GEMCO

Engineering Innovation in Motion

110 Years of Expertise, Modern Automation, and Next-Generation Powder Processing Define GEMCO’s Continued Leadership

In an era of rapid technological change and supply chain unpredictability, GEMCO stands as a rare industrial company that has not only endured more than a century of shifts in global manufacturing, but has remained a standard-bearer in advanced powder processing solutions.

Now in its 110th year, the New Jersey-based company continues to operate with the energy of a start-up and the depth of a legacy manufacturer—designing, engineering, and producing some of the world’s most sophisticated tumble mixing and vacuum tumble drying equipment.

President & CEO Casey Bickhardt describes GEMCO as both a manufacturing powerhouse and a problem-solving partner across 44 industries. Its customers span pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, ammunition, food processing, chemicals, 3D-printing metals, and dozens of other powder-centric applications. “Our key clients are anyone dealing with powders who require mixing or vacuum tumble drying,” she says. “And because these machines are critical to their operations, uptime is everything—they cannot go down.”

That expectation—to deliver flawless equipment, flawless process engineering, and flawless service—has shaped GEMCO’s evolution for generations.

Mastering the Supply Chain with Foresight and Discipline

The COVID-era supply chain crisis created seismic challenges across global manufacturing, but GEMCO navigated it with a calm born of deep planning and equally deep relationships. The company meets weekly with its most critical vendors, tracking upstream and downstream constraints in real time.

These vendors are held to the same performance standards GEMCO must meet for its customers, creating a culture of accountability across the entire chain.

Some materials still see extended lead times, but GEMCO offsets the risk with proactive forecasting and blanket purchase orders for parts that must remain on the shelf at all times.

Spare components for machines in the field are stocked aggressively. The company also broadened its vendor base during the pandemic—especially in electronics—qualifying alternative components that exceed original functionality.

“We branched out and created alternatives with the same form, fit, and function,” Bickhardt explains. “Sometimes even better functionality. It expanded our product line and solved problems for our customers at the same time.”

Strength Built on Dual Manufacturing Engines

GEMCO’s manufacturing strength comes from two tightly integrated operations: its Middlesex, New Jersey production facility and its specialized powder-testing and contract manufacturing arm, Advanced Powder Solutions (APS).

The New Jersey facility houses extensive welding, machining, polishing, electromechanical assembly, and metal fabrication capabilities—allowing GEMCO to maintain control over cost, lead times, and quality. As other metalworking suppliers closed or relocated, GEMCO invested in machinery and talent to bring more processes in-house, giving the company true end-to-end control and the flexibility to innovate without constraint.

APS, meanwhile, serves as a dynamic extension of GEMCO’s innovation engine. Led by Vice President of Process Engineering & Design George Paffendorf, APS offers contract manufacturing for powders across dozens of sectors—food, cosmetics, metals for 3D printing, fragrances, chemical blends, and more. It also functions as GEMCO’s real-world R&D laboratory, where customer processes are tested, validated, and perfected before equipment is built.

“Customers get not just the equipment, but the process,” Paffendorf notes. “We develop operating procedures, test their material at different scales, and ensure complete confidence before they even receive their machine.”

APS also gives GEMCO’s engineering team something priceless: firsthand exposure to operator experience. Engineers spend a week at APS working side-by-side with mechanics and operators, observing where processes shine, where bottlenecks occur, and—famously—where duct tape appears. Those observations drive product enhancements and next-generation design.

Lights-Out Technology: Real-Time Insight, Safer Operations, and Smarter Batches

GEMCO is a pioneer in lights-out technology, offering customers the ability to monitor and manage their equipment remotely. Through the GEMCO app, operators, supervisors, or executives can view real-time machine data—pressure, temperature, humidity, motor performance, vacuum levels—on a tablet from anywhere.

Processes announce their own cycle stages via voice prompts, such as entering cool-down mode. Batch records print automatically. Alerts are triggered instantly if abnormalities arise. The result is continuous precision without requiring three shifts of on-floor supervision.

“It’s like watching your oven while you’re baking—except the oven talks to you,” Bickhardt says. “You set the process, close the facility for the night, and the system manages itself.”

