Thordon Bearings
Thordon Bearings is a Canadian specialty manufacturer of oil- and grease-free polymer bearing and seal systems serving marine, hydro power, vertical pump, and industrial markets worldwide through a network of 75+ distributors across 90 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1911
- HeadquartersBurlington, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Thordon Bearings does
Thordon Bearings Inc. is a privately held Canadian specialty industrial manufacturer and a member of the Thomson-Gordon Group, established in 1911 and headquartered in Burlington, Ontario. The company designs and produces polymer bearing and seal systems that operate without oil or grease — lubricated by water or running dry — and is positioned as a non-polluting alternative to traditional metal bearings in marine, hydro power, vertical pump, and industrial applications. Core technology centers on proprietary elastomer and polymer formulations with no shelf life or property degradation; specialized products include Thorseals (custom elastomer lip seals rated up to 100 MPa / 15,000 psi) and ThorPlas-Blue integrated polymer bearings, which enable one-piece installation in demanding hydro power and industrial environments.
The business operates a hardware-led revenue model selling standard and custom-engineered polymer bearings and seals, supplemented by installation, commissioning, and maintenance services delivered by a 24/7 Global Service & Support (GSS) team in more than 100 countries. Go-to-market is primarily indirect: Thordon sells through more than 75 third-party distributors carrying common inventory across 90 countries, with non-standard requests handled via in-house design, quick machining, and expedited delivery. Customer segments are organized horizontally — Marine (naval, merchant, cruise & ferry, fishing, workboat, offshore, dredger), Hydro Power (turbine guide, wicket gate, wave/tidal/river power), Vertical Pumps, and Industrial (transportation, pulp & paper, material handling, sewage/water treatment, mining, food & drinking water) — and the company maintains a digital presence across website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to support distributor-led sales. The company does not publicly disclose pricing, revenue, or headcount figures beyond a stated 101–250 employee range.
Thordon Bearings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Thordon Bearings
- Legal name
- Thordon Bearings Inc.
- Website
- https://thordonbearings.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1911
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Thordon Bearings is a Canadian specialty manufacturer of oil- and grease-free polymer bearing and seal systems serving marine, hydro power, vertical pump, and industrial markets worldwide through a network of 75+ distributors across 90 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Thordon Bearings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Polymer Bearings
- NAICS
- Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing (332991), Other Rubber Product Manufacturing (32629)
- SIC
- Ball & Roller Bearings (3562), Fabricated Rubber Products, Nec (3060), Gaskets, Packg & Sealg Devices & Rubber & Plastics Hose (3050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Propulsion Drives, Gearboxes & Shaftlines (IMAJAHAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Propulsion, Shafting & Rudder Repair (Engines, Gearboxes, Thrusters) (IMAJAFAC), Sealants, Adhesives, Gaskets & Marine Elastomers (IMAJAKAL)
Keywords
Where Thordon Bearings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burlington
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Thordon Bearings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Polymer Bearing Systems: Sale of proprietary polymer bearing and seal solutions for marine, hydro power, pump, and industrial markets. Products include propeller shaft bearings, rudder bearings, deck equipment bearings, shaft seals, turbine guide bearings, wicket gate bearings, and other specialized bearing applications. Both standard and custom non-standard bearing solutions are offered.
- Global Service & Support: Installation, commissioning, service and maintenance support for Thordon's marine, clean power generation and industrial products offered globally through GSS team.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Thordon Bearings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Thordon Bearings designs and manufactures proprietary polymer bearing and seal systems that operate without oil or grease, lubricated by water or running dry. The company produces application-specific bearings for marine vessels (propeller shafts, rudders, deck equipment), hydro power generation (turbine guides, wicket gates), vertical pumps, and diverse industrial uses (transportation, mining, food and water, forestry). Both standard and custom-engineered non-metallic bearing and seal solutions are supplied globally, backed by a 24/7 Global Service & Support team.
Product overview
Thordon Bearings offers a portfolio of non-polluting polymer bearing and seal solutions for global marine, hydro power, pump, and industrial markets. The core product line centers on oil and grease-free polymer bearing systems, including Propeller Shaft Bearings, Rudder Bearings, and Deck Equipment Bearings for marine applications; Turbine Guide Bearings, Wicket Gate Bearings, and Thorseals for hydro power; and specialized Vertical Pump bearings. Industrial offerings span Transportation, Forestry Pulp & Paper, Material Handling, Lock and Gate, Sewage and Water Treatment, Mining, and Food Equipment applications. All products share Thordon's proprietary polymer technology designed for long wear life, minimal maintenance, and elimination of environmental pollution from oil or grease discharge. The company backs its products with a 24/7 Global Service & Support team operating in over 100 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Polymer Bearing Systems Oil and grease-free polymer bearings, seals and engineered systems designed for long wear life and minimal maintenance, providing a superior alternative to oil- or grease-lubricated metal bearings for marine, hydro power, vertical pump, and industrial applications.
- Marine Bearings (Propeller Shaft, Rudder, Deck Equipment) Long-life marine bearings for propeller shafts, rudders, and deck equipment that operate without oil or grease, eliminating environmental pollution risk in naval, merchant, cruise, ferry, fishing, workboat, yacht, dredger, offshore, and coastal workboat applications.
- Shaft Seals for Marine Applications Sealing solutions designed for marine applications to prevent environmental contamination from oil or grease discharge through propeller shaft installations.
