MTO

What MTO does

MTO & Co. AG is a Swiss technical wholesale and distribution company specializing in rolling bearings, plain bearings, seals, and linear motion technology components. Founded by Rudolf Meli on June 16, 1995 in Bad Ragaz SG and now headquartered in Vilters SG, the company serves industrial companies and SMEs throughout Switzerland and Europe across verticals including medical technology, pharmaceuticals and food, environment and energy, vehicle technology, high-end technology, automation, and general allround applications. The product portfolio spans ball and roller bearings, miniature bearings, needle roller bearings, housing bearings, plain bearings, spherical bearings, linear guides, ball screws, and sealing solutions, complemented by accessories, lubrication products, and value-added services including custom-made bearing manufacturing, powder coating and zinc plating, special greasing, and in-house quality control testing. MTO holds two proprietary brands, the MTO brand (registered 2002) for special roller bearings developed and produced in-house, and CUBE, manufactured in audited Chinese facilities with quality oversight from the MTO Shanghai office established in 2012.

The business model is B2B technical wholesale combining multi-brand distribution (official distribution partner of NTN, SNR, and NSK in Switzerland) with proprietary manufacturing and custom services. Pricing is via CHF-denominated published catalogs (Version 04.2022), with 30-day net payment terms and small-order surcharges. Go-to-market combines regional field sales representatives covering Romandie and Ostschweiz, an internal sales and product management team, online shop direct ordering (shop.mtoswiss.ch), and exhibition participation. Revenue streams include bearing and motion component sales, custom-made product revenue, and technical consulting services supporting component selection and bearing concept design. The company operates additional entities MTO Union GmbH (Austria, established 2018) for regional expansion and the MTO Shanghai office for Asian quality control, supported by a team of approximately 20+ employees including engineering, sales, logistics, marketing, quality assurance, and finance functions under founder-CEO Ruedi Meli.

Name

MTO

Legal name

MTO & Co. AG

Website

https://mtoswiss.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MTO & Co. AG is a Swiss technical wholesale distributor of rolling bearings, plain bearings, seals, and linear motion technology, serving industrial companies and SMEs across Switzerland, Austria, and Europe through its own brands and NTN, SNR, and NSK distribution partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vilters

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bearing and motion component sales: Primary revenue from wholesale distribution of rolling bearings, plain bearings, seals, and linear motion technology products to industrial customers
2. Custom-made products: Revenue from bespoke solutions including custom-designed bearings, special greasing, and coating services for applications requiring non-standard specifications
3. Technical consulting services: Revenue from expert technical advisory services supporting component selection and bearing concept design

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MTO & Co. AG is a Swiss technical wholesale company that distributes and manufactures motion technology components, including rolling bearings, plain bearings, seals, and linear motion technology products. The company supplies industrial companies and SMEs across Switzerland and Europe, supplementing branded third-party products (NTN, SNR, NSK) with its own MTO and CUBE branded bearings, custom-made solutions, coating, special greasing, and in-house quality testing services.

Product overview

MTO & Co. AG is a Swiss technical wholesale company specializing in motion technology components. The product portfolio centers on bearings (ball, roller, needle, miniature, housing, plain, and spherical bearings), linear motion technology (linear guides, ball screws), and sealing solutions (static, rotational, translation, and swivel seals). These core products are complemented by accessories and lubrication products. The company also offers custom solution services including custom-made bearing designs, specialized coatings (powder coating, zinc plating), special greasing formulations, and in-house quality testing laboratory services. The offering follows a full-service distribution model combining internationally sourced branded products (NTN, SNR, NSK) with proprietary brand solutions and bespoke manufacturing capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MTO: Own brand registered in 2002 for development and production of special roller bearings.
• CUBE

