Freudenberg's Focus on Quality Results in Recognitions

PLYMOUTH, Mich., Nov. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's highly competitive business landscape, leadership in innovation and quality are the two primary attributes shared by the top technology companies. Companies of the Freudenberg Group in North America reaffirmed their leadership status in 2014 through receiving multiple awards and recognitions as well as noteworthy quality certifications.

"Awards, recognitions and certifications are visible confirmations of our systematic, sustained and persistent focus on quality and innovation at the Freudenberg Group. They are, in most cases, a result of coordinated efforts of teams that cross business units, business groups, and continents, and they are always a welcome and important motivation for our employees," said Leesa Smith, Freudenberg North America president and regional representative.

Freudenberg-NOK, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies' business in the Americas, secured finalist honors in the 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE®) Automotive Division Innovation Awards. The company was recognized for its HLHS GAP thrust bearing and its material collaboration with Solvay Specialty Polymers. This project, which introduces the use of Torlon 4275 as a new, high-performance material for automotive applications, helped a leading manufacturer hit its critical vehicle launch dates after aluminum thrust bearings continued to fail.

At the same time, Freudenberg-NOK's Fluid Power Automotive Lead Center in Findlay, Ohio has been chosen as a finalist in the 2014 IndustryWeek Best Plants competition, recognizing the best manufacturing facilities in North America. The Findlay plant is a lean benchmark among Freudenberg-NOK's 23 facilities in the Americas. The plant maintains nearly perfect statistics in the areas of quality, delivery and customer retention and has become the company's lead facility in the successful adaptation of Single cavity Net Shape Molding - a new, breakthrough manufacturing approach that reduces scrap and waste.

Chem-Trend, a company of Freudenberg's Chemical Specialties Group and a global leader in the development and production of high-performance release agents and casting lubricants has achieved the highest global certificate of registration for its quality management systems at two manufacturing facilities in Howell, Michigan. The NSF-ISR recognized Chem-Trend's Grand River and McPherson Park plants for conforming to the AS9100 requirements for aviation standards. This certificate of registration validates the plants' quality management programs.

Helix Medical Costa Rica is the latest facility among this Freudenberg medical device business that will become an FDA registered site as of January 1, 2015.  The operation's quality system is in compliance with ISO 13485, certified by DEKRA. The company sought FDA registration in order to manufacture complete medical devices and export into the United States. Helix Medical has four other facilities that are FDA registered. These include two operations in California; MedVenture Technology in Indiana; and VistaMed, a Helix Medical joint venture partner in Ireland.  All Helix Medical operations worldwide are ISO 13485 certified.

Freudenberg Filtration Technologies (FFT), global leader in air and liquid filtration, is a two-time winner of Honda's Supplier Performance Award (including 2014) for its contribution to advancing Honda's capabilities and delivering a better vehicle to its customers. 

Also, this year General Motors awarded FFT the Supplier Quality Excellence Award bestowed to its top-performing suppliers. The award testifies that FFT met a very stringent set of quality performance criteria and achieved the cross-functional support of the entire GM organization.

In spring of 2014, Freudenberg Nonwovens, a global provider of innovative and customized solutions for industrial technical textile applications, received a certification from SCS Global Services (SCS). SCS is a leader in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, and the company recognized Freudenberg Nonwovens for the high level of recycled content claim of Lutradur® products that are manufactured by the Freudenberg Spunweb Company, LP of Durham, NC. Three specific styles of polyester spunlaid products made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and marketed under the Lutradur® brand were certified. Lutradur® polyester spunlaids have many industrial applications, including construction substrates, landscaping materials, residential and commercial wallpaper, carpet backings, automotive floor mats and carpeting, and specialized filtration devices.

About the Freudenberg Group: The Freudenberg Group is a family company offering its customers technically challenging product solutions and services. The Group develops and manufactures seals, vibration control components, filters, nonwovens, products for surface treatment, release agents and specialty lubricants, medical and mechatronic products. Especially for mid-size companies Freudenberg develops software solutions and IT services. The end-user can find modern Freudenberg household products in the shops under the brand names of vileda®, O-Cedar®, Wettex®, Gala® and SWASH®. The Freudenberg Group employed about 40,000 people in about 60 countries and generated sales of more than €6.6 billion in 2013 (including pro rata consolidation of 50:50 joint ventures). For further information, please go to www.freudenberg.com.

About Freudenberg in North America: Freudenberg North America Limited Partnership is the North American holding company for Freudenberg & Co. of Weinheim, Germany that owns a family of companies which operate 15 unique businesses at 86 locations in North America. Together, these companies provide innovative products and solutions to customers in industries ranging from automotive, aerospace, and medical to chemical, oil and gas, and construction. For further information, please visit www.freudenberg.us.

SOURCE Freudenberg Group

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