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Joseph F. Toot, Jr. Receives France's Legion of Honor

13 July 1998

Joseph F. Toot, Jr. Receives France's Legion of Honor

    CANTON, Ohio, July 13 -_ Joseph F. Toot, Jr. has been awarded
membership in the Legion of Honor by Jacques Chirac, the President of France.
Mr. Toot recently retired as president and chief executive officer of The
Timken Company.
    Mr. Toot said, "I'm both surprised and pleased.  Most of all, I'm very
proud of the associates of The Timken Company in France."
    The Legion of Honor reflects the recognition by the Government of France
of outstanding achievement.  Mr. Toot led an exceptional period of growth in
productivity by the associates in Timken France.  From a customer perspective,
he guided the company's technical contributions to the development of aircraft
such as the supersonic Concorde and the Train de Grande Vitesse, the French
passenger train which holds the world's speed record of 325 miles per hour.
The French Ambassador to the United States, Francois Bujon de l'Estang, also
noted that The Timken Company selected its French operations to lead its
growth in Central Europe.  The Timken Company recently acquired bearing
companies in Poland and Romania.
    The Legion of Honor was established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte who
wanted to recognize and reward extraordinary service to the nation.  Eminent
Americans who have been so honored include Theodore Roosevelt, Charles
Lindbergh, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison and Dwight Eisenhower.
    The Timken Company began its activities in France in 1918 when it licensed
production of Timken(R) tapered roller bearings for use as replacements on
American trucks operating in the French army during World War I.  In 1928, the
company opened a plant to produce tapered roller bearings in the Paris suburb
of Asnieres.  In 1960, the company moved operations to a new facility in
Colmar which is today the location of the company's headquarters for Europe,
Africa and West Asia.
    The Timken Company 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 about U.S. $2.6 billion.