Freudenberg-NOK Names Lorenzo Chief Technology Officer

PLYMOUTH, Mich., March 16 -- Freudenberg-NOK -- "The Technology Specialist" for elastomeric seals and custom molded products -- has named Dr. Luis Lorenzo as chief technology officer. The announcement was made by Freudenberg-NOK's Dr. Theodore G. Duclos, Freudenberg-NOK vice president of operations and technology.

Lorenzo will be responsible for research and development activities for Freudenberg-NOK, as well as the oversight of the technical organization in the operating divisions. In addition, he will be responsible for developing an advanced manufacturing organization. He will be located at the Plymouth, Mich. facility.

"Luis brings a seasoned background of over 20 years of experience to the technology team and we're excited to welcome him aboard," Duclos said. "His deep technical knowledge and expertise in products, materials and manufacturing processes make him an ideal candidate to assist Freudenberg-NOK in achieving our strategic goals."

From 1986 to 2006, Lorenzo held positions of increasing responsibility at Dow Automotive in Midland, Mich. Most recently, he served as vice president of application development and engineering, where he led a staff of 60 employees and contract workers supporting global and local OEM and supplier customers at five global locations. Additionally, he was responsible for new technology development, technical market need identification, technology market fit assessment and technology and product trajectory definition, among other activities for the company.

Previously, Lorenzo served as group leader for engineering service provider EASi Engineering, Inc. in Madison Heights, Mich. There, he was responsible for leading a team of project engineers in the execution of engineering programs involving automotive components and systems.

Lorenzo earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Buenos Aries in Argentina. He also earned a doctorate of science degree in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering. Lorenzo holds eight patents and has three patents pending.

Founded in 1989, Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership is a joint venture between Freudenberg & Co. of Germany and NOK Corp. of Japan.

Freudenberg-NOK is a leader in automotive sealing and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) products and is a supplier to all automakers producing in North America, as well as all major tier one chassis and drivetrain suppliers. The company's headquarters and technical center in Plymouth, Mich. houses the most extensive supplier-operated sealing and noise and vibration testing facility in North America.

Freudenberg-NOK offers its automotive customers globally integrated products, including sealing packages for transmissions, engines, brakes, axles and steering, NVH components and packages, and all rubber, plastic and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) components for suspension, electrical and fuel systems.

The company also offers an extensive portfolio of special precision seals for the aerospace, appliance, business machine, fluid power, marine, medical, off-highway equipment and recreational vehicle markets. For more information, visit the Freudenberg-NOK website at http://www.freudenberg-nok.com/ .

NOTE TO EDITORS: For an electronic image of Lorenzo, contact Adriana Ferrari at 248-269-1122 or aferrari@bianchipr.com .