Obituary: Great mourning for Dr. Heyo Schmiedeknecht

We are deeply saddened by the news of the death of Dr. Heyo Schmiedeknecht on February 25, 2025.

In his long-standing role as Chairman of the Board of the Qualitätsverband Kunststofferzeugnisse e.V. (now EPPA Deutschland e.V.), Dr. Schmiedeknecht also helped to guide and shape our RAL Gütegemeinschaft. He always had the quality concept in mind and saw it as an opportunity for the industry.

Dr. Schmiedeknecht led the Qualitätsverband from 2009 to 2017 with great commitment and expertise and made a decisive contribution to the development and strengthening of the association. His energetic commitment and visionary thinking will remain unforgotten. Close cooperation between the Bonn associations was always close to his heart.

Dr. Schmiedeknecht shaped the entire industry, always seeking common ground and interfaces instead of pure competition. His commitment was reflected in numerous association projects.

His life's work is diverse and extensive, whether in his professional career as an executive in the private sector or as an entrepreneur. His success story with Salamander Industrie-Produkte GmbH is a prime example of business acumen and family ties, which formed an excellent basis for an internationally established family business. At the same time, he managed to retain the down-to-earth attitude and authenticity that characterized him as a man.

We will always keep him in honorable memory.