- Thorseals Customized self-lubricating polymer lip seals made from Thordon's proprietary elastomer, with no shelf life or degradation of properties over time. Sealed pressures from 0 to 100 MPa (0 to 15,000 psi); can be quickly machined to custom sizes up to 1.5 m (60 inches) in diameter. Used in wicket gate bearings to prevent contamination by abrasive waters and in hydraulic and pneumatic applications.
- ThorPlas-Blue Polymer Bearings Proprietary polymer bearing design intended for integration with Thorseals for easy one-piece installation, used in wicket gate bearings to prevent contamination by abrasive-laden waters.
- Hydro Power Bearings and Seals Bearing and seal solutions for hydro power generation, including turbine guide bearings, wicket gate / linkage / operating ring bearings, shaft seal solutions, bearing and shaft seal water conditioning systems, and specialized bearings for wave, tidal, and river power applications.
- Vertical Pump Bearings Bearings designed specifically for open and closed tube vertical pump applications, offering long wear life and minimal maintenance for industrial pump systems.
- Industrial Bearings Portfolio Non-metallic bearing solutions for industrial applications spanning transportation, forestry and pulp and paper, material handling, lock and gate infrastructure, sewage and water treatment, mining, and food equipment and drinking water applications.
- Global Service & Support (GSS) Team 24/7 installation, commissioning, service, and maintenance support delivered by Thordon's Global Service & Support team in more than 100 countries, covering the company's marine, clean power generation, and industrial product lines.
Companies that use Thordon Bearings
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Thordon Bearings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Thordon Bearings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME)coreThordon Bearings and SNAME have partnered to establish the Thordon Bearings Graduate Scholarship, an annual award for postgraduate students working on environmental innovations in ship design. The scholarship, backed by Thordon founder George A. 'Sandy' Thomson, seeks proposals addressing measurable improvements in vessel noise, air, or water quality. Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year have closed, with the first recipient expected to be announced later this year.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Thordon Bearings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NSK Ltd. Japanese bearings and motion products manufacturer serving automotive, industrial and marine end markets. A broad incumbent whose plain bearing offerings overlap with Thordon's industrial and pump applications.
- SKF: Global rolling element and plain bearing giant serving marine, industrial and energy markets. Competes with Thordon in marine propulsion and industrial bearings but from a much larger, metal-bearing-centric portfolio.
- Trelleborg Sealing Solutions: Division of Trelleborg Group producing polymer-based seals and bearings, including marine shaft seals and elastomer bearing solutions. Overlaps with Thordon's Thorseals and polymer bearing lines as a larger, broader portfolio player.
- Timken Company: US-based bearings and power transmission manufacturer with engineered bearings used in marine, energy and industrial markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same end-markets as Thordon.
Emerging players
- Misumi Group: Industrial parts e-commerce platform offering mechanical components including bushings and bearings for industrial customers. An adjacent/emerging channel and partial competitor to Thordon's industrial distribution.
- Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics: Manufactures polymer-based sealing and bearing components used in fluid handling, marine and industrial applications. Overlaps with Thordon's Thorseals and polymer bearing portfolio in selected niche applications.
Direct peers
- Kingsbury, Inc. Specialist in thrust and journal bearings for hydro power, marine propulsion and industrial machinery. Directly relevant to Thordon's turbine guide and wicket gate bearing offerings.
- Vesconite Bearings: South African manufacturer of polymer/composite bearings and bushings for marine, hydro, pumps and industrial markets. Closest direct peer to Thordon in water-lubricated sterntube, rudder and pump bearings.
- GGB Bearing Technology: Global manufacturer of plain, polymer and self-lubricating bearings used across marine, hydro and industrial applications. Competes head-to-head with Thordon in non-metallic bearing offerings.
- Waukesha Bearings (Dover): Manufacturer of fluid-film bearings for marine propulsion, power generation and industrial machinery, now part of Dover Corporation. Directly comparable to Thordon's marine and hydro bearing applications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Thordon Bearings social profiles
Digital presenceThordon Bearings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Thordon Bearings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Thordon Bearings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Thordon Bearings M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Thordon Bearings
What does Thordon Bearings do?
Thordon Bearings designs and manufactures proprietary polymer bearing and seal systems that operate without oil or grease, lubricated by water or running dry. The company produces application-specific bearings for marine vessels (propeller shafts, rudders, deck equipment), hydro power generation (turbine guides, wicket gates), vertical pumps, and diverse industrial uses (transportation, mining, food and water, forestry). Both standard and custom-engineered non-metallic bearing and seal solutions are supplied globally, backed by a 24/7 Global Service & Support team.
Is Thordon Bearings a public or private company?
Thordon Bearings is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Thordon Bearings founded?
Thordon Bearings was founded in 1911. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Thordon Bearings based?
Thordon Bearings is headquartered in Burlington, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Thordon Bearings make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Polymer Bearing Systems are the primary driver. The others are global Service & Support.
Who are Thordon Bearings's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are NSK Ltd., SKF, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions and Timken Company. Emerging players are Misumi Group and Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics. Direct peers are Kingsbury, Inc., Vesconite Bearings, GGB Bearing Technology and Waukesha Bearings (Dover).
Does Thordon Bearings have an API?
No public API is recorded for Thordon Bearings.
What industry is Thordon Bearings in?
Thordon Bearings's product category is Industrial Polymer Bearings. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAHAD, Propulsion Drives, Gearboxes & Shaftlines, with a secondary code of IMAJAFAC, Propulsion, Shafting & Rudder Repair (Engines, Gearboxes, Thrusters). Its NAICS code is 332991 and its SIC code is 3562.