130 years of pioneering spirit: Doppelmayr celebrates its employees

On September 29, 2023, history met the future in the Doppelmayr party tent in Wolfurt. Looking back on the past with great pride, the party guests recalled many milestones as well as personal experiences. Doppelmayr’s managing director Thomas Pichler found words of gratitude in his address: “It’s not companies that accept challenges, face adversities head-on, and take the steep and stony path; rather, it’s employees who continually break new ground with their ideas and inspiration.”

Since the company was founded by Konrad Doppelmayr in the Rickenbach district of Wolfurt in 1893, Doppelmayr has evolved to become the global market leader in ropeway engineering. The past 130 years are marked by the company’s successful development from the original forge into a leading international corporate group. The opening of the first ski lift in Zürs am Arlberg (AUT) in 1937, the first Cable Liner® in Las Vegas (USA) at the end of the 1990s, the first RopeCon®, which was used in the construction of the tunnel in Strengen (AUT) in 2001, or the spectacular installation of the tricable Peak 2 Peak in Whistler Blackcomb (CAN) are just a few examples of the company’s many milestones.

The Doppelmayr seniors are an institution. They are the community of retirees who maintain their bond with the company through regular get-togethers and day trips to ropeway installations. At the 130-year anniversary celebration, they shared their wealth of experiences and recounted stories of old times to current employees.

The musical entertainment that kicked off the 130-year anniversary festivities was provided by the Doppelmayr Big Band, a talented formation comprised of employees from a wide range of departments. The Big Band enjoys a long tradition at Doppelmayr and always plays at major events such as the opening of the Hohe Brücke office or ropeway inaugurations. Serenades in honor of employees or at company celebrations are also part of their stock-in-trade. The DJ for the evening was again from the company’s own ranks: DJ Alen is a Doppelmayr employee and ensured the right party sound for the 130-year anniversary celebration.