Table of Contents
From simple metal circles, bearings have come a long way, and constant innovation has made them one of the world’s most indispensable mechanical components.
Today you can join me to learn about the world’s top 8 bearing manufacturers and the stories behind them.
From the small ball bearings in roller skates to the cylindrical bearings in car transmissions, bearings reduce friction and allow various components to work together without overheating.
VDO, an industrial marketplace that helps industrial buyers find suppliers, lists hundreds of bearing manufacturers and suppliers.
Today we will discuss data and statistics about bearing suppliers in the United Kingdom. The right of interpretation belongs to VDO.
01
VDO
- https://vdobearings.com/
- Brand origin: Shandong, China
- Year of establishment: 1992
- Company Type: Factory, Trade
- Main products: Ball bearings, roller bearings, special bearings
You read it right, although our VDO brand is not as influential as the big brands, we have achieved great success after more than 10 years of unremitting efforts, our annual sales are over 10 million, and I have to take our company as an example of the top 10 bearing manufacturers in the world.
Our bearings are sold all over the world and I am sure you see our brand bearings on many machines. So we have a place in the world’s bearings market.
02
Hoffmann
- Brand origin: Whitehall Road, Leeds. LS12 5JB. U K
- Year of establishment:1900
- Company Type: Manufacturers
- Main products: Any range of bearings
Hoffmann bearings are known for their quality and precision. With a large inventory of Hoffmann bearings covering their entire product line.
No matter how old your machine is, we have an archive of Hoffmann bearings dating back to the early 1900s – so if anyone can help you, it’s them!
From the very beginning, Hoffmann Manufacturing Company has been willing and able to manufacture “special” bearings designed specifically for the exact requirements of our customers.
Usually prefixed with the letter “N”, these bearings make up a significant proportion of the entire product range, numbering in the hundreds.
Since the early 1900s when cars were first built in the UK, Hoffmann has supplied bearings to all major manufacturers including Rolls Royce, Bentley, Daimler, Austin, Riley and many others.
03
Barden
- Brand origin: Plymbridge Road, Estover Plymouth, Devon PL6 7LH, UK
- Year of establishment:1947
- Company Type: Manufacturers
- Main products: Precision Ball Bearings
Barden Corporation was founded in 1947. The founders, Bill Spencer and Stan Hensby, spent many years working in the Sperry Brentford gyroscope factory, developing their expertise in precision instrument bearings.
After years of expansion, The Barden Corporation (US) acquired EMO Instrumentation and in 1960 established The Barden Corporation (UK) Ltd. The company moved to Plymouth on the southwest coast of England in 1966 before being acquired by FAG in 1990. The company moved to Plymouth on the southwest coast of England in 1966 and was then acquired by FAG in 1990. With manufacturing facilities in Germany, the United States and Canada, the Barden Corporation became part of FAG’s Aerospace and Ultra Precision Division in 1994 before being acquired by INA-Schaeffler KG in 2001 and becoming a member of the Schaeffler Group.
Barden Corporation is recognized as a world leader in the design and manufacture of ultra-precision ball bearings. The company produces bearings of exceptional quality and precision and is known worldwide for its high reliability and long service life in challenging applications.
04
RHP
- Brand origin: Wolverhampton England
- Year of establishment:1969
- Company Type: Suppliers
- Main products: Bearings, Transmissions and Belts
RHP was established in the UK in 1969 through the merger of three bearing manufacturers – Ramsome and Marles, Hoffmann Bearing Company and Pollard Bearing Company.
With the merger of these three bearing companies and the rationalization of their product range, many bearings became obsolete. Redhill Trading has a large inventory of RHP bearings and for those obsolete sizes that are no longer available, Redhill has established a trading relationship with a leading British bearing manufacturer to supply discontinued sizes of ball and roller bearings, manufactured to the highest standards Jon Robinson became involved in the bearing industry in 1972 and started his own business in 1979, becoming heavily involved in supplying top brand bearings, gearboxes and ancillary products to the export market.
05
Godiva
- Brand origin: Dudley, West Midlands UK
- Year of establishment:1977
- Company Type: Exclusive distributor
- Main products: Needle roller and rod end bearings
This thriving and successful business was founded in 1977 by Ian Cuthill, who was soon joined by his brother Paul, supplying rod ends to a Surrey manufacturer of light bulb machinery. Ian specialized in sourcing products and was a formidable buyer, while brother Paul was responsible for delivering and collecting bearings from his motorcycles in the early days, but it soon became apparent that his talents lay elsewhere. as his once more charismatic personality was better suited to selling products and communicating with customers.
