TRW

MRC Bearings is the result of the merger of three of the oldest bearing companies in the U.S.: Standard Roller Bearing Company, Gurney Ball Bearing Company, and Strom Bearing Company. The Standard Roller Bearing Company was formed when it merged with the Ball Bearing Company of Boston along with seven other manufacturers of ball bearings and ball-making equipment. The Gurney Ball Bearing Company was founded in 1902 by Frederick W. Gurney in Jamestown, New York. In 1905, Frederick Gurney introduced the Gurney "radial-thrust angular-contact" bearing, and four years later, the Gurney "radial-Type R" bearing. Gurney also developed duplex bearings. Strom Ball Bearing Manufacturing Company, the last of the three, was founded in 1908 by Stephen Snyder as the U.S. Ball Bearing Manufacturing Company. The name was changed when Axel Strom became the sole owner. This company became an established supplier of precision ball bearings to the automotive and machinery markets.

The Rockwell-Drake Corporation, founded by Albert F. Rockwell, began acquiring several companies, including the Standard Roller Bearing Company of Philadelphia. The company was later reorganized as Standard Steel Bearing, Inc., a division of Marlin Rockwell Corporation. In 1924, the Gurney Ball Bearing Company merged with Marlin Rockwell Corporation. A year later, MRC acquired Strom Ball Bearing Manufacturing Corporation. In 1964, MRC merged with TRW, Incorporated, and by 1979, it was renamed the TRW Bearings Division. In 1986, the Bearings Division was purchased by the SKF Group.