While new to the CEO seat, Anna Galoni is long-tenured at Thordon Bearings, having worked in the company for more than 15 years, joining the Burlington, Ontario-company in 2007 after graduating from Queens University with a Masters’ Degree in Epidemiology. The new leader of this family-owned company, Galoni shares her insights on the business and technology.
Thordon Bearings is a, global business which designs and manufactures a range of non-polluting, oil and grease-free bearing systems, seals and other shaft line products for the global marine, clean power, pump and industrial markets with more than 75 distributors in 90 countries. But the tech and the international reach are only part of the story, as Thordon Bearings is a Thomson-Gordon Group company, a business founded in 1911 by Major George J. Thomson.
Recently the company named Galoni as its fourth-generation leader, her appointment following the retirement of Terry McGowan, who stepped down after almost 14 years in the CEO role. Galoni shared with Maritime Reporter TV her insights on the future pace and direction of the company.
“We are the pioneer in inventing the water lubricated bearings in polymer,” said Galoni. “My father, Sandy Thompson, had a vision” to design and manufacture a bearing that does not need oil, thus eliminating the potential for water pollution. “Thordon has a very strong reputation with ship owners, and they return to Thordon for oil- and grease-free products” again and again. Galoni takes the top spot at an interesting time in business history, with the lingering impact of COVID-19 and all of the challenges that entails, as well as the marine industry’s push for ‘green’ solutions.
Thordon’s polymer bearing technologies have achieved worldwide renown as grease- and maintenance-free, environmentally safe alternatives to traditional bearings.
“My vision is to obviously grow the company; entering new markets, like aviation, forestry, mining, as well as growing our existing markets,” said Galoni. “But to do that, we have to make sure that we have the right people to do it. We are a very complex business. We are very technical business.”
Directly ahead she sees growing opportunities in the shallow-draft, workboat markets, as well as “a huge potential” in expanding its reference list of navies using Thordon solutions.
Thordon’s penchant for investing in the latest tech will manifest itself again shortly, with the introduction of The Blue Water Seal, a complement to the company’s COMPAC Open Seawater Lubricated Propeller Shaft System. While details are scant at the moment, Galoni said to stay tuned for more. “The main feature (of the Blue Water Seal) is its the safe return to port feature,” said Galoni, noting that the seal should be on the market “in the next month or two.”
