The management and staff of GfR mourn the loss of their company founder, owner and long-time managing director Wilfried Hansen.

Mr Hansen died completely unexpectedly on 15.04.2023 at the age of 70.

As a material tester with heart and soul, he gained practical experience in the field of film radiography in over 40 years like hardly anyone else.

After gaining initial experience in other companies, Wilfried Hansen began working as a material tester at the Betriebsforschungsinstitut (BFI) of the Verein Deutscher Eisenhüttenleute at the Hattingen site in 1978. There he specialised in film radiography of large castings with linear accelerators, radioisotopes and X-ray tubes and acquired the RT3 level certification.

After the closure of the BFI site in Hattingen, he founded GfR at the same location in 1995 and subsequently carried out several plant expansions.

Wilfried Hansen managed the company according to the principles of a family business. Long-term reliability towards employees, customers and suppliers was always more important than short-term profit. Instead of long contract negotiations, trust in a given word applied.

His staff appreciated the honest and eye-to-eye discussions with him, in which he always had an ear for personal concerns. In return, he expected commitment, honesty and openness. In this way, he created a successful working environment with extremely low staff turnover.

In addition to his entrepreneurial and human qualities, Wilfried Hansen was also a sought-after, unobtrusive and therefore highly valued expert.
Mr Hansen had been a personal member of the DGZfP since 1995.
As a teacher in RT training according to EN 473 or ISO 9712 or as a member of the standards committee for EN 12681, he was happy to pass on his experience and expertise.
His software solutions for the standard-compliant parameterisation of weld and casting inspections were widely used throughout the industry.
In addition, he was a long-standing member of the DGZfP's technical committee on radiographic testing.

The quality of material testing, the practical relevance of standards and above all their compliance were always close to Wilfried Hansen's heart. This high value placed on testing quality has left its mark on the GfR.

Between 2015 and 2018, Wilfried Hansen gradually transferred the management of GfR to the current managing directors Thorsten Flor and Björn Hansen. Nevertheless, GfR Gesellschaft für Radiographie will always be inseparably linked with the name Wilfried Hansen and his values.

Management and Staff