Letter from the President

February 26, 2025

To our valued NES customers and associates,

We all know an unsung hero.

There’s the bass guitarist in the local rock band who maintains the rhythmic foundation while also playing keyboard and singing backup vocals. The lead singer and guitarist may draw the crowd’s attention, but the bass player is the glue that holds everything together.

Or what about the small forward on the basketball team who doesn’t score a lot of points but is always positioned in the right place when the shot goes up to grab the offensive rebound and extend the possession leading to a score? The top scorer might get his name in the paper as opposed to the top offensive rebounder, but without that rebound and quick pass by his teammate, they don’t win the game.

These people are unsung heroes and remind me of the role that bearing cages play. 

Although easy to overlook, the cage plays a significant role in bearing performance and requires considerable attention in the bearing selection decision-making process, particularly when considering the challenges associated with short-run custom bearing manufacturing. We discuss having a cage-first mindset this month in our feature article. 

February kicks off the trade show season and NES is hitting the road to share our experiences in bearing inspection, bearing testing and custom bearing manufacturing. Hopefully, we’ll meet up with many of you along the way. It’s always nice to see familiar faces. Check out where we’ll be exhibiting in the coming months.

It’s been a great winter here in Western New York with consistently cold temperatures and plenty of snow to fuel our outdoor adventures. March will bring with it a slight upward trajectory in temperature that makes it feel like summer after a hardy winter. So, start planning your visit to see us here in Olean.

Best regards,

Chris Napoleon

President and Chief Engineer

Napoleon Engineering Services