Company - 04/12/2025
NSK Poland Celebrates 20th Anniversary
NSK Bearings Polska S.A is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its foundation in October 2005, when NSK Iskra was rebranded as part of a plan to expand NSK’s presence in Central and Eastern Europe.
The core of what would become NSK Iskra was the production facility located in Kielce, a town in South Central Poland, around 110 miles (180km) south of the capital Warsaw. Originally founded as a glass factory 1897, it has grown over the years into a 286,000sqm site which is home to more than 1200 staff and produces in excess of 15 million ball bearing units per month, as well as an additional 30,000 cylindrical roller bearings.
The glassworks, which were owned by Dawid Bauman, became a metal foundry after Poland gained its independence in 1918, producing cast iron goods and agricultural tools. During the 1920s it began manufacturing precision metal components including parts for both civilian and military use.
After the Second World War the plant was rebuilt, eventually emerging in 1958 as Iskra Precision Works. Over the following decades, Iskra became known for producing spark plugs, glow plugs, and high-quality rolling bearings which were exported around the world.
In 1998 Iskra was acquired by the Japanese company NSK, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of bearings and precision components. Thanks to continuous investment and modernisation in the years since, the Kielce plant remains a world-class production centre to this day.
Kielce is no longer the head office, however. In 2005 NSK leadership decided to move that to Warsaw and rebrand NSK Iskra as NSK Bearings Polska. This was part of a broader plan to expand NSK’s presence in Central and Eastern Europe, with a particular emphasis not just on Poland, but also neighbouring countries including Belarus, the three Baltic nations, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Significant efforts were also made to establish a presence in Russia, however these were abandoned following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
It was decided that it would be far easier for staff to travel from these territories to the Polish capital than to the original site in Kielce. Though factory workers and administrative staff stayed put, others, including the Territory Manager, the Japanese Delegate, distribution co-ordinators and engineers, and marketing staff all relocated to the capital.
The new company realised that, in order to establish itself across so many countries, it would need to reorientate its culture. The leadership team laid out several key points they would need to focus on, including developing a clear understanding of who their customers were, developing a strong brand image, implementing a global pricing strategy, guaranteeing reliable delivery and ensuring that its products were the highest quality on the market.
Twenty Years later and taking these steps has paid dividends, says said NSK Sales Director Maciej Piatkowski. ‘Twenty years in Warsaw is an important milestone in NSK’s story. Since the establishment of NSK Bearings Polska we’ve built a strong platform for expansion, strengthening partnerships across the region, supporting our manufacturing team and bringing NSK’s top-quality products and services closer to our customers.
‘Poland is the strategic hub for our operations across Central and Eastern Europe, and our talented Warsaw team continues to drive innovation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction as we look ahead to the next decade of growth.’
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