Kluber Lubrication and sister company Chem-Trend opened a research and development center near Shanghai, their parent company, Freudenberg Group, announced last week.
The German companies also plan to expand lubricant and release agent manufacturing facilities that already exist at the site in Qingpu. Altogether the projects will entail investment of 150 million(U.S. $24 million) over the next three years, Freudenberg said.
Klueber is one of the worlds largest suppliers of specialty lubricants, while Chem-Trend offers specialty mold release agents and lubricants along with ancillary products. Freudenberg, which is based in Munich, Germany, said the investments are a reaction to growth in the Chinese market.
Our overall investment concept in China is in line with market and customer requirements, said Hanno D. Wentzler, regional representative of Freudenberg Group and chief executive officer of Freudenberg Chemical Specialities, the division that includes Klueber and Chem-Trend. He added that the research and development center is being built to provide technical services in closer proximity to customers.
Once the manufacturing expansion is complete, the Qingpu facilities will be Klueber and Chem-Trends largest production and sales site in Asia.