Freudenberg forms new Chemical Specialities Business Group

Weinheim/Munich (ots/PROTEXT) 26.2.2004 - Klüber remains keycompany / Chem-Trend rounds off portfolio Freudenberg & Co., Weinheim, Germany, has acquired the USrelease agents company Chem-Trend, of Howell, Michigan. Thetakeover reinforces the specialities operations of thediversified industrial Group. In order to consolidate thelubrication activities Freudenberg has formed the new businessgroup, "Freudenberg Chemical Specialities", which includes thelongterm successful Klüber Lubrication Group of Munich and Chem-Trend. Under the umbrella of this new business group KlüberLubrication, Chem-Trend and OKS will continue to operateindependently with their own brands in their own respectivemarkets. Freudenberg Chemical Specialities has total sales ofabout 375 million Euro and a work-force of about 2,000. Theheadquarters of the company are in Munich. "With the acquisitions of Chem-Trend, Freudenberg hasunderscored its commitment to the speciality lubricant field,which is now firmly anchored as part of the Freudenberg Group",comments Dr. Peter Bettermann, Speaker of the Freudenberg GroupBoard of Management. Klüber Lubrication, a Freudenberg companysince 1966, was previously the only speciality lubricant activitywithin the Group. "This development would not have been possiblewithout the sustained success of Klüber Lubrication over thepast decades", adds Hanno D. Wentzler, formerly President andCEO of Klüber Lubrication, who now holds the same position atFreudenberg Chemical Specialities and manages the new companytogether with Dr. Jörg Matthias Großmann. Klüber Lubrication offers tribological solutions for a widevariety of industrial applications, ranging from giant gears tothe hands of a wristwatch. In 2003, the company reportedspeciality lubricant sales of some 270 million Euro with aglobal workforce of more than 1,500. Chem-Trend is the world's leading manufacturer of specialrelease agents for the molding of rubber, plastic andpolyurethane and for the high-pressure die casting industry. In2003, Chem-Trend reported sales of some 100 million Euro with aworkforce of approximately 410. Freudenberg Chemical Specialities is one of nine BusinessGroups in the Freudenberg Group. Freudenberg is a diversifiedfamily company chiefly active in the automotive industry (sealsand vibration control technology, acoustic and vibrationcontrol, car interiors and filters), the textile industry(interlinings, technical textiles) and also has a presence on thefinal user market with Vileda brand household products and norabrand rubber floorcoverings. The Group has a workforce of 28,000in 43 countries and sales of approximately 4 billion Euro.

ots Original Text Service: Freudenberg & Co. Internet:http://www.presseportal.de Contact: Wolfgang Orians Freudenberg & Co. Corporate Communications Phone:

+49 (0) 6201-80 66 16 Fax:

+49 (0) 6201-88 3430 E-Mail: wolfgang.orians@freudenberg.de

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