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THK RHYTHM AUTOMOTIVE MICHIGAN CORPORATION
- 1901
- Charles E. Thompson joins the Cleveland Cap Screw Company
- 1926
- Company is renamed to Thompson Products, Inc. and recognized as market leader in engine valves & chassis components
- 1933
- Thompson Products patents the vertical socket design for steering linkage applications
- 1935
- Thompson Products acquires linkage manufacturer Toledo Steel Products
- 1953
- Thompson Products purchases facility in Portland, Michigan for commercial vehicle steering linkage manufacturing operations
- 1958
- Thompson Products merges with Ramo Wooldridge
- 1961
- LEM series socket design introduced with roll formed threads for increased durability
- 1965
- Thompson Ramo Wooldridge is rebranded as TRW
- 1965
- Upset forging and dial-index machining centers are implemented in Portland plant to produce fixed center-to-center drag links
- 1980
- 750 Ton hydraulic press is acquired for manufacturing extreme duty steering linkage
- 1982
- First CNC machining centers implemented for commercial linkage production
- 1993
- DL series socket introduced with market leading performance for drag links and tie rods
- 2003
- TRW Automotive becomes stand alone entity after Northrop Grumman acquisition
- 2005
- Expansion into suspension linkage business with introduction of heavy duty suspension ball joint product line
- 2007
- IGEN3 series intermediate steering shafts launched
- 2015
- THK completed the business transfer of L&S(Linkage and Suspension) business of TRW Automotive Inc. (now part of ZF Friedrichshafen AG) in Europe and North America and the purchase of shares of its subsidiaries
- 2019
- Utilizing synergies with the THK Linear Motion Group, THK Rhythm Automotive introduces market leading low friction intermediate steering shaft design
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