Company History
Joseph M. Bruening founded Applied Industrial Technologies, then called the Ohio Ball Bearing Company, in 1923. First year sales totaled $82,000. Over the next few decades, new branches opened and sales rose steadily.
In 1953, the company was renamed Bearings, Inc. As numerous acquisitions were made (Dixie Bearings, Inc., King Bearing, Inc., Mainline Industrial Distributors, Inc.), the company’s product and service offering grew. Bearings, Inc. became an authorized distributor for a wide selection of bearings, but also power transmission supplies, fluid power components and industrial rubber products.
In 1995, Bearings, Inc. recorded more than a billion dollars in sales for the first time.
Major acquisitions were also made in 1996 (Engineered Sales, Inc.) and 1997 (Invetech Company (parent company of Detroit Ball Bearing, American Bearing and Power Transmission, Moore Bearing, Kentucky Bearing Service and Hewitt Transmission)).
The company’s name was changed to Applied Industrial Technologies in 1997. The new name was intended to better reflect the company’s product assortment and capabilities.
Since 1998, Applied has continued to make acquisitions, expanding further in the U.S. (Minnesota Bearing Company, Cincinnati Transmission) but also increasing its presence in Puerto Rico (Rafael Benitez Carrillo), Mexico (Baleros Industriales, S.A. de C.V., Rodamientos y Bandas de la Laguna, S.A. de C.V., VYCMEX S.A. de C.V., Suministros Industriales Enol, S.A. de C.V.) and Canada (Bearing & Transmission, B & T Rubber, HyPOWER Systems, Industrial Equipment Co. Ltd., Groupe GLM,). Through acquisitions (Spencer Industries, Inc., Bay Advanced Technologies, Carolina Fluid Components, DTS Fluid Power, FluidTech, Hughes HiTech, Hydro Air and Power Systems), Applied has also grown its offering of fluid power products and services.
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