Freudenberg deal to buy Burgmann's seals business goes through

By Liz White, ERJ staff

Weinheim, Germany-Freudenberg & Co. has acquired most of Euro 92-million turnover seal maker Burgmann Dichtungswerke, headquartered in Wolfratshausen, Germany, following approval by the German Federal Cartel Office.

“With the acquisition, we are implementing our strategy to grow outside of the automotive sector in a technologically demanding market,” said Dr Peter Stehle a Freudenberg board member.

According to Freudenberg, 120-year-old Burgmann is “one of the world's leading mechanical seals producers and the market leader in Germany.”

The business, which has little or no overlap with Freudenberg's other operations in automotive and general industrial seals, will operate as a new Freudenberg division, to be called Burgmann Industries GmbH & Co. KG.

Burgmann has a global workforce of some 3300, 1100 at its German sites in Wolfratshausen and Eurasburg and at various service centres.

The activities Freudenberg is buying-mechanical seals, expansion joints and some automotive business-expand the group's sealing activities.

The two firms are not revealing the purchase price.