High above the construction site, Alex Oberhöller makes decisions that count. Working calmly, precisely and with a clear focus on what matters, operating at height is part of everyday working life for the South Tyrolean. “Liebherr is a way of life,” he says in the interview – a sentence that reveals a lot about him and his profession.
Even as a child, Alex regularly spent time on construction sites. His father worked as an excavator operator, and Alex was often allowed to come along. “After school, I spent a lot of time on the construction site – the machines simply fascinated me,” he says. After finishing school, he first began training as a bricklayer. But he soon realised: he wanted to go higher. The desire to keep an overview and work from the crane cab grew stronger and stronger. At just 18 years old, he obtained his crane operator licence, making him one of the youngest crane operators in all of South Tyrol.
Fascination for height and technology
Today, Alex operates large top-slewing cranes on demanding construction sites. Tight spaces, time pressure and wind are part of everyday work – especially on construction sites in South Tyrol. But that is exactly where he feels in his element: “Where others hesitate, the challenge begins for me,” Alex explains.
His preferred crane is the Liebherr 280 EC-H, and whenever possible, he works with this model. His enthusiasm even goes under his skin: Alex has a tattoo of his favourite crane. “When I started at the construction company, I told my boss that I only wanted to operate Liebherr cranes,” he says with a smile. For him, they are the best choice: precise, reliable and technically state of the art. He especially appreciates assistance systems such as Micromove for millimetre-precise positioning and Load Plus for briefly increasing the load capacity.
Creative solutions on the construction site
One project he remembers particularly well is the construction of a hotel in the middle of Bolzano’s old town. Surrounded by tall buildings, with limited visibility and long travel paths for the loads, this site required maximum concentration. With jib radii of up to 75 metres, Alex sometimes worked “almost blind”, as the radio connections kept breaking down and communication was difficult.
But instead of giving up, he found his own solution: he installed a camera from model-making and drone technology on the trolley of his crane and connected it to a monitor in the cab so he could continue working efficiently. That is exactly what makes Alex a true Liebherr Liftinghero: he takes responsibility, thinks ahead, finds creative solutions and keeps an overview even in challenging situations.
What is a liftinghero in our opinion:
Tower cranes shape the image of every construction site. And what about the people who assemble, maintain, operate and work with the cranes? Whether crane operators, service technicians, fitters or construction site workers - you are the heroes of the construction site!
Only through you is the lifting of loads on the construction sites of this world possible.
Show us your workplace and tell us why your job is your passion.