Dec. 7, 2023 - Friends and colleagues gathered in Detroit after the Motion + Power Technology Expo for dinner, drinks and celebration to commemorate Dennis Gimpert’s contribution to Koepfer America ( Helios Gear Products ) and the gear manufacturing industry as a whole. Dennis started his career in 1972 at the Barber-Colman company, soon after moving to American Pfauter where he developed his skills as an applications engineer and regional sales manager. In 1988, Dennis partnered with the Koepfer family, a renowned European supplier of automated hobbing equipment, to found Koepfer America in South Elgin, Illinois. Koepfer hobbing raised the bar of what a manufacturer could accomplish by keeping automation core to gear production.
Dennis’ vision empowered industry sectors, including speed reducers, aerospace open gearing and hand tool manufacturers. Through the 90s, Koepfer America’s product offerings expanded to include vertical hobbing machines, grinding tools, inspection equipment and a wide range of cutting tools. Dennis has always strongly supported the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA). He served as its chairman in 2008 and received its Lifetime Achievement award in 2015. These are achievements very few in the industry reach.
In 2018, with the help of Dennis’s son, Adam Gimpert , and industry-leader David Harroun , Dennis helped reforge his company as Helios Gear Products with a renewed mission and vision for the 21st century. Today, Helios has clear leadership for the future and will continue to be a strong supporter of the AGMA and the gear manufacturing industry at large. Adam and David lead the company with Dennis’s continued support from retirement