Static Sealing Division initiates technological and strategic exchange with the sales teams during events in Plymouth and Weinheim.
Last year, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) merged its static sealing business in terms of organization. The newly created Static Sealing Division now unites the Lead Centers O-Rings and Gaskets under one roof.
Even static sealing tasks require dynamic action, a willingness to change, motion and flexibility. After all, new markets such as electromobility or hydrogen applications require new approaches and solutions. “Static in Motion” is the fitting motto of the young division, illustrated by an eye-catching logo.
The division is currently communicating the background and content of this strategy to all its employees in workshops. Besides informed and motivated employees, open communication and good cooperation with the sales department are required to ensure that the desired dynamics are ultimately reflected in sales success and sales growth – the targeted top line growth. In other words, customers also need to understand the message. This requires the sales department to act as a mouthpiece to the market.
Against this backdrop, employees from the Static Sealing division recently met with colleagues from the various FST sales channels (General Industry, Automotive Sales, Industrial Services). The meeting was named “Static in Motion: Sales Power-Up and Techday” – a two days’ event in Plymouth in the US an another one in Weinheim with a focus on Europe.
Both meetings focused on technological and strategic issues: which are the respective target markets, which are the focus applications and which are the core customers? For example, Lead Center Gaskets showed how it clusters customer inquiries in its strategic “Big Fish” initiative in order to systematically direct the available resources to the right projects in terms of top line growth.
On the other hand, new production technology options, products and processes from both lead centers were discussed in Plymouth and Weinheim: Lead Center O-Rings presented a new high-performance injection molding process that increases speed and efficiency in production. A new compression molding process with 36 cavities instead of the previous nine also helps reducing production costs and creating competitive advantages.
In addition to the agenda in the plenum, the focus was on “getting down to business” in smaller break-out sessions. Here, ongoing projects were discussed, the transferability of best-practice solutions was discussed, the specific approach at operational level in certain market segments was coordinated and new project ideas were developed.
This strengthened cooperation at working level between lead centers and sales organizations received positive feedback by the participants. In addition to the professional exchange, the participants particularly appreciated the personal discussions and the opportunity to network with colleagues that they would otherwise only meet via teams or telephone.
To top it all off, the activities initiated at the meetings are already bearing fruit – Toyota has sent their first inquiries for gaskets for considerable sales volumes.
