F.S. Fehrer GmbH & Co KG (D-97318 Kitzingen), who see themselves as "a leading manufacturer of moulded foam cushions and PU components", announced in January 1996 that it has taken a majority stake in Midfoam Ltd (Crown Works, Anne Road, GB-Smethwick B66 2NZ). Midfoam is a major supplier of moulded foam cushioning to the British automobile industry. According to Fehrer: "The purchase of the English foam manufacturer by the Fehrer Group fits in with their strategic objective of being a component specialist for automobile interior cladding, which is both European in scale and in close proximity to its customers". Midfoam supplies manufacturers of complete seating units, such as Johnson Controls, Bertrand Faure, Lear Seating and Keiper Recaro, as well as automotive manufacturers such as Rover, Vauxhall and Honda. Midfoam's range will be extended by including Fehrer's product range, allowing it to offer a complete range of components for automotive interiors, instead of just seating as at present. Midfoam will be integrated into F.S. Fehrer International Holding GmbH, as an independent operating unit with 140 employees, responding to Managing Director Bob Blakemore.

In Germany, Fehrer has factories in Kitzingen, Großlangheim, Braunschweig and Markranstädt/Leipzig. In other European countries there are factories in Austria, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Belgium, following Fehrer's purchase of the polyurethane firm, Sylvan Belgium NV (Industrieweg, B-3980 Tessenderlo) last year. The parent German firm has about 1300 employees and an annual turnover of about DM 210m with Dipl.-Kfm. Claus Fehrer as Managing Partner.