TOPICS CALENDAR BUYER'S GUIDE AGMA

Government

EVENT | 2026-01-16

2026 MPMA Annual Meeting

In an era defined by economic uncertainty, supply chain disruption, and rapid workforce change, senior manufacturing leaders need more than tactical updates—they need strategic clarity. The 2026 MPMA Annual Meeting held at the Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte Harbor, FL, is designed specifically to deliver that clarity. Hosted by the Motion + Power Manufacturers Alliance (MPMA), this member-only gathering convenes top executives from across the power transmission and motion control industry for high-level dialogue, peer connection, and forward-looking insight.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2025-04-15

Farewell to an Idea

Trade policy faces the end of stable, predictable global commerce—competing ideas are in a tug of war, and the tension between imagined futures and local reality is taut.

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2021-02-03

Can We Make It Here Anymore?

There has been renewed discussion of the “Buy American” mandates recently. AGMA has a long history on this topic and succe...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2019-08-21

Expanding Your World View

Thinking about the Solidarity movement reminds me of just how limited my world view was in 1981. I read several newspapers every day during my trai...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2019-05-16

Rocket Scientists are Gear People Too!

Dr. Handschuh’s origin story reminds us that the future...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2019-05-09

My Story – Bob Handschuh

Most of us only think of NASA with regard to the “S” [Space] in its acronym. The first “A” [Aerospace] is just as important to its mission of s...

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2017-10-25

Gear Expo Day 1

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2017-10-22

Automation, Regulations and Job Creation

Robots, self driving cars, and artificial intelligence are popular topics in business publications. Depending upon the writer’s perspective, they a...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2017-08-22

Two Way Communication

One of our disappointments with this blog is the inability to have effective two-way communication via reader comments. We tried it for a few month...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2017-07-26

Changing Business Models?

A few weeks ago I blogged about a disappointing shopping experience at a once-pre-eminent retailer. I must not have been the only unhappy customer ...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2017-03-28

Should Gear Technology be Open Source?

One of the few things I miss about my old commute is all the great content I heard on public radio. Ten hours a week of news, in depth features, an...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2016-11-17

Energy Policy Thoughts

Our industry makes parts for all different types of energy and transportation. AGMA, our national trade association, was formed, in part, because t...

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2016-11-01

DIGITIZE or DIE

In a capitalist society, the way things usually work is that government and academia focus on research and development, while industry focuses on commercialization. The result is an increasingly wide disconnect in the applied research sector, which deals primarily with technology development and demonstration.

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2016-09-27

Each One Teach One

I have posted before about the many people who helped me along the way to becoming a productive member of the gear community. Today I would like to...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2016-03-10

Your Results May Vary

We have all seen the Internet meme of politicians wearing corporate logos so the public will know who their backers are. I would like to ...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2016-02-04

Super Bowl Week Reflection

It may surprise some people that there was football before the Super Bowl. I know this because back in those dark ages we wat...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2016-02-02

Tight Belts, Restricted Vision

Regular unleaded gasoline prices dropped below $1.50 a gallon in the Chicago suburbs this week. That hardly seemed possible when prices peaked well...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2015-11-26

Thanks!

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday that needs to go global. Local conditions need not be “perfect” to celebrate the good things in our liv...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2015-09-10

A Century of Gears

The American Gear Manufacturers’ Association [AGMA] will celebrate its 100^th Anniversary in 2016. The party will begin with the Fall Tec...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2015-04-21

Play Through, Old Friend

One of the consequences of growing older is saying good bye to friends you have made along the way. Word reached me this week that one of the best ...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2015-04-14

The Importance of Follow-Up

Job creation has been a popular platform for politicians for as long as I can remember. What seems to be lacking is any sort of “after action repor...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2015-02-03

The Sage of the Sales Department

[starbox] One of the great things about our Internet Age is the ability to reconnect with old friends and associates. Apparently I have left qu...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2014-12-09

A Day That Changed the Future

[starbox] I didn’t start working in the gear business until 1971, but the events of 30 years earlier affected me from the moment I walked into t...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2014-09-02

Shared Responsibilities

[starbox] Coming off the Labor Day weekend, I had time to reflect on what the holiday means beyond marking the end of summer, retiring (for the ...

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2014-07-29

Management, Leadership, and Character

[starbox]

“Leadership is the practical application of character.” — R. E. Meinertzhagen

GEAR TALK WITH CHUCK | 2014-03-12

Frequently Asked Questions (and Other TLA or FLA)

[starbox] The advent of texting naturally leads to a desire for reduced typing. I like websites that have a “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ta...

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2014-03-01

PPD Wear Protection Treatment for Large Parts Opens New Horizons

Environmentally friendly, highly efficient and lasting a product's lifetime. With characteristics like this, Pulsed-Plasma Diffusion (PPD) technology from Oerlikon Balzers has established itself as an industry standard for the treatment of large automotive press tooling. Now the technology specialists are targeting new applications with this advanced process, offering an alternative to traditional hard-chrome processes.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2010-05-01

Building on Your Foundation

When you graduated from school and made your way into the world, you probably thought you’d learned everything you needed to know to be successful. But those of us who’ve been out in the workforce for some time know that you never stop learning.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2010-05-01

Your Tax Dollars at Work: U.S. Commerce Department, Your Boots on the Ground Overseas

Easily one of the central issues affecting U.S. manufacturing is what one might call the exports deficit—the inability of American companies to sell products to, for instance, Asian markets, developing countries and other ports of call—due to what they perceive to be unfair trade agreements and or policies.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2009-06-01

Paying the Tab

The U.S. economy has been out of kilter for some time. But Uncle Sam isn't going to bail you out. You're going to have to do it yourself.

PRODUCT NEWS | 2005-07-01

Product News

The complete Product News from July/August 2005.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2004-11-01

Breath of Fresh Air

Whew. IMTS is over, and I’m relieved, in more ways than one.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 1999-09-01

Don't Miss These Booths!

We've contacted many of the gear industry's leading suppliers to find out what they'll be showing at Gear Expo 99. Booth numbers are current as of July 31, 1999, but they are subject to change. A current list of exhibitors and booth information is available at the AGMA Web site at www.agma.org.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 1997-09-01

Who's Who and What's What At Gear Expo '97

Below are listed the Gear Technology advertisers exhibiting at Gear Expo 97.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 1997-09-01

Special Machine Manufacturer Brings Gear Making In-House

When you have a multi-million-dollar transfer line sitting on the shop floor waiting for gears that might take up to two months to get, you have a costly bottleneck.

VOICES | 1992-07-01

Investing in Ourselves is the Key to Revitalizing American Manufacturing

Popular wisdom has it that manufacturing in the United States is no longer a viable entity. We are told that quality is poor, skilled labor is difficult to obtain, if not impossible, demand is low, and the government is helping to discourage business. So what should we do, give up?

MANAGEMENT MATTERS | 1992-03-01

A Hidden Treasure

At the next meeting of your association's marketing committee, notice what happens. The rate of taking notes increases dramatically when the market analysis and international trade trends reports begin. Even with the handouts to match the overhead projections of numbers, the audience's pace is furious. This is vital, apparently hard-to-come-by information, and no one wants to miss out. Almost all of the information comes from one source, yet the data offered is only one small dip from an enormous treasure chest - the U.S. Government.

VOICES | 1991-05-01

American Gear Industry Faces Major Challenges

Five years of effort by AGMA came to fruition in January with the publishing of a report from the Department of Commerce. This "National Security Assessment of the U.S. Gear Industry" indicates that if serious measures are not taken, the gear industry's future is in jeopardy. It also sets the tone for confronting major challenges now looming large in our industry.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 1990-09-01

The 332 Report - Competitive Position of the U.S. Gear Industry

In March 1989, the U.S. Trade Representative requested the U.S. International Trade Commission to conduct an investigation and prepare a report on the competitive position of the U.S. gear industry in U.S. and global markets.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1990-09-01

The 332 Report

In May of this year the U.S. International Trade Commission made public its Report to the President on the condition of the U.S. gear industry. This 200+ page document is the result of a two-year study by the commission, with the help of the AGMA staff and members. It is the most comprehensive and current analytical coverage of the industry conditions and tends presently available. Because of the importance of this report to the industry, GEAR TECHNOLOGY is devoting a good portion of this issue to reprinting the Executive Summary for our readers.