WESTLAKE, Ohio – Koyo Corporation of USA, a supplier of bearings to various industrial markets, reported that it has enhanced its research and development capabilities, expanded its industrial product offerings and increased its North American capacity, as a result of parent company JTEKT’s recent acquisition of the Torrington Needle Roller Bearing business from The Timken Co. and the subsequent formation of Koyo Bearings USA LLC.

For more than 50 years, Koyo Corp. of USA has designed and manufactured a wide range of bearings focusing on key markets such as automotive, agriculture, electric motor repair, steel, construction, power sports and wind energy. Collaboration with the new Koyo Bearings USA will expand Koyo Corp. of USA’s product offerings and bring the combined technologies and expertise to new markets, including aerospace, machine tool and office equipment. 

“The alliance with Koyo Bearings USA allows us to maximize productivity and strengthen our current product offerings to meet the demands for the agricultural, construction and power sports markets, as well as be even more competitive and technologically advanced in the aerospace, machine tool and office equipment markets,” said Yoshio Tsuji, president and CEO, Koyo Corp. of USA.

Koyo Corp. of USA has three manufacturing facilities located in Orangeburg and Blythewood, S.C., and Washington County, Tenn., as well as an engineering and technical center in Plymouth, Mich. This existing manufacturing base is complemented by Koyo Bearings USA’s five United States needle roller bearing manufacturing facilities and their Greenville Tech Center located in Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research Park.

“JTEKT’s decision to acquire Timken’s Needle Roller Bearings business offers an opportunity for considerable synergies between the two companies,” said Rob Hamilton, director, industrial OEM and aftermarket sales, Koyo Corp. of USA. “Our engineering and manufacturing experience joined with their resources and capabilities will allow us to expand our technological expertise and our product offerings into new industrial markets.”

JTEKT signed approximately a $300 million agreement, after an adjustment in the value of retained assets, with Timken on July 29, 2009, to acquire its Needle Roller Bearing assets; the transaction was completed Dec. 31, 2009. JTEKT acquired a global production network of 12 needle roller bearings manufacturing facilities and three engineering technology centers located in:
• North America: Cairo, Dahlonega and Sylvania, Ga.; Greenville and  Walhalla, S.C.; and Bedford, Quebec, Canada
• Europe: Brno and Olomouc, Czech Republic; Maromme, Moult, and Vierzon, France;
Künsebeck, Germany (two); and Bilbao, Spain
• Asia: Wuxi (LiYuan), China

Koyo Bearings USA will manufacture needle roller bearings under the Koyo Torrington Needle Roller Bearings brand, which features an extensive range of radial and thrust needle roller bearings, as well as bearing assemblies and loose needles for automotive and industrial applications. The entire management team and its 3,400 associates will transition into the new business unit. Timken’s former president of needle roller bearings, Ken Hopkins, has been named president and chief operating officer of Koyo Bearings USA, which will manage the global business unit.