Timken lands Naval contract

The Timken Company, a manufacturer with a facility in Bucyrus, has been awarded a multi-year contract with the U.S. Department of Defense that over the next decade could be worth about $1 billion to the company.

The contract is to provide Philadelphia Gear main reduction gears, or MRGs, for the U.S. Navy’s next generation of Arleigh Burke DDG 51-class ships, as well as engineering expertise.

When the Navy restarted its DDG program in 2010, Timken won the contract to supply gears then as well. This new contract has options that over the long term could bring the value of the contract to more than $1 billion for the manufacturer. Today the Navy has more than 50 DDG ships in service.

“We’ve worked alongside the U.S. Navy for many decades and are proud to continue supplying our engineering expertise and Philadelphia Gear products and services for this important class of multi-mission ships,” Carl D. Rapp, vice president of the power systems group for Timken, said.

“As a result of our work with the Navy, our teams are prepared to meet the challenge of building reliable propulsion drives to support the demanding mission requirements of the DDG class for years to come.”

Timken acquired the assets of the Philadelphia Gear Corp., which made high-performance gear drives, components and related services, in 2011. Timken said gear sales under this new contract will begin in 2017, and that total sales, anticipated to occur over the next 10 years, will ultimately depend on the number and timing of options the Navy decides to exercise.

Canton-based Timken employs about 330 people at its facility at 2325 Mansfield St. in Bucyrus, which manufactures automotive bearings, as well as bearings for use in small trailers and industrial applications, such as machinery and machine tools. The plant’s primary customers are global automakers.