Napoleon Engineering Services honored with manufacturing award

Napoleon Engineering Services (NES) – an Olean, NY-based ISO9001:2008 and AS9100C certified leader in custom bearing manufacturing, bearing inspection, and bearing testing, as well as custom bearing test rig manufacturing – has announced that it was honored by Business First of Buffalo with a Western New York Manufacturing Award for Operational Excellence, as one of just 21 area manufacturers honored in a ceremony held on May 13, 2014.

Founded in 1997 by lifelong Western New York resident, Chris Napoleon, the privately held NES is widely regarded as the industry's premier independent, single-point resource for bearing inspection, bearing testing and custom bearing manufacturing. With core competencies in high-precision custom ball and roller bearings using superelastic Ni-Ti alloys; wear-resistant, high-life materials and coatings; and advanced design technologies, the company has rapidly grown and cemented its position as a “one-stop shop” and key resource for bearing manufacturers, distributors and OEMs across a diverse array of markets. 

Among its most notable operational accomplishments was the NES completion of a five-year strategic business plan in 2011, increasing the company’s operations by more than 46%, along with the establishment of a 22,000 square foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Olean, NY. That investment also included a fully dedicated custom aerospace bearing manufacturing line, as well as firmly established the company as North America’s largest bearing testing and inspection facility, with more than 40 fully operational test rigs.

Simultaneous to its facility growth, the company has also been recognized for its unwavering commitment to quality, with achievements of both ISO9001:2008 and AS9100C certifications. In 2014, a second planned facility expansion is increasing the size of NES operations by 45%, allowing the company to meet growing demands for custom bearing test rigs. This new area of manufacturing will account for more than 25% of total sales by year end.

In addition to its operational excellence, Napoleon is widely regarded as a leading global industry expert and commentator regarding bearing related topics, including bearing life calculation methodologies, best practice bearing inspection methodologies and complex bearing manufacturing techniques. His work has been highlighted in such prestigious industry publications as TLT and Power Transmission Engineering, as well as in webinars conducted by NASA Tech Briefs, the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia, and STLE.

Notes Napoleon, “It is beyond humbling to see the growth of NES over the years, since its beginnings in a spare bedroom and a half garage bay of my home in 1997. We would not be where we are today without the support of our loyal customers, employees and the Western New York community. This is our home. And we look forward to continuing to build and strengthen our presence here in the years to come.”