Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Poulakidas.
Evan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It was more than 15 years ago that my business partner, Dave Olson, and I started the North American branch of CCTY Bearing.
Like many people who start their own business, I was in need of a change. I had been working for a bearing manufacturer for my entire career. And although the company and my coworkers were enjoyable, management was beginning to shape an alternate vision for the company. It was time for a new adventure.
Dave and I had a vision for a different kind of company. Many bearing manufacturers are commodity based. Nearly 80% of our sales are for unique components or bearing assemblies – meaning, we manufacturer the bearing and its housing. For example, we ship tie rods with welded ball joints as a single unit. Our customers benefit from lower costs and improved in-house production schedules.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Right after giving notice to my 17-year employer, we set up shop. As we were just beginning to take off, 9-11 and a prolonged recession became a reality. And, my former employer sued us for breach of our employee contracts.
We spent an exorbitant amount on legal fees while no one was returning our calls. It was a dark time. I seriously considered going back into full-time employment for someone else. After all, I had a mortgage and three kids counting on me.
When things got really tough, I reminded myself to stick with the process, do things right and avoid shortcuts. This way, if it didn’t work out I knew that I was true to my vision.
Here we are many years later with our products in 90% of US forklifts, in a majority of off-road vehicles like ATVs and in agriculture/construction heavy trucks.
Please tell us about CCTY Bearing.
Bearings enable motion and are found in everything from ceiling fans to tractors. Our customers are original equipment manufacturers. We work with them to design the right bearing for their product.
Bold engineering sets us apart from the competition. With in-house critical processes and testing equipment, we are not afraid to rethink what is possible. We develop new products every year and some that take on industry-wide stalwarts like the universal joint.
The u-joint has been virtually the same for nearly a century. It can contain nearly 100 individual components. Our patented design uses a square ball and just seven other components. It’s a smoother rotation that is intended for intermittent applications, such as steering wheels.
Another area where we’ve made great strides is with self-lubricating materials. When a bearing is maintenance-free, the end user no longer needs to spend time regreasing machinery. It greatly reduces the maintenance burden on farm equipment, construction machines and even home-based products like lawn mowers.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
As a lifelong sports fan, my favorite memory is listening to a 1963 Bears game with my dad.
While Jack Brickhouse was calling plays over the radio, we were trying to get the game on channel 4 out of Rockford. We never got a clear picture on the tv, but just listening to the game and staring at the radio made the cold winter day one of the more memorable moments with my dad.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1111 Rose Road
Lake Zurich, IL 60047 - Website: www.CCTYBearing.com
- Phone: 847.540.8196
- Email: info@cctybearing-us.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCTYBearing/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cctybearing
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