Over 200 employees of Bison Gear & Engineering Corp. gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the St. Charles, Illinois headquartered gearmotor manufacturer. Bison was established in 1960 by three Chicago area entrepreneurs who derived the company’s name from their last initials of B-S-N. The company began as a producer of gears, and today manufactures gearmotors, electric motors and gear reducers for customers ranging from successful entrepreneurial OEMs to multinational industrial and commercial equipment OEMs. In 1981, Ron Bullock joined Bison as vice president of marketing and engineering and subsequently purchased the company in 1987. Shortly thereafter, Bison acquired Ram Tool Corp. as the basis for Bison’s entry into DC motor production. In 1996, Bison’s expanding standard product line of fractional horsepower gearmotors and its growing OEM customer base were accommodated by its move to a new 115,000sq/ft production facility in St. Charles, Illinois. Today, Bison employs Baldrige criteria and drives a Lean Six Sigma enterprise to ensure customer satisfaction, while still serving its first OEM customer.