Business of the Quarter
Dodge Industrial
There’s a factory out River Street that has been in existence since 1995. It has grown substantially over the years, employed hundreds of Beltonians, and partnered with the community to create a quality of life that is not easily matched elsewhere. This is Dodge Industrial, recognized as the Belton Alliance Business of the Quarter.
Dodge Industrial, Inc., was started by Wallace Dodge in 1878 in Mishawaka, Indiana, to produce Magic Wagon Jacks and other wood products. In 1882, Dodge developed the Independence Split Wood Pulley and interchangeable bushing system, marking the beginning of making mechanical power transmission products.
Dodge came to Belton in 1992 and opened the factory in 1995–starting with manufacturing Tigear®, the line of worm gear reducers. In 1999, Dodge started manufacturing the Quantis® helical-style gear reducer line in the Belton facility as well, later expanding that product line to larger reducer sizes around 2007. The plant added 32,000 sq. ft. to the facility in 2014. And in 2018, 3,800 solar panels were erected to power a large portion of the facility. Dodge was acquired by RBC Bearings in 2021.
With a mission statement to “Reliably equip our customers with the safest, highest quality mechanical power transmission solutions to achieve their strategic goals,” Dodge Industrial, Belton Plant generally employs around 160 highly trained technicians, machinists, and manufacturing employees. Most of the workforce is responsible for machining components or assembling gearboxes.
The Dodge Belton facility manufactures standard-duty industrial gear reducers. These gear reducers can be found moving small conveyors in unit handling, food and beverage, and other similar types of facilities to power large industrial fans or run secondary operations, like belt cleaners, on aggregate conveyors. Dodge also produces heavy-duty gear reducers; mounted ball, spherical, and tapered roller bearings; shaft couplings; mechanical drive components; and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensors and connected solutions at other facilities.
When asked about the culture of the plant, manager Alex Vitou stated, “Our priorities are safety, quality, customer service, in that order. We do everything possible to ensure the safety of our workforce, our products, and our customers. The products that we provide are of the highest quality available in the marketplace. We put our customers at the center of everything we do, and we organize our daily operations, long term plans, KPIs, and goals around customer service.”
“Dodge has been a part of the Belton community for 30 years. This is a wonderful place to live and work. We have employees who have worked here since we opened the doors back in 1995 and a large portion of our workforce has always been from Belton. We are thankful to the community and are happy to be a part of it,” he added.
Tammy Roberts, Belton Alliance President, asks us all to please congratulate Dodge Industrial, Belton Plant, as the Belton Alliance Business of the Quarter.