Freudenberg Schwab sets course for the future

The Freudenberg Group is reinforcing its Freudenberg Schwab Business Group. The Business Group has changed its name to Freudenberg Schwab Vibration Control and expanded its product portfolio, which previously included vibration control components and systems for rail vehicles, with effect from January 1, 2012. The Business Group has taken over the vibration control activities for construction and agricultural machinery and wind power plants plus selected industry segments from the Simrit brand of sister company Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. In addition, the sites of Freudenberg Schwingungstechnik Industrie GmbH & Co. KG (Velten) and Freudenberg Schwab GmbH (Henningsdorf) are to be brought together in Velten.

"This means we are not only systematically expanding our business in the rail vehicle sector, but will also become a global vibration control specialist," Chief Executive Officer Thomas Plingen said. It was only in July 2010 that Freudenberg acquired all the shares in Schwab Schwingungstechnik AG in Switzerland and Freudenberg Schwab GmbH. Subsequently, the company offered holistic vibration control solutions for the rail vehicle industry under the name of Freudenberg Schwab. Freudenberg Schwab, with its workforce of approx. 60 in Henningsdorf and Adliswil near Zurich in Switzerland generated sales of approx. € 30 million in 2010. The addition of Freudenberg Schwingungstechnik Industrie takes sales to approx. € 42 million and the workforce to about 270.

"With our two sites at Velten (production) and Adliswil (development and sales) we will have all the functions we need to cover the entire process chain and to improve our own competitiveness," Plingen explains. "This will mean that we will be able to provide technical advice and develop innovative, customer-specific solutions even faster. Well-trained employees with detailed knowledge of products, systems and customers' requirements will give us a decisive advantage." Thomas Plingen, Jörn Clasen (Chief Operating Officer) and Carsten Storm (Chief Financial Officer) form the new management board of Freudenberg Schwab Vibration Control. The associates at Freudenberg Schwingungstechnik Industrie in Velten will transfer to the new Business Group.