Godiva has an unrivaled reputation for its position of supplying only bearings to the trade, as other trade suppliers also deal with end users and therefore compete with their trade customers.
The company has also developed an excellent export business and its excellent “stock” position again means that Godiva is the supplier of choice when immediate delivery is required.
Godiva Bearings is unique in that it specializes in the bearing trade and does not compete with its customers by supplying OEMs and end users, but passes all such inquiries on to its bearing trade partners.
06
Main line
- Brand origin: Percy Street, Tong Road, Leeds LS12 1EL UK
- Year of establishment:1978
- Company Type: Distributors and Wholesalers
- Main products: Bearings, Belts and Power Transmission
Main Line Bearing Company Limited – is the UK’s leading distributor wholesaler of bearings, belts and power transmissions! Established in 1978, it is one of the largest distributors and stockists of bearings, belts and transmissions in the UK. Through partnerships with leading manufacturers such as IKO Nippon Thompson, Distag QCS, Rollway, MTK+, NTN Bearings and Koyo Bearings, Main Line Bearings Company can guarantee a reliable supply of quality products. With 3 warehouses in the UK, a next-day delivery service is available for any item in stock. Customers can also benefit from a local delivery and collection service.
07
ACORN
- Brand origin: Registered in England and Wales
- Year of establishment:1983
- Company Type: Power transmission equipment distributors
- Main products: Bearings, belts, sprockets, pulleys, inverters, motors, gearboxes, etc.
Since 1983, ACORN® has provided timely and reliable delivery, technical support and solutions through dedicated product specialists. One of Europe’s largest stockists of bearings, linear motion systems, power transmission products and maintenance equipment.
With over 6 million items in stock, cost and time savings can be achieved through single sourcing of multiple brands and products.
In addition to our central distribution center in Rotherham, Acorn has locations throughout the UK, including regional distribution centers in Berkshire in the South, Avonmouth in Bristol, Sindford in Gloucestershire, Oldbury in the Midlands, Chesterfield in the East Midlands, Deeside, Barrow in Furness in the North West, Washington in the North East and Fife in Scotland.
08
R&M
- Brand origin: Dundee, Scotland UK
- Year of establishment:1983
- Company Type: Exclusive distributor
- Main products: Needle roller and rod end bearings
R&M Bearings International Ltd has been providing a first-class service to customers in the UK and beyond. A growing specialist export business can supply products anywhere in the world.
Specialists in supplying quality-bearing products including SKF, FAG, TIMKEN, INA, NSK and RHP, with large stocks in our UK and European warehouses. Also the main official distributor of NTN-SNR in Scotland.
Now offering a full range of tools and hardware supplies. The product range includes hand tools, power tools, fixtures, sealants and adhesives, welding and abrasives, covering all the top brands.
09
ABEX
- Brand origin: Registered in England and Wales
- Year of establishment:1984
- Company Type: Power transmission equipment distributors
- Main products: Bearings, belts, sprockets, pulleys, inverters, motors, gearboxes, etc.
ABEX is a specialized distributor of power transmission equipment. Being the largest independent supplier & stockist of variable speed drives for bearings, belts, sprockets, pulleys, inverters, motors, gearboxes, lubricants, wheels and casters, transmission equipment in the Northwest.
After that, ABEX added to their range of services all fixings and fasteners; nuts and bolts, power tools and safety clothing. We also began offering hose assembly services. With our extensive experience, we are a one-stop store for engineered solutions.
10
Warehouse
- Brand origin: Limestone Cottage Ln, Sheffield
- Year of establishment:1988
- Company Type: Independent Wholesaler
- Main products: Bearings, free balls, free rollers and housings, etc.
Bearing Warehouse was established over 35 years ago by Martin Sowter in November 1988 to supply the global bearing trade with bearings and related products from leading European, American and Japanese manufacturers.
Under the direction of Chris Parish, the company has expanded significantly and now distributes Spanish automotive and tapered roller manufacturer Fersa Bearings, and is the sole distributor in the UK and Ireland for German bearing housing manufacturer HFB.
In 2008, Bearing Warehouse merged its ball and roller division to specialize in the supply of loose balls and rollers of all types, sizes and materials. The specialist division in Worthing, West Sussex now stocks over 15,000 products and is growing each year.
Note: The brands (or companies) and products presented above are presentations based on publicly available information. We refer to trademarks only to describe the brands and present knowledge, which does not imply any association or partnership with them. All trademarks and logos are the property of their brand owners. We are not an office, branch, or authorized agent of the brand in China and we only provide reseller services. If a brand owner believes that our use infringes on their trademark or copyright, please contact us and we will take immediate action to remove or disconnect the link.
