Orion is a leading manufacturer of hydrodynamic industrial Ball Bearing, from 5/8" OD through 60" OD. The company's product line includes pivoted shoe journal bearings, tilting shoe thrust bearings, standard thrust bearings, sleeve bearings, flat thrust plates and tapered-land thrust plates. Orion also offers designs and manufacturing for specialty applications.

Generally, hydrodynamic bearing applications include a wide range of compressors, generators, turbines, and other similar heavy-duty equipment.

Orion currently has two facilities, together employing around 300 people. Its home office and manufacturing facility is in Grafton, Wisconsin; a second factory in Columbus, Nebraska produces plain thrust bearings and sleeve bearings.

Annual sales are in the neighborhood of USD $50 million. John Crane lists Orion's primary competitors as Kingsbury, Osborne Engineering, and Waukesha Bearings.

Smiths' John Crane division is, "a world-leading provider of products and services for the major process industries, these include the oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, and mining sectors. We help to enhance customer productivity by providing advanced technology mechanical products backed by an exceptional global service network."