Timken to Transfer Balance of Reno and Toronto Logistics Operations to CoLinx

CANTON, Ohio, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Timken Company announced today that it intends to transfer the balance of its Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and Reno, Nevada warehousing operations to CoLinx. The transfer of the Toronto operations to CoLinx Canada ULC and the Reno facility to CoLinx, LLC are effective April 24, 2004. The U.S. and Canadian CoLinx companies, formed as a joint venture involving INA Holding Schaeffler KG, Rockwell Automation, The SKF Group and Timken, provide Web-based services and integrated logistics for premium-brand industrial manufacturers. The Reno and Toronto facilities currently ship Torrington(R) and Fafnir(R) products to authorized distributors throughout Canada and the western U.S. They will become integrated within the existing CoLinx operations that have already been shipping Timken(R) products for two years. These current moves drive greater efficiencies because they provide Timken with two primary distribution points for all of its brands across Canada and the western U.S. Canadian TransferThe transfer between CoLinx Canada and Timken includes the movement of warehouse operations from the current 15,000 square-foot facility located in Mississauga, a Toronto suburb, to a new 50,000 square-foot CoLinx warehouse in Bramalea, Ontario. CoLinx Canada has offered employment opportunities to Timken's four full-time warehouse associates. Reno Transfer In Reno, warehouse operations from the current 20,000 square-foot facility will be transferred to a 110,000 square-foot facility in Sparks, Nevada. CoLinx has also offered employment opportunities to Timken's four full-time Reno warehouse associates. "These initiatives allow us to advance our logistics function so that we have central distribution operations for the full complement of quality Timken products across Canada and the western United States," said Kari Groh, general manager -- global logistics and customer service for Timken's distribution management business. "These moves also set the stage for us to provide 'one face to the customer,' a key objective since we acquired The Torrington Company last year. "We trust that our distributors will find it much easier to do business with us as soon as we complete the integration of our order management systems, which is scheduled for later this year," she added. "In the interim, the product will be co-located, but we will continue operating on separate order management systems -- one for Timken products and the other for Torrington and Fafnir products." "We are excited about expanding our relationship with Timken and are well- prepared to integrate these activities into our new facility in Bramalea and our operation in Sparks," said Don Louis, who serves as chairman of CoLinx Canada ULC and chief executive officer of CoLinx, LLC. "This transfer further demonstrates the strength of the CoLinx shared services model and underscores our commitment to serve our member brands."