Kaydon Bearings marks 25 years in Mexico
05.2012

Muskegon, Michigan, USA...The Kaydon Bearings Division operations in Monterrey, Mexico have come a long way since 1987, growing from 12 employees to nearly 500 and producing some 490,000 slewing ring bearings for customers around the world.

The operations celebrated their 25th anniversary April 12 with refreshments, commemorative shirts and visits by senior management from Kaydon corporate headquarters in the U.S.

"All of us in the Kaydon Bearings Division recognize and appreciate the contributions of our colleagues in Mexico over the past 25 years," said Jeff Manzagol, division president. "Their dedication and hard work are vital to maintaining our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction, and to our company's continued growth."

Kaydon's Mexican operations manufacture slewing ring bearings for the renewable energy, heavy equipment, and industrial machinery markets. Launched in a small shop in Santa Catarina in 1987, production moved in 1989 to a larger plant in La Silla, which has twice been expanded. In 2007 the company opened a second facility, in Guadalupe, to make pitch and yaw bearings for wind turbines.

The two plants manufacture slewing ring bearings as large as 144 inches (3.66 m) in diameter and have earned ISO:9001-2008 and numerous customer certifications. Capabilities include induction heat treating and zinc flame spray coating.

The Kaydon Bearings operations have contributed to the Monterrey community in a variety of ways over the years. One successful program supports local citizens and the environment by collecting aluminum cans, selling them to recyclers, and using the money to buy wheel chairs, oxygen tanks and other medical equipment for those who need them.

Kaydon Bearings is a leading global manufacturer of standard and custom thin section bearings, high-level bearing assemblies, and slewing ring bearings for a wide range of manufacturing and process applications. The division is also a major supplier of remanufactured and new replacement bearings.

Kaydon Corporation is a leading designer and manufacturer of custom-engineered, performance-critical products, supplying a broad and diverse group of alternative-energy, industrial, aerospace, medical, and electronic equipment, and aftermarket customers.