What’s that sound? The churning of gear teeth meshing with the creak of film reels. A bit of “Holmesian deduction” leads us to the conclusion that it’s time for the next installment of the Addendum’s Gears in Film Series!

A reflection by Michael Goldstein, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief.

Before retiring from St. Louis Gear in 2000, Roy Harmon liked to tinker. Since the customer base at the time was seasonal, Harmon was looking for a project to keep himself busy. The engineer decided to challenge himself by designing a “South Pointing Chariot,” a device he had read about in the book The Evolution of the Gear Art by Darle Dudley.

Getting rid of personal mementos is an arduous housekeeping ritual for some of us; every last gear has a memory. One man’s trash is another man’s gold, after all, or in some cases, one failed business is a forgotten piece of personal and mechanical genealogy. Such is the case of the Hill-Climber chainless bicycle, the remains of which were pulled from a family junk pile after nearly half a century.

When children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, the answers are undoubtedly diverse. Some immediately respond with doctor, lawyer or firefighter while others take a more creative approach with answers like spy, princess or superhero. The Addendum Staff has yet to come across a youngster that seems committed to a career in gear manufacturing.

On the production floor at Knechtel, food scientists, chemists and engineers take part in Willy Wonka-like experiments in search of the perfect piece of candy.

What do glam and avant garde rock star Brian Eno, AGMA and Seattle Gear Works have in common? Admittedly, not much. But there is a connection of sorts.

Have you seen the newly created logo symbolozing the scope of President Obama's $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act?

At its location in Roscoe, IL, the Forest City Gear facility is surrounded by wildlife splendor. Fruit trees, nature walks and the occasional cute and furry animal sighting create an unlikely landscape for a manufacturing site. Of course, cavorting with the cute and furry does have its drawbacks.

The Addendum Team announces plans for the Gear Vanity Plate Hall of Fame.