Canadian Manufacturer Grows with Green Bearing Solutions Protecting the Oceans and Seas

For Immediate Release - May 14, 2009

With the existing downturn in the Canadian manufacturing sector, Burlington, Ontario-based manufacturer, Thordon Bearings is bucking that trend and growing its non-polluting bearing product line with recent shaft bearing orders for cruise ships, oil tankers, container ships and bulk carriers.  Last week, the company picked up the 2008 Burlington Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards in the Manufacturer category.

The family-owned exporter of pollution free propeller shaft and rudder bearings for the global marine market, has been in the vanguard of efforts supplying oil and grease free bearing solutions to help shipping companies become greener, meet new pollution regulations while reducing maintenance costs.

“We supply propeller shaft bearings that use seawater to lubricate the bearings, instead of oil so there is zero risk of any oil pollution into the oceans”, says Sandy Thomson, CEO of Thordon Bearings.  “Our non-metallic bearings reduce the environmental impact for shipping companies, allowing them to eliminate any risk of criminal, civil and administrative penalties and other adverse reactions such as bad public relations that may occur from oil leaking into the sea.”

During the last decade, the pollution of the world’s oceans and seas has become a matter of increasing international concerns.  As stricter environmental legislation and improved pollution detection methods are becoming the norm in Canada, the United States of America and the European Union, the shipping industry is slowly changing, with ship owners and operators looking to reduce all sources of ship pollution. This pollution reduction trend led Transport Canada to present a Thordon seawater bearings paper at the United Nations IMO (International Maritime Organization) Marine Environmental Protection Committee Meeting 58 in October 2008 in London. 

With currently more than 90% of world trade moved by ships, the threat of oil pollution is a real and growing international concern.  However, recent orders from Carnival Corp. (the world’s largest cruise ship owner) and COSCO (one of the world’s largest ship owners) suggest that ship owners are starting to look at the Thordon solution to protect the oceans and seas.