Participation

Engaging in associations is important to us. Here, we discuss standards, technological changes and improvements, ecology, and supply chains.

All of this is an essential component of good corporate governance for a future-oriented approach in the interest of our environment and the successful further development of our company.

Below are some examples of associations in which we are actively involved – because we are stronger together.

Kupferverband

Founded on January 1, 2022, Kupferverband e.V., as the central association of the copper industry with a European focus, bundles the various specialist interests of copper-producing and processing companies and serves as the voice of the copper industry. The merger of the Deutsches Kupferinstitut Berufsverband e.V. and the copper division of the Gesamtverband der deutschen Buntmetallindustrie e.V. (GDB) combines technical-scientific expertise with profound market knowledge.

Among other things, we are active in the membership committee of the Working Group of Ingot Alloy Manufacturers, which has been chaired by Mr. Marc-Oliver Busch since Nov. 2012.

OECAM

The Organisation of European Copper Alloy Ingot Makers (OECAM) is an association of companies that produce copper casting alloys – such as brass, bronze, gunmetal, and special alloys in the form of ingots, continuous castings, and other formats. The majority of member companies are privately owned. The goal of OECAM is to support the industry in achieving the European Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by securing copper materials and their infinite recycling.

Franz Hillebrand KG has been a member of OECAM since its founding year in 1989. Since September 2001, our shareholder, Ms. Rebecca Hillebrand-Busch, has been a member of the OECAM Board of Directors as Treasurer.

CMA

The CMA (Circular Metal Association) was formed in 2026 from the merger of the VDM and the BDSV. This resulted in one of the most significant and largest associations for metal recycling and metal trading worldwide, with the aim of helping to shape the industry in a unified, visible manner and with significantly more weight in politics, business, and society. Because recycling is no longer just part of the waste management industry. It is about securing raw materials, industrial strength, and climate protection through functioning circular economies as a central prerequisite for Europe’s economic future.

DIN CEN/TC Standards Committee

As part of the Working Committee for Copper Casting Alloys, we also participate in the European standardization body CEN/TC 133 WG7. This covers EN 1982, which deals with the chemical composition of ingot metal and castings in the context of the amendment to the Drinking Water Directive. The standards committee is composed of all leading and interested representatives of the affected industry (e.g., producers and valve manufacturers). Franz Hillebrand KG actively participates in the CEN/TC working committee through Mr. Marc Busch.