APRA Europe Hall of fame
Honouring the lifework of outstanding personalities in the Remanufacturing business, APRA Europe established the exclusive Hall of Fame in 2020. The Hall of fame includes only one additional member per year.
Each year, members may propose candidates with a proper reasoning. The Board of Directors will then deliberate on candidates and take a decision.
Deadlines will be communicated each year, well ahead of a respective APRA Europe event where the ceremony takes place.
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Awarded during
APRA European Symposium 2023
Ian Buxcey
From the beginning of his career as a remanufacturing expert, Ian Buxcey already connected with APRA Europe and supported the goals and work of the association. He spent many years in planning and setting up successful remanufacturing productions from scratch for globally acting remanufacturers, OEs and aftermarket players. Among his career stations are renowned companies like Denso, Lucas, Meritor, BorgWarner where he held responsible positions. Ian Buxcey was a long-term member of the Board of Directors of APRA Europe and engaged in many lobbying activities, especially in the UK.
Awarded during
APRA European Symposium 2021
William Schwarck
William Schwarck was an internationally successful journalist before engaging with ReMaTecNews. This magazine was created as a content-driven addition to sales oriented ReMaTec fair (now spelled: Rematec) following high journalistic standards.
William Schwarck always succeeded in putting individuals or remanufacturing players in the focus of his stories; those who are shaping the industry. As APRA Europe we contributed by a special association column, the Green Pages, in each edition of the magazine.
Through his dedication to remanufacturing and his well-thought-out style of writing, William Schwarck ensured ReMaTecNews to become a neutrally positioned, formative magazine for the European and global remanufacturing industry.
Awarded during
APRA European Symposium 2020
Fernand J. Weiland
30 years in management positions with Bendix Automotive, Lucas Automotive, Magneti Marelli Automotive and TRW Automotive.
Fernand Weiland founded the APRA European Division in 1989, serving as the Division’s first Chairman for more than 20 years. Between 1990 and 2010 he organized a considerable number of APRA forums, workshops and exhibitions across Europe. A co-founder of the biennial Rematec remanufacturing exhibitions in Amsterdam, Fernand Weiland has written numerous articles for the Rematec News magazine and edited five books about automotive remanufacturing in Europe. He was also instrumental in setting up APRA’s established Asia-Pacific Division. In 2019 Fernand was honoured with the prestigious Best Reman Ambassador Award presented by Rematec Amsterdam. Fernand is currently an editor and Director of FJW Consulting.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rolf Steinhilper
Rolf Steinhilper graduated as a mechanical engineer specializing in Factory Management and Automotive Technology at the University of Stuttgart, Germany in 1978. He then worked as a Fraunhofer R&D Manager on innovation projects dealing with Manufacturing, Remanufacturing, Recycling and EcoDesign for major industrial clients in Europe, USA and Canada, Japan, China and Taiwan in the past 40 years. In 1990, Rolf belonged also to the founding members of the APRA European Division. In 2001 he was appointed full professor for Manufacturing and Remanufacturing Technology at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. Since 2006 he was also responsible for the Fraunhofer Project Group “Process innovation” there, where he started and orchestrated the European Remanufacturing Technology Center from 2001 until 2018, when he retired from his academic positions at the age of 66 years. His team consisted of more than 45 specialized scientists and engineers who gave significant innovation support to the remanufacturing industry worldwide. He has written 15 books among them a Bestseller entitled “Remanufacturing”, which has been published in seven World languages, also Japanese, Chinese, Korean. In 2016, Rolf Steinhilper won the “Remanufacturer of the year” award as the first academician among the so far industry management award winners.
Søren Toft-Jensen
Søren Toft-Jensen was self employed for over 40 years within the automotive aftermarket. He moved slowly in 1985 into circular economy (without knowing!) and developed over the following years the company Borg Automotive A/S with a team of very dedicated supporters (employees).
Søren got to know important suppliers and learned the first important steps from very friendly and supportive colleagues in the USA, exhibiting at the annual APRA Big R show in various US states.
He took part in the development of APRA Europe, for a number of years as member of the APRA Europe board chaired by Fernand Weiland.
Søren was granted the award “Remanufacturer of the year” in 2015. He sold Borg Automotive A/S to the danish conglomerate Schouw & Co in 2017.