FK Bearings

What FK Bearings does

FK Bearings Incorporated is a U.S. manufacturer of precision rod ends, spherical plain bearings, custom-engineered bearings, and related motion control components, established in 1983 by the Fragola family in Southington, Connecticut and operated as a privately held family business. The product portfolio spans more than 20 rod end series and 10 spherical bearing series, offered in inch (1/8" through 2" bore for rod ends; 3/16" through 6" for sphericals) and metric dimensions, and manufactured from low carbon steel, alloy steel, 17-4PH precipitation-hardened stainless steel, and 7075-T6 aluminum. The company's technology differentiation centers on self-lubricating race options, including PTFE fabric liners, oil-impregnated sintered phosphor bronze races, and PTFE-lubricated nylon/carbon-fiber reinforced races used across commercial, precision, heavy-duty shank, metric, and high-misalignment product families.

The company sells direct to end customers and through regional sales representatives across North America, with manufacturing at the ISO 9001:2015-certified Southington headquarters and stocked warehouses in Indiana and California supporting fulfillment. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales to three primary customer segments: performance racing, off-road and off-highway equipment, and a diversified industrial base covering construction, mining, material handling, transportation, automation and robotics, machine tools, agricultural equipment, and military vehicles. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers obtain quotes through the sales team, and the company emphasizes inventory availability and same-industry reputation (over 35 years of operation, Fragola family branding) as primary purchase drivers rather than published pricing tiers.

Name

FK Bearings

Legal name

FK Bearings Incorporated

Website

https://fkrodends.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FK Bearings is a U.S. manufacturer of precision rod ends, spherical bearings, and custom-engineered motion control components serving performance racing, off-road, and industrial customers through direct factory sales and regional representatives across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bearings and motion control components

NAICS

Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing (332991), Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components (except Spring) Manufacturing (336330)

SIC

Ball & Roller Bearings (3562)

akta.pro primary industry

Wheel Hubs, Bearings & Knuckles (Hubs/Bearings/Spindles/Knuckles) (IMACAIAI)

Keywords

• Rod ends
• Spherical bearings
• Motion control components
• Spherical plain bearings
• Custom engineered bearings

Headquarters

HQ city

Southington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Bearing Product Sales: Sale of rod ends, spherical bearings, and related motion control products. Products include over 20 different series of commercial and precision rod ends (inch sizes 1/8" through 2", metric 5mm-30mm) and 10 series of spherical bearings. Revenue generated through direct sales to industrial, motorsports, and off-road customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FK Bearings manufactures precision rod ends, spherical plain bearings, custom-engineered bearings, and related linkage components in over 20 rod end series and 10 spherical bearing series. Products are built in multiple materials (low carbon steel, alloy steel, 17-4PH stainless steel, 7075-T6 aluminum) with options including PTFE liners, sintered bronze races, and nylon races. The company sells factory-direct to performance racing teams, off-road equipment manufacturers, and industrial OEMs across North America.

Product overview

FK Bearings is a leading USA manufacturer of rod ends, spherical bearings, custom-engineered bearings, and related products established in 1983. The company offers over 20 different series of commercial and precision rod ends (with inch bore sizes from 1/8" through 2" and Metric bores from 5mm-30mm) and 10 different series of commercial and precision spherical plain bearings (with inch bore sizes from 3/16" through 6" and Metric bores from 5mm-160mm). The core product lines include: Rod Ends (Commercial/Industrial series: CM/CF, ECM/ECF, SCM-T/SCF-T, CMX/CFX; Precision series: JM/JF, JMX/JFX, NJM/NJF, M-SB/F-SB, KMX, SJM-T/SJF-T, RJM/RJF, RJMX-T, HJMX-T, PMX-T, ALJM/ALJM-H/ALJF; Heavy Duty Shank: RSM, RSMX, HRSMX-T, ALRSM; Metric and Special Size series); and Spherical Bearings (Commercial Series: COM/COMH, COM-M, IN-P; Precision Narrow: FKS/FKS-T, FKSSX-T/FKSSX-TV; Wide: WSSX-T/WSSX-TV; Heavy Duty Precision: AIN; High Misalignment: HIN-T; Fractured Race: GEZ-ES/GE-ES). The company also offers complementary accessory products including Ball Joints, Solid Rod Ends, Bearing Cups, Clevis, High Misalignment Bushings, Adjuster Ladder, Jam Nuts, Center Finders, Boots, Face Seals, and Weldable Tube Ends. Products serve construction equipment, mining, material handling, transportation, off-highway equipment, automation and robotics, machine tools, agricultural equipment, military vehicles, and performance racing markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rod Ends

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FragolacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFragola is the family-owned parent company of FK Bearings. The partnership represents the Fragola family's ownership and operation of FK Bearings, with Fragola putting their family name and reputation into every product shipped.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Boston Gear: US manufacturer of power transmission and motion control components including bearings, gear drives, and clutches. Overlaps with FK Bearings in industrial MRO and OEM channels, though broader in product scope.
• NSK: Global Japanese bearing manufacturer with a spherical plain bearing product line serving automotive, industrial, and aftermarket customers — competes with FK Bearings at the OEM and distributor level on larger-volume programs.
• NTN: Global Japanese bearing and constant-velocity joint manufacturer with spherical plain bearings serving automotive and industrial markets — comparable broad-line competitor with significantly greater scale than FK Bearings.
• SKF: Global Swedish bearing and motion control manufacturer. While SKF's core focus is rolling-element bearings, its spherical plain bearing and rod end lines overlap with FK Bearings in industrial and heavy equipment applications.
• RBC Bearings: Public, NASDAQ-listed specialty bearings manufacturer with a dedicated rod end and spherical bearing product line (including the Heim Bearings brand). Substantially larger than FK Bearings but competes directly in the same product categories and end markets.
• Timken: US-headquartered, NYSE-listed engineered bearings and power transmission manufacturer. Spherical plain bearings and rod ends overlap with FK's product portfolio in heavy industrial, aerospace, and defense applications.

Direct peers

• Aurora Bearing Company: Privately held US manufacturer of rod ends and spherical plain bearings headquartered in Aurora, Illinois — the most directly comparable competitor to FK Bearings in size, product mix, and North American industrial / motorsports customer base.
• QA1 Precision Products: US manufacturer of rod ends, spherical bearings, coilover shocks, and related motion control components for motorsports and industrial customers. Highly comparable in product portfolio, end-market focus (racing, off-road, industrial), and direct-sales distribution model.
• Heim Bearings: Iconic US rod end brand now owned by RBC Bearings — competes head-to-head with FK Bearings' rod end lines in motorsports, aerospace, and industrial applications, often cited as the historical benchmark in the category.

Emerging players

• PBC Linear (Pacific Bearing Company): US manufacturer of plain bearings, rod ends, and linear motion components. Smaller and more linear-motion focused, but serves overlapping industrial OEM customers and competes in adjacent spherical plain bearing niches.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FKrodends
• Facebookfacebook.com/fkrodends
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fk-bearings-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/fkrodends

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FK Bearings