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1918 |
NTN's Founders |
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NTN's founders began research and manufacture of ball bearings at Nishizono Ironworks (Uchibori, Kuwana-cho, Kuwana-gun Mie Pref.)
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Jiro Nishizono,
founder
At Nishizono Ironworks
(1923)
Noboru Niwa,
founder and first President
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1923 |
The NTN Brand Name is introduced |
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Nishizono Ironworks and Tomoe Trading Co. (Nishi-ku, Osaka) inaugurated joint manufacturer and sale of bearings under the brand name NTN.
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In front of Tomoe Trading Co. (1935)
The letters in our company name originated from the initials of our founding members: N for Noboru Niwa, the man who first invested capital, T for Tomoe Trading Co., the company run by Mr. Niwa that was responsible for sales, and N for Jiro Nishizono, a skilled engineer. In 1922 a Swedish vessel carrying a cargo of bearings sank in Kobe harbor. The bearings were auctioned off by the insurance company and the successful bidder was Mr. Niwa. This turned out to be a bonanza, and with the profits Mr. Niwa purchased three foreign-made grinding machines. He installed them in the Nishizono Ironworks, asking Mr. Nishizono, a wizard at technology, to study bearing manufacturing technology. Their zeal and perseverance paid off and the first NTN bearings appeared in the market.
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1939 |
Kuwana Plant constructed |
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1954 |
The Deming Prize Medal. |
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NTN was awarded the Deming Prize for statistical quality control for the first time in the Japanese machinery industry.
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1960 |
Established Iwata Works |
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The Iwata Works when it was first built
NTN's constant striving toward high ideals and technical innovation resulted in the establishment of the Iwata Works in 1960, which enabled NTN to commence mass production of ball bearings.
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1961 |
Establishment of NTN Walzlager (Europa) G.m.b.H. in West Germany. |
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Mr. Haupler
Mr. Haupler, who joined NTN in 1967, did real pioneering work as manager of the Stuttgart branch. At that time the market in Germany was dominated by two other firms and it was extremely difficult to sell Japanese products. Mr. Haupler, however, succeeded in convincing various key customers of the excellent quality of NTN products and today NTN is one of the key suppliers to such companies as Bosch and Daimler Benz. Due to his successful work, Mr. Haupler was promoted to Sales Director and finally Vice President of NTN Germany in 1990. After 27 years of outstanding service he went into a well-earned retirement in 1994.
From Mr. Haupler
I would like to offer my warmest congratulations on the occasion of NTN's 80th jubilee. It was a great pleasure for me to have the chance to accompany this organization on its way in Germany for almost one third of these eighty years from 1967 to 1994. Due to the outstanding quality of their products and owing to a great willingness to excel, NTN quickly became renowned throughout Germany. Today NTN is held in great esteem as a reliable partner by the entire German industry. Let me take this opportunity to wish the company the best of luck and future success, both in Germany and throughout the world.
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1961 |
NTN Obtains Needle Bearing Technology from INA |
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Considering that the initial payment exceeded 17% of NTN's capital, the decision to obtain needle bearing technology through technical cooperation with INA required great courage. Subsequently, however NTN came to lead the industry in the domestic needle bearing market.
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1963 |
Establishment of NTN Bearing Corp. of America |
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Mr. Wallenberger
Mr. Wallenberger, a graduate engineer with an MBA from New York University, joined NBCA as Executive Vice President in 1975 and in 1977 he was assigned as the first American President. Under his great leadership, NBCA's sales grew dramatically from less than $30 million to $167.7 million by 1985. He also established the current distributor sales, FM and Caterpillar business foundation. Sadly, Mr. Wallenberger passed away on February 14, 1985 at the age of 58.
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1963 |
Constant Velocity Joints |
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"NTN headquarters in Kyomachibori, formerly the Osaka branch of Meiji Bank
The headquarters building today which was completed in January 1964.
