n NEWS THE JAPANESE-OWNED BEARINGS manufacturer NSK Europe has announced plans to close its Newark, Nottinghamshire, plant which makes industrial bearings, linear guide sliders and selflubricating bearings. It says that all 220 jobs associated with manufacturing at the site are “at risk” of redundancy, and it has entered into formal collective consultation with its workforce. NSK Precision UK, located at the same site, which makes precision machinery and parts, is also earmarked for closure. It has no employees of its own. The proposed closures are part of a global manufacturing review by NSK in response to reductions in demand both locally and globally, and the challenges of achieving profitable manufacturing of bearings in Europe. It would see production in Newark ending, and products being sourced from elsewhere. The UK sales and group services functions currently located at the Newark site will stay in the area. Should the proposed closure go ahead, UK and European customers will be served from NSK’s European distribution centre in the Netherlands, with items produced at other global manufacturing locations. NSK has issued an assurance that current levels of supply and service will be maintained. The Newark site, also known as the Stanley Works, can trace its history back to 1900, when Allen Ransome moved his woodworking company, Allen Ransome & Co, from London to Newark due to the high cost of land in the capital. In 1906, he decided to produce his own bearings. Bearings have been manufactured at the site ever since. Around 1970, the UK Government pressured Ransome and Marles to merge with Hoffmann Manufacturing and the Pollard Ball and Rolling Bearing company to form Ransome Hoffman Pollard (RHP Bearings), which employed 17,500 people across eight factories. In the 1980s, facing fierce competition from Eastern Europe, RHP exited the mass-produced bearings market, no longer making components for products such as fridges and washing machines. In 1987, the board decided to focus on its electrical operations and sold the bearings division. Three years later, NSK bought the new parent company, UPI (United Precision Industries). Most of the other UK factories were closed and sold off, but production remained in Newark – the only place outside of Asia to manufacture NSK’s Super Precision bearings. In 2000, NSKRHP became NSK. By 2025, the Stanley Works site’s 125th anniversary, it was still producing around 500,000 bearings a year. Last November, NSK Europe’s CEO, Dr Ulrich Nass, celebrated the milestone, saying: “Reaching 125 years of continuous production is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the resilience, ingenuity and dedication of the Newark team not just today, but across all those years. The site has played an extraordinary role in the history of British engineering and I’m sure Newark will continue to thrive in the years ahead.” NSK says that it expects the Newark site to close by March 2027. Last November, NSK announced plans to close two other UK factories in Peterlee, County Durham, with the loss of around 350 jobs. May 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com 8 NSK plans to close Newark plant with loss of 220 jobs Nidec has appointed Michael Briggs as chairman of its Motion & Energy business, and CEO of its Appliance & Automotive division. He will oversee a global portfolio of businesses, focused on deepening customer relationships, driving performance, and advancing the company’s next phase of growth. Briggs was previously president of Nidec’s Motion & Energy business and earlier served as CFO for its Appliance Commercial and Industrial Motor business, and president of Nidec Control Techniques, where he led the integration of its global operations. Omron has appointed Virendra Shelar as executive officer, president and CEO of Omron Europe, succeeding Fernando Colás. He will be based at its HQ in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. Shelar joined Omron in 2014 and has held roles including president of the Omron Management Center Asia Pacific, general manager of its Global HR Strategy department, chairman of the Omron Management Center Europe, and senior general manager of Global Business Operations and Services. He previously worked for Sony, Schneider Electric and International Rectifier. NSK’s Stanley Works in Newark: scheduled for closure after more than 125 years EVENTS CWIEME Berlin / EEMODS 26 19-21 May, 2026 Berlin, Germany The world’s largest coil-winding and electrical manufacturing exhibition will host the biennial EEMODS (energy efficiency in motor-driven systems) conference for the first time this year. The conference is expected to attract experts and policymakers from around the world to discuss efficiency and regulatory issues regarding motors, pumps and compressors. 2026 also marks CWIEME Berlin’s 30th anniversary. https://berlin.cwiemeevents.com/home Smart Manufacturing Week 2026 3–4 June, 2026 NEC, Birmingham Smart Manufacturing Week (SMW), described as the UK’s biggest festival of advanced manufacturing and engineering, will have a fresh look and new features for 2026. It includes Drives & Controls, Smart Factory Expo, Maintec, Design & Engineering Expo, the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit and The Manufacturer Top 100 Awards. New attractions for 2026 include fighting robots, extra showfloor theatres, and Future Stage – a window into the future of industry. www.smartmanufacturingweek.com Sensor+Test 2026 9–11 June, 2026 Nuremberg, Germany The international trade show for sensor and measurement technologies provides a stage for innovations, technical discussions and networking. The organisers expect more than 300 exhibitors to attend, showcasing products from sensor technologies to AI systems. The fair offers smaller and younger companies, in particular, the opportunity to present themselves on a limited budget. www.sensor-test.de/en Hillhead 2026 23-25 June, 2026 Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, Derbyshire The UK’s largest quarrying, construction and recycling equipment exhibition takes place every two years in a working Derbyshire quarry. It includes live demonstrations of quarrying equipment. Across its three days, the show is expected to attract around 600 exhibitors and nearly 20,000 visitors. Hillhead 2026 is on course to be the largest event in the show’s 44-year history. www.hillhead.com SPS 2026 24–26 November, 2026 Nuremberg, Germany More than 1,000 exhibitors and 50,000 visitors from Germany and around the world are expected to take part in the three-day industrial automation megashow that is spread across 15 exhibition halls. The event spans the spectrum of smart and digital automation – from simple sensors to intelligent systems, from what is feasible today to a vision of a digitalised industrial world of tomorrow. https://sps.mesago.com/nuernberg/en/expo
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