RBC

RBC Bearings, the full name being Roller Bearing Company of America, was founded in 1919 in Newark, New Jersey, United States. The current headquarters of RBC Bearings is located in Oxford, Connecticut.

A notable milestone for RBC Bearings before 1990 was in 1941 when it became a supplier of bearings for military aircraft landing gears and helicopter main rotor controls. However, its true development came after 1990 when RBC Bearings adopted a vertical integration strategy through the acquisition of different bearing product lines and their corresponding application areas. This allowed RBC Bearings to become a diversified bearing company while maintaining multiple bearing brands. The acquisition of Dodge Bearings in 2021 follows this acquisition strategy, indicating that the Dodge brand's image is expected to be further strengthened under RBC's umbrella.

In 1990, RBC Bearings acquired Industrial Tectonics Bearings (ITB) based in California, which provided the capability to produce high-precision bearings such as thin-walled ball bearings. This acquisition allowed RBC Bearings to successfully enter the aerospace and defense industries. In 1992, RBC Bearings acquired Transport Dynamics (TDC), which added sliding bearings to its product portfolio, primarily targeting engine and helicopter applications and quickly being adopted on the entire Boeing 727 aircraft. In 1993, RBC Bearings acquired Heim® Bearings, expanding into rod end bearing field, widely applied in aerospace products. In 2000, RBC Bearings acquired the Schaublin factory in Switzerland, adding metric rod end bearings and metric spherical bearings to its product line and establishing a European distribution center. In 2003, RBC Bearings acquired Torrington's aerospace factory (API), which produced needle roller bearings, roller, cam follower bearings, and thrust ball bearings for aircraft. The aforementioned acquisitions primarily aimed at expanding RBC's business in the aerospace field, and the subsequent series of acquisitions were aimed at entering the industrial bearing sector. In 2004, 2005, and 2006, RBC Bearings respectively acquired U.S. Bearings, Southwest Products Inc, and Allpower Manufacturing located in California, shifting RBC from a single aerospace business to the industrial sector and opening up the U.S. industrial market. It is worth mentioning that another milestone for RBC Bearings was in 2005 when the company successfully listed on the NASDAQ in the United States.

RBC Bearings entered the second phase of strategic acquisitions through the power of capital markets. In 2008, RBC Bearings acquired A.I.D. Corporation, whose products were mainly used in fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, significantly surpassing its competitors. In 2009, RBC Bearings acquired Lubron Bearing Systems, enabling RBC to enter various challenging applications in industries such as nuclear power, bridges, steel, and mining. In 2013, RBC Bearings acquired Western Precision Gear, increasing its market share in precision gears. In 2021, RBC Bearings acquired the Dodge brand, successfully introducing products such as mounted bearings, gearboxes, gear motors, couplings, and smart sensors.

Through these acquisitions, what kind of company is RBC Bearings today? In the fiscal year 2022, its global sales reached 942.9 million USD, with the aerospace business accounting for 28% and the industrial bearing business accounting for 72%. RBC Bearings has a global workforce of 5,400 employees and operates 31 factories worldwide. In the recently published 2022 RBC financial report, the company stated its intention to continue seeking attractive acquisitions as a priority for its future strategic development. We are eagerly anticipating who will be the next acquisition target for RBC Bearings.

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