Cooper Roller Bearings Company

What Cooper Roller Bearings Company does

Cooper Roller Bearings Company (trading as SKF Cooper) is a United Kingdom-based private company founded in 1907 by Thomas Cooper, who invented the split roller bearing. The company is wholly owned by AB SKF, the Swedish industrial group, and operates from its headquarters in King's Lynn, Norfolk, with a regional sales office in Virginia Beach, USA. It employs 51-100 people and is described as a world leader in the manufacture and supply of engineered split-to-the-shaft roller bearings.

The core technology is the split roller bearing, which can be installed around a shaft without dismantling adjacent equipment, delivering significant reductions in fitting time, downtime, and plant maintenance costs — particularly in trapped or inaccessible locations. The product portfolio spans split spherical roller bearings (222 and 231 series, bore diameters 80-450 mm), split tapered roller bearings, the proprietary extra-light 100 Series, the unique Double-Row Taper Roller Bearing, and complementary housings including angled pedestals (SNQ), SN-compatible pedestals, flange units, take-up units, and hanger bearings. An online Product Selector tool with 3D CAD model download supports self-service specification.

Cooper sells engineered bearing hardware and bespoke engineering services through a hybrid go-to-market model: direct enterprise field sales offices in the UK and USA serve complex applications, while a global distributor network (leveraging SKF channels) provides broader geographic reach across Europe, North America, Central and South America, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. Target verticals are heavy-duty industrial — Mining, Mineral Processing, Cement, Marine (where Cooper is the leading split-bearing supplier), Water, Power, Steel, Sugar, Quarry/Aggregate, and General Industrial (including wind energy). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers engage sales for quotes. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and Lloyds Register certifications supporting quality and marine-grade compliance.

Name

Cooper Roller Bearings Company

Legal name

Cooper Roller Bearings Company Limited

Website

https://cooperbearings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SKF Cooper (founded 1907) is a UK-based, SKF-owned manufacturer of engineered split-to-the-shaft roller bearings serving heavy-duty industries including mining, cement, marine, steel, power, and water through direct sales and global distributor channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Split Roller Bearings

NAICS

Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing (332991)

SIC

Ball & Roller Bearings (3562)

akta.pro primary industry

Linear Motion & Mechanical Power Transmission (Ball/roller screws, linear guides, bearings, couplings) (IMAHAGAM)

Keywords

• Split roller bearings
• Engineered bearing housings
• Heavy duty industrial bearings
• Marine bearing solutions
• Mining cement bearings

Headquarters

HQ city

King's Lynn

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Split Roller Bearings and Bearing Units: Core revenue from manufacture and supply of engineered split roller bearings including spherical, tapered, and specialized bearings in various sizes and configurations
2. Bearing Housings and Pedestals: Complete bearing solutions including SN compatible pedestals, SAF split bearing solutions, angled pedestals, flange units, and take-up units
3. Engineering Solutions and Services: Bespoke service offerings, custom engineering solutions, and technical support services for complex applications

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cooper Roller Bearings Company (SKF Cooper) manufactures and supplies engineered split roller bearings — including split spherical (222 and 231 Series), 100 Series extra-light, split tapered, and double-row taper roller bearings — together with bearing housings, angled pedestals, flange units, take-up units, and hanger bearings, designed for installation around the shaft without dismantling adjacent equipment in heavy-duty industrial applications.

