WHO WE ARE

About Leek Gears

OUR EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

Precision, Quality, Heritage

We’ve been around for over 100 years and have built a reputation as precision gear manufacturers with quality and service as our core values. We offer a complete gear cutting solution and our experts provide a comprehensive service from start to finish.

Our Clients

Our client base is diverse, spanning manufacturers in many industries and other engineering companies to classic vehicle and steam engine enthusiasts. Our projects vary in size and type but all benefit from our unrivalled expertise and experience.

Clients return to us because of this huge level of experience. Between them, our leadership team has been involved in gear cutting for over 70 years. We are problem solvers, working with you to identify your gear manufacturing issue and provide the ideal solution. We specialise in producing small volumes and relish taking on complex jobs where our team’s vast knowledge and technical skills come to the fore.

Our People

We’re proud of our people. Whether they join us with decades of experience or as a bright-eyed and enthusiastic apprentice, we’re a gear cutting company that encourages an atmosphere of ongoing learning. Once people join us, they tend to stay. As a small business, we work closely alongside one another and share knowledge. This ensures we can continue to offer the highest quality products and best levels of service for today and tomorrow.

ABOUT LEEK GEARS

Our History

In the Beginning

Charles Leek & Sons Limited was formally incorporated on 28th January 1920, with premises on West Street in Leek, Staffordshire. The business began as an engineering manufacturer for the textile industry, producing a range of knitting looms designed by the founder's grandson, Barry Leek.

The Pivot

The knitting looms contained large numbers of gears that needed frequent replacement, so the company invested in a gear hobbing machine to start producing the gears itself. With Charles Leek & Sons also serving the local industry’s other engineering requirements, the demand for gears soon overtook that for knitting looms. As a result, the decision was made to pivot away from looms and commit to producing gears full time.

Ongoing Expertise

In 1972, a young man by the name of Les Rushton joined the business as an apprentice turner. He would go on to play an important role in the company’s development, supporting the Leek family in a variety of positions. He went on to assume the role of General Manager upon the retirement of Adrian Leek, the last Leek family member active in the company, and sale of the business. Today, Les remains as Technical Director, providing incredible expertise to our customers and passing on his immense knowledge to our younger team members.

Planning for the Future

In 2017 the company rebranded as Leek Gears to emphasise the move away from family ownership and to introduce a more modern identity. Alongside the fresher look, a programme of investment in new CNC machinery was undertaken to extend our technical capabilities and improve the efficiency of our gear manufacturing.

Today

More than 100 years since our founding, Leek Gears remains in Leek, Staffordshire as a gear cutting company. We continue to recruit and train apprentices, invest in our people and equip the factory with the latest equipment to best meet our clients ongoing requirements.