Donald E. Bently

Who was Donald E. Bently?

Donald E. Bently was an American entrepreneur and engineer, best known as the founder and former owner of Bently Nevada Corporation where he performed pioneering work in the field of instrumentation for measuring the mechanical condition of rotating machinery. He founded Bently Nevada in October, 1961, and served as its CEO until February, 2002, when he sold the company to GE Energy. GE continues to design, manufacture, and market the products and services under the Bently Nevada name.

Following the sale of the company, Bently has subsequently remained active in his other family-owned businesses representing a diverse range of interests including rotordynamics, agriculture, biofuels, real estate, externally pressurized fluid bearings, and machinery diagnostics.