8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                    FORM 8-K




                                 CURRENT REPORT


      PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 7, 1999


                             Commission file number:
                                   000-15760



                                  Hardinge Inc.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)




        New York                                           16-0470200
(State or other jurisdiction of                         (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                         Identification No.)


                       One Hardinge Drive Elmira, NY 14902
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)


                                  (607) 734-2281
               (Registrant's telephone number including area code)






ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS


          On January 7, 1999,  Hardinge Inc.  issued a press release  announcing
the  preliminary  results for the fourth quarter of 1998, a workforce  reduction
and a restructuring  charge. The workforce has been reduced by approximately 200
full-time  jobs.  The  company  will take a pretax  charge  against  earnings of
approximately  $900,000  in the fourth  quarter of 1998 to cover this  workforce
reduction  and the move of the  company's  Hansvedt  facility  from  Illinois to
Elmira,  New York. A copy of the press release is included as Exhibit 99 to this
Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.




ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS


         (a)   Not applicable
         (b)   Not applicable
         (c)   Exhibits

                 99    Press Release issued by registrant on January 7, 1999.














                                 SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


                                  Hardinge Inc.





January 13, 1999                  By:_/s/ Richard L. Simons________________
Date                                  Richard L. Simons
                                      Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
                                      Officer
                                      (Principal Financial Officer)

EX-99

                                   EXHIBIT 99

NEWS BULLETIN                               RE:

FROM: FRB                                   HARDINGE INC.
                                            One Hardinge Drive
                                            Elmira, NY 14902
                                            (Nasdaq:  HDNG)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Financial Relations Board Inc.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

AT THE COMPANY:               AT THE FINANCIAL RELATIONS BOARD:
Richard L. Simons             For General Info: Jerry Meyer (212) 661-8030
Senior VP & CFO               For Analyst Info: John McNamara (212) 661- 8030
(607) 734-2281                For Media Info:   Claudine Cornelis (212) 661-8030


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 1999

                HARDINGE ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR FOURTH
               QUARTER, WORK FORCE REDUCTION, RESTRUCTURING CHARGE

                     1998 Net Income Expected to be Record
                    Fourth Quarter Brought Decline in Orders
                         Charge will be $900,000 Pretax

ELMIRA,  N.Y.,  JANUARY 7, 1999 - Hardinge Inc.  (HDNG),  a leading  producer of
machine  tools,  said  today that -  exclusive  of a  restructuring  charge - it
expects to report net income of between $5.1 million and $5.3 million,  or $0.54
and $0.56 per  share  diluted,  and net sales of  between  $66  million  and $67
million for the fourth quarter of 1998.

         These  estimates are based on available  preliminary  information,  are
unaudited, and could change slightly as a result of normal year-end adjustments.
They  compare  with  record net sales of $66.1  million and record net income of
$5.6 million ($0.59 per share diluted) in the fourth quarter of 1997.

         Robert E. Agan, chairman,  president and chief executive officer,  said
the preliminary  fourth quarter 1998 results show that by year-end  Hardinge was
being  affected  by a  slowdown  in  orders  that  had hit  other  machine  tool
manufacturers  earlier. As a result of that slowdown, Mr. Agan said, Hardinge is
reducing its U.S.  workforce by  approximately  200 full-time  jobs - roughly 15
percent of the total.



                                    --MORE--

Hardinge - 2

         "We are very proud of our  performance  in 1998 as a whole,  with sales
expected  to total  approximately  $260  million  and net  income  exclusive  of
restructuring  costs reaching a record of approximately $20.5 million," Mr. Agan
said.

         "Through new product  introductions and other programs we succeeded for
a time in bucking the trend that was adversely  affecting order rates throughout
our  industry.  But after a very  strong  September,  our  orders  also began to
decline.  Profitability  came under pressure as a result of discounts offered by
competitors  attempting  to sell off  inventory  during a period of weak demand.
Whether this is a short-term  dip in demand or the start of a long-term  trend -
and it is  impossible  to know at this point - an  adjustment  in inventory  and
operations clearly is required."

         Mr. Agan said also that Hardinge is preparing for the possibility that,
as a result of market  conditions,  sales in 1999 could be as much as 20 percent
lower than the 1998 total, with profitability affected similarly.  He noted that
backlog declined significantly in the fourth quarter of 1998.

         Hardinge has received  virtually  no orders from  automotive  customers
since the second  quarter of 1998,  and Mr.  Agan said there is no evidence of a
turnaround in this market sector. A broader  measure,  a report issued this week
by the National Association of Purchasing  Management,  shows that manufacturing
activity fell in November to the lowest level since May,  1991.  "The results of
this  decline are evident in our order rates in all market  segments,"  Mr. Agan
said.

         To cover the costs of the  workforce  reduction and the costs of moving
the manufacture and support of Hansvedt electrical discharge machining equipment
from Illinois to Hardinge's  headquarters  facility in Elmira, N.Y., the company
will be  taking a pretax  charge  against  earnings  of  approximately  $900,000
($540,000 or $0.06 per share fully diluted,  after tax) in the fourth quarter of
1998. With this charge taken into account,  the quarter's net income is expected
to be between  $4.6  million  and $4.8  million  or $0.48 and $0.50 per  diluted
share.

         "We have long said that we were  monitoring  conditions  in the machine
tool industry  around the world,  and that we would take whatever  action proved
necessary to keep  expenses at a level that ensures a healthy  return on sales,"
Mr. Agan said. "We have a long history of managing profitably through downturns,
and we have confidence in our ability to continue doing so in the future."

         Hardinge  Inc.,  founded  more than 100 years ago, is an  international
leader in the  machine  tool  industry.  The company  designs  and  manufactures
computer-numerically   controlled   metal-cutting  lathes,   machining  centers,
grinding machines,  electrical discharge machines and other industrial products.
The company's common stock trades on Nasdaq under the symbol "HDNG."



    To receive additional information on Hardinge Inc., via fax at no charge,
                 Dial 1-800-PRO-INFO and enter code HDNG.




Hardinge - 3



This news release contains  statements of a  forward-looking  nature relating to
the financial  performance of Hardinge Inc. in the fourth quarter of 1998 and in
1999.  Such  statements are based upon  information  known to management at this
time.   The  company   cautions  that  such   statements   necessarily   involve
uncertainties  and risk and deal with matters  beyond the  company's  ability to
control,  and in many cases the company  cannot predict what factors would cause
actual results to differ materially from those indicated. Among the many factors
that  could  cause  actual  results  to  differ  from  those  set  forth  in the
forward-looking statements are fluctuations in the machine tool business cycles,
changes in general economic conditions in the U.S. or  internationally,  the mix
of products sold and the profit  margins  thereon,  the relative  success of the
company's entry into new product and geographic  markets,  the company's ability
to  manage  its  operating  costs,  actions  taken  by  customers  such as order
cancellations  or reduced  bookings by customers or  distributors,  competitors'
actions such as price  discounting  or new product  introductions,  governmental
regulations and environmental  matters,  changes in the availability and cost of
materials and supplies,  the  implementation  of new  technologies  and currency
fluctuations.  Any  forward-looking  statement  should be considered in light of
these   factors.   The  company   undertakes   no   obligation   to  revise  its
forward-looking statements if unanticipated events alter their accuracy.