In the news
Recharger
Magazine,
April 2001
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NEWS
Industry Leaders Found Remanufacturing Industries Council
They came from Illinois, Connecticut, California, Nevada and Washington D.C.
Dr. Nabil Nasr of the National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery (NCR3) had insisted that they take the trip. The meeting he had planned, he said, was important enough. And by the end of the two-day meeting at NCR3's home, Rochester Institute of Technology, leaders of the remanufacturing industry had reached an agreement: they would reinvent an industry-wide coalition.
"This is the rebirth of an alliance," Nasr said.
"A united industry that has one voice and solid representation - that is very important," Nasr added. "That is how we will face our challenges."
The new coalition will be called Remanufacturing Industries Council (RIC), participants at RIT's Remanufacturing Summit 2001 on April 9 and 10 decided. Participants cited increased political clout, awareness of the happenings among industry sectors and an increased ability to meet common challenges as main issues driving the Council.
"[RIC] will be a vehicle to keep each remanufacturing segment aware of the activities of the others in hopes that some common ground and effort may occur," said Bill Gager, president of APRA.
Summit participants generated a list of challenges facing the remanufacturing industry. Three committees - legal, technical and public relations - will each take a piece of the list.
One of the challenges on the list was increasing the prominence of remanufactured products in academics, the public mindset and in the marketplace.
"We will have succeeded when remanufacturing is explained in the schools of the world much in the same way as recycling is currently explained," said Lester Cornelius, newly elected president of RIC.
The RIC Legal Committee, chaired by Tricia Judge, Recharger magazine, will track efforts that hinder or encourage the purchase of remanufactured products and get the word out about court cases and legislation that affect the industry.
The Public Awareness Committee, headed by Rick Baker, Camm, Inc., will lead efforts to improve the public image of remanufactured products.
The Technical Committee, led by Rich Lovely, APRA, will address the need for testing guidelines as well as quality issues with remanufactured products.
About the Remanufacturing Industries Council
Remanufacturing industry leaders in April 2001 agreed to form an alliance that would cross the lines of industry sectors to promote, protect and advance the entire remanufacturing industry. They created the Remanufacturing Industries Council (RIC), a coalition between individual companies, trade associations and interested government and academic organizations.
RIC VISION
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Remanufacturing, "the ultimate form of recycling," will become a household word, known for its contributions to the environment and the economy
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All remanufacturers will have access to state-of-the-art technologies and evaluation methods
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An industry-wide network will effectively protect and advance the interests of remanufacturers everywhere
RIC MISSION
Develop a framework for the remanufacturing industry to work together to...
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Help remanufacturing companies, advocates and industry leaders create action plans to address industry challenges.
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Promote the use of remanufactured products in the interest of combined values in economic and the environmental sustainability.
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Search out all avenues for the remanufacturing industry to stay at the forefront of technical excellence and quality assurance.
Milestones in the Remanufacturing Industry
Many of the guests assembled at the Remanufacturing Summit were also at RIT in November 1995, when a similar meeting led to the formation of Remanufacturing Industries Council International
(RICI).
After several years, however, participation in RICI lagged.
Six years later, new leaders joined the seasoned representatives from the days of the
RICI.
The founding members agreed that strength for the new organization would be found in representation from a variety of industry sectors.
"Many more industry segments are expected to join, and through that growth we will be able to shape the future for remanufacturing," said Cornelius. "The Council will
carry the political clout necessary to encourage remanufacturing at many
levels of society."
Office furniture refurbishers, automotive parts remanufacturers, toner cartridge remanufacturers and engine rebuilders are actively represented in
RIC. Additional sectors will be invited to participate.
RIC, the Beginnings
RIC will have a Web site where information on legislation and other issues affecting the industry will be posted. In the future, an information-sharing forum may be linked off of the RIC site. RIC plans to hold an annual symposium for representatives from all industry sectors to meet and discuss common challenges.
Participants at Remanufacturing Summit discussed the history of the industry, industry challenges and the needs for a unified front. They shared status reports from different industry sectors and identified common areas of concern. NCR3 engineers presented technology updates in clean technologies, material analysis, testing and diagnostics, operational assistance and product evaluation.
Officers for RIC were voted in at the Summit meeting and are: Nabil Nasr of NCR3, chairman; Lester Cornelius of Optical Technologies Corp., president; Bill Davies of Davies Office Refurbishing, treasurer/secretary.
Participants at Remanufacturing Summit will form the RIC Steering Committee: Rick Baker, Camm Inc.; Ed Daniels, Argonne National Laboratory; Sharon Duffy, Creative Office Systems; Bill
Gager, APRA; Tricia Judge, Recharger Magazine; Rich Lovely, APRA; Robert
McLaren, Genco Auto Electric; Joe Polich, Production Engine Remanufacturers Association
(PERA); Charles P. Schwartz, APRA; Barry E. Soltz, Automotive Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA).
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