What Hayes Manufacturing does

Hayes Manufacturing, Inc. (operating as Hayes Couplings) is a privately held, family-owned American manufacturer of mechanical power transmission components for OEM equipment integration. Founded in 1966 in Rochester, Michigan as RayClay Manufacturing and now headquartered in a 47,000-square-foot facility in Fife Lake, Michigan (after a 14,000 sq ft expansion completed May 2025), the company operates as a division of the CK Power Family of Companies. Its product portfolio centers on flywheel couplings (Original, HEX-FLX, Yoke Drive, Marine & Irrigation, and Armadillo lines), bearing-supported stub shafts, and jaw couplings (Hayes Original, L-Series, Curved Jaw), supported by pump mount plates, SAE housing adapters, SAE stub shafts, engine housings, generator drives, engine/pump adapters, dyno drive shafts, and custom engineering services.

The underlying technology is precision mechanical engineering rather than software: in-house manufacturing capabilities include 7 horizontal broaching machines, 16 horizontal lathes, and 10 vertical mills, with recently integrated robotic automation on the HEX-FLX plate line. Two granted U.S. patents protect core designs (US 7,645,089 B2 for HEX-FLX Flywheel Coupling and US 7,086,432 for Bearing Supported Stub Shaft), and the company holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications. Products are designed to absorb torsional vibration, accommodate misalignment, and enable reliable engine-to-pump and engine-to-generator integration in off-highway, industrial, marine, and power generation applications.

Hayes makes money through direct hardware sales to OEM equipment manufacturers (McElroy Manufacturing, Yanmar America, Kubota-integrated systems, historically Porsche) and through a seven-country authorized distributor network covering the USA, Canada, Brazil, India, the United Kingdom, China, and Germany. Pricing is quote-based, with rapid engineering turnaround (standard SAE flywheel coupling quotes and drawings reportedly delivered in under 15 minutes and custom non-standard designs in under one hour). Marketing is executed primarily through trade shows (CONEXPO, Bauma, Utility Expo, IFPE), an engineering-content-rich website, distributor relationships, and video content. The company exhibits alongside CK Power sister companies (Terramac and others), enabling cross-channel reach into adjacent construction and power equipment OEM ecosystems.

Name

Hayes Manufacturing

Legal name

Hayes Manufacturing, Inc.

Website

https://hayescouplings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hayes Manufacturing is a family-owned American manufacturer of precision power transmission components—flywheel couplings, bearing-supported stub shafts, and jaw couplings—sold to OEM equipment manufacturers globally through direct sales and a seven-country distributor network, with operations based in Fife Lake, Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Power Transmission Components

NAICS

Mechanical Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (333613), Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (3336), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420), Screw Machine Products (3451)

akta.pro primary industry

Linear Motion & Mechanical Power Transmission (Ball/roller screws, linear guides, bearings, couplings) (IMAHAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Transmission & Transaxle Manufacturing (Manual/Automatic/DCT/CVT) (IMACAHAE)

Keywords

• Flywheel couplings
• Power transmission components
• Bearing supported stub shafts
• Jaw couplings
• SAE pump mount adapters

Headquarters

HQ city

Fife Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Power Transmission Components Sales: Direct sales of power transmission products including flywheel couplings, bearing supports, jaw couplings, pump mount plates, SAE adapters, engine housings, generator drives, and custom components to OEM equipment manufacturers worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hayes Manufacturing designs, engineers, and produces precision power transmission components—primarily flywheel couplings, bearing supported stub shafts, and jaw couplings—for OEM equipment manufacturers. The company manufactures these mechanical drive components in-house using broaching, lathe, milling, and integrated robotic automation at its Fife Lake, Michigan facility, and also offers custom-engineered housings, splined adapters, and bearing supports. Components are supplied both directly to OEMs and through an international distributor network spanning the USA, Canada, Brazil, India, the UK, China, and Germany.

