PRESS RELEASE: Student of Scheppers Institute Wetteren wins Wout Theuws Prize for graduation work and internship on maintenance

Wetteren – 26 June 2024 – BEMAS vzw, the Belgian association for professional technical maintenance, has awarded the Wout Theuws Prize for the seventh time. The winner is Reno Fonck, who is graduating in the 7th year of industrial electricity at the Scheppers Institute in Wetteren. He realised a didactic control cabinet for fault-finding and also completed a remarked company internship at La Lorraine Bakery Group in Erpe-Mere.

BEMAS, the Belgian Maintenance Association, has proudly awarded the 2024 Wout Theuws Prize to Reno Fonck, a student from the 7th year of industrial electricity at the Scheppers Institute in Wetteren. Reno has distinguished himself with his extraordinary commitment and achievements in the field of maintenance and reliability.

In particular, Reno developed and built a didactic electrical control cabinet for fault-finding that will be used by students at the school in the coming years to acquire skills in fault-finding. This is an essential competence for maintenance. Reno also passionately told 5th and 6th grade primary school students about his realisation at the “Techniekfestival” in Flanders Expo in Gent, Belgium. In this way, he helped to inspire children to choose technical education in a positive way.

In addition, Reno showed his drive and maturity during his company internship in the technical department of La Lorraine Bakery Group in Erpe-Mere. His commitment, sharp insights and skills during this internship were so impressive that he was very quickly offered a job. If everything goes as planned, Reno will soon start his professional career at La Lorraine Bakery Group, and will be able to further develop his talents in a company that values technical excellence.

Maintenance technician is bottleneck profession number 1 in the Flanders region in Belgium. The Wout Theuws Prize, an initiative of BEMAS, aims to inspire and motivate young people in technical education to choose an education in engineering and maintenance. With this prize, BEMAS wants to inspire young people in any technical education program to, like Wout Theuws, start their career in maintenance with the ambition of further developing themselves into a true industrial expert and leader. With the prestigious certificate and a cheque for EUR 300 in his pocket, Reno is already taking a first big step in that direction….

Award ceremony

Reno Fonck was surprised during the official proclamation at the school. With a loud applause, he received a certificate and a cheque for EUR 300 from BEMAS director Wim Vancauwenberghe and his internship supervisor at La Lorraine, Jan Wasteels.  Afterwards, Wim Vancauwenberghe briefly explained the idea behind the Wout Theuws prize: “For us, Wout is a wonderful role model. He received technical training in car mechanics and started his career in a garage at the age of 16. His hard work and great eagerness to learn gave him more and more responsibility. He completed training in maintenance management, became responsible for the technical department at Bosal in 1986, and was voted Maintenance Manager of the Year nine years later. He further climbed to Group Manufacturing Excellence Leader, HSE and Maintenance, responsible for 22 manufacturing plants across five continents. An inspiring example of what you can achieve as a technician!”

In addition to Reno Fonck, Wim Vancauwenberghe also congratulated the board and the teaching staff of the Scheppers Institute Wetteren for offering high-quality technical education that allows pupils to excel. The school also works closely with companies and organisations to create realistic learning environments where pupils can apply and further develop their skills. This is illustrated by the recent achievements of Reno Fonck, who won the Wout Theuws 2024 Prize with his didactic electric steering cabinet and successful internship at La Lorraine in Erpe-Mere. Finally, BEMAS also thanked the La Lorraine Bakery Group for their commitment and guidance of studenst during their apprenticeship.

Additional information

• About BEMAS
  BEMAS is the Belgian association for maintenance and asset management. The organisation has 640 member companies and is committed to the professionalisation of maintenance and asset management in various sectors. By bringing people together and sharing knowledge around maintenance and asset management, BEMAS forms the bridge to a sustainable and competitive industry and economic prosperity in Belgium. More information at https://www.bemas.org/en.
• About the Scheppers Institute in Wetteren
  The Scheppers Institute in Wetteren, founded by Victor Scheppers, is a leading secondary school that aims at offering high-quality education with a strong focus on technical and vocational courses.

The Scheppers Institute aims to guide every pupil in his or her personal development and prepare them for a successful future. The school offers a wide range of study options, including BSO, TSO and SE-N-SE, with a strong emphasis on practice-based learning and internships in industry. This enables students to gain essential skills and knowledge that are directly applicable in the labour market.

With a rich history and a future-oriented vision, the Scheppers Institute in Wetteren remains a pioneer in education, where the principles of V. Scheppers remain interwoven in daily school life and contribute to the formation of competent and committed citizens. The life motto of the founder, “Honor Deo, Labor mihi, Utilitas proximo,” which means: “To God the honour, to me the work, to our nears the usefulness,” is to this day still one of the pillars of the pedagogical education project.

