"Your heart beats for this city, which owes you many good things. You have demonstrated civic spirit to a very special degree." With these words, Lord Mayor Norbert Feith paid tribute to entrepreneurs Thomas Busch (74), Egon Evertz (76) and Hans-Werner Gabriel (83) before awarding them the Ring of Honor of the City of Solingen on Saturday in the Meistermann Hall of the Museum of Art. The golden ring has been awarded since 1964 to personalities who have rendered outstanding services to the welfare of Solingen. "We wish that you will accompany your city for a long time to come and be a role model for the younger generation," Feith continued. The three honorees are certainly role models. For example, Thomas Busch, who took over and expanded the Walbusch company from his father, has shown great commitment in social and cultural areas. Together with his wife Beate, he set up the Busch Foundation "Senior Citizens' Aid". He founded the civic foundation for ostracized art as well as the civic foundation Dorper Kirche and established the youth foundation "Zukunft durch Bildung" (Future through Education). Busch also supports hospice work. Egon Evertz, founder of the Evertz Group, a global steel company, was honored as a sponsor in the fields of social welfare, art and sport. A passionate violinist, he is committed to music and provides his own company premises for the music school on Flurstrasse. He is a co-founder of the association for children's families, supports the Solingen Kinderstuben, the "Jugend forscht" project, churches and a number of charitable associations. "It's about business and society working together in partnership." Thomas Busch, Ring of Honor recipient Hans-Werner Gabriel, formerly managing director of the Ernst Ludwig Emde company, also promotes culture: the art and music lover supports the Solingen Art Museum and Music School, the Walder Kirche monument foundation such as the Walder Theater Days and the Adolph Kolping Home. As long-time chairman of the municipal choir, he was instrumental in the merger of the orchestras of Remscheid and Solingen to form the Bergische Symphoniker and continues to advocate for their preservation to this day. "Rarely in my life have I been as pleased as I am about today's recognition," said Hans-Werner Gabriel in his acceptance speech. Thomas Busch, like Egon Evertz, sees a positive signal in the fact that three entrepreneurs are receiving the honor this time. "With this, the city council underlines that entrepreneurs not only take, but can also give citizens a great deal," said Thomas Busch. After all, he said, it is not about a side-by-side or against each other, but about business and society working together in partnership.

Solinger Tageblatt from 03.06.2013
Photos (2) Solinger Tageblatt, M. Strahlen

Ring of honor for committed entrepreneurs

BY ALEXANDER RIEDEL - last updated: 03.06.2013 Solingen (RP).

Thomas Busch, Egon Evertz, and Hans-Werner Gabriel received the City of Solingen's Ring of Honor at the Kunstmuseum. The award recognizes their long-standing and diverse social and cultural commitment.  The award winners could hardly escape congratulators. After the musical conclusion of the ceremony by the brass players of the youth symphony orchestra, the guests formed a long line in the art museum to offer their personal congratulations. At the beginning of the year, the city council had decided to award the city's most important honor to Thomas Busch (74), Egon Evertz (76) and Hans-Werner Gabriel (83). On Saturday, the three entrepreneurs received the rings of honor during the ceremony at the Art Museum. "What a beauty!" exclaimed Gabriel to applause from the audience. The oldest among the award winners had been managing partner of the Ernst Ludwig Emde KG company until he was 65, which today manufactures precision stamped parts for the automotive industry, among other things. It was above all his cultural commitment that tipped the scales in favor of awarding the Ring of Honor: Gabriel, who sat on the Wald district council for the CDU for almost three decades, championed the German Blade Museum and the Art Museum as a member of the cultural committee. He also supported the theater days in his Wald district and the merger of the Solingen and Remscheid orchestras to form the Bergische Symphoniker. In his laudatory speech, Mayor Norbert Feith (CDU) also emphasized the social services rendered by the award winner to young and old, as a member of the board of trustees of the Carl Russ Foundation for the Gifted, and also in the advisory council for senior citizens. Ring of Honor Merits for the Good of the City The prize has been awarded since 1964 for special services to the good of the city. To date, there have been 71 prize winners. Last year, former mayor Erika Rothstein (SPD), former Minister of State in the Ministry of Defense Bernd Wilz (CDU) and Yossi Shvo, mayor of the Israeli twin city Ness Ziona, received the award. "It would be easier to describe what he does not do," Feith began honoring Egon Evertz. As a man of many talents, be it as an inventor, motor sportsman, chess player, aviator or musician, the managing director of the globally active Evertz Group had made a name for himself. The entrepreneur, who himself became an orphan at an early age, has been committed to children's homes and charitable associations for decades. The passionate violinist is also known as the main sponsor of the music school, which is housed in one of his factory buildings, and as a supporter of "Jugend forscht". Touched, the entrepreneur thanked his family for their many years of support. Thomas Busch's words were also moving. "I feel gratitude to the Creator for being able to stand on the side of the givers," said the honoree. The long-time managing director of textile manufacturer Walbusch has, among other things, established two foundations: The Walbusch Youth Foundation, which provides language support, school childcare and vacation camps, and the Busch Senior Citizens Foundation, which takes care of dementia patients and their relatives. "Above all - the guy is really nice," Norbert Feith quoted a childhood friend of the entrepreneur.

Solinger Morgenpost from 03.06.2013