This is a reprint of an article published by PTDA (Power Transmission Distributors Association) in the June 15, 2026 issue of their “Spotlight” newsletter. One regular feature of “Spotlight” is a story about one of their manufacturer members. In this issue, PTDA member Bodine Electric Company was featured. The gearmotor described in the story was made in 1953 for The Verdin Company, who installed it in the bell tower of Basilica of St. Francis Xavier. A photo of the original gearmotor is shown below, after the article.
When Quality Rings True
Just days before Christmas 2022, the bells of the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier rang out across Dyersville, Iowa once again. For the first time in weeks, the historic church’s chimes echoed through town after a newly rebuilt gearmotor from Bodine Electric Company restored the bell tower system.
The original gearmotor had been made by Bodine Electric in 1953 and had endured for almost 70 years before finally failing. Years of environmental exposure had deteriorated the internal gearing and bearings, and replacing the aging system proved difficult. “Dusty Bodine (manufacturing manager at the family-owned business) took the old gearmotor as a guide and built a brand-new custom replacement,” said Terry Auchstetter, director of marketing at Bodine Electric. Installed before the holiday, the new gearmotor brought the church bells back to life in time for Christmas Masses.
For Bodine Electric, the project reflected more than technical expertise. It represented a philosophy the company has carried for more than a century: build products designed to last and choose opportunities carefully.
Bodine Electric Company was founded in 1905 and, by 1927, the company was among the first manufacturers to commercially market integral gearmotors. Long before formal certification systems existed, Terry said quality was already embedded into the company’s culture. “Even before there was an ISO 9001 standard, we already had a documented quality program that our customers recognized,” he said.
Recognizing that Bodine Electric, as a manufacturer, can’t have a close relationship with every customer, the company depends on their network of distributors to be their champion at the local level. Terry said company leadership carefully evaluates whether potential sales opportunities align with Bodine’s strengths in quality, reliability and specialized applications.
“Management will look it over and judge if the opportunity is best served by Bodine, as the manufacturer of a single component, or by the local distributor, who can integrate that one component into a complete system,” he said. “Many opportunities can benefit from the value a distributor brings to the table.”
Today, Bodine’s motors and gearmotors are used in applications ranging from medical equipment and food production to material handling and industrial automation. “Most people interact with motors every day—they just don’t realize it,” Terry said. The company supplies original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across industries where reliability and long-term performance are critical.
That focus on reliability often starts with customization.
According to Terry, roughly 70 percent of the motors Bodine ships are not standard catalog products. Instead, they are modified or fully customized solutions developed around specific OEM needs. Some projects require only minor adjustments, while others involve entirely new engineering designs tailored to a customer’s application.
But Bodine does more than simply respond to requests. The company watches for patterns.
“When you hear the same request multiple times, that tells you something,” Terry said. “That’s the voice of the customer.”
Engineering and marketing teams track recurring customer requests through distributor partners to identify emerging needs across industries. In some cases, what begins as a custom solution eventually evolves into a standard product offering.
That deliberate, customer-driven approach has helped Bodine Electric maintain relationships that span decades. “We have customers who’ve been buying the same type of motor for 30, 40 years and some as long as 50 years,” Terry said.
It’s a philosophy that has helped the company remain steady in an industry constantly shaped by changing technologies and customer demands.
