Fel-Pro® Gaskets, a genuine American success story built through the ingenuity and hard work of thousands of employees and tens of thousands of satisfied customers, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. And, as the predominant choice of sealing technology for professional technicians, engine builders, racing teams, enthusiasts and do-it-yourselfers, the brand continues to extend its impressive heritage of innovation and commitment to providing gaskets that simplify even the most complex sealing repairs. Fel-Pro is a brand of Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a global manufacturer of original equipment and replacement components for automotive, commercial vehicle, performance, agricultural, industrial and other applications.
The 100th anniversary celebration will span an extensive schedule of customer-focused activities culminating in an industry and community open house on July 21, 2018, at the Fel-Pro engineering, manufacturing and distribution complex in Skokie, Ill.
“Fel-Pro is an amazing brand by any measure – product innovation, quality and, above all, customer loyalty,” said Mike Proud, vice president of marketing, Americas, Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “This anniversary is a celebration of the multiple generations of talented technicians, engine builders, racing teams, consumers and Fel-Pro employees who together have built a truly elite brand by demanding and delivering the very best for every sealing repair.”
Fel-Pro was founded July 5, 1918, in Chicago. The company became a leading innovator in the sealing category beginning with felt-based seals for the Ford Model T. By the early 1920s it had established one of the pivotal characteristics that continues to drive the brand’s success today – a commitment to providing products that address the demands of the sealing repair environment.
“Fel-Pro engineers are intensely focused on the real-world conditions facing technicians and other customers, whether they’re working in a repair bay, machine shop or their own garage,” said Craig Frohock, vice president, global sealing, Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “Our highly specialized gasket materials and problem-solving designs help each customer achieve a long-lasting seal they can rely on.”
During the 1970s, Fel-Pro introduced its now-iconic blue gasket materials and Blue Stripe® design to visually differentiate its products. This unique approach communicates the brand’s strengths and the innovative technologies that have earned the trust of front-line professionals. Knowing that every part that goes into a Fel-Pro box is validated and approved by a Fel-Pro engineer adds confidence that each gasket has been designed and manufactured specifically for the corresponding repair.
Fel-Pro was acquired in 1998 by Federal-Mogul, which over the past 20 years has aggressively invested in new R&D and manufacturing resources to position the brand for continued leadership in an era of lighter-weight, higher-output, harder-to-seal engines. Federal-Mogul also invested millions of dollars in the equipment necessary to develop and manufacture modern multi-layered-steel (MLS) head gaskets, which have become the preferred technology for engine manufacturers, professional stock car and drag racing teams, engine builders, and automotive repair businesses. And like each preceding generation of Fel-Pro technology, the brand’s leading-edge PermaTorque® MLS head gaskets are number one in their category because they are designed to work under real-world repair conditions.
Thanks to Federal-Mogul’s impressive stewardship, Fel-Pro remains the predominant brand of automotive sealing products, from MLS head gaskets to fluoroelastomer-encapsulated intake manifold gaskets to timing cover, valve cover, water outlet and more than a dozen other types of sealing products installed in engines and transmissions each day.
Another characteristic that has not changed is the brand’s commitment to U.S.-based engineering and manufacturing. The more than 1,300 employees at the million-plus-square-foot Fel-Pro complex in Skokie each day produce more than 325,000 gaskets, seals and other products and ship more than 120,000 complete, vehicle- and/or engine-specific sealing repair sets.
“Each of our employees is proud of the fact that, even after 100 years, Fel-Pro remains the standard by which all other automotive gaskets are measured,” Proud said. “This level of excellence – built through hard work, innovation and customer values – continues for each new generation of engine and vehicle technology.”
