IKO Bearing

The IKO brand is owned by Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd., a company that manufactures needle roller bearings, linear motion rolling guides, precision positioning tables, and machine components.

History

In 1950, the company Daiichi-Kogyo Co., Ltd. was established in Nagoya, Aichi as a supplier of bearings and machine components. Several years later, the company started researching and designing needle roller bearings. The company sold their needle roller bearings through a business alliance with Nippon Thompson Bearing Co., Ltd. In 1959, the company started manufacturing needle roller bearings in their newly constructed factory located in Himeji, Hyogo. In 1963, the company moved its headquarters to Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo and registered the trademark IKO as its corporate brand. The company aslo changed its name to Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd. and listed its stock in the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The following year, the company acquired Nippon Thompson Bearing Co., Ltd. and constructed a new factory in Kamakura, Kanagawa. The company's stock was listed in the Osaka Securities Exchange in 1967. In 1969, Nippon Thompson entered a four-year business tie-up with SKF, a Swedish bearing manufacturer. The company also built another new factory; this time in Mino, Gifu. Two years later, the company established its subsidiaries IKO INTERNATIONAL, INC., in the U.S. and IKO Sales Co., Ltd. in Minato-ku, Tokyo. In 1973, the company established another subsidiary, Kasagami MFG. Co., Ltd. in Mino, Gifu. Two years later, another subsidiary was established, NIPPON THOMPSON EUROPE B.V. in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. By 1978, the company had started developing and selling its Linear Way series. In 1982, the company introduced their Mechatronics series. The following year, roller-type linear motion guides were added to the company's product range. In 1984, a second factory was built in Gifu. Four years later, a third factory was added to the Gifu Factory Complex. In 1989, the company created another subsidiary, Mugegawa MFG. Co., Ltd. in Seki, Gifu. The IKO brand is owned by Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd., a company that manufactures needle roller bearings, linear motion rolling guides, precision positioning tables, and machine components.

Headquarters & Locations

Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd. has its headquarters located in Tokyo, Japan. The company also has operations in Thailand, China, The Netherlands, Spain, UK, France, Germany, and in various states in the U.S.

Photo Courtesy of Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.