Bearings make the world go round. Literally.
From the small ball bearings found in roller blades to the cylindrical bearings found in automotive transmissions, bearings reduce friction, allowing various parts to work in conjunction with one another without overheating.
IndustryNet, an industrial marketplace that helps industrial buyers find suppliers, lists hundreds of bearing manufacturers and suppliers. This article will explore the largest bearings manufacturers in the U.S.
Data and Statistics on U.S. Bearings Suppliers
According to MNI, compiler & publisher of the industrial data that powers IndustryNet, 17% of bearings manufacturers distribute their products internationally, between aircraft bearings, babbitt, ball, rod end, spherical, self-lubricating bearings, and many other types.
32% of bearing manufacturers are located in the Midwest, while 27% are located in the U.S. South. Anouther 26% are located in the East Coast and another 15% in the Mountain/Pacific region. Out of the 246 bearings manufacturers in the United States, the following are the top bearings suppliers based on number of employees.
With heightened demand in the automotive industry, the outlook for companies that provide bearings remains positive, with the global bearings market size exceeding $4.3 billion in 2020, and expected to post a 8.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2021 and 2027.
Top 10 Bearings Suppliers in the U.S.
| Company | City | State | Number of Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| NTN Driveshaft, Inc. | Columbus | IN | 1,650 |
| American NTN Bearing Manufacturing Corp. | Elgin | IL | 675 |
| JTEKT North America Corp. | Orangeburg | SC | 450 |
| Amsted Rail Brenco | Petersburg | VA | 350 |
| The Timken Co. | Bucyrus | OH | 350 |
| Rexnord Industries, LLC | Downers Grove | IL | 300 |
| Timken US Corp. | Union | SC | 300 |
| Regal Beloit, Power Transmission Solutions Div. | Monticello | IN | 250 |
| NTN-Bearing Corp. | Hamilton | AL | 225 |
| PEER Bearing Company | Waukegan | IL | 150 |
About the Top 10 Bearings Suppliers in the U.S.
1. NTN Driveshaft, Inc. (610,300 square feet, 1,650 employees) - Located in Columbus, Indiana, NTN was the first bearing company to win the Deming Prize - an award that honors people and businesses for the contributions and commitment to Total Quality Management. NTN brings this commitment to bear with all of their clients, including John Deere, Caterpillar, Dana, General Electric, Valmont Industries and many others.
2. American NTN Bearings Manufacturing Corporation (433,800 square feet, 675 employees) - Founded in 1918 in Elgin, Illinois, American NTN manufactures ball bearings, spherical, tapered, cylindrical, and needle roller bearings. It is the third largest bearing manufacturer in the world.
3. JTEKT North America Corp (428,000 square feet, 450 employees) - Operating under the brand name JTKT in Orangeburg, South Carolina, this company offers engineering and manufacturing for bearings ranging from an outer diameter of seven meters to one millimeter.
4. Amstead Rail Brenco (544,880 square feet, 350 employees) - Established in 1983, Amstead Rail takes its projects, small to large, from raw material to pre-paint in Petersburg, Virginia. It holds CWB (Canadian Welding Bureau) Certification and Intertek Certification.
7. Timken Company (370,000 square feet, 350 employees) - Named as one of the world's most ethical companies in March 2017, the Timken location in Bucyrus, Ohio is one of only five industrial manufacturers to receive this designation from the Ethisphere Institute.
4. Rexnord Industries, Inc. (200,000 square feet, 300 employees) - Downers Grove, IL houses this company which primarily serves two major market segments. Under the process motion and control market, the company operates as Rexnord and Rexnord Aerospace. In the water management market, Zurn and VAG are its primary brands.
10. Timken U.S. Corporation (350,000 square feet, 300 employees) - This division, housed in Union, South Carolina, focuses primarily on roller bearings. Founder Henry Timken's desire "of making the world move more efficiently and reliably" still holds true today.
6. Regal Beloit America, Inc. (160,000 square feet, 250 employees) - Located in Monticello, Indiana, Regal Beloit works is comprised of three major market segments - commercial and industrial systems, climate solutions and power transmission solutions.
8. NTN - Bearing Corporation (373,000 square feet, 225 employees) - NTN in Hamilton, Alabama began production in 1904 with a new thrust controlling roller bearing for horse drawn carriages. The company has grown to include fan housings, mass weight bearings and other bearing-related products.
10. Peer Bearing Company (150 employees) - Based in Waukegan, Illinois, Peer Bearing Company provides deep groove ball bearings, mounted unit and insert bearings, and also provides agricultural and tapered roller bearings for a wide range of industries including agricultual, electrical, material handling and off-highway industries.
To learn more about these and other top bearings companies, as well as hundreds of thousands of other U.S. industrial suppliers, start your search on IndustryNet. Here, you can request a quote, download a supplier catalog, create a list of suppliers, find a company's social media links, look up a company address and more.
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Editor's Note: This post was originally published in June 2017. It is updated annually to reflect new data and statistics.