Seeking to diversity into non-bearing fields, NTN looked for opportunities for technical cooperation throughout the West and in 1963 secured a technological license agreement with Hardy Spicer Ltd. U.K., for Birfield-type constant velocity joints. CVJ's are now one of our leading products, but at the time, marketing was difficult. "I can never forget the tenacity with which we strove to recover lost territory in the automotive industry," recalls Mr. Otsu, 5th NTN President. "Even when we had to grasp at straws, we refused to quit until we found a solution, and when it came, it was like an inspiration from God."
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1964 |
Established NTN France S.A. |
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Established NTN Bearings (UK) Ltd.
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1968 |
Established NTN Bearing Corp. of Canada |
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1969 |
The Crown Prince Visits |
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"The Crown Prince visiting the Iwata Works (1969)."
The Iwata Works was honored by a visit from the Crown Prince of Japan (the present Emperor) on February 6, 1969, an event which demonstrated the plant's importance.
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1971 |
Established American NTN Bearing Mfg. Corp |
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Established NTN Trading-Hong Kong Ltd.
Established Toyo Bearing Okayama Co., Ltd.
Established NTN Kugellagerfabrik (Deutschland) G.m.b.H.
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1973 |
Established NTN Bearing Mfg. (Canada) Ltd. |
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(Merged into NTN Bearing Corp. Of Canada Ltd. in 1980).
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NTN Bearing Corporation of Canada in 1971
NTN Canadian Manufacturing Facility when it was first established (1973)
Constructed constant velocity joint factory in Toyo Bearing Iwata Co. Ltd.
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1975 |
Established NTN Elgin Corp. (U.S.A.), |
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(Merged into American NTN Bearing Mfg. Corp. in 1985).
New Takarazuka Plant completed.
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1982 |
Constructed constant velocity joint factory in Toyo Bearing Okayama Co., Ltd. |
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1983 |
Merged with Toyo Bearing Iwata Co., Ltd. and Toyo Bearing Okayama Co., Ltd. |
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1984 |
Established Toyo Bearing Nagano Co., Ltd. |
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1985 |
Established NTN-Bower Corp., |
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a joint venture with Federal Mogul Corporation (U.S.A.).
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1986 |
Constructed Japan's first plant dedicated to aerospace bearings |
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(in Kuwana Plant).
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1987 |
NTN-Bower Corp. became a 100% owned affiliate |
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1988 |
Established Unidrive Pty. Ltd., |
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a joint venture manufacturer of constant velocity joints in Australia.
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1990 |
NTN USA Corp. founded as headquarters in the U.S.A. |
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1989 |
Merged with Toyo Bearing Nagano Co., Ltd. |
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Merged with Toyo Bearing Nagano Co., Ltd.
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1994 |
ISO9002 certification acquired. |
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Established a distribution center in Singapore
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1996 |
Ball bearing division of American firm Federal-Mogul Corporation (U.S.A.) acquired, |
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NTN-BCA Corp. established.
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1997 |
Nagano Plant and 4 Engineering Departments acquired ISO9001/Qs-9000 certification for their quality systems, |
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making NTN the first bearing manufacturer to receive QS-9000 certification in Japan. Achieved 200 million target for domestic production of constant velocity joints.
Established NTN do Brazil Ltda.
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1998 |
Commemorated 80th anniversary. |
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1998 |
Established NTN Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. |
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Iwata area NTN enterprise obtained ISO14001 certification. Established NTN TRabnsmission Europe for CVJ production through a joint corporation with Renault of France.
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1999 |
All plants and R&D Centers in Japan obtained ISO14001 certification by a multi-site qualification procedure |
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2000 |
NTN Group completed full certification for the ISO9000 series |
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2002 |
joint venture |
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In an joint venture, established SHANGHAI NTN CORPORATION in China for the manufacture of CVJ cassetles and other products. In a joint venture with Nidec Corporation of Japan, established NTN-NIDEC (ZHEJIANG) CORPORATION for the manufacture of FDB units in China. In a joint venture with Taiwan Yulong Group Corporation, established GUANGZHOU NTN-YULON DRIVETRAIN CO., LTD. for the manufacture of C.V. Joint Units in Guang Zhou, China.
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