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The Torrington Company, originally known as the Excelsior Needle Company, was established in Torrington, Connecticut. It was initially focused on producing sewing machine needles using a unique „cold swaging“ technique. Founded in 1866, the company began by manufacturing sewing machine needle blanks, which became quite successful, particularly with large clients like the Singer Company. By the mid-1870s, Excelsior Needle was producing 30,000 sewing needles daily.

In the 1890s, the company diversified its product line, including knitting machine latch needles and heavy hook needles for the mass production of shoes and other leather goods. It also formed a subsidiary named Torrington Swaging Company, which manufactured bicycle spokes. During this time, it absorbed the National Needle Company and expanded overseas.

By the 1930s, Torrington had diversified into anti-friction bearings, which eventually became the company’s mainstay product line, overshadowing needle production. The needle-making business was abandoned in 1980 after 114 years, and Torrington evolved primarily into a bearing manufacturer. The company underwent several changes in ownership in the latter half of the 20th century, being sold to Ingersoll Rand in 1968, then to the Timken Company in 2003, and its brand name was sold to JTEKT in 2009​​​​​​​​.