President’s Blog: Then and Now

In 1960 my grandparents made the decision to start a business. With nothing more than a dream, a box of letterhead, and an orange crate for a desk, they set out to build a business that would create superior products for the industry while providing a family-focused atmosphere that valued employees over earnings.They called that company General Kinematics, and 57 years later, that mission and vision continues.

The third generation of leadership for any company is hard, and the odds are not in our favor. Research shows that approximately only 30 percent of all family-owned businesses survive into the second generation and only 12 percent will survive into the third generation. So what is the secret at GK to our continued success?

Secrets of Success

I feel there are a number of things that have kept us successful for so long. The first is our employees. The people that work here are brilliant, driven, and fun to work with. Their passion, creativity, and innovative mindset has led to hundreds of patented ideas that have set us apart from our competition. They also have an almost obsessive commitment to ensuring our customers’ needs are met, with 24/7/365 availability when needed. This type of commitment is a key success driver for any organization.

The second trait that has kept us going is our ability to adapt to global market expansion. As our customers move around the world, so do we. GK now has offices in the United States, Europe, Thailand, India, and China. We strive to deliver a local presence for our customers so we can be there to support them as they grow.

Finally, we are not afraid to diversify and try something new. Applying our extra heavy-duty Two-Mass design concept to new industries helps create disruptive technology that exponentially improves processes and increases revenues for our customers. A great example of this is our new STM-Series vibratory screens. We recently launched these in the mining industry, which had previously used the same screening technology for decades. These screens instantly increased the throughput of mines up to 25% with a machine that will last 5 times as long, all while using two-thirds less energy.

Generations to Come

These are just a few things that have helped General Kinematics remain strong throughout the years and generations. By providing superior products, hiring awesome people, and being there when you need us, GK has managed to grow from a dream, a box of letterhead, and orange crate into a world-class global business, here to help when you need us.

General Kinematics continues to grow and innovate exceptional products for the customers that we regard as our extended family.