Family-run company shares secret to success

Rapid Gear has been in business for more than four decades.

Rapid Gear has been at the forefront of building and designing individual gears, gearboxes and special purpose machinery for more than 40 years. The Kitchener, Ont.-based company was founded in 1976 in the basement of an old industrial building by Julian Sabados, who immigrated from the former Yugoslavia. Today, the family-run company employs 55 people full-time out of a 40,000-square-foot facility, serving customers in the mining, steel, pulp and paper, plastics and food sectors across the globe. The secret to its success? A combination of hard work, determination, risk-taking and the ability to put together a skilled team of committed employees.

The early years

Sabados moved to Kitchener from Yugoslavia back in 1967. He worked at a manufacturing plant in Cambridge, Ont. for nine years before deciding to launch Rapid Gear with a fellow employee (who is no longer with the company). The team started making gears for a farm machinery company before landing a major deal with a local defence company, which is still a client today. The contract — supplying steering components for an armoured vehicle — was secured thanks to Sabados’ determination. He flew to Germany during a snowstorm to purchase the special piece of machinery he needed to manufacture the components.

Rapid Gear today

Over the years, Rapid Gear’s client list and capabilities have grown. Today, the company serves about 2,000 customers with its customized, made-to-order gears, gearboxes and special purpose machinery. Rapid Gear has the capability to design and manufacture quality custom gears to metric and imperial specifications under strict AGMA and ISO quality control regulations, and operates a full-service machining department with experienced machinists to support its gear-cutting operations. In addition, the company specializes in the rebuilding, maintenance and replacement of gearboxes and associated machinery. Its team of experienced craftsmen restore and redesign old gears and gearboxes to meet or exceed original specifications.

Sabados owns Rapid Gear with his wife, Ana. Their son, Stefan, works in the plant, while their daughter, Tania, transitioned from purchasing and office manager to CEO four years ago and today runs the company’s day-to-day operations. The family is very proud of what Rapid Gear has accomplished in the last 40-plus years and looks forward to more success in the future.

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