to high-volume production, with approximately half of business being gear cutting on customer-supplied blanks.

Product overview

First Gear Engineering & Technology is a precision gear and spline manufacturing services provider operating as a single unified offering with integrated capabilities. The core services include gear cutting (gear grinding, gear hobbing, skiving, gear shaping), precision machining (Swiss-type CNC, turning & milling, ID/OD grinding, wire EDM), and finishing processes (honing, REM isotropic superfinish, laser marking, sharpening, center hole grinding). These services are unified under AS9100-certified quality management with metrology/inspection, prototype-to-production capabilities, and contract manufacturing options. The company specializes in serving defense, aerospace, space exploration, medical, industrial, food processing, and racing sectors with automated, validated processes and statistical process control integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gear Grinding Profile and generating grinding services for precision spur and helical gears using Mitsubishi ZE40A and Reishauer RZ300E machines, handling prototypes through high-volume production.
• Gear Hobbing CNC gear hobbing for spur and helical gears with capabilities for crowning, taper, and complex tooth modifications. Equipment includes 5 Koepfer 200 machines with auto-loading and dry hobbing capability.
• Skiving (Carbide Rehobbing) Gear skiving process for post-heat-treat gear finishing (50-62 HRC) using carbide hobs. Economical alternative to grinding with comparable quality, performed on 5 Koepfer 200 CNC machines.
• Gear Shaping Internal and external gear shaping for spurs and helicals using Mitsubishi ST40 and SD25, plus Lorenz LS180 machines. Capable of handling superalloys like Inconel 718.
• Swiss-Type CNC Machining Precision CNC Swiss turning services using Star SR-32JIII Type B lathe for complex, high-quality components.
• Turning & Milling CNC turning and milling from prototypes to high volume production using Okuma LB3000EXII, LB3000EX-III, LB4000EX-II, LU15, and DMG Mori NLX2500 machines with barfeed capability.
• ID/OD Grinding Cylindrical grinding for inside diameters, outside diameters, and non-round shapes using 2 Studer S33 cylindrical grinders in single clamping operations.
• Wire EDM Wire EDM for complex profiles and tight tolerances on internal/external splines, gears, and holes, with quick turnaround for emergency breakdowns and reverse engineering using Sodick VZ300L.
• Metrology/Inspection Gear inspection and metrology including index, lead, and involute profile measurement. Equipment includes Kapp KNM 2X, Peco ND300, Peco ND165, Zeiss Contura CMM, and Pratt & Whitney Labmaster.
• Broaching Vertical broaching for internal/external splines, keyways using Ty Miles 5-ton and American Broach 36-inch stroke machines.
• Prototype & Production From fast-turn prototypes to high-volume production of spur gears, helical gears, internal and external gears, with capability for customer-supplied blanks and contract manufacturing.
• Hob/Shaper Cutter Sharpening Tool sharpening services using Star UTG600 Universal Hob/Shaper Cutter/Broach Tool Sharpener to maintain like-new specifications, also offering re-sharpening services for other gear companies.
• Laser Marking Laser marking for part identification, traceability, serialization, and custom designs on surfaces and curved faces using Tykma Minilase equipment.
• REM Isotropic Superfinish Proprietary chemically-accelerated polishing process achieving extremely low Ra surfaces (less than 4 microinches / 0.1 micrometers) for reduced friction, increased efficiency, and resistance to micropitting and scuffing.
• Honing Bore honing for ultra-precise finishing creating near-perfect roundness, straightness, and crosshatch pattern finish using Sunnen SH-4000R and ML-3500 machines.
• Center Hole Grinding Center hole grinding achieving roundness of 1 micron or less and axis parallelism of less than 10 microns using Technica 5100 Center Hole Grinder.

Quantifiable outcome

• Roundness of 1 micron or less with center hole grinding capability
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record.

• C&A Tool (MinebeaMitsumi Group)OthersC&A Tool has worked with First Gear on medical gear projects. First Gear's knowledge of gear geometry and ability to design, manufacture and inspect gears has been instrumental. First Gear works with customer engineers and project managers to solve complex manufacturing concerns.
• Vance & Hines RacingOthersNHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion team using First Gear for racing transmission shafts and gears. Fast turnaround during racing season enabled optimal starting line launches and ratio changes for different track conditions.
• Belden IncorporatedOthersBelden partnered with First Gear on custom gear projects. First Gear's team worked to understand objectives, apply gear manufacturing expertise for improved tolerances and design changes, and provided fast delivery for new prototypes.
• Dana IncorporatedOthersDana has an ongoing partnership with First Gear for gear manufacturing. First Gear's technical team is noted for being great to work with and very responsive.
• Bell Helicopter (Textron Company)OthersAerospace customer referenced as a key partner. Bell Helicopter is part of Textron Company, a major aerospace and defense contractor.
• MoogOthersAerospace customer referenced as a key partner for precision motion control and gear components.
• Allison TransmissionOthersAutomotive powertrain manufacturer referenced as a key partner for transmission gear manufacturing.
• EatonOthersIndustrial manufacturer referenced as a key partner for power management and gear components.
• Boston GearOthersIndustrial gear manufacturer referenced as a key partner in the gear manufacturing industry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 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 First Gear Engineering & Technology