The Freudenberg Group and NOK Celebrate 40 Years of Partnership
15 June 2000
Friends Helping Friends: The Freudenberg Group and NOK Celebrate 40 Years of Partnership
PLYMOUTH, Mich. - Back in 1960, when teenagers in the U.S. were captivated
by a short-lived dance craze known as "the Twist," two companies -- Freudenberg
& Co. of Germany and the Nippon Oil Seal Industry Co. Ltd. (NOK) of Japan --
were quietly joining into a partnership that has now entered its fifth decade
and has grown into a $7 billion global enterprise.
Fads come and go -- in personal life and in business -- but successful
global partnerships like that of the Freudenberg Group and NOK Corp. are rare
because of the long-term commitment and vision required, according to Joseph
C. Day, chairman and CEO of Freudenberg-NOK G.P., the American segment of this
global group.
"It takes many years and a strong commitment by the employees to achieve
the unique relationship these two companies have created," Day said. "The
kind of global cooperation they possess cannot be imitated overnight, it has
to be built day after day, month after month and year after year through
trust, respect and friendship."
In saluting the 40th anniversary of the successful partnership of these
two leading manufacturing firms, Day acknowledged the remarkable, innovative
vision of two executives -- Dr. Hans Erich Freudenberg and Shogo Tsuru -- who
first brought the two companies together.
"The secret formula that created and continues to foster the prosperity of
both Freudenberg and NOK is a philosophy of 'friends helping friends' employed
over two generations of family leadership at both companies," Day said. "It's
fascinating to think that the leaders of these two companies had the foresight
to forge a global relationship long before most companies realized the
importance of doing business globally."
Today, the group serves the automotive, textile and capital goods
industries with almost 30,000 employees in 40 countries around the world. Its
products range from vibration control devices to fine leather, from special
lubricants to non-woven materials, and from automotive seals to household
products. The partnership first initiated in 1960 has now expanded to 20
ventures in nine countries, including Freudenberg-NOK G.P. (the 11-year-old
American company which is now the largest of the partnerships); NOK Kluber
Co., Ltd.; NOK Megulastik Co., Ltd.; Simrax GmbH; and Freudenberg Mektec GmbH
& Co. KG.
Day said that through open information interchange and a long-term focus,
Freudenberg and NOK have spent the past four decades implementing common
standards, production processes and business practices, so that all their
operations around the world can work in unison toward a common goal -- making
its customers successful. Ultimately, Day said, helping customers to be
successful is the key to the global group's future.
The Freudenberg Group, a wholly owned family enterprise, was established
in 1849 and is headquartered in Weinheim, Germany. NOK Corp., whose stock is
traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, was established in 1939 and is based in
Tokyo, Japan.
Plymouth, Mich.-based Freudenberg-NOK is part of the Freudenberg and NOK
Group Companies, which have total annual sales of nearly $7 billion. With
global automotive sales of approximately $4 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.