Product overview

Cooper Roller Bearings Company (now SKF Cooper) is a world leader in engineered split roller bearings, offering the highest quality and widest range of split-to-the-shaft bearings on the market. The product portfolio centers on split roller bearings in multiple configurations (spherical and tapered roller designs) available in various series (100, 01, 02, 222, 231) with bore sizes from 80 mm to 450 mm. These core bearing products are complemented by a comprehensive range of bearing units and housings including angled pedestals (SNQ), SN-compatible pedestals, flange units, take-up units, and hanger bearings. The company also provides a Product Selector tool with 3D CAD model download capabilities. Split bearings can be installed around the shaft without dismantling adjacent equipment, providing significant time savings and reduced downtime especially in inaccessible locations. The products serve demanding industries including Mining, Mineral Processing, Cement, Marine, Water, Power, Steel, Sugar, and general industrial applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SKF Cooper Split Spherical Roller Bearings (222 Series) Split spherical roller bearings in the 222 Series used for heavy-duty industrial applications requiring installation around the shaft without dismantling adjacent equipment.
• SKF Cooper Split Spherical Roller Bearings (231 Series) Split spherical roller bearings in the 231 Series for heavy-duty industrial rotating equipment, including mining, cement, and marine applications.
• SKF Cooper 100 Series Split Roller Bearings Extra-light 100 Series split roller bearings designed for heavy-duty industrial applications where conventional solid bearings are difficult to install or service.
• SKF Cooper Split Tapered Roller Bearings Split tapered roller bearings for heavy-duty industrial rotating equipment, suitable for trapped-shaft installations.
• SKF Cooper Double-Row Taper Roller Bearings Exclusive double-row taper roller bearings designed for heavy-duty industrial applications requiring high load capacity and split-bearing installation.
• SKF Cooper Angled Pedestal (SNQ) Quick-Change Angled Pedestal (SNQ) bearing housing unit used to mount Cooper split roller bearings in heavy-duty industrial installations.
• SKF Cooper SN Compatible Pedestals SN-compatible bearing pedestals used to mount Cooper split roller bearings in a wide range of industrial equipment.
• SKF Cooper Flange Units Flange bearing units used to mount Cooper split roller bearings in wall or panel-mounted industrial applications.
• SKF Cooper Take-Up Units Take-up bearing units used together with Cooper split roller bearings to accommodate shaft movement and belt tensioning in industrial conveyor and machinery applications.
• SKF Cooper Hanger Bearings Hanger bearing units used to support Cooper split roller bearings in suspended or overhead industrial applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Significant reductions in fitting time over solid bearings
• +3 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• SKF (Products Integration)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018Cooper integrates SKF technologies including Vibracon alignment chocks and System 47 automatic lubricators into their marine solutions, underlining their growing ability to offer complete packages to the marine industry.
• SKF (Parent Company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1907SKF acquired Cooper Roller Bearings, integrating the split roller bearing brand under SKF. SKF Cooper continues to offer split to the shaft bearings with the Cooper brand maintaining its technology leadership position. Cooper products are now distributed through SKF channels and incorporate SKF technologies like Vibracon alignment chocks and System 47 automatic lubricators.
• University Research PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooper runs special programs bringing research academics to work with them at their King's Lynn site, maintaining close links with university experts for research and development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NSK: Japanese global bearing manufacturer offering spherical roller bearings, tapered roller bearings, and mounted units used in heavy industrial machinery. Competes with Cooper in mining, cement, and marine applications worldwide.
• SKF: Cooper's parent company and the world's largest rolling bearing manufacturer. SKF produces the full range of ball and roller bearings, including its own split-to-the-shaft series competing directly with Cooper's line while serving the same heavy-industrial customers via an overlapping global channel.
• NTN Corporation: Major Japanese bearing producer with a broad spherical and tapered roller bearing portfolio aimed at industrial machinery OEMs and MRO. Competes directly with Cooper across heavy-duty industrial and marine segments.
• Schaeffler Group (INA/FAG): One of the world's largest bearing manufacturers under INA and FAG brands, producing spherical roller bearings, tapered roller bearings, and mounted bearing units that directly compete with Cooper across mining, cement, steel, and general industrial end markets.
• RBC Bearings: Specialty bearing manufacturer producing roller bearings, mounted bearings, and engineered bearing products for industrial and aerospace markets. Overlaps with Cooper in heavy-duty industrial and specialty spherical roller bearing segments.
• Timken: U.S.-based leader in tapered roller bearings, engineered bearings, and power transmission products, competing head-to-head with Cooper in heavy-duty industrial applications including steel, mining, and cement, with global manufacturing and distribution scale.
• Rexnord (Dodge): Owns the Dodge mounted bearings brand and produces industrial bearings, gear drives, and bearings for mining, aggregate, and material handling—categories where Cooper also sells its pedestal, flange, and take-up bearing units.

Emerging players

• ZKL Bearings: Central European manufacturer of spherical and tapered roller bearings with growing emphasis on industrial and heavy-duty applications; positioned as a regional alternative to Cooper in markets where Cooper relies on SKF distributors.
• FYH Bearing Units: Producer of mounted bearing units and housings (pillow blocks, flange, take-up units) competing with Cooper's SN/SNQ pedestal and flange unit family in conveyors and material-handling applications.
• C&U Group (C&U Bearings): One of China's largest bearing manufacturers producing a broad range of ball and roller bearings including spherical roller bearings, increasingly competing in industrial segments where Cooper distributes through the SKF network in Asia-Pacific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance2 records

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 Cooper Roller Bearings Company