25 years - from production company FNE to GfE Fremat GmbH
In 2021, today’s GfE Fremat GmbH looks back on 25 eventful years from its headquarters in Brand-Erbisdorf.
The decision to spin off the production company Freiberger NE-Metall GmbH & Co Produktions KG from the FNE Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals was founded on understanding the advantages to its continued development that would come from separating the institute's research operations from its product manufacturing. Following the shareholder resolution on July 15, 1996, the business began operating with 42 employees on September 1 of the same year. The production of targets and special semi-finished products, the coating of components, galvanic products and soldering chemicals took place at the sites in Brander Straße and Lessingstraße in Freiberg.
The name "Fremat" first appeared in 2002, when the production company was renamed Fremat GmbH & Co KG. It was during this time that planning began for the new plant. This had become necessary due to the increased demand for long tube targets for coating architectural glass and solar cells. Moreover, the production buildings in use at that time were limiting the opportunities for further development. The location of the South Industrial Estate of Brand-Erbisdorf was settled on and production at the current site began with its official inauguration on March 12, 2004.
The next milestone in the company’s history was the acquisition FNE and its production company by Nuremberg-based GfE (GfE Gesellschaft für Elektrometallurgie mbH). GfE is part of the international AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V., which globally employs more than 3,100 personnel. It was at the end of 2007, during the course of this transition, that the current company name, GfE Fremat, came into existence.
As a result of the takeover and the global orientation of GfE, Fremat is now a global market leader in the production of sputtering targets.
In the more recent past, 2017, an annex was added to the Brand-Erbisdorf plant, expanding it by approximately 2,000 square meters. Until that point, ceramic targets had been at the plant in Lessingstraße, Freiberg. Their relocation with the expansion marked the final step to the current production facility at a single location.
The ongoing developments in materials and technologies, as well as our involvement in research projects, have and will continue to drive our company's success.
Many of the 105 people currently employed by GfE Fremat GmbH have been with the company for decades. Just one of the reasons for this are the opportunities afforded to their continued development. Furthermore, the company’s mission for the ongoing advancement of knowledge and technology means that it is always looking for new, young talent keen on facing the challenges of an interesting and diversified apprenticeship.
GfE Fremat is once again offering apprenticeships in technical fields for 2022.