Bill and Rene' Andres have sold Brown Bearing Co., a Spokane-based bearing and mechanical-transmission product retailer, to BDI, a Cleveland-based global industrial supply distributor, says Robyn Stern, Brown Bearing's new operations manager.

The Andreses had owned and operated 60-year-old Brown Bearing here since 1979, says Stern, who is their daughter. The couple continues to own the land and 11,000-square-foot building at 5424 E. Trent that Brown Bearing, now operating as a division of BDI, is leasing, Stern says.

"It has a big showroom that gets a lot of walk-in traffic from people who need to fix whatever," Stern says. Typical customers include farmers and transmission and motor repair shops, she says.

The company has retained Brown Bearing's 10 employees, she says.

BDI, a privately held company, has 175 branch operations worldwide, Stern says.

The company also provides Brown Bearing access to new products and product lines, product specialists, and its $50 million U.S. inventory, Stern says

In addition to bearings, BDI's inventory includes products related to mechanical and electrical power transmission, fluid power, material handling, and safety. BDI also provides services to optimize customers' inventory and supply-chain systems and provides technical support and training.