Products and services

• Ball & Roller Bearings Precision ball bearings and roller bearings for industrial applications, including deep groove ball bearings, angular contact bearings, and various roller types. Intended for industrial customers requiring motion technology components.
• Miniature Bearings Small-scale precision bearings for applications in medical devices, aerospace, and precision instruments requiring compact motion control solutions.
• Needle Roller Bearings Compact roller bearings with needle-shaped rollers for high load capacity in limited radial space applications.
• Housing Bearings Complete bearing units with housing for easy mounting in industrial machinery, available in various materials including thermoplastics and corrosion-resistant options.
• Plain Bearings Self-lubricating sliding bearings including sinter bronze and Permaglide bearings for maintenance-free applications.
• Spherical Bearings Self-aligning spherical plain bearings and rod end bearings for applications requiring angular misalignment compensation.
• Linear Motion Technology Linear guides, ball screws, and linear bearings for precise linear motion control in automation and machine tool applications.
• Seals Industrial sealing solutions including static seals, rotational seals, translation seals, and seals for rotary and swivel movements.
• Accessories Bearing accessories including wave springs, ball cups, miniature bearing accessories, tools, and induction heaters.
• Lubrication Specialized greases and lubrication solutions including high-temperature, low-temperature, vibration, standard, high-speed, and food-grade greases.
• Custom-Made Bearing Solutions Customer-specific custom-made bearing solutions, special designs using specific metal alloys, and bespoke linear technology components for industrial customers requiring non-standard specifications.
• Coating Services Surface coating services for bearings, linear guides, and snap rings including powder coating and zinc plating.
• Special Greasing Services Special lubrication solutions for applications where standard lubricants cannot be used, addressing special operating or environmental conditions.
• Quality Control Laboratory Services In-house laboratory testing services including noise testing, dimensional tolerance inspection, bearing clearance measurement, and service life calculation.

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NSK Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2024NSK opened new Linear Technology Center in Tilburg, Netherlands (May 2024) to serve European markets. ISO9001 certified facility triples previous capacity, producing 1000+ units per week with 7-day delivery across Europe.
• NTN CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2024MTO visited NTN production facility in Wakayama, Japan. Facility features state-of-the-art technology including self-driving robots and fully automated bearing systems, powered by renewable wind and solar energy.
• NTN CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial distribution partner of NTN and SNR brands in Switzerland. NTN is a global leader in rolling bearings, constant velocity joints, linear modules, tensioner and idler pulleys, and suspension components.
• NSK Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial distributor of NSK brand in Switzerland. NSK products are used in wind turbines, machine tools, production lines, and automotive applications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Findling Wälzlager GmbH: German technical bearing distributor offering a broad bearings and linear motion portfolio plus engineering services. Most comparable direct peer to MTO in product breadth, customer type (industrial SMEs), and value-added services model.
• Bianchi Cuscinetti: Italian technical distributor of bearings, linear motion and power transmission to industrial customers. Closely comparable in distribution-plus-engineering GTM, with similar reliance on major brand partnerships.
• SMB Bearings: UK specialist distributor of miniature, thin-section, and precision bearings with strong focus on technical support. Comparable to MTO's miniature and high-end technology segment and similar technical-consulting sales motion.
• IBC Wälzlager GmbH: European industrial bearing and linear technology supplier offering both own-brand and third-party products. Comparable in mix of proprietary and distributed lines and similar industrial customer base.
• Betech Bearings: European bearing distributor serving industrial OEMs with technical advisory and broad catalog. Comparable in being a mid-sized technical wholesaler competing on application engineering rather than price.
• ABEG Antriebstechnik: German specialist in bearings and linear motion technology with strong application engineering focus. Comparable product portfolio (bearings + linear guides) and value-added engineering service model.

Regional players

• Dietrich Engineering (Schweiz) AG: Swiss industrial distributor active in mechanical power transmission and motion components. Comparable regional distribution footprint in Switzerland but broader in scope beyond bearings.

Broad incumbents

• SKF (Distributor Network): Global #1 bearing manufacturer with a broad authorized distributor network across Europe. Sets the competitive ceiling and benchmark for service levels MTO must match; competes indirectly through its distributors.
• Schaeffler Group (INA/FAG): Global bearing and motion technology conglomerate offering INA and FAG product lines via European distributors. Operates broadly in the same industrial motion component space and competes with MTO's offering.
• NTN-SNR: Major global bearing manufacturer and one of MTO's two principal brand partners. Represents both an ecosystem ally and a competitive threat: NTN-SNR sells direct and through alternative distributors in markets adjacent to Switzerland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mto-co-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 MTO