Fachhändlersuche
In addition to his entrepreneurial activities, socio-political commitment and social service were always important to the WAREMA founder. Renkhoff, a family man, volunteered his knowledge, capabilities, experience and energy to the Economy Advisory Board of the Union (Wirtschaftsbeirat der Union), the Curatorship of Rationalisation in German Industry (Rationalisierungskuratorium der Deutschen Wirtschaft), the Sparkasse Main-Spessart, the Marketing-Club Mainfranken, the University Association of Würzburg (Universitätsbund Würzburg) and the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences, among other establishments.
The Hans-Wilhelm Renkhoff Foundation was established in 1995 by the founder of WAREMA, Hans-Wilhelm Renkhoff. To begin with, it promoted exclusively science and research through financial support for students at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences, but since then youth and old people's welfare projects, equality and public as well as vocational education have joined the areas receiving support.
The foundation promotes science, research and development, and practical third-level training in engineering and business disciplines at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences in accordance with the needs of medium-sized businesses. Social projects and youth work projects are also promoted.
Since 1995 the foundation has supported numerous research projects of the university in cooperation with medium-sized businesses. In addition, scholarships have been awarded regularly and large numbers of engineering and economics students have been recognised for their outstanding performance. Even schools and youth work regularly profit from donations from the foundation.
Senator E.h. Dr. h.c. Hans-Wilhelm Renkhoff was a man of action, a pioneering entrepreneurial force in the Federal Republic of Germany and a man with willpower and drive. The founder of WAREMA was characterised by his humour and strong social commitment. These traits made him an important personality in the German post-war era. Renkhoff, who was born in Düsseldorf, significantly contributed to the development and success of the social market economy in the Federal Republic of Germany.
However, his path and rise to company director and exemplary entrepreneur were by no means preordained. On the contrary: after serving in the war, spending time as a prisoner of war and participating in the post-war clean-up, the trained technical designer and former masonry apprentice worked tirelessly and under great hardship to gradually achieve professional success.
Born on 19 January 1927, Hans-Wilhelm Renkhoff was 28 years old and a managing director at a West German industrial company when he set out to start his own business.
Together with his business partner, Karl-Friedrich Wagner, he founded WAREMA in Marktheidenfeld in 1955. After his partner's sudden death on a business trip, Renkhoff took over sole responsibility for the company in 1958 and unerringly led WAREMA to success.
The years and decades that followed brought continuous growth and the demands placed on company management changed accordingly. From the beginning, Hans-Wilhelm Renkhoff understood how to motivate, support and advance his employees. He created good training positions and secure jobs, a sign of quality that still applies to the WAREMA Group to this day.
The formation of a solid company with a healthy financial structure was only one aspect of the dedicated efforts of Hans-Wilhelm Renkhoff.
He was known as a generous supporter and promoter of TV 1884 and the Marktheidenfeld Tennis Club, as well as of the local chapter of the “Lebenshilfe” social services centre.
Numerous distinctions and awards are a visible expression of public recognition of his achievements. Hans-Wilhelm Renkhoff was a recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit and the Bavarian Order of Merit and was an honorary citizen of Marktheidenfeld.
On 31 December 1998, Renkhoff resigned from his post as Chief Executive Officer at his own request and remained a member of the WAREMA Supervisory Board until 2007. The WAREMA founder died on 9 March 2011 at the age of 84.
