- Business
- AB SKF AB SKF (publ) (Svenska Kullagerfabriken), founded in 1907 and headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, manufactures and markets bearings, seals, lubrication systems, mechatronics, power transmission products, maintenance products, condition monitoring systems and related services to customers in industrial and automotive sectors worldwide; the company operates through approximately 150 subsidiaries in around 130 countries with over 38,000 employees and 17,000 distributor locations, serving industries including aerospace, agriculture, automotive, construction, food and beverage, machine tools, marine, metals, mining, pulp and paper, railways and wind energy. Its core bearing portfolio encompasses ball bearings such as deep groove and self-aligning types, roller bearings including cylindrical, tapered and spherical varieties, as well as precision and super-precision units; sealing solutions feature radial shaft seals and custom-engineered designs like those from Chicago Rawhide; lubrication offerings include centralized systems, automatic lubricators and flow management technologies; mechatronics integrate actuators, sensors and smart bearings for actuation and monitoring; services cover reliability systems, remanufacturing, condition-based maintenance and asset efficiency optimization. Recent strategic developments include the August 2024 acquisition of John Sample Group's Lubrication and Flow Management businesses to bolster offerings in India and Southeast Asia; the October 2025 launch of SKF Ventures to accelerate innovation through technology scouting, open innovation and venture investments; an increase in stake in SKF India to 52.58% via inter-se transfer completed post-October 2025; a redesign of the Industrial organization announced in September 2025 to enhance competitiveness; inauguration of a super-precision bearing facility in Airasca, Italy in September 2025; and updated financial targets with strengthened capital efficiency following a Capital Markets Day in November 2025, alongside sustainability initiatives like the Friction Fighting Summit in December 2025 building on COP30 recognition for circular technologies.