Timken Names Peter M. Sproson President of China Business

Leong Fang Announces Retirement After 28-Year Career

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Aug 28, 2012, 09:00 ET

CANTON, Ohio, Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) announced the appointment of Peter M. Sproson to the position of president for the company's China business, succeeding Leong Fang, who plans to retire at the end of the year after a 28-year career at the company. In this role, Sproson will lead the Timken business in China, the company's second-largest geographic sales region, and report to J. Ron Menning, senior vice president, Asia-Pacific.

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Sproson most recently held the position of vice president – mobile industries within the Bearings and Power Transmissions segment. He joined the company in 1978 as a sales engineer in Europe and continued to advance his career in a variety of sales and marketing management positions. From 2003 to 2005, Sproson served as director of automotive sales in Europe and was named vice president of commercial transportation systems for Mobile Industries in 2009. He holds a bachelor's degree of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Aston in Birmingham, Great Britain, and completed INSEAD's International Executive program and the University of Virginia Darden School's EDGE executive development program.

Fang retires after a long career, advancing to hold leadership positions in the United States and in Asia. Since starting his career in 1984, Fang held various management positions in engineering and sales, advancing to vice president in 1997 and general manager in 2005 of Timken's aerospace business. Fang served as vice president of sales and marketing in China before being named to his current position as president of China in 2007. Fang is a member of U.S.-China Energy Cooperation Program (ECP) Management Board and a board member of Junior Achievement China. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom and a master's degree in mechanical engineering and applied machinery from the University of Rhode Island.

About The Timken Company

The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com) keeps the world turning with innovative friction management and mechanical power transmission products and services that help machinery perform more efficiently and reliably. With sales of $5.2 billion in 2011 and approximately 21,000 people operating from locations in 30 countries, Timken is Where You Turn® for better performance.

Contacts: Media: Pat Carlson, Global Media Relations, Telephone: (330) 471- 3514, [email protected], or Investors: Steve Tschiegg, Director – Capital Markets and Investor Relations, Office Phone: (330) 471-7446, Facsimile: (330) 471-2797, [email protected]

SOURCE The Timken Company