As Paffendorf notes, this is only the beginning. GEMCO is now exploring deeper AI integration that will allow equipment to modify parameters autonomously.

“AI will eventually say, ‘The product is dry. We’re going to cool-down.’ Even if the formula calls for ten hours, the machine will determine readiness through sensors,” he explains. “That saves time, reduces energy costs, boosts throughput, and enhances safety.”

This is especially critical in industries like munitions, where precise temperature control prevents catastrophic outcomes. AI-driven monitoring could autonomously shut down a process, reduce heat, or notify supervisors if readings stray into unsafe territory.

A Culture of Relentless Investment

GEMCO invests aggressively and continuously—not only in equipment, but in people, innovation, and operational excellence. The company recently completed a major upgrade to its manufacturing floor, implementing new technologies that reduced manual processes, brought formerly outsourced work back in-house, and unlocked new design capabilities.

One of the most impactful additions has been a state-of-the-art water jet system that dramatically accelerates component production and eliminates dependencies created by supplier closures.

Equally meaningful is GEMCO’s investment in its workforce. Employees are supported through technical and management certifications, including project management (PMP), SQF food safety training, material-handling certifications, and ongoing skill development. Engineers are trained not only in software and simulation tools such as finite element analysis, but also in operator-level understanding at APS.

“We invest in our employees because that is ultimately our innovation engine,” Bickhardt says. “We are a learning company.”

Leadership Shaped by Hands-On Experience

While GEMCO’s technology is advanced, its leadership philosophy remains rooted in humility and firsthand knowledge. Bickhardt’s own journey is a reflection of that ethos. As a second-generation leader in a family business, she began her GEMCO career not in an office, but on the floor at APS—mopping, cleaning, loading machines, learning each part, and running the facility alongside nine operators after the unexpected passing of its former manager.

“It taught me everything,” she recalls. “I learned what worked, what didn’t, what needed redesigning, and how the equipment was actually used. That experience shapes every decision I make today.”

From engineering meetings to customer-facing problem solving, that operator-first lens is evident across GEMCO’s culture.

Looking Ahead: New Technologies, New Products, and Deeper Expertise

GEMCO is preparing for 2026 and beyond with a dual focus: intensifying its role as an industry educator and expanding its technological capabilities. The demand for GEMCO’s expertise is accelerating. Customers—whether or not they own GEMCO equipment—routinely call for troubleshooting support, process insight, or engineering advice. This consultative role is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

Paffendorf sees tremendous opportunity in this evolution. “We’re becoming teachers,” he says.

“Customers come to us for knowledge. They want to know how to unlock performance, improve blends, optimize drying, or solve a problem. And often the solution is already in the equipment they own—they just need guidance.”

At the same time, GEMCO’s next generation of engineers is driving product development through advanced simulation tools, enhanced modeling, and precision analytics. These insights are validated at APS, where real-world testing continues to generate breakthroughs that feed directly into GEMCO’s manufacturing line.

The company will also continue deepening its supplier relationships, reaffirming quality standards, and ensuring every component—from valves to cylinders to sensors—meets the high expectations of industries that rely on uninterrupted performance.

As Bickhardt puts it, “Innovation is not optional. Our customers expect the best, and we expect the best from ourselves.”

A Century Behind Them, and the Future in Front

Looking forward, GEMCO is poised to remain the global authority in tumble mixing, vacuum tumble drying, and powder processing for decades to come. Its marriage of engineering rigor, advanced automation, industry expertise, and next-generation AI readiness positions the organization at the forefront of industrial innovation.

More importantly, GEMCO approaches its future with the same philosophy that sparked its founding 110 years ago: listen to the customer, understand their challenges, engineer a solution, and never stop learning.

For Bickhardt and her team, that is the real path to raising the industry standard—and ensuring that GEMCO continues to build equipment that lasts not just years, but generations.

AT A GLANCE

Who: GEMCO

What: A global leader in tumble mixing, vacuum tumble drying and powder processing

Where: Indianapolis, Indiana

Website: www.wearegemco.com