BIPAVER Relocates Secretariat

BIPAVER, the European Retread Manufacturers Association has announced that it has relocated its offices and made several changes to its operational structure.

The Retread Manufacturers Association (RMA) has administered BIPAVER in the United Kingdom since 2002. Now the Association has decided to relocate its offices to Leiden in the Netherlands, where the Dutch Trade Association, VACO, will administer it.

As a result of the change, Ruud Spuijbroek, secretary general of VACO, has taken over the role of Secretary of BIPAVER. Meanwhile David Wilson, director of the (RMA) has taken over the role of communications secretary whilst Hans-Jürgen Drechsler of the German Association Bundesverband Reifenhandel und Vulkaniseur Handwerk e.V (BRV) takes on the responsibility for technical issues as technical secretary.

The decision to relocate the secretariat was made to make optimum use of VACO’s proximity to Brussels and Ruud Spuijbroek’s long-standing experience with European legislative issues. Hans-Jürgen Drechsler’s undoubted technical expertise and David Wilson’s experience in the publishing and PR field make them ideal choices to handle the vital technical and communications roles.

Meanwhile, Richard O’Connell of Bandvulc Tyres, has assumed the role of acting chairman of BIPAVER on a one year term, taking over from Christer Widholm of MacRipper, Sweden. Widholm remains on the Board of BIPAVER as immediate past president. A further vice chairman, who will eventually take over as president at the end of 2006, has yet to be appointed. The chairman and vice-chairman roles will be formalised at BIPAVER’s Annual General Meeting in May.

The changes in the secretariat and the above appointments all took effect on 2 January 2006.