Volvo Operators Club Finals put operator precision center stage as Bernard Vogt retains title

Held from 2-3 October at the Volvo CE Customer Center in Eskilstuna, Sweden, the Volvo Operators Club Finals celebrates the people behind the controls, bringing together operators from across Europe and International markets to compete in a series of demanding machine challenges.

Over two days, 22 operators competed through heats, semi-finals and a final, testing their accuracy, efficiency, machine handling, and safety skills. Competitors ranged in age from 23 to 55, with a strong majority under 35, highlighting both the depth of experience and emerging talent within the industry.

Bernard Vogt secured the title after delivering consistently strong performances throughout the competition. After topping the semi-final leaderboard, he went on to win the overall competition, finishing 26 seconds ahead of Denmark’s Sebastian Enevoldsen in second place, with Austria’s Konrad Herndler taking third.

At just 23 years old, Vogt was the youngest operator competing in this year’s Finals. Having already spent seven years in the industry, the victory makes him a back-to-back champion, successfully defending the title he first won at the 2025 Operators Club Finals. Vogt’s father, also a member of the Volvo Operators Club, was in Eskilstuna to watch him compete and celebrate the win. Among the projects he is most proud of is his work on the renaturation of the Ems, a major waterway restoration project in Germany.

“Winning again feels incredible, and defending the title means even more than winning it the first time,” said Bernard Vogt. “My father introduced me to construction machinery and the Volvo Operators Club at an early age, and ever since, our family has been an integral part of this community. I’m truly living my childhood dream. What I particularly value about working as a construction equipment operator is that no two days are the same: there’s always a new challenge and an opportunity to contribute to projects that make a real difference. I’m proud to bring the title back to Germany for the second year in a row.” 

Commenting on the competition, Hanna Jaschke, Operators Club Manager at Volvo CE, said: "The Operators Club Finals is about recognizing the expertise, precision and professionalism that operators bring to construction every day. This year's competition placed an even greater emphasis on safety, reflecting our belief that the best operators combine accuracy and efficiency with safe