Freudenberg's sales grow continuously in China

The successful trend continued in the first quarter of 2013 with growth in Mainland China of about 13 percent. In 2012, the number of associates in China increased by almost 600 to a total of 5,684.

“The share of China in the overall sales of the Freudenberg Group is growing continuously. We are further expanding our production capacity and sales channels and rely on the innovative power of our associates in the country,” said Hanno D. Wentzler, Regional Representative of the Freudenberg Group in Asia and CEO of Freudenberg Chemical Specialities, at the press conference in Beijing.

Over the past ten years, Freudenberg has invested more than two billion Yuan in China. Recently a new factory for automobile and industrial filters was inaugurated in Chengdu.

In the near future, the expansion of the Qingpu plant will be completed – a new research and development centre and additional production capacity and offices for chemical specialties are being built here at a cost of about 150 million Yuan. The newly established TrelleborgVibracoustic joint venture is currently doubling its production area in Yantai to about 17,000 square meters.

Freudenberg forges ahead through innovative power

Innovations originating within the Group will be one of the main driving forces for the success of Freudenberg in the future. In 2012, the Freudenberg Group expensed globally a total of about 1.8 billion Yuan for research and development. World-wide 2,244 associates (previous year 2,187 associates) were employed in research and development.

Freudenberg motivates all employees to contribute even more ideas to the company. For this purpose, the “Idea Pool”, an initiative for new business ideas, was established on an international basis – with considerable success in China. Within about six months, associates in China have already submitted more than 500 ideas.

The market prospects of these ideas are now being reviewed. Internationally, the Idea Pool has led to the development of an entirely new Freudenberg product, Purtex, a physiological and environmentally compatible textile finishing agent, entirely free from fluorocarbons, solvents or other materials that are detrimental to human health and the environment.