ABOUT BHQ

About Bearing Headquarters

Since 1934, Bearing Headquarters has been your partner in the evolving field of American Industry.
We stock competitive products, offer reliable repairs and five metalworking shops, all to fulfill one primary goal — to keep your business running and operating at peak performance.

Service First™ and First in Service

“Service First” is not a term we take lightly – it is the core of our entire business and drives our employees, from the top down. Our staff works tirelessly to tailor solutions to meet individual customer needs, providing hard-to-find products and services not easily secured elsewhere.

1934

Founded in 1934, Bearing Headquarters was originally known as the Ray M. Ring Company — a single-location bearing and power transmission distributor in Chicago, Illinois. With an initial investment of $500 and just one assistant, Founder Ray M. Ring and his successor Frank Timble steadily grew the company into a recognized leader in the distribution industry.

1939

The Ray M. Ring Company changed its name to Bearing Headquarters to fully reflect the company’s extensive core offering of bearings and related items.

1955 - 1979

Over a 20-plus year period, Bearing Headquarters made a number of purchases to better support its customer’s needs. Several machine, fabrication, specialty manufacturing and gear manufacturing shops were brought under the BHQ umbrella during this timeframe. The new shops proved to be a tremendous asset fueling the expansion of Bearing Headquarters’ service offerings. The shops have since been updated with modernized CNC equipment and cutting-edge laser measuring devices.

1995

Bearing Headquarters expanded once again in the mid-1990s with the purchase of a hydraulic repair shop known as Highland Hydraulics. The addition of this shop expanded Bearing Headquarters’ repair capabilities and hydraulic development abilities even further.