50 years at PALFINGER – an embodiment of the company’s history

50 years at PALFINGER – Rupert Neureiter’s company anniversary is remarkable in every respect.

How it all began 50 years ago

In 1932, Richard Palfinger founded a locksmith’s shop and repair workshop for agricultural trailers, tipper trucks, and vehicle bodies. Rupert Neureiter’s journey began on August 1, 1970, when, at the age of 15, he took a tip from his brother and began an apprenticeship as a machine fitter at PALFINGER. “It was a special time back then on Vogelweiderstrasse,” he remembers. “There were three of us apprentices in a company with only 45 employees. The training was strict, and that was good for us because we were young and always ready to mess around. Richard Palfinger was always watching me, and taught me a lot about hydraulics. And sometimes he also had to show me what the right way was.”

When Rupert Neureiter speaks, you can see it in your mind. Because he talks about practical knowledge, a “knowing how” and very specific tasks. And suddenly it’s almost like you’re there yourself, in the 70s of the last century.

“Later on, when there were 69 of us, I was allowed to do more and more until I ended up working everywhere. I liked it wherever I worked; PALFINGER always looked out for us. The company always paid us well, I received my salary regularly – and that’s not something to be taken for granted. I was able to do all types of work on the crane and was allowed to work on many special projects. And when the sons of Hubert Palfinger Senior, Hannes and Hubert, used to drop by the workshop, I would give them a soda.” Rupert Neureiter has thus been writing a success story for and with the Palfinger family over three generations.

Something very special

For Rupert Neureiter, the move to Kasern in 1976 was a milestone. “I was one of the first people in Austria who worked on extension ram manufacturing, and one of the only ones who could. At that time, it was something special, even for me. I knew the extension ram by heart and knew exactly what to do.”

In case you didn’t know, the hydraulic lifting torque regulation and the cylinder arrangement on the crane’s extension boom system are developments made at that time, which are still regarded as state-of-the-art today. In this sense, too, Rupert Neureiter, who claims that “hydraulic oil flows in [his] veins,” is an essential part of the PALFINGER success story.

“It was also something very special when, at a Christmas party, the boss, Hubert Palfinger Senior, sat down at my table and talked to me as an equal. I will never forget that,” he remembers. The company was much more than just a workplace for Rupert Neureiter: “PALFINGER is like one big family to me. I also spent a lot of time with my colleagues outside of work. I’m still a member of the company bowling team – we even made it to the championships.”

Thank you, Rupert, for your commitment, your loyalty over the years and the time spent together – you have always enriched the PALFINGER team. We will miss you

. But you have more than earned your retirement after 50 years!