Company Profile
NTN Bearing Corporation of America
Company Overview
A forward-thinking bearing manufacturer
NTN Bearing Corporation of America is a leading manufacturer of anti-friction bearings and constant velocity joints in the United States. As the American operating company of NTN – one of the world’s largest bearing producers – we give you the core values of a leading global brand, combined with the flexibility and responsiveness of a trusted local partner.
Our company operates eleven state-of-the-art plants in the USA and Canada, and over 80% of the products sold in the United States are locally produced. To ensure prompt, off-the-shelf service at any time, anywhere in the country, we make our products available through an extensive network of distributors across the country.
NTN is a dynamic, future-minded American manufacturer that utilizes the six sigma quality approach in its constant pursuit of technical and operational excellence. Whether you are an OEM, distributor, or end user, you can rest assured that all of our efforts are focused on one goal – to provide the most reliable and cost-effective solutions for your bearing needs.
Company History
NTN began in 1918 when investor Noboru Niwa, his sales company Tomoe Trading Co., and engineer Jiro Nishizono joined together to design and manufacture the first NTN ball bearings.
By 1939, NTN had constructed what would become its global manufacturing center, Kuwana Works, and in 1954, NTN became the first Japanese industrial manufacturer to be awarded the prestigious Deming Prize for statistical quality control. NTN continued to grow throughout the 1950s and 1960s as additional factories were built and NTN sales operations expanded to Europe.
NTN Bearing Corporation of America was established in 1963 to support local sales of NTN bearings in the American market. NTN was now capable of manufacturing ball bearings, spherical, tapered, cylindrical, and needle roller bearings and automotive constant velocity joints. By the mid 1980s, NTN had acquired the Bower™ brand from Federal-Mogul Corporation, thereby expanding the company’s catalogue of tapered and cylindrical roller bearings. Ten years later, NTN acquired BCA™, again from Federal-Mogul, to round out its product line with automotive clutch release bearings and specialty agricultural bearing assemblies.
A two-year, phased investment in French bearing manufacturer SNR was completed in 2008, with NTN acquiring a controlling stake in the company. As the fifth largest bearing manufacturer in Europe, SNR’s involvement in Aerospace and its superior spherical roller bearing products have been key contributors to NTN’s continued growth.
Today, NTN operates more than fifty plants worldwide and is the third largest bearing manufacturer in the world.
Notable Products / Brands
Bower, BCA, SNR