Dear Readers,

Sustainability is the main topic of the latest edition of Sealing World. The term “sustainability” is in style, with an almost inflationary growth in usage, not least of all due to rising concerns about global warming. But it’s not just a buzzword at Freudenberg. Sustainability is one of the company’s Guiding Principles, and a long-term outlook is part of its DNA.

With all this in mind, the company is zeroing in on three main topics: a reduction in emissions and the efficient use of materials and energy. Freudenberg is pulling out all the stops to reach the goals it has set – a 25 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2025 for the Freudenberg Group or alternatively 30 percent for Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST). The effort includes product and process innovations, investments in energy savings and sustainable new construction.

Participation by employees is in demand. With initiatives such as “We all take care!”, they submit proposals for projects that relate to the environment and climate protection, among other fields. In Lean/GROWTTH projects focusing on continuous improvement, the idea is to optimize work environments, whether in manufacturing or administration – with the goal of eliminating waste in our processes with teamwork, on a cooperative basis. In late 2021, in keeping with this approach, Lean/GROWTTH and sustainability were bundled into one function under Vicky Jandreau. Our interview with her begins on page 6.

FST is looking at its so-called handprint as well as its footprint. To reduce its handprint, FST provides products and services that cut down on the consumption of energy and resources by its customers. They include FST’s advanced mobility technologies in the battery and fuel cell field. In addition, low-friction sealing products from FST have been lowering CO2 emissions far beyond the auto industry in general industry applications for a while, helping customers optimize their own footprints.

Have fun reading this latest issue of our employee magazine.