Drew Beadle, vice president of operations of Waukegan, IL-based PEER Chain & Sprockets has been named the company’s new president, effective January 2025.

The leadership transition for the four-generation, family-owned chain and sprocket company, has been planned for several years. “We have been increasing Drew’s responsibilities, preparing and promoting him for the past four years,” said Glenn Spungen, outgoing president and board member of PEER Chain & Sprockets. “While Drew takes over day-to-day operation, the Spungens will take on different strategic roles.” Spungen and his brother Danny, vice president of strategic marketing, along with cousins Charles and Jeffrey Spungen, will make up the board of directors for the company as they have done in the past.

“Our vision is to become a world-class company with a heart,” said Beadle. “PEER Chain & Sprockets will continue to be a trusted, reliable partner in the power transmission industry. We aim to expand our power transmission product offerings beyond chains and sprockets. What differentiates us from competitors is that we collaborate with companies on their customized applications. PEER Chain & Sprockets will continue its engineering and digital technology expertise to further enhance our role as a committed partner with our customers.”

Beadle said the company has incorporated more engineering prowess, which is one of his personal strengths.

Leadership at a Young Age

Beadle’s leadership skills began as a young teenager. He was voted Senior Patrol Leader by Boy Scout Troop 120 in Solon, Iowa, a farming community of 5,000 located midway between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. He quickly learned to lead 30 rambunctious boys by using skills taught to him by the troop’s adult leaders and his Scout predecessor. By the age of 15, he had earned Eagle Scout.

Beadle has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Iowa. Prior to PEER Chain & Sprockets, Beadle led the design and manufacturing team in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He has been with PEER Chain & Sprockets for five years.

PEER Chain & Sprockets are found on many Fortune 100 agricultural and manufacturing machines. “Our products meet and exceed the heavy demands and expectations of those companies. We take that same level of engineering quality and precision to all partner companies, our OEMs and distributors,” said Beadle.

Important for the Company’s Future

Danny Spungen said the move was important for the future stability of the company. “In order to grow PEER Chain & Sprockets, the Spungens need to spend more time networking, building strong relationships at a different level for expansion and continuing to build the financial resilience of the company.” Glenn Spungen said, “PEER Chain & Sprockets is growing and breaking sales records. We must always have an eye toward the future. The transition to Drew is an excellent strategic move going forward.”

Beadle’s small-town agricultural and engineering backgrounds bring added knowledge to PEER Chain & Sprockets. “My humble brag is that I have an exceptional skill of looking at things and figuring out how things work – taking apart and putting things back like brand new,” said Beadle. “I also grew up in the digital world and can bring the organization into that digital era of manufacturing while continuing to resource locally.”

Board Director Charles Spungen said customers will find confidence in Beadle’s expertise and knowledge. “Buyers buy hundreds of different manufacturing parts and equipment, so they have to rely on suppliers for their expertise,” he said. “If I were a chain buyer and I had Drew able to explain everything, I’d have 100 percent confidence in what he is recommending. You can find people who understand the commodity of an item based on price, but do they know if the implementation is going to work? Can they trust the product? That’s what people want to know.”

“Beadle understands the industry as well as anybody,” said Jeff Spungen. “He knows what makes an implementation of our product successful for a customer. He’s smart, detail-oriented and has encyclopedic knowledge of our company and will lead the team well.”

The PEER Chain & Sprockets team has embraced Beadle’s new leadership role. That, he says, inspires him greatly to lead in this next level of growth. He says that the Spungens run a healthy business with a great reputation. “There’s so much passion and community here. Customers feel like family,” he says. “Growing PEER Chain & Sprockets will not be a fast merit badge, but a continuous effort to forge beyond where we are today.”