Grove GMK5220 heads to the fairground for first job in Germany

German crane operator Völkl based in Straubing has completed the first job using its new Grove GMK5220 all-terrain crane. The 220 t capacity crane arrived in August and was immediately put to work building two fairground rides for a local folk festival.

The GMK5220 is now the largest crane in Völkl’s 12-strong fleet of cranes. The overall quality and capabilities of the crane are perfectly suited to the company’s growing needs as owner Rudolf Völkl explains:

“We have always regarded Grove as a quality brand ” he says. “We visited their plant in Wilhelmshaven and got to see up close their manufacturing process and wide range of cranes. Our visit also gave Grove a strong understanding of our needs so they could determine which product would be best suited to our work. The GMK5220 is the perfect crane for us.”

The GMK5220’s first job was at Bavaria’s Gäuboden Folk Festival which celebrated its 200^th anniversary this year. The speed of the crane’s operations was tested almost immediately as the task involved assembling two huge fairground rides in two days. One of the rides The Rocket is a 64 m tall tower with parts weighing more than 28 t. The team from Völkl reported that the job was completed without incident and they returned to the site after the ten-day festival and dismantled the two rides — a job which took only one day.

The success of this first project impressed the Völkl operators so much that they unanimously agreed: “The boss has invested in the right product.”

Grove’s GMK5220 is a five-axle all-terrain crane with a 68 m boom which can be extended to 105 m with a jib.

Founded in 1932 Völkl is one of the biggest names in construction equipment in lower Bavaria. Its fleet of 12 cranes is supported by a further 90 vehicles spread across three locations.

The Gäuboden Folk Festival which promotes welfare and happiness took place August 9 through 19 and welcomed more than 1.3 million visitors.