Weinheim, May 3, 2016. The Freudenberg Group, a global technology company, has inaugurated a new plant in the city of Valinhos in the federal state Sao Paulo, Brazil. Chem-Trend and SurTec, both part of the Freudenberg Chemical Specialities Business Group, are located there. In the state-of-the-art facility, speciality release agents, process chemicals and chemical surface treatment solutions are developed, manufactured and marketed. "The investment of 15 million Euros is a visible sign of our long-term commitment to Brazil – for our customers and our employees," Juan Carlos Borchardt, Freudenberg Regional Representative South America, said at the official inauguration.
SurTec and Chem-Trend have already been operating in Brazil for decades. The new site comprises the research and development, manufacturing, administration, sales functions, logistics and warehouses of both companies, facilitating the maximum leverage of synergy potentials. Achieving faster response times for an even better customer service has been an important objective. The customers come from various industries, including automotive, aerospace, shoe manufacturing, wind energy, civil construction, general industry and home appliances. "Thanks to our strong customer orientation, our businesses have shown a positive development despite the challenging economic framework in Brazil," Hanno D. Wentzler, President and CEO of Freudenberg Chemical Specialities, explained.
The size of the site amounts to 29,000 square meters, of which 11,000 square meters consist of buildings. The maximum manufacturing capacity is 13,000 tons of release agents, process aids and chemical surface treatment products per annum. Some 120 colleagues are employed at the Freudenberg site. “The new site provides the potential for improving capabilities with regard to production volumes, logistics, customer service, technical support as well as research and development even further,” Paulo Noce, CEO of Chem-Trend and SurTec Brazil, said. “Furthermore, we have specifically been focusing on occupational health management, environmental protection and safety at work.”
About Freudenberg Chemical Specialities
Freudenberg Chemical Specialities develops, manufactures and markets chemical specialties. To be close to its customers, the company is represented globally in the market with its five brands, Klüber Lubrication, Chem-Trend, OKS, SurTec and Capol. Freudenberg Chemical Specialities is one of the global leading manufacturers of specialty lubricants, release agents, chemo-technical maintenance products, and solutions for surface and galvanic technologies. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, the Business Group runs its own companies in some 40 countries. In 2015, Freudenberg Chemical Specialities employed about 3,300 people and generated sales of about €960 million.
About the Freudenberg Group
Freudenberg is a global technology group that strengthens its customers and society long-term through forward-looking innovations. Together with its partners, customers and the world of science, the Freudenberg Group develops leading-edge technologies, and excellent products, solutions and services for more than 30 market segments and for thousands of applications: seals, vibration control components, nonwovens, filters, specialty chemicals, medical products, IT services and the most modern cleaning products.
Innovation strength, strong customer orientation, diversity and team spirit are the cornerstones of our Group. Commitment to excellence, reliability and pro-active, responsible action belong to the company's core values lived for more than 165 years.
In 2015, the Freudenberg Group employed over 40,000 people in some 60 countries worldwide and generated sales of more than 7.5 billion Euros (including pro-rata consolidation of 50:50 joint ventures). For more information, please visit www.freudenberg.com.