Gates: The Denver Belt and Hose Maker Behind Countless Engines

History

Gates Corporation was founded in Denver, Colorado, in 1911, when Charles Gates Sr. purchased the Colorado Tire and Leather Company. His brother, John Gates, invented the V-belt within a few years of the company's founding, giving Gates an early foothold in power-transmission belts, and the company introduced the first synchronous (toothed) belt in 1946. Gates opened its first plant outside Denver in Brantford, Ontario, in 1954, followed by further US and, from 1963, European plants, growing into one of the largest rubber and belt manufacturers in the United States. The company remained family-run for decades before being acquired by the UK conglomerate Tomkins plc in 1996; Tomkins itself was bought out in 2010, after which Gates was sold to Blackstone in 2014, and the business returned to public markets as Gates Industrial Corporation plc via a 2018 initial public offering, in which Blackstone retained majority voting control.

What they make

Gates is best known for power-transmission and fluid-transfer products: timing belts, serpentine (accessory drive) belts, V-belts, and the hoses and hydraulic components that route coolant, fuel and fluids around an engine and drivetrain. Alongside automotive parts, the company also supplies belts and hoses for industrial and off-highway equipment, reflecting its origins in general rubber and leather manufacturing rather than automotive parts alone.

Where they fit — OE vs aftermarket

Gates is a long-standing original-equipment supplier of belts and hoses to vehicle manufacturers, and its aftermarket products are generally built to the same specification as its OE parts. Timing belts in particular are a safety-relevant component — failure can cause serious engine damage on interference engines — so Gates's OE pedigree is directly relevant to a replacement part's reliability, not just a marketing point.

Buying tips

Timing and accessory belts are wear items with a manufacturer-specified replacement interval rather than parts that visibly show damage before failing, so the practical guidance for a Gates part is the same as for any OE-grade belt: replace it on the vehicle manufacturer's mileage or time schedule rather than waiting for signs of wear, and where a timing belt is being replaced, fit the associated water pump, tensioner and idler pulleys at the same time, since Gates and other suppliers sell these as a kit for exactly that reason.