The AGMA Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dennis Gimpert of Koepfer America. Dennis has spent most of his career in the gear industry. He began his career with Barber Colman, Machine Tool Division, as an application engineer for gear shaping and hobbing equipment. From 1976 to 1988 he was vice president for American Pfauter. In 1988 Dennis began with Jos. Koepfer & Sohne, GmBH, as the president of their North American operations. He has spent the balance of his career with Koepfer America.

Dennis Gimpert has served on AGMA’s business committees including the Trade Show Advisory Council, Marketing Council, ADEC (predecessor to the BMEC) and as the Chairman of the Education Council. Dennis was awarded the Administrative Division Executive Committee Award in 2000 for his involvement with the gear school and the creation of online workforce training programs that are still in use today.

Dennis went on to be elected to the AGMA Board of Directors and has served as Chairman in 2008-2009. While involved with the Board of Directors, Dennis was responsible for studying the AGMA headquarters location and real estate options. Dennis’s study laid the groundwork for the purchase of our current headquarters location and assured AGMA a permanent home. The office will serve the association for many years to come.

After his service to the AGMA Board of Directors, Dennis continued to assist the industry, this time as a member of the AGMA Foundation Board of Trustees. Dennis also chaired the Foundation from 2011-2014. Under Dennis’s leadership, the Foundation ramped up scholarship programs, which just last year gave $25,000 in scholarships to students pursuing the gear industry.

Koepfer America is proud of Dennis’s award, success, and continued involvement in the AGMA and the gear manufacturing industry.