America`s Ingersoll-Rand corporation has taken full ownership of the French needle bearing company Nadella, which it has owned jointly with the French group SNR Roulements since 1995. Nadella, which employs around 1,100 people and had sales of some $130m last year, will operate as part of IR`s Torrington subsidiary.

Nadella`s three manufacturing plants in France will join Torrington`s existing European portfolio which includes factories in the UK, Germany and Spain, and new plant in the Czech Republic.

"This move greatly expands our participation in the European bearing market, in support of our global growth strategy," says Herbert Henkel, Ingersoll-Rand`s chief executive.