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The Timken Company
A global technology leader, Timken designs and develops engineered bearings and industrial motion products. For 125 years, our future-focused expertise has...
The Timken Company
A global technology leader, Timken designs and develops engineered bearings and industrial motion products. For 125 years, our future-focused expertise has innovated solutions that deliver a more efficient tomorrow.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
1899
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
North Canton
Corporate office
4500 Mount Pleasant Street NW, North Canton, OH, United States
Additional offices
Bharuch, Gujarat, India · Ferndale, WA, United States · Duncan, SC, United States
Principals
John M. Timken Jr.
Non-Executive Chairman of the Board
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who chairs the board of The Timken Company?
John M. Timken Jr. serves as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, representing the fifth generation of the founding family. He has held the role since 2014. Day-to-day operations are managed by professional executive leadership separate from the chairman role.
Is The Timken Company a single-family office?
No. The Timken Company is a publicly traded industrial corporation (NYSE: TKR), not a family office. The Timken family maintains governance influence through board leadership, but the entity reports quarterly earnings and is subject to public-company regulatory requirements. The family's philanthropic capital flows through the Timken Foundation of Canton, a separate entity.
Where does the underlying family wealth come from?
The wealth originated with Henry Timken's 1898 patent for the tapered roller bearing, which reduced friction in rotating machinery. He incorporated The Timken Roller Bearing Axle Company in 1899 in St. Louis before moving operations to Canton, Ohio. The bearing design became essential to the automotive industry's mass-production era and remains the company's core engineering legacy.
Does The Timken Company maintain venture capital operations?
Yes. The firm operates a venture capital arm that targets early-stage industrial technology companies, focusing on automation, advanced materials, and precision engineering. The strategy aligns with the parent company's expertise in friction management, power transmission, and engineered surfaces.
What is the relationship between The Timken Company and TimkenSteel?
TimkenSteel was a division of The Timken Company until it was spun off as an independent publicly traded company in 2014. Ward J. Timken Jr. served as Chairman and CEO of TimkenSteel following the separation. The two companies now operate independently, though the Timken name persists on both.
What philanthropic structures are associated with the Timken family?
The Timken Foundation of Canton, led by President and Trustee Robert R. Timken, is the primary philanthropic vehicle. The Timken Family Charitable Trust also distributes family philanthropic capital. The family co-founded the Timken Museum of Art in San Diego's Balboa Park alongside the Putnam family, and the museum houses the Putnam Collection.
How does The Timken Company approach energy-transition investments?
The company supplies bearings and power-transmission systems to wind-turbine manufacturers, and in May 2024 announced North American capacity expansion for wind-energy bearing production. The firm positions its engineered-motion products as enabling technology for onshore wind generation, consistent with its broader pivot toward industrial-motion applications beyond legacy automotive markets.
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