Product overview

Hayes Manufacturing is a family-owned American manufacturer specializing in power transmission products for OEM applications. The product portfolio centers on mechanical coupling solutions including flywheel couplings (Original, HEX-FLX, Yoke Drive, Marine & Irrigation, and Armadillo product lines), bearing supported stub shafts, and jaw couplings (Hayes Original, L-Series, and Curved Jaw). These core coupling products are complemented by supporting components including pump mount plates, SAE housing adapters and spacers, SAE stub shafts, engine housings, generator drives, engine/pump adapters, and dyno drive shafts. The company also offers custom engineering services for bespoke housings, splined adapters, and bearing supports. All products are manufactured in-house using capabilities including broaching, spline hobbing, and full-service machining at the company's 33,000-square-foot facility in Fife Lake, Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Original Flywheel Couplings One-piece flexible flywheel coupling that absorbs vibration and shock to provide steady dampening effect for hydraulic pump mount applications on diesel and gas engines. Used in aerial lifts, bucket loaders, skid steer loaders, excavators, sweepers, and other off-highway equipment. Has over 25 years of proven field performance with thousands in service worldwide.
• HEX-FLX Flywheel Couplings Two-piece flywheel coupling with patented locking system (Patent No. US 7,645,089 B2) providing high torsional stiffness and operation below critical speeds. Minimizes spline fretting and offers best-in-class shaft clamping. Designed for hydraulic pump mount applications including aerial lifts, bucket loaders, and compact track loaders.
• Yoke Drive Flywheel Couplings Internally supported flywheel coupling for remote driving applications using a drive shaft. Proven reliability in tough off-highway forklift applications and suitable for yoke flange drive configurations.
• Marine & Irrigation Flywheel Couplings Straight-sided spline flywheel couplings including Irrigation Flywheel Couplings for water pumps and Marine (Hurth/ZF) Flywheel Couplings for marine gear transmissions.
• Armadillo Flywheel Couplings Two-piece flywheel coupling with vibration absorption and shock dampening that clamps onto both splined and keyed shafts to reduce spline or shaft fretting corrosion. Designed for generator and alternator applications to extend equipment life.
• Original Bearing Supported Stub Shafts Bearing supported stub shaft assembly (Patent #7,086,432) that allows side-loading of engine back while preventing load transmission back to the crankshaft. Uses Hayes Original Flywheel Couplings to drive a splined shaft supported by SAE housing plate or custom engine housings.
• HEX-FLX Bearing Supports Cost-effective bearing supported stub shaft assembly using HEX-FLX Flywheel Coupling to drive a keyed shaft. Supports side-loading of engine back while protecting the crankshaft from load transmission. Available for SAE and Non-SAE applications.
• Hayes Original Jaw Couplings Three-piece flexible jaw coupling for connecting electric motors to hydraulic pumps or mechanical drives. Hubs made of strong, lightweight aluminum alloy with precision-machined bodies and lugs, available with neoprene or Hytrel inserts.
• L-Series Jaw Couplings Full range of L-Series jaw couplings (L035-L225) with English and Metric bore options, interchangeable with popular domestic brands. Sintered iron construction available with Buna-N, Urethane, and Hytrel drive elements.
• Curved Jaw Couplings Three-piece curved jaw coupling designed to reduce edge pressure on driving lugs. Interchangeable with German and Italian designs. Hubs available in aluminum and steel with variable durometer urethane elements in 10 sizes with bores up to 110mm.
• Pump Mount Plates Hydraulic pump mounting plates available in multiple thicknesses (5/8", 3/4", 1") for SAE and Non-SAE engine housings. Compatible with SAE AA through SAE F pump sizes, used in aerial lifts, bucket loaders, skid steer loaders, excavators, and sweepers.
• SAE Housing Adapters Aluminum or fabricated steel adapters to extend SAE housings or change SAE housing sizes. Includes Single Step Adapters, Double Step Adapters, and Spacers for generators, compressors, transmissions, water pumps, and SAE mount applications.
• SAE Stub Shafts Complete range of SAE flywheel stub shafts for inline drive applications without side-load. Available in SAE 6-1/2, 7-1/2, 8, 10, 11-1/2, and 14 sizes with shaft diameters from 1-7/16" to 2-1/2". Includes custom shafts, tapered generator shafts, and single bearing supports.
• Engine Housings High-strength aluminum engine housings with thick wall sections and custom mounts. Available with SAE and non-SAE pump mounting, standard and special engine mounts. Custom/personalized housings available. Compatible with GM, Hyundai, Chrysler, and other engine applications.
• Generator Drives Strong tapered shaft generator drives with rugged housing design. Features easy installation, custom alignment, and various sizes. Used in generator setups and custom APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) applications.
