In 1947, Arrow was founded by James J. Cervinka and Frank E. Pielsticker. The company began operation in a small industrial building in Worth, Illinois. After a move to Lyons, Illinois in the 1950s, the company was moved in 1961 to its current location in Downers Grove, Illinois - a western suburb of Chicago. Mr. Pielsticker passed away in 1987, and Mr. Cervinka passed away in July of 2012.
Through the years, Mr. Cervinka was directly responsible for the many innovations and new technologies introduced at Arrow Gear. Most recently, in 2010, he spearheaded the move to expand Arrow’s size capability for the manufacture of spur gears. The significant investment for this upgrade has resulted in Arrow’s ability to pursue a wider range of work – particularly in the helicopter field.
Early in Arrow's history, it embraced a commitment to building the company into a leading force in the gear industry. When asked about this philosophy, Mr. Cervinka explained, “In this industry, it’s simply not possible to stand still. If you’re not moving ahead, you’re falling behind.”
Arrow’s long standing tradition of growth remains today, and has resulted in the expansion of the original Downers Grove facility seven times to accommodate new equipment and technologies for gear manufacturing and production. Today, nearly all manufacturing operations performed on Arrow's products are performed in-house.
