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The Timken Company Approaches Millennium with New Leadership    

5 November 1999

The Timken Company Approaches Millennium with New Leadership    

    CANTON, Ohio, Nov. 5 -- The Timken Company's board of
directors today elected James W. Griffith president and chief operating
officer of the company.  He also was elected a director.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991105/CLF011 )
    "Jim has been chosen by the board of directors to play the key role of
leading The Timken Company into its second century.  We are all excited about
the opportunities ahead," said W. R. Timken, Jr., chairman and chief executive
officer.  "Jim has been involved in a series of major growth and
rationalization initiatives throughout the company.  He has consistently
employed the broad perspective required to lead a global organization in an
intensely competitive manufacturing environment."
    Prior to this election, Mr. Timken had served as president since 1997.
    This is the first step in a series of changes coming over the next several
months that will result in a new organizational structure designed to position
the company for accelerated profitable growth.  "The timing of these changes
also will take advantage of the pending normal retirements of four key
executives scheduled during the year 2000," said Mr. Timken.  Those
individuals are Larry R. Brown, Robert L. Leibensperger, John J. Schubach and
Thomas W. Strouble.
    Under the new structure, the following executives will report to W. R.
Timken, Jr.:

    James W. Griffith, President and Chief Operating Officer
    Bill J. Bowling, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and
      President - Steel
    Larry R. Brown, Senior Vice President and General Counsel
    John J. Schubach, Senior Vice President - Strategic Management and
      Continuous Improvement
    Ward J. Timken, Vice President

    The following executives will report to James W. Griffith:
    Robert L. Leibensperger, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
      and President - Bearings
    Gene E. Little, Senior Vice President - Finance
    Stephen A. Perry, Senior Vice President - Human Resources, Purchasing and
      Communications

    "We have made steady progress toward building a firm foundation for
profitable growth," said Mr. Timken.  "As our next president, Jim will
certainly lead the organization to higher levels of performance as we face the
opportunities and challenges of the 21st century.  More organizational
announcements will be made in the coming weeks."
    Mr. Griffith, 45, joined the company in 1984 as a manufacturing analyst --
bearing operations.  He has held a wide range of positions in several areas of
the company, including international operations and strategic management.
From 1989 to 1991 he served in Ballarat, Australia, as managing director -
Australian Timken.  He then returned to Canton as director -- purchasing and
logistics.  He subsequently served as vice president -- manufacturing --
bearings for North and South America, and as group vice president -- bearings
-- North American automotive, Asia Pacific and Latin America, his most recent
position.
    A graduate of Wallace High School in Wallace, Idaho, Mr. Griffith earned a
bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering and a master of business
administration degree, both from Stanford University.
    The Timken Company ( http://www.timken.com ) is a leading
international manufacturer of highly engineered bearings and alloy steels with
operations in 25 countries.  The company employs about 21,000 people worldwide
and reported 1998 sales of more than U.S. $2.6 billion.
    NOTE: Certain statements in this news release are or could be construed as
forward-looking.  Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from these forward-looking statements include the ability to achieve the
benefits from the company's ongoing continuous improvement and rationalization
programs, and changes in customer demand.  Additional factors are described in
the company's 1998 annual report, page 17, and in the 1998 10-K.  The company
undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.