Forest City Gear Celebrates Retirement of Jeff Mains

Forest City Gear announced the retirement of Jeff Mains, Director of Technical Operations, following many years of dedicated service and leadership within the company. Mains’s transition from his full-time role went into effect on Friday, May 29.

Mains joined Forest City Gear in 2011 as a Manufacturing Engineer, where he reviewed customer prints and specifications, developed production routings, and helped support manufacturing processes through his expertise in machining, metallurgy, heat treating, and quality control. In 2012, he was promoted to Engineering Manager, overseeing the day-to-day management of the engineering team and providing leadership on technical initiatives and corrective action processes. In 2013, Mains assumed the role of Director of Technical Operations, where he led engineering and quality assurance initiatives, supported customer design engineers, managed vendor qualification systems, resolved quality concerns, and provided oversight on technical reviews and quoting processes.

Throughout his career at Forest City Gear, Mains became known as a trusted technical resource and problem solver for both customers and colleagues alike. His deep industry knowledge, calm leadership style, and unwavering commitment to customer success played a critical role in supporting complex gear manufacturing programs and strengthening long-standing customer relationships.

“Jeff has been an incredible asset to Forest City Gear and to the customers he supported over the years,” says Kika Young, President of Forest City Gear. “His technical expertise, integrity, and dedication helped shape countless projects and partnerships across the industry. More importantly, Jeff brought a steady presence and genuine care to everything he did. We are deeply grateful for his contributions and the legacy he leaves behind.”

While Mains is retiring from his full-time responsibilities, he will continue supporting Forest City Gear remotely on a part-time basis during the transition period. In this role, he will assist with project handoffs, technical continuity, and onboarding support to help ensure a seamless experience for customers and team members.

Forest City Gear has been carefully preparing for this transition to maintain continuity, responsiveness, and the high level of technical support customers have come to expect. The company plans to formally introduce Mains’s successor in the coming weeks.

On behalf of the entire company, Forest City Gear extends its sincere gratitude to Mains for his years of service, leadership, and friendship, and wishes him a happy and well-earned retirement.

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