Geared for Growth: Gorbel, Inc. Improves Lives and Grows Rapidly through Inclusive Culture & Strong Relationships
Gorbel, Inc. strives to reach its mission of improving people’s lives through custom material handling equipment. Christopher Adams, Director of Manufacturing, and Adrian Thurley, Director of Human Resources, were featured on Geared for Growth on Wednesday, July 24th as part of Greater Rochester Chamber’s ongoing partnership with 13WHAM/FOX Rochester. The team shared more about what Gorbel does, their culture of innovation and support, and their exciting current and future growth plans.
Gorbel is family-owned and operated and has been based out of Greater Rochester since 1977. They design and build custom material handling equipment
for industrial applications throughout the country. “If you’re lifting or conveying heavy pieces and parts throughout a warehouse or a factory setting, our equipment makes you safer, more productive, and generally feel better at the end of the day,” Adams explained. Gorbel has four manufacturing sites in the Greater Rochester region, as well as their corporate headquarters in Victor. The equipment that Gorbel manufactures is used in “thousands [of warehouses]; everywhere you can imagine!”
The organization prides itself on its culture based on its values which attract employees and customers alike. “It starts with integrity; we value both the work that everyone does as well as how they do the work,” Thurley shared, “We’re always having the right people come to us.” Other values that are important to the team are positivity and inclusivity, as well as a growth mindset.
The growth mindset of their team has led to rapid expansion and hiring over the lifespan of the company, continuing now even after 40 years. “So far in 2024, we’ve already hired nearly 200 employees across the organization,” Adrian explained, “We’re looking to continue to grow and add people, and continuing to invest in the organization and the community that we’re a part of.” Adams shared that over the next five years, they have a plan to continue the rapid growth. “We expect the business to double again by 2028,” he explained, “we have clear goals and strategies to align with them.” Their growth is sustained by strong relationships with customers to listen and understand their needs to help them grow, which comes back and helps Gorbel grow as well.
To learn more about Gorbel, visit their website at Gorbel.com.
Be sure to watch Geared for Growth every Wednesday at 8:45 on FOX Rochester to make sure you don’t miss out on any exciting growth stories from Greater Rochester Chamber members!