The German industrial group Freudenberg has renewed its confidence in Catalonia with an investment of 11 million euros aimed at completely remodeling the factory of components for the automotive sector that it owns in Parets del Vallès (Barcelona). The company inaugurated this Friday the new facilities, which are designed to operate with 100% renewable energy and to work with the latest technological innovations, such as the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).
The plant, which has an area of 6,800 square meters, employs 171 people and specializes in the production of seals for shock absorbers and components for steering systems. The replacement and modernization of the existing factory will allow Freudenberg Sealing Technologies to increase by 15% the annual production of shock absorber and steering system components, which currently generates an annual turnover of about 30 million euros.
This project has received aid from the Govern, which, through ACCIÓ, has granted Frudenberg 200,000 euros within the framework of the line of aid for high-impact business investments. The inauguration ceremony, held this Friday, was attended by the President of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, and the Minister of Business, Roger Torrent.
"The DNA of the Freudenberg group is the latest technology with a long-term orientation, two qualities that here, in the new factory in Parets del Vallès, we deeply demonstrate. This plant seeks to respond to the current and future needs of the automotive industry," highlighted Jaume Cané, director of Freudenberg
The Freundeberg group, which this year celebrates its 175th anniversary, has more than 1,000 employees in Spain, where it has seven plants specialized in the automotive sector located in Parets del Vallès, Martorell, Burgos, and Cascante (Navarra). In addition to components for damping and steering systems, these facilities also manufacture rubber, elastomer, and metal applications for vehicle sealing and anti-vibration, a production that exports 75% to Europe, mainly to Germany and Eastern European countries, although a significant part also goes to Mexico.
Family-owned, the Baden-Württemberg-based group had a turnover of 11,753 million euros in 2022, with a presence in 60 countries and more than 51,000 employees. In addition to producing automotive components, Freudenberg is the company that owns the Vileda mop brand and also operates in other businesses such as lubricants, chemical products, and medical devices. The Spanish subsidiary had a turnover of 342 million in 2022 through its subsidiaries Freudenberg España, Telas sin Tejer, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions, EagleBurgmann Ibérica, Freudenberg IT Service, Kluber, and Vibracoustic.