GAM Enterprises began in 1990 when Gary Michalek saw an opportunity to start a long-term relationship with Jakob Antriebstechnik, a German based company that introduced the first servo bellows coupling into the machine tool market. In 1998, GAM Gear was formed with current GAM president Craig Van den Avont to start GAM’s high precision gearbox company to complement the coupling product line. For 17 years, GAM shared a space with Quality Control Corporation (Harwood Heights, IL), until 2007 when GAM moved to Mount Prospect, a suburb just outside of Chicago. 

“We started off with just one product and built the company one customer at a time,” said Gary Michalek, founder and CEO of GAM. “It is amazing to think about just how far we’ve come, but I’m excited to see where the company goes in the next twenty five years”.   

In addition to leading the organization, both Michalek and Van den Avont are actively involved in the community. Van den Avont has developed close relationships with schools in local district 214, mentoring students interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and hosting field trips and career days at GAM so students can get a firsthand view of the opportunities that exist in engineering and manufacturing.  

“Building a great company and culture is extremely important to me,” said Van den Avont. “However, I am also very passionate about helping students get excited about engineering and manufacturing.”