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Freudenberg-NOK Breaks Ground on Axle Seal Facility

30 September 1998

Freudenberg-NOK Breaks Ground on Axle Seal Facility in Northfield, N.H.; Appoints Plant Manager

    PLYMOUTH, Mich., Sept. 30 -- As part of an initiative to
create focused factories dedicated to specific processes and products,
Freudenberg-NOK has broken ground today on a new 37,000-square-foot facility
for axle seal production in Northfield, N.H.  The company also has appointed a
Freudenberg-NOK executive as the new facility's plant manager.
    The $5.0 million facility -- which will employ up to 240 people from
within the Freudenberg-NOK businesses -- is being built adjacent to
Freudenberg-NOK's existing, 50,000-square-foot Tooling Technology Center in
Northfield and will include the latest state-of-the-art production molding
equipment.
    When completed in the first quarter of 1999, the new facility will produce
highly engineered axle seals for a variety of customers in the sport-utility,
light-truck and heavy-truck markets.  Major customers include American Axle &
Manufacturing, Ford Motor Co. and Freightliner.
    "The focused-factory approach has further strengthened Freudenberg-NOK's
efforts to reduce complexity, while increasing productivity and improving
time-to-market," said Greg Keenan, vice president of General Oil Seals for
Freudenberg-NOK.  "So creating a dedicated axle seal facility will enable us
to build upon our continuous improvement efforts and best serve our
customers' needs."
    According to Keenan, axle seal production will be transferred to the new
Northfield facility from the company's Bristol, N.H. plant.  As announced in
March of this year, Freudenberg-NOK's Bristol facility will become a focused
factory dedicated to oil seal component manufacturing.  This initiative will
free up floor space in Bristol for expansion of component manufacturing
operations.
    In lieu of the traditional groundbreaking ceremony, Freudenberg-NOK
executives joined with local and state dignitaries to plant two maple trees
alongside one another.
    "The planting of the first tree symbolizes Freudenberg-NOK's philosophy of
sustained growth, as well as our focus on investing for the long-term to
provide our employees and customers with reliability and predictability for
years to come," Keenan said.
    "The second tree signifies the state's continued growth and its commitment
to providing a climate of cooperation by standing side-by-side with business
and industry," he said.  "So as these trees grow together, we expect the
economy and career opportunities within New Hampshire to grow at an equivalent
rate."

    Gray Appointed Plant Manager of New Facility
    In conjunction with the groundbreaking, Freudenberg-NOK has appointed
Sherry Gray plant manager of the Axle Seal Focused Factory.  Gray, who has 13
years of solid, hands-on production and management experience, will be
responsible for the start-up and overall operation of the new facility.
    Most recently, Gray served as human resources, safety and environmental
manager for Freudenberg-NOK's Oil Seals Division.  Prior to that, she spent
several years working in a variety of production and administrative positions.
She joined the company in 1985.
    Gray earned a bachelor's degree in business management and a master's in
business administration with an advanced master's degree in labor relations
from New Hampshire College (Manchester, N.H.).  She is a member of the
Business & Industry Association (BIA) of New Hampshire.
    Plymouth, Mich.-based Freudenberg-NOK is part of the Freudenberg and NOK
Group Companies, which have total annual sales of more than $6 billion.  With
global automotive sales of approximately $3.5 billion, the Freudenberg and NOK
Group ranks among the world's top 25 independent automotive suppliers.
    Through a global network of facilities spanning 24 countries with
some 23,000 automotive employees worldwide, the supplier group offers its
automotive customers globally integrated products, including total sealing
packages for engines, transmissions, brakes and steering, NVH components and
modules, and all rubber, plastic and PTFE components for suspension,
electrical and fuel systems.
    The Freudenberg and NOK Group also offers an extensive portfolio of
precision-molded products for the aerospace, appliance, business machine,
fluid power, marine, medical, off-highway equipment and recreational vehicle
markets.  For more information, visit the Freudenberg-NOK web site at
http://www.freudenberg-nok.com.