• Engine/Pump Adapters One-piece aluminum adapter housings for adapting small engines or electric motors to hydraulic pumps. Sturdy aluminum construction with coupling access panels and precision machining. Available as Electric Motor Assembly, Gasoline Engine Assembly, or Housings Only.
• Dyno Drive Shafts Heavy-duty, serviceable drive shafts for diesel engine testing applications with vibration dampening, easy maintenance, and custom designs. Available in Yellow Jacket and Magnum configurations with rugged steel design and production test stand approval.
• Custom Housings and Engine Brackets Custom-engineered engine housings and machined engine brackets that transform fabricated brackets into smooth machined castings, designed to customer specifications for unique applications.
• Splined Adapters Custom splined adapters for adapting one splined shaft to a different splined shaft configuration, available in quantities from one piece to thousands and manufactured to customer application requirements.
• Custom Bearing Supports Application-specific custom bearing support assemblies designed to meet the shortest possible assembly length. Typical applications include saw mills, concrete saws, and other applications where machine width is critical. Design and prototype turnaround typically 8 weeks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of Original Flywheel Couplings in service worldwide with over 25 years of proven field performance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CK Power Family of CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHayes Manufacturing is a proud division of the CK Power Family of Companies, a collective of five specialized divisions focused on manufacturing, distribution, and aftermarket support. This relationship provides valuable resources and expertise, enabling Hayes to tackle challenging projects, expand product offerings, and serve a broader customer base.
• McElroy ManufacturingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcElroy Manufacturing is a global leader in fusion machinery used across oil and gas, utilities, mining, water, and sewer applications. Hayes provides power transmission components that support the compact, reliable powertrain in McElroy's fusion machines alongside Kubota engines.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Gates Industrial: Gates Industrial is a large diversified manufacturer of power transmission belts, hoses, and couplings serving industrial and automotive OEMs; it overlaps with Hayes in OEM coupling applications but competes across a much broader product portfolio.
• TB Wood's (Altra Industrial Motion): TB Wood's, part of Altra Industrial Motion, is a long-established manufacturer of power transmission products including flexible couplings, sheaves, and bushings — competing with Hayes in industrial coupling applications and serving similar OEM customers.
• Boston Gear (Altra Industrial Motion): Boston Gear, an Altra brand, manufactures gear drives, bearings, and power transmission components — overlapping with Hayes in coupling and shaft products sold through industrial distribution channels.
• Voith Turbo: Voith is a large German industrial group with a turbo/power transmission division covering couplings and drivetrain components for off-highway, rail, and industrial applications — competing with Hayes at large off-highway OEMs.
• SKF (Couplings & Power Transmission): SKF is a global bearing and power transmission manufacturer offering couplings and related components to industrial OEMs; it competes with Hayes at large OEM accounts and overlaps with Hayes's bearing-supported stub shaft product line.
• Nabtesco Precision Europe: Nabtesco is a global manufacturer of precision gears, cycloidal reducers, and couplings, with overlap to Hayes in high-precision power transmission components for industrial and off-highway OEM applications.

Direct peers

• Lovejoy (Regal Rexnord): Lovejoy is a leading brand of flexible couplings, jaw couplings, and power transmission components owned by Regal Rexnord — the most direct competitor to Hayes in flexible flywheel and jaw couplings for engine-pump and motor-pump applications.
• R+W Coupling Technology: R+W America (R+W Coupling Technology) is a precision coupling manufacturer specializing in servo, torque-limiting, and flexible couplings, competing with Hayes for OEM shaft-to-shaft and motor-to-pump coupling specifications.
• KTR Systems: KTR Systems is a German-headquartered specialist in mechanical power transmission couplings (jaw, gear, torsionally flexible, and flywheel-style couplings), directly competing with Hayes in OEM flexible coupling applications globally.

Others

• ContiTech (Continental Industrial): ContiTech, the industrial division of Continental, manufactures power transmission belts, hoses, and couplings serving OEMs and industrial distributors — adjacent competitor with overlapping customer base but broader portfolio than Hayes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Hayes Manufacturing