Jeopardy! champ pays it forward
Getting students excited about manufacturing
August 10, 2026
GREEN BAY – In an industry where many companies have operated the same way for decades, Robby R. Burton – president and director of manufacturing – said AG Drives is charting a different course, blending three generations of driveline expertise with modern manufacturing technology and a commitment to customer service.
That, Burton said, has fueled tremendous growth.
From last year to this year, Burton said AG Drives reports 300% revenue growth, a jump that reflects its fast lead times, engineering know-how and willingness to modernize.
The company – per agdrives.com – manufactures custom driveshafts for customers across agriculture, oil and gas, wastewater treatment, food processing, steel, defense, construction, mining, paper production and recycling.
Driveshafts, Burton said, transmit power and torque to enable rotational motion in machinery, making them essential to equipment across industries.
“If we have something spinning over here and want it to spin over there, the driveshaft makes them spin together,” he said. “We make the connection between the two.”
Those connections may seem simple, but Burton said they power critical equipment in demanding settings.
“If a big steel mill goes down, they can lose hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour,” he said. “No one thinks about it until it breaks, and then they really appreciate a fast repair.”
Burton said that urgency helped to shape AG Drives’ business philosophy: responsive service, honest timelines and fast turnaround when customers need it most.
“What differentiates us is how quickly we’re able to get our product out the door,” he said. “A lot of other companies have long lead times and poor customer service. One of the biggest things we have going for us is our fast lead times.”
Three generations of driveline expertise
Burton said for him, AG Drives is more than a business.
He said it continues a family legacy that began in 1986 when his grandfather, Robert, founded All Power Transmission in Howard and built a reputation for quality driveshaft manufacturing.
After selling that company, Burton said his grandfather launched AG Drives in 2011, growing it before selling the business to Burton and his longtime friend, Zach Earley.
AG Drives’ earliest days, Burton said, looked much different from the growing manufacturing operation it is today.
He said he helped his grandfather build the foundation of the company, starting with a storage unit filled with parts used to make driveshafts.
Burton said his background as a mechanical design engineer and machinist gave him the skills to combine engineering expertise with hands-on manufacturing experience as he helped grow AG Drives into the company it is today.
“I developed the engineering and machining skills needed to build the company into a manufacturer,” he said.
Burton said he continues to lean on his grandfather’s guidance and the support of mentors both within and beyond the Greater Green Bay Chamber’s Startup Hub.
Partnership drives growth
A key chapter in AG Drives’ growth, Burton said, began when he partnered with Earley.
“Creating a brick-and-mortar business wouldn’t have been possible without him,” he said.
Burton said Earley now leads driveline assembly operations – overseeing welding, assembly and dynamic balancing to ensure every driveshaft meets quality standards.
The company remains intentionally small, Burton said, with just six employees, but has steadily expanded operations over the last two years at the Startup Hub.
“We slowly expanded from one unit to another and added more machinery,” he said. “All of this growth was slow creep.”
Today, Blake Schultz, director of business development, said AG Drives occupies about 3,200 square feet inside the Startup Hub, with additional storage space elsewhere.
“Right now, we’re almost at the limit of what we [can] do in [this space],” he said.
Engineering as a differentiator
Though fast lead times attract customers, Burton said he believes AG Drives’ engineering expertise is the company’s primary advantage.
Many customers know the problem they need to solve, he said, but lack the technical knowledge to design a driveline system.
AG Drives, Burton said, provides complete in-house engineering support, sizing shafts, selecting components and designing entire driveline systems from the ground up.
“People don’t understand torque, shaft sizing and RPM,” he said. “We’ll size the whole driveline and design the whole thing. That capability lets the company move beyond replacement parts and act as a technical resource.”
Even when AG Drives isn’t the right fit, Burton said he ensures customers leave with the information they need.
“I always make sure after they talk to us, whether or not we got the job, [that] they have the information they need,” he said.
Other driveline businesses, Burton said, often become customers.
“There are a lot of driveline shops in the nation, but having our own supporting machine shop and tooling department sets us apart,” he said. “A few of these driveline shops are customers because they don’t machine parts. They like to work with us because we understand how everything goes together.”
Built in-house
Every driveshaft AG Drives produces, Burton said, is custom-built and typically consists of four to eight precision components – tubing, yokes, splined shafts, hubs and other machined parts.
The process, he said, begins in the machine shop where CNC equipment manufactures components to exact specifications, giving the team control over quality, lead times and consistency.
Components move to the driveline shop for welding, assembly and dynamic balancing, Burton said, to ensure smooth performance.
Finished products, he said, are painted, packaged and prepared for delivery.
Performing production in-house, Burton said, has transformed AG Drives from a parts-focused business into a full-service manufacturing operation.
Tradition meets technology
Though AG Drives is rooted in family tradition, Burton said modernization is essential.
“We’re doing a lot of things differently than my grandfather, which can cause some headbutting,” he said. “But in the end, everyone wants us to succeed, and we’re going to do what we think is best for each situation.”
Burton said the company has invested in CNC equipment, modern cutting technology, software-driven programming and digital manufacturing processes.
“We’re taking the business into the 21st century,” he said.
Burton said he believes AG Drives is redefining what a driveline company can be.
“A lot of things we do here are ahead of some of our competitors with both machine work and marketing,” he said. “One thing we try to differentiate ourselves with is being a new-age driveline company.”
Quality beyond the product
Though customers often cite responsiveness and reliability as reasons they keep working with AG Drives, Burton said the company also focuses on details many manufacturers overlook.
Freshly painted driveshafts, he said, are allowed to cure before being packed in custom-built crates designed with compartments to prevent damage during shipping and ensure a professional delivery.
“When they’re painted, it looks like a paint job on a car,” he said. “We get a lot of compliments on our paint job and how well our boxes are packed.”
Building the next chapter
Burton said modernization has also meant strengthening AG Drives’ marketing and digital presence.
Schultz said he was brought on to strengthen the company’s website and online presence.
“Today, my role extends far beyond marketing,” he said. “I’ve helped lead the implementation of our ERP system, developed our branding and digital presence and supported business development as AG Drives continues to grow.”
Schultz said for him, AG Drives’ appeal lies in blending manufacturing heritage with innovation.
“To me, AG Drives represents more than manufacturing driveshafts,” he said. “It represents the next generation of manufacturing, where heritage and innovation work side by side.”
As AG Drives expands, Burton said leadership is evaluating options for a standalone facility to accommodate additional equipment and employees.
He said they anticipate purchasing or building their own location within the next one to four years, depending on growth.
For more information on AG Drives, head to the aforementioned website.
