Plastic bearings maker changes hands

The Knaresborough-based plastic bearings specialist Sarnatech BNL, has been bought from its Swiss parent, the Sarna Group, by UK-based Plastics Capital.

BNL - Bearings Non Lube - was founded in 1970 and bought by Sarna in 1995. In March 2005, Sarna announced that it would be selling BNL as part of a strategy to focus on the construction and civil engineering markets.

BNL specialises in designing and manufacturing plastic bearings which are claimed to have several advantages over steel bearings, including anti-static properties, low friction, resistance to chemicals and corrosion, low weight and inertia, and freedom from lubrication.

Faisal Rahmatallah, chairman of Plastics Capital says that BNL "has a real depth of experience in plastics bearings design and manufacture. It is a leader in its field and will be able to build on this for the foreseeable future."

Under its new ownership, Sarnatech BNL will change its name to BNL (UK). Its subsidiaries in the USA and Japan will become BNL (USA) and BNL (Japan), and a new brand identity will be launched.