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Freudenberg-NOK Expands Product Offering With New Valve Unit

16 August 1999

Freudenberg-NOK Expands Product Offering With New Valve Business Unit; Appoints Director

    PLYMOUTH, Mich., Aug. 13 -- In a strategic move to expand its
product offering, Freudenberg-NOK has created a new organization, the Valve
Business Unit -- to design and produce a wide range of valve products for the
North American market -- and has appointed J. Jeffrey Hildebrand as director
of the new unit.
    "We've made a decision to leverage the existing valve technology expertise
of the Freudenberg and NOK Group and have made a major commitment to support
our customers' North American needs," said John S. VanAlstyne, Freudenberg-NOK
vice president and general manager -- New Business Development.  "Our goal is
to become a major player in the North American valve market over the next
several years."
    While Freudenberg and NOK Group Companies in Europe and Asia have been
producing valve products on a large scale for more than 20 years and have the
world's largest portfolio of fuel-system, solenoid and diaphragm valves,
Freudenberg-NOK's North American valve offering has been limited.
    VanAlstyne said that through the new focused business unit, the company
plans to significantly expand its North American valve business, with an
initial thrust in fuel-system valves.
    "We intend to meet our customers' evolving global product needs through
proven and new technologies, global supply capability and lean systems," he
said.
    In conjunction with the new business unit, Freudenberg-NOK announced the
appointment of Hildebrand to director, Valve Business Unit.  He will be
responsible for engineering, sales and marketing for the unit, focusing on
building the company's presence in the North American valve market and
leveraging the group's existing product lines.
    Prior to joining Freudenberg-NOK, Hildebrand held various positions at
Solvay Automotive, Inc., in Troy, Mich., including sales account manager,
senior sales account manager, director of purchasing and, most recently,
business unit director -- where he was responsible for coordinating new
program activities for all Chrysler Jeep and Truck business.  From 1987 to
1989, Hildebrand worked as a product engineer at Kuhlman Plastics Group in
Troy, prior to its acquisition by Solvay S.A. in 1990.
    Hildebrand earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering
from the University of South Carolina and a master of business administration
from Michigan State University.
    Under the direction of VanAlstyne, the New Business Development
organization was established to promote all new products outside of
Freudenberg-NOK's current portfolio, but within the long-term Freudenberg and
NOK Group portfolio, such as valves and brake hose assemblies.
Responsibilities for the group include identifying new product opportunities,
developing marketing strategies, implementing business plans and providing
product development, engineering and manufacturing support.
    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 20 automotive suppliers and is one of only
eight in the top 100 that has global balance in each of the three major
automotive markets -- Asia, Europe and North America.
    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 sealing packages
for transmissions, engines, brakes, axles and steering, NVH (noise, vibration
and harshness) components and packages, 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.