More information: https://www.scheppers-wetteren.be .

• About La Lorraine Bakery Group (LLBG) and the site in Erpe-Mere
  The La Lorraine Bakery Group (LLBG) is a leading Belgian family company specialising in the production of fresh and frozen bread, viennoiserie and patisserie. The site in Erpe-Mere is one of LLBG’s main production sites and plays a crucial role in the group’s growth and development.
  
  Part of a larger network of production sites at home and abroad, the bakery in Erpe-Mere is known for its advanced technologies and innovative production processes. With a recent €200 million investment, LLBG is further expanding the capacity of this site, reflecting their commitment to quality and sustainability. This investment is part of a larger plan to strengthen LLBG’s position in the international market and meet the growing demand for their products.
  
  The Erpe-Mere site is a major employer in the region. LLBG recently announced that they are looking for 100 new employees, including to strengthen their technical department. These new employees will play a crucial role in supporting growth and ensuring the operational efficiency of the production site. LLBG remains committed to developing their staff and offers numerous training opportunities to enhance the skills and knowledge of their employees. This is in line with the group’s broader vision to be a sustainable and innovative leader in the bakery sector, putting quality, safety and customer satisfaction first.
  
  More information: https://www.llbg.com/en-en.

• About Wout Theuws
  Wout Theuws, born in 1953, studied automotive mechanics and started his career in a garage business at the age of 16. Through hard work, a great willingness to learn and evening studies, he was given more and more responsibilities. Thanks to his experience and practical knowledge, Wout Theuws was able to start at Fisher Price in 1975 as a toy designer and progressed to plant engineering manager. In this capacity, he was responsible for the design and realisation of new production machines. He also set up the entire maintenance management system there.
  
  In September 1986, Wout Theuws joined Bosal in Oevel as Technical Engineering Manager. As in the early years, he continued ‘lifelong learning’. In 1991, he completed the course ‘Master in integral maintenance management’ at Hogeschool Gent. In 1996, he obtained a post HBO, Business administration and organisation, from Hogeschool Eindhoven. Meanwhile, at Bosal, Wout Theuws set up a high-performance and results-driven maintenance management, winning the title of Belgian Maintenance Manager of the Year in 2000. This prestigious award was given to him by BEMAS on the basis of his excellent dossier, correct defence and high score during the on-site audit.
  
  In 2001, he joined the board of directors of BEMAS, and became a member of the jury for the MMY competition. In 2002, Wout Theuws obtained an honourable nomination in Helsinki for the Euromaintenance Incentive award, presented by the Salvetti Foundation and the EFNMS (European Federation of National Maintenance Societies). Since then, he has represented BEMAS in the general assembly of this European maintenance umbrella organisation and actively participates in various working groups. 
  
  In 2004, his presentation on maintenance policy at BOSAL achieved the highest score at the Euromaintenance Congress in. Moreover, the audience chose him as the best speaker at this international maintenance congress. In his capacity as chairman of the EFNMS European Asset Management Committee between 2010 and 2014, he contributed, among other things, to the development of the European standard EN 16646 ‘Maintenance – Maintenance within physical asset management’.
  
  From 2008, Wout Theuws became increasingly active within the Bosal group as “Group Manufacturing Excellence Leader HSE and Maintenance”. In this capacity, until recently he was responsible for sharing best practices in maintenance, asset management, health, safety and environment among 22 manufacturing companies spread across five continents.
  
  The fact that maintenance contributes significantly to the success of a company is not only Wout Theuws’ leitmotiv, it is also BEMAS’ core belief. After all, efficient and effective maintenance has a major impact on business continuity and the operating result. Maintenance is therefore of capital importance for sustainable success in industrial companies and other asset-intensive organisations.
  
  To this day, Wout Theuws does not fail to share his knowledge and experience with fellow maintenance managers, helping to raise maintenance in Flemish and Belgian industry to an even higher level. By combining the application of best practices in maintenance and the availability of young technical talent, our region can succeed in remaining an attractive location for industrial investments. Wout Theuws also chaired the European Asset Management Committee within the EFNMS, the European umbrella organisation for maintenance.
  
  With the ‘Wout Theuws Prize’, BEMAS wants to inspire young people with technical training to, like Wout Theuws, start their careers in maintenance with the ambition to develop themselves further into a true industrial leader at international level.  The Wout Theuws Prize is already a first beacon on his or her CV.

Need more info?  Contact Noa Cock of BEMAS at nc@bemas.org .