Michael Blake

Application Sales Team E-Mobility at FST

Welcome to the "Employee Spotlight". This series introduces us to employees from all around the world as well as from all different job functions within our company. We get the opportunity to gain insights on their work life and to learn the variety of job options that are available within the company.

Here Is His Story:

In about five sentences, please give us an overview of your job at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies?

I am the Application Engineer for the E-Mobility automotive sales team. I work with Automotive OEMs and tiers specifically focusing on electrified vehicles. I work with our customers and manufacturing facilities on different sealing applications. Some typical applications are Battery Gaskets, Shaft Seals, O-Rings and Plastic components. An application engineer focuses on what our customer requires and how we can meet those needs or what our customer needs to change so we can help them succeed. Another aspect of my job is to promote Freudenberg’s new products. To do this, I meet with different engineering groups within our customers. This is especially true for the dynamic E-Mobility sector of automotive.

What makes working with Freudenberg Sealing Technologies different from other companies or teams you’ve worked with?

I have only worked for Freudenberg since I graduated high school and I can say that Freudenberg is way better than my local hardware store.

I have referred many of my friends to Freudenberg, all of which say they enjoy it.

Why did you decide you wanted to work here?

Well, that’s a funny story. I started working at Freudenberg when I was 18 just after graduating high school in 2009. I found Freudenberg at a job fair at Kettering University. When I entered the job fair, I was looking for a company that I could practice interviewing with so that my interviewing skills would be polished when I approached the companies that I really wanted to work for like Ford, GM, and the FBI. Turns out, Freudenberg was one of the only companies hiring at that time and I was lucky enough to get a co-op. I also was extremely fortunate to get a co-op at such an excellent facility as Ashland, NH.

Can you tell us about the culture at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies?

Freudenberg has “People” as one of their guiding principles and that shows how they treat their employees. As evidence of Freudenberg’s commitment to people I was hired in 2009 when most companies in the automotive industry were laying employees off. I also believe there is a high caliber of people that work at Freudenberg. After working with many different customers in the automotive industry I can say that Freudenberg has acquired an excellent group of people.

What does Freudenberg Sealing Technologies have to offer regarding career / talent development?

Freudenberg has given me the opportunity to learn manufacturing, product design, and application/sales engineering. All of these experiences have helped me to build my skillset in engineering, managing customers, and project management. Freudenberg has also given me the opportunity to travel to see how different Freudenberg facilities along with our customers, operate.

Do you have recommendations for potential future colleagues when applying for a job with Freudenberg?

My recommendation would be to have patience in the applying and interviewing process. Freudenberg is an awesome company to work for but it takes a while to get in the door. I have referred many of my friends to Freudenberg, all of which say they enjoy it.

How is your team organized or what does it look like?

The Automotive Sales E-Mobility team is led by Amanda Hawkins the E-Mobility Sales Director. My colleagues are account managers and application engineers for the different North American customers. There are currently three application engineers and four account managers.