Freudenberg Process Seals (FPS) – a unit of the Industrial Services Division – was founded 20 years ago. Since then, the company has established itself worldwide and has become the number-one company for the Process Industry in Germany and Europe.
“It was just an idea at the start. We wanted to take advantage of Freudenberg’s diverse resources to design a company that would be especially good at meeting the special requirements of processing technologies. Another new aspect was integrating the required technology, logistics and marketing into a sales organization. There was no blueprint for it. You could easily feel the spirit of a startup. Our credo was ‘Nothing is impossible,’” recalls Angelika Mulac, Vice President, Mobile Machinery, who was with the team from the very beginning and led FPS from 2009 to 2012.
Focusing On The Process Industry
“Several companies rolled into one.” That was a title of an FPS profile in “Marktplatz,” a newspaper for the Freudenberg site in Weinheim. First of all, the plan was to focus on the process industry, that is, the food and beverage, pharmaceutical and chemical sectors, and initially the oil and gas industries as well. A second goal was to combine the technical expertise in seal production with the logistical approach, high product availability and flexibility of a distributor. A third goal was to provide market- and customer-specific services – from a batch size of one, to packaging and kitting, to tests on the company’s own CIP/SIP test stand*. The fourth was to build up technical know-how and develop unique consulting expertise in the market.
“Something is happening here. I think it pays to face these challenges together every day and to find or explore the way forward.” That was what employees were saying in 2005 in an internal publication as they marked the company’s 1,000th day in business.
Photo: Nicole Schneider presents the birthday cake for FPS’s 20th anniversary.
When long-time FPS employees today are asked about their memories of the early years, they talk about motivation, enthusiasm, inspiration, boundless energy, dedication and a sense of optimism.
The conversations turn again and again to the fun, enjoyment, a team spirit and solidarity at the time, even outside of work. Down to the present, the FPS summer festivals and events have been as imaginative as they are popular – from employee ice hockey and soccer games all the way to recording a song in a sound studio and, this year, a summer event in Schwetzingen Castle Park. FPS is revealing a somewhat different youthful vigor as a twentysomething.
The positive atmosphere that employees constantly mention is tied to the company’s hard-earned success as well. Founded in 2002, the startup is now superbly established in the market. The initial focus on Germany has long given way to a global orientation. “We are at looking at India and Australia,” said Nicole Schneider, Vice President, Global Process Industry, in an interview with SEALING WORLD magazine last spring. She described a vision that extends beyond Europe, the United States and China. “The business is also highly profitable. And we see more growth potential,” she added in the same interview. FPS’s revenue has increased more than tenfold since it was launched.
“A sincere thank-you goes out to all our employees who work on behalf of our customers day-in and day-out and make success possible in the first place with their tremendous team spirit,” Schneider said.
Freudenberg Process Seals
After its early days at its former facility in Viernheim, FPS moved to Weinheim in 2008. Its newly built premises included an office building and warehouse within sight of the Weinheim Technology Park. The facilities in Viernheim were no longer adequate for a fast-growing business. The company has been integrated as an organization into Freudenberg Industrial Services since 2017. In the two decades since its launch in 2002, FPS has seen its workforce grow to nearly 70 employees, up from a little more than a dozen at the start.
*CIP/SIP
CIP: Clean-In-Place (cleaning right on-site)
SIP: Sterilization-In-Place (sterilizing right on-site)
