The Bower brand began in 1904, when R. F. Bower's new thrust controlling roller bearing proved extremely successful at preventing horse-drawn carriages from losing wheels during high-speed turns. ... The Bower Roller Bearing Company opened a Detroit factory in 1911 to meet the growing needs of the automobile industry.Bower Roller Bearing Company merged with long-time merchandising partner Federal-Mogul Corporation in 1955. In the two decades following the merger, manufacturing plants were constructed in Illinois and Alabama to better meet the demands of the Midwest markets.In 1985, Federal-Mogul Corporation entered into an agreement with NTN to form the NTN-Bower Corporation. In 1987, NTN acquired 100% ownership of the company and, in 1993, the Corporate Headquarters of NTN-Bower Corporation was moved from Bingham Farms, Michigan to Macomb, Illinois.