DOLL Open Days – a rocking highlight in the Rench Valley

The DOLL In-House Fair has been an established feature for more than 10 years. From 18th - 20th June of this year, however, the premises of the Oppenau trailer manufacturer turned into top-classe stage.

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True to the motto ‘Rock the Trailer’, the company kept rocking their vehicles for the time of the fair in a most impressive way. The motto served as leitmotif: the halls were decorated with banners with the names of the business divisions Heavy Haulage, Timber Transport and Ground Support Equipment in rock-style lettering, the vehicles on display just as the entire DOLL staff were presenting themselves in a cool look while a band was rocking the cheerful audience. To mark the occasion, the energy drink ‘Rock the Trailer’ was created, which energised the visitors for the breathtaking and spectacular attractions awaiting them.

Yet, the weather gods were not in a good mood on 18th June, when the fair started. Nevertheless, the bad weather did not deter the curious visitors from learning more about the latest trends and developments in vehicle design. They could marvel at the ratioplus steering system for tracking stability in long timber transportation, the innovative independent wheel suspension DOLL panther from the heavy haulage range as well as at the safety-optimized catering trucks for airport apron areas.

It was not only the wide range of state-of-the-art vehicles meeting the highest quality standards that wowed guests and visitors. Their display was highlighted by out-of-the-ordinary live demonstrations that were packed with action. ‘We will rock you’ by Queen kicked off the demonstration of a 2-axle panther low-loaderwith a wheel loader, which rolled smoothly on a building site specially laid out for the occasion. Moreover, the ‘Little one’ was equipped with the latest achievement, i.e. DOLLtronic – an innovative CAN-bus based operating and control concept developed by DOLL- which allows all the trailer functions to be centrally controlled via keypads or by radio. This vehicle was followed by an 8-axle panther semi-trailer with a mounted excavator, owned by the forwarding company Hegmann Transit. The demonstration quickly highlighted the advantages of the panther series which captivated the spectators.

The Timber Transport section was also getting in the ‘Rock mi’ mood, when presenting an impressive long timber combination equipped with ratioplus steering and a Multi A800 loading bridge. It was child’s play to his owner Bernd Kaltenbach to skillfully load log by log on the trailer combination. He loaded both short and long timber, for this is exactly what the Multi loading bridge stands for: flexibility combined with maximum payloads.

Phil Collins’ song ‘In the air tonight’ provided the guests with an uplifting experience in the Ground Support Equipment section. Curious visitors flocked into the container of a catering truck to have a look from above at the world of DOLL. Master of Ceremony was actress Carmen Hentschel. She and the product managers of the various divisions managed to stun young and old alike with their cheerful and professional comments.

The second day of the fair started with a press conference, opened by Marketing Manager Brunhilde Rauscher-Doll. It was attended by journalists of renowned magazines in the field of heavy haulage and timber transport. It was the first time the management team around Mark Toschek, Thomas Fred Herkommer and Lorenz Dietsche had met the press.

‘Nothing better could have happened to us than DOLL,’ declared CFO Mark Toschek, appointed by the investment company CMP. ‘It is our aim to achieve a much higher efficiency level with the current number of employees and to systematically open up new markets.’ For this purpose the project ‘Ascent’ was launched which targets a turnover of €100 m within the next five years and whose implementation is already in full swing. Sales Director Lorenz Dietsche is fully aware of how ambitious this target is. Yet, he is convinced that the company will make it ‘to the top of the mountain’, backed by the motivation, commitment and strong team spirit of the entire DOLL staff.

Following the press conference, workshops provided the journalists with an insight into the latest technology and innovations in the sectors of heavy haulage and timber transport. After a guided tour of the fair grounds and a stop at the snack bar with regional specialities, the day for the press ended in bright sunshine with a tour through the production halls.

It was with even greater verve that DOLL was starting into their third and last day of the fair which saw another rise in attendance. The day ended late at night with a phenomenal get-together of the DOLL staff and the delighted visitors, who had fully enjoyed the unique atmosphere at the vehicle manufacturer. ‘The event could not have been more perfect; we’ve seen a very strong DOLL company, who are now fully prepared to face competition,’ said Alberto Maggi, Managing Director of the Italian partner company Multitrax. Ulrich Marx, member of the sales team at axle manufacturer BPW, added: ‘It is really fantastic what DOLL got up and running.’ The expectations of the visitors, too, were exceeded by far: ‘This is by far more than we could have expected. DOLL’s portfolio is unrivalled and professionally geared. We are most impressed by the construction site, where you can watch vehicles move on uneven terrain.’

DOLL could welcome more than 800 visitors to the fair, among them members of neighbouring firms and business associates as well as the mayors of the communities in the Rench Valley and Volker Schebesta, MP of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. This attendance speaks for itself and – thanks to its pioneering spirit, passion and unbeaten innovative strength – the company has managed to establish even closer contacts with existing supporters of DOLL and to win over the hearts of new ones. ‘Never before have we been able to provide such outstanding and proven technology; and we have many more fantastic ideas in store to lead us into the future,’ announces Rolf Gerhardt, Product Manager of DOLL’s Heavy Haulage division. A statement to make people curious – curious to see how DOLL will certainly manage to top its 2015 in-house fair in a few years’ time.