GREENVILLE, S.C., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) today opened its new 118,000 square-foot, $10 million Timken Technology Center on the campus of Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).
The center is primarily responsible for Timken's development of automotive powertrain technology. It allows the company to consolidate product, process and application engineering in a collaborative environment at CU-ICAR, home of world-class resources in the development of automotive and other manufacturing technologies. This will enable a more efficient and effective design process from a cost and time-to-market standpoint.
The Timken Technology Center will employ more than 150 engineers and technicians focused on developing innovative powertrain and friction management solutions. The facility includes state-of-the-art engine, metrology and prototype labs.
"Collaborating with Clemson University brings the academic and automotive communities together to develop real-world innovative solutions in product- manufacturing engineering that are intended to benefit the industry as a whole," said Jacqui Dedo, president of Timken's Automotive Group. "We look at our new facility as an important step toward developing more highly differentiated products for our customers. It also represents an opportunity to participate in one of the premier automotive and motorsports research and educational centers in the world."
In addition, Timken and Clemson University recently established an endowed chair, held by Dr. John D. Ziegert, to oversee automotive design and development projects between the university's research and development resources and Timken's on-site engineering group.
About CU-ICAR
The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research is a 250-acre research campus in Greenville, S.C., that unites public and private partners with the university to develop the technologies, processes and workforce of the future. The Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center anchors the campus and focuses on systems integration of increasingly complex interaction between electrical, digital and mechanical technologies in automobiles and many other manufacturing platforms.
The Timken Chair in Automotive Design and Development is one of four endowed chairs that will form the academic core of the CU-ICAR project.
Since the groundbreaking, CU-ICAR has generated more than $215 million in investments and pledges from the state of South Carolina, the Clemson University Real Estate Foundation and major industry partners including BMW, Michelin, SAE International and Timken. Through the project, Clemson also has developed strategic partnerships with Microsoft, IBM and Sun Microsystems. By summer 2007, the first phase of development - Technology Village I - will be complete, accounting for more than 500 new jobs.
About The Timken Company
The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR, www.timken.com) keeps the world turning, with innovative ways to make customers' products run smoother, faster and more efficiently. Timken's highly engineered bearings, alloy steels and related products and services turn up everywhere. With operations in 27 countries, sales of $5.2 billion in 2005 and 27,000 employees, Timken is Where You Turn™ for better performance.
Investor Contact: Steve Tschiegg, Manager - Investor Relations, Telephone: (330) 471-7446, Facsimile: (330) 471-2797, steve.tschiegg@timken.com
Media Contact: Jeff Dafler, Manager - Global Media & Government Relations, Telephone: (330) 471-3514, Facsimile: (330) 471-7032, orjeff.dafler@timken.com
SOURCE The Timken Company