In memoriam GD Rakhorst (Dick)
In February 2025, Dick Rakhorst passed away at the age of 83.
Veterans in our industry remember him as the director of Manudax Nederland, active in the trading and distribution of components from around 1970. Under his leadership, the company experienced impressive growth in the Netherlands, thanks in part to the rise of the microprocessor. Brands like Motorola (1974 – the MC6800), Apple, IBM PC, C. Itoh, and Epson formed the foundation of this growth.
After the sale of Manudax to HCS in 1988, Dick remained active in the industry and made his mark within FHI. The platform offered by FHI suited him perfectly. He quickly took the initiative to establish a cluster of companies focused on hardware and software development: embedded systems. The timing proved visionary. At a time when the World Wide Web was just emerging and then becoming widely accessible with Netscape, Dick foresaw the impact of digitalization on our sector. Along with Bert Huiberts (founder of Betronic and Benext), among others, he was one of the founders of the Development Club – a cluster that still exists today and has successfully bridged the gap from product to service.
In media interviews from 2008, Dick already explained how sustainability, the Cradle to Cradle principle (which was translated into Dutch by his daughter Anne-Marie) and digital media come together in his work: he brought his vision of sustainable innovation to life through collaborations and online platforms.”
Dick was an entrepreneur through and through. He was, above all, a visionary with a keen eye for technological developments and an excellent feel for the market. His strength lay in daring to ask critical questions and constantly seeking collaboration and opportunities. His style best described as positively critical. He was eager to express himself, knowledgeable, convincing, and always constructive. Those who knew him remember his enthusiasm and focus, always delivered with a touch of humor and a touch of stubbornness. His passion for his profession was infectious and made conversations with him unforgettable.
Although Dick has retreated somewhat in recent years, they have remained close. For many years, he and his wife ran Interart, a successful visual arts company – another aspect of his versatility.
Dick Rakhorst left a lasting impression: we will miss his voice, vision, humor and commitment.
Siebren de Vries, former chairman of FHI, Industrial Electronics
Hans Zijlstra, chairman FHI, Industrial Electronics
Nederlands