GERMANY: Freudenberg’s Norbert Dahlström Retires

A career at spanning more than 20 years at Freudenberg will come to an end in December. This is when Norbert Dahlström, board member and head of the Freudenberg Group's nonwovens business, is to retire. Mr Dahlström, aged 64, has not only made a mark on Freudenberg's nonwovens and household products divisions, but on the worldwide nonwovens sector as well. He was responsible for expanding both business groups and, under his guidance, Freudenberg quintupled its sales in these areas to more than DM2.5 billion. He substantially expanded the company's presence in Asia too. As the marketing expert on Freudenberg's board, Mr Dahlström also helped to modernise and integrate the group's diversified corporate image. Outside Freudenberg, Mr Dahlström represented the interests of the company on the boards of the European Disposables & Nonwovens Trade Association for Europe (EDANA), and the Federation of German Textile Industries. In recognition of his achievements for the German Textile Industry, Mr Dahlström will be awarded the Ribbon Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany this month. He also contributes his professional and international experience to the advisory board of the German Ministry of Industry and Technology.