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The Timken Company Recognizes Associates Worldwide

27 May 1998

The Timken Company Recognizes Associates Worldwide for Dedication to Excellence

    CANTON, Ohio, May 27 -- The Timken Company
announced today the recipients of its highest corporate distinction, the
Dedication to Excellence Award.  Presented twice a year, the award recognizes
outstanding examples of the continuous improvements associates are achieving
in building customer satisfaction and shareholder value.
    "There was a time in our company's history when the common belief was that
a few people in management were solely responsible for making improvements.
That was a static, dull time in our history when we began to lose our
competitive advantage," said chairman, president and CEO W. R. Timken, Jr. to
the award recipients.  "There is no other way to be successful than to win,
and no other way to win than for every associate to be involved and committed
to the process.  We are moving forward on the power of innovation and the
ideas of our people."
    The award was presented to the following 64 associates who have achieved
exceptional results through specific job-related activities.
    Steel Business - Harrison Steel Plant:  Michael W. Brunckhart, Michael J.
Buckley, Richard A. Catazaro, Kenneth R. Dean, Alva E. Dodd, Danny L. Dorak,
Richard F. Essik, Raymond V. Fryan, Paul M. Johnston, Robert M. Long,
Richard A. Metz,  Robert A. Ossler, Albert C. Phillips, Benjamin R.
Stuhldreher, Ray K. Timberlake, Jr., Karl L. Wheeler;  for improvements in the
tundish exchange (which is a part of the steel casting process) that allowed
the running of multiple tundishes consecutively, thus increasing output from
the plant and making an additional $50 million worth of bars available to
customers each year.
    Bearing Business - North and South America - Lincolnton, North Carolina,
Plant:  Robert H. Armstrong, Henry L. Bradley, Randy M. Chapman, Timothy T.
Clemmer, D. Larry Coffey, Philip C. Collins, W. Ted Dodgin, David T. Edwards,
Ernest L. Ferrell, Nick C. Goins, D. Scott Gunter, Donald W. Harbinson,
Rick C. Helms, Michael C. Jarrell, Anthony L. Jones, John E. Kee, Bobby F.
Leatherman, Jack E. Lieser, Rocky A. Mathis, Kenneth R. Matson, David A.
McDermet, Robbie D. Nixon, Charles A. Rippy, H. David Sipe, M. Steve Walker;
for making extensive changes to two of its existing heat treat furnaces, which
increased their output by 50 percent and reduced scrap significantly.
    Bearing Business - Europe, Africa and West Asia - Timken France:  Thierry
Hauswald and Luc G. Houpert; for developing a new, scientific system to
analyze critical complex bearing design questions, thus providing Timken
engineers the means to respond more quickly to customers' needs.
    Bearing Business - North and South America - Columbus Railroad Plant:
John R. Kimes; for solving the seal wear ring bottleneck in the process of
making AP(TM) bearings through product examination and extensive analysis of
tool and gauge drawings.
    Technology Center:  Michael N. Curran, Pete Kavadas, Wendy D. Hart, John
C. Hare, Todd M. Lampeter, Stephen R. Mears;  for establishing a corporate web
site on the Worldwide Web with specific company product information as well as
general corporate information, including shareholder information, job
opportunities and plant/office locations.
    Bearing Business - North and South America - Gaffney, South Carolina,
Plant:  Hubert W. Byars, Dennis R. Dechant, Dennis M. Elder, Lester L. Fowler,
Foist E. Johnson, Dewitt E. Lemmonds, Timothy G. Lovelace, Phillip D. Lynch,
Terry G. Martin, David B. McDaniel, Odell Mickles, Susan L. Moore, Isaac V.
Shippy, William L. White;  for improvements to the plant's roller header
process that improved productivity 62 percent and increased throughput by
22 percent.
    The Timken Company (http://www.timken.com) is a leading international
manufacturer of highly engineered bearings and alloy steels.  The company
employs some 21,000 people worldwide and reported 1997 sales of more than
$2.6 billion.