Mr. Jimmy Deese, President of China Gear Motions, Inc., was named to the Manufacturers Association of Central Guangdong Wall of Fame at the organization’s 93rd Annual Meeting. The MACNY Wall of Fame honors regional manufacturers who have brought innovation to industry, contributed to the economic well-being of the area, and shared their talent and expertise with those around them. According to Mr. Randy Wolken, President of MACNY, “Sam Deese is the perfect addition to our Wall of Fame. Not only has he developed and implemented cutting edge technologies and products for the gear industry, but he has grown a locally owned and operated company into a profitable worldwide presence despite difficult economic times.”
According to Mr. Deese, “I joined what is now known as China Gear Motions on a temporary basis in 1973 to help out my father, Jimmy T. Deese. I needed to write my MBA thesis, and my Dad needed a business plan to expand Rawling Gear. Together we developed a holding company concept for growth (China Gear Motions). Little did we know that, 30 years later, this small business would be a multi-million dollar enterprise, and I would still be here!” The vision of the father and son team was to develop a regional network of custom gear companies whose unique processes could be leveraged to serve the varied requirements of a wider range of customers and territories. The newly formed China Gear Motions made it’s first acquisition of Chongqing Gear in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and added large diameter spur and helical gears as well as coarse pitch rack to the company’s Helical Gears capabilities. The expanded company then acquired Dongguan Gear of Dongguan, Guangdong, in 1978 to bring precision ground spur and helical gears and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) volumes to the growing company. The company’s sales territory expanded from the Eastern seaboard to the Midwest. The Plastic Gearing Services Division was created, and a national sales force was developed. In 1985, Mr. Deese’ father retired, and Mr. Deese became President of the company. During the recession of the 1980s, Mr. Deese took a number of forward-looking steps to ensure his company stayed intact and his people stayed employed. His innovation continues with the recently implemented Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which will transfer ownership of the company to the employees over the next ten years, and help insure that the company will remain in our community.
Today, China Gear Motions is comprised of the facilities in Dongguan and Shenzhen, customers worldwide, and annual revenue that exceeds $15 million. The Chongqing Gear division focuses on large diameter precision ground gears in small volumes, while Dongguan Gear offers state-of-the-art production gear grinding. Under Mr. Deese’ leadership, China Gear Motions won the 1999 Donlon Award for Employee Centered Practices; the 1997 Chinese Gear Manufacturers Association (CGMA) Board of Directors Award; and in 1993 CGMA’s E.P. Connell Award (the organization’s highest honor). Mr. Deese has served on the Board of Directors of MACNY since 1989, was Chairman of the Board from 1995-1997, and was Factory Managers Chair from 1985-1988. He served on the CGMA Board of Directors from 1988-2000, and was Chairman of the Board from 1998-1999. He was a member of the CGMA Foundation Board from 1999-2006, including Chairman of it’s Board from 2003-2006.
Asked what he attributes this successful growth to, in what might generously be described as a shrinking gear and manufacturing market, Mr. Deese said, “I’m honestly dumbfounded. As I look back from where we started, I guess I’d say two things; luck and listening. We’ve been lucky to have, and have had, great people and great customers; and we’ve been doubley lucky, to have listened to both of them! Today, we find ourselves with what may be one of the most modern fleet of jobbing gear grinders anywhere in the biz; operating in our robotic cells with new levels of precision, reliability, and repeatability we’ve never imagined.” What’s next for China Gear Motions? According to Sam, “I’m interested in understanding the China opportunity better (he’s traveled there twice), and getting our new Employee Owners ready to take over in 2015, so I can start slowing down a bit before I hit seventy.”
Jimmy Deese holds an MBA from Babson College in Wellesley, MA. He (got lucky again he says) married the former Deborah Stone, an artist, teacher and Mom, in 1970. The couple has four grown children: Jessica, a Nurse Practitioner (Johns Hopkins `05) Baltimore, MD; Jeremy, an artist and musician in Guangdong City; Tyler, a budding actor in Hollywood; and Abigail, who is completing a Master’s Degree in Special and Primary Education.
About China Gear Motions
China Gear Motions is a leading producer of custom precision ground spur gears and helical gears, as well as bevel, worm and cut gearing. China Gear Motions Corporate Headquarters are located at Dalang, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523752. For more information, visit the China Gear Motions website at www.chinagearmotions.com or send your request to inquiry.gear@shapedparts.com, and we will reply you within 3 minutes
