Last year, representatives of Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) and Epidor met in Barcelona to mark their joint 60th birthday. A contract with the company went into effect on July 1, 1955, making the Catalan dealer a Freudenberg commercial partner. Today Epidor is one of two Preferred Distributors in Spain and thus an important component of the Freudenberg's European strategy. In the replacement parts sector, the commercial partners of FST mainly supply end-customers with original products, along with direct sales to industrial customers in the original equipment business. In doing so, commercial partners handle complex logistical processes and services so that Freudenberg products can ensure the reliability of machines and facilities in the industrial aftermarket. Partnerships between FST and its top dealers date back an average of 40 years. The relations between them are accordingly close, open and friendly. Thomas Schäfer, vice president, Distribution and New Regions, described the strong bonds: “Our Preferred Distributors practically belong to the Freudenberg family.” One partnership that goes back even six decades is with the Catalan company Epidor, which is headquartered in Barcelona. In 2014 Epidor generated 17 million euros: with 90 employees at nine branch facilities. Freudenberg’s Catalan Preferred Distributor supplies 9,000 different customers, and has 44,000 items in inventory ready for use.