Freudenberg, Gala Brush to Set Up New Joint Venture

Freudenberg Household Products (FHP) and Gala Brush Limited, a leading Indian manufacturer of cleaning products, have signed an agreement to build up a production and sales joint venture. FHP, one of the business groups belonging to the Freudenberg Group, is best known for its mechanical cleaning products marketed under the prestigious Vileda, OLCedar and Wettex brands.

FHP holds a 60 percent interest in the joint venture in order to serve the Indian market swiftly and successfully. The new company Freudenberg Gala Household Products will be located in Mumbai and will take over the current 200 employees and the business of Gala Brush as of August 2009. The construction of a new, modern plant utilizing Gala Brush and FHP technologies is planned for 2010 in India.

The joint venture will operate both in the consumer and professional cleaning businesses. “The joint venture will form a strong platform to combine Gala Brush's sales and customer network in the Indian market with FHP's international expertise and customer relationships," says Dr Klaus Peter Meier, President and CEO of Freudenberg Household Products.

Gala Brush develops, produces and markets high-quality mechanical household cleaning products in India under the Gala brand name. The product range includes cleaning systems and cloths for the consumer and professional business segments. Freudenberg Household Products is a leading international brand manufacturer of household cloths, cleaning products and laundry care equipment. In 2008, Freudenberg Group generated sales of 656.3 million euros.