S.C. Rulmenti Barlad (Romania, a division of Kombassan Holding, Turkey; website) has increased its stake in Anadolu Rulman Imalat Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S. (Turkey; website).

Anadolu Rulman is headquartered in Duzce, Turkey and manufactures 2.5 - 250mm OD single row ball bearings under the ART brand. Rulmenti Barlad produces bearings under the URB and KRS brands, and recently acquired Hungary's MGM Bearing.

Rulmenti Barlad reportedly paid in an additional TRY1,062,500 (USD $865,000) to maintain the 50% stake. It will pay TRY212,500 immediately, and the balance across six equal payments.

Kombassan and its related company, Eymak Ltd., are actively working to expand the bearing group's manufacturing and export sales operations. With operations in Romania, Hungary and Turkey, a new bearing plant is also now underway in India. Nearly 80% of the bearings produced by the Rulmenti-related plants are exported.

Most of the bearing market problem in Romania and across Eastern Europe, according to the companies, is that low-quality bearings from China and India are flooding the market. Sales of domestially produced bearings in Romania, for example, dropped nearly 70% in the past three years, blamed entirely on imports from China and India.

While the Turkish operation needed a cash infusion, Turkey is viewed as very favorable market because standards are applied to imports, in theory preventing low quality bearings from gaining a foothold.

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