Bearings and Drives is Family Business of the Year

Bearings and Drives (USA, a unit of B&D Industrial) won the 2005 Georgia Family Business of the Year award from Georgia's Cox Family Enterprise Center. The award, first given in 1992, seeks to promote and honor privately-owned businesses in the state. Businesses are chosen, "on the basis of their proven business success, positive family/business linkage, multi-generational family business involvement, contributions to industry and community, and innovative business practices and strategy." B&D Industrial / Bearings and Drives, a third generation privately owned business, won in the Large Business (over 250 employees) category. Founded by John Nations in 1947, it is now run by Andrew Nations. B&D Industrial is the South's largest, privately-owned industrial distributor, and is one of the largest industrial distributors in the United States. Sales are approximately $75 million. Bearings and Drives currently operates 29 branches across the southeastern and south-central United States, stocking over 300 manufacturers of bearings and power transmission components. B&D Industrial primarily services markets in the OEM manufacturing, industrial manufacturing and mining industries. One innovative technique it uses to support customers on site is to maintain a consignment inventory of key items at the customer's business, billing and replenishing items as they are used. Beyond Bearings and Drives, B&D Industrial has two other operations, B&D Service and Scale Systems. B&D Service provides equipment repair and maintenance services from three locations, and Scale Systems is one of the United States' largest distributors of industrial scales. Andrew Nations, CEO, said, "We are proud to have a family business over 50 years old with three generations of our family actively involved in the business. Winning this award is a great tribute to Bearings and Drives and all our employees."