Since World War II
The development of artificial materials for both footwear and automotive uses led to fabrics and, when it was noted that the company's cleaning women were using discarded scraps of the experimental fabrics for cleaning.[7][8] Vileda (from, 'like leather') window-cleaning cloths were first marketed in 1948;[33] the name had originally been suggested for the first nonwoven product, Viledon.In the first postwar decades, housewares became a major focus for Freudenberg,[34] together with nonwovens for the textile industry.[35] The company internationalized; it opened production facilities in other countries, beginning in 1950 with a textile plant in Lowell, Massachusetts and continuing in the 1970s and 1980s with plants in Brazil, Japan, and Hong Kong, and partnered particularly with Japanese companies, such as Nippon Oil Seal Industry Co. in 1960, leading to joint ventures in Asia. In 1990, it acquired the Swedish cleaning products company Wettex; in 1997 it formed a joint venture in Italy, later wholly owned, to recycle PET bottles into fabric. From the mid-1990s, it systematically developed markets and production facilities in Brazil, Russia, India, and China. It also continued to diversify, into shock absorption, filters, and starting with the acquisition in 1966 of Klüber Lubrication, chemical production.[36] Since a reorganization in 1996, Freudenberg Group has had a decentralized structure; in 2013, it consisted of 16 divisions or areas of business incorporating 430 independent units.[8][37][38][39] In 2004, Freudenberg Group made an initial entry into the global medical market with the creation of Freudenberg Medical EN.
The company's original business of leather production continued to shrink in the late 20th century, impacted by reduced demand and rising prices for raw materials. By 2001, the leather division was responsible for only 1% of Freudenberg's gross income and its primary customers were American companies, which canceled orders after the September 11 attacks. In 2002 the company closed its last remaining tannery in Weinheim, marking the effective end of the leather industry in Germany.[8][40][41] However, today Vileda is a market leader in Europe.[42] All German cars contain parts made by another Freudenberg subsidiary, and German-made outdoor clothing contains fibers made by yet another.[8] Almost all major airports have flooring made by another Freudenberg subsidiary.
As of 2005, three-quarters of Freudenberg's business was as a supplier to other companies.[43] In 2004 Freudenberg had employees in 43 countries.[7][44][45] By 2011, Freudenberg Group was a 5 billion euro business with more than 32,000 employees, approximately 11,000 in Germany.[8] In 2023, it was an 11.9 billion euro business with more than 52,000 employees.[46]
In 2015, the company sold its telecommunications business and began adding chemical and medical manufacturing products to its portfolio.[47]
