In 1983, at age 32, Chris Collins founded Nuttall Gear Corporation purchasing the assets of the Westinghouse Gear Division that he had previously managed.
Chris was Chairman, President, and CEO of Nuttall Gear from 1983 – 1997 until he sold the company to a large industrial conglomerate.
At Nuttall Gear, Chris emphasized a Total Quality Management program focused on continuous improvement which resulted in the company being recognized as one of the Top 100 private companies in Western New York from 1987 – 1994 and one of the Future 50 companies in Western New York in 1995. Nuttall also received the Western Region Small Business Showcase Award for Manufacturing from NY State Empire State Development in 1986.
Chris encouraged employee involvement and participation at Nuttall Gear. In 1991 Chris formed an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) which resulted in the employees having a significant ownership stake in the company.
Under Chris’ management, Nuttall Gear was recognized as a world leader in custom engineered gear reducers and speed increasers. As a supplier of safety related gearboxes to the nuclear industry, Nuttall Gear maintained the highest quality standards.
In 1997 Chris sold Nuttall Gear to a large industrial conglomerate, but stayed on as President for the new owners and put together a growth strategy for the business. As part of that growth strategy, Nuttall Gear LLC purchased Delroyd Worm Gear in January 1998 and moved that operation from Trenton, NJ to Niagara Falls, NY.
