EMEA’s finest gather for 2016 Volvo CE Operators Club Final
In a matter of weeks Volvo Construction Equipment will pit 20 of EMEA’s finest operators against each other in the epic battle of speed, precision and technique that is the Operators Club Final. The action will be streamed live on Facebook on Saturday 8th October from 09:00 CET.
The annual Operators Club Final, organised by Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE), is one of the construction industry’s toughest tests of precision operation. This year’s event will see 20 semi-finalists from 10 countries across the EMEA region – Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom – come face-to-face at Volvo CE’s compact excavator facility in Belley, France, for a final round of gruelling – and somewhat unconventional – challenges. The operator with the quickest time – taking into account any penalities for mistakes – will be named the Operators Club champion 2016.
Last year this honour went to three-time winner Othmar Pletzer from Austria, who successfully managed to guide a length of pipe through a maze on each side of a Volvo L120H wheel loader bucket in just 2:05 seconds. Pletzer will be defending his title once more in 2016.
A growing community
The Operators Club was first launched in Germany in 1998 and is open to operators of any brand of machinery. Today it is has more than 21,500 members and is growing continuously. An impressive 1,017 new members signed up at Bauma in April alone. Meanwhile, an entirely new branch has been added this year in the Czech Republic.
Each Operators Club branch runs its own events throughout the year, allowing operators to brush up their skills in a safe environment and share experiences with their peers. Networking opportuntities are also available through local Operators Club portals and social media groups. Other membership benefits include free entrance to exhibitions, such as Bauma, exclusive hospitality, factory visits and discounts on Volvo CE merchandise.
“The Operators Club is an excellent way for us at Volvo CE to give something back to operators – they are often our biggest fans!” says Niclas Wahlström, vice-president for Hub West (continental Europe) within Volvo CE Sales Region EMEA and host of the Operators Club Final.
“The club also provides a reliable channel for us to listen to the needs and priorities of those who work with our machines day in, day out so we can design them to be even safer and easier to use, as well as more comfortable and productive,” says Val Ledden, vice-president of Marketing and Sales Support within Volvo CE Sales Region EMEA.
Watch the action live on Facebook
Volvo CE will be live-streaming all action from the 2016 Operators Club Final on the Volvo CE Global Facebook page, starting from 09:00 CET on Saturday 8th October.
“This is a unique opportunity to witness some of the region’s most professional operators in action. Our semi-finalists have beaten thousands of other operators at local events throughout the year so you can imagine just how skilled they are. We’re expecting them to put on a very good show!’ Wahlström concludes.