The new crane was driven from the Liebherr manufacturing plant in Ehingen straight to a wind farm in Austria where it erected the lower tower segments for 10 wind turbines. The upper segments, gondola and rotor were then installed by a large lattice boom crane.

“Customer requirements relating to lifting capacity and height are on the rise. That is why we decided to buy the LTM 1750- 9.1. The 800 tonne upgrade was a major factor behind our purchase decision because it means we are well set for the future”, explained the two Managing Directors, Hagen and Björn Sommer.

Four years ago, they took over the management of the family-run company, since when they have significantly increased the size and capacity of its crane fleet. At that time, the company had 15 cranes with a maximum lifting capacity of 400 tonnes, but today it has 20 cranes with lifting capacities of up to 800 tonnes. Hagen Sommer commented: “We think it is important to provide our customers with new cranes featuring the latest technology. That is why we replace our cranes every four to five years.”

Although the coronavirus pandemic has affected the business, it has not stopped the Sommers from investing in the future. A few months ago, the company took delivery of an LTM 1450-8.1 and LTM 1230-5.1 from Liebherr.

“Liebherr is a strong partner for us. The cranes retain their value well and Liebherr can also supply us with special cranes which are perfectly designed for specific work. For example, we have LTC 1045-3.1, LTC 1050-3.1 and LTC 1055 city cranes and an MK 88 Plus mobile construction crane in our fleet and in spring 2021 we will be taking delivery of an LTR 1100, which will improve our services for prefabricated concrete component assembly work and in the energy sector”, added Björn Sommer.