The Timken Company (USA; NYSE: TKR) said it is expanding industrial bearing services, responding to long-term demand profiles in the heavy-duty industrial market.

The company has budgeted USD $6 million, including expansion of the South Bend, Indiana facility and spinning off a new service center in Union, South Carolina.

Union's service facility is currently in the bearing manufacturing plant there. Remanufacturing will begin moving to a standalone location by mid-2008 and be fully operational by 2009. Capacity will be 18" through 51" OD.

Joseph Wonsetter, Industrial Services' Global Operations Manager, said: "This investment supports Timken's global services strategy of providing integrated maintenance services for our customers' power transmission systems. This expansion will allow us to increase bearing repair capacity and improve on-time delivery requirements for customers."

Timken industrial bearing services offers TLM, including mill maintenance management programs, bearing remanufacturing, chock bearing maintenance, and roll and chock repair.

In addition to South Bend and Union, bearing repair and rebuilding centers [website] are located in India, Brazil, South Africa, China, Romania, and France.