Directors of Federal-Mogul-Bower Bearings, Inc. of Detroit, and Sealed Power Corporation of Muskegon, Tuesday, voted to submit to their shareholders a plan to merge their companies. Both companies own and operate plants in St. Johns.

The announcement was made in Detroit by Guy S. Peppiatt, Chairman, and James O. Wright, President, of Federal-Mogul-Bowers Bearings. A Simultaneous announcement was made in Muskegon by Paul C. Johnson, President of Sealed Power.Special meetings of the shareholders of both companies to vote on the merger have been set for Sept. 28. Approval requires two thirds majority of the shares of each company.

Memmolo and Brown will be joined by NTN’s Roberto Carriedo for the episode, and the trio will demonstrate how to remove, inspect, reinstall and adjust wheel bearings on a Class 8 trucks, NTN says.This weekend’s show is the first of multiple episodes of “Motorhead Garage” that will feature NTN-Bower products. NTN says a future episode will unveil a new product line exclusively for Class 8 trucks.

Shortly after the start of production, the popularity of the automobile increased dramatically and many new companies were formed to manufacture the automobile on a production scale. In an attempt to participate more fully in this new industry, the Bower Roller Bearing Company moved to Detroit and a Michigan Corporation was formed in 1910 with a capital stock of $225,000. The company occupied its new Detroit factory in 1911.

The Bower Roller Bearing Company grew rapidly as the automotive business expanded, attracting the best engineers and skilled technicians in the area. Production of the popular tapered roller bearing was added in 1926; and based on the success achieved in designing and manufacturing improved tapered roller bearings; many customers requested that cylindrical roller bearings be added to the line. Production of cylindrical roller skf bearings began in 1934 to better serve industry.

The desire to locate the new production facilities as conveniently as possible to Midwest markets led to the construction of a manufacturing koyo bearings plant in Macomb, Illinois in 1965 and a manufacturing plant in Hamilton, Alabama in the 1973.