Cooper Bearings Continues Growth in Centenary

Cooper Bearings Continues Growth in Centenary Cooper Roller Bearing (UK, a division of Kaydon Corp., USA) has seen the market share for its split roller bearings steadily improve, and is set for another level of growth. Founded in 1907 and located in King's Lynn, UK, Cooper is currently celebrating its 100th year in business. It was acquired by Kaydon in 1991. By the end of 2007, Cooper said it expects to add 35 more workers. But an aggressive expansion drive in 2008 will create a need for at least 120 more, bringing total employment close to 400. For the same period, parent Kaydon has reportedly committed at least USD $1 million to support Cooper's capital expansion. Annual sales are in the neighborhood of $25 million, but Cooper said sales are currently capacity-restricted as it experiences strong growth, topping 30%, across markets worldwide. Currently running two shifts, the company is also exploring the possibility of adding a third. Cooper's proprietary split roller bearings are used in several industries with strong recent performance -- power generation, steel manufacturing, mining, oil and gas exploration, cement mixing, heavy conveyors, quarrying, and marine. The company credits not only organic growth in its overall target markets, but also effective sales resulting in a greater share of those markets.