NTN, a global leader in bearing manufacturing, celebrated its 100th anniversary on March 1.
“This is a momentous occasion,” said Tetsuya Sogo, CEO – Americas region, senior executive officer, NTN Corp. “With the spirit of our founders, Noboru Niwa and Jiro Nishizono, NTN has risen above various difficulties and developed a world-class business over the past century. Our corporate philosophy of ‘We shall contribute to an international society through creating new technologies and developing new products’ is an embodiment of the spirit of our founders. We at NTN Americas will continue to support this philosophy with our growth-minded leaders and all the inspired employees who focus on the relentless pursuit of excellence.”
In 1918, NTN began research and engineering of its first bearing products in Japan as Nishizono Ironworks, named after founder Jiro Nishizono. Five years later in 1923, Nishizono Ironworks teamed up with Tomoe Trading Co. to manufacture and sell bearings. Then, in 1927, Noboru Niwa provided capital to establish NTN Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Since then, NTN has continued to advance its research and engineering of bearing products while expanding its global operations.
Today, NTN is a precision equipment manufacturer that focuses primarily on bearings and has developed it global presence with 219 locations in 33 countries. NTN says its focus on bearings, an “eco product” that reduces energy consumption by reducing friction, lends itself to the company’s goal of developing technologies that make the world function smoothly.
“When a corporation has been doing business globally for 100 years, it is indeed reason for celebration,” said Pete Eich, president and CEO, NTN Bearing Corporation of America (NBCA). “We at NBCA are proud to do our part and will continue to do so as NTN marches onward with the goal of expanding its contribution to the realization of a smooth-running society, even as both society and business continue to change drastically.”
As the first bearing manufacturer to be awarded the Deming Prize for recognition of its quality products and systems, NTN bearings are often selected by leading global companies for use in applications such as automobiles, railroad cars, construction machinery, aircraft, medical equipment and more. In the automotive field alone, NTN states that it enjoys the largest global market share of hub bearings and the second-largest global share of drive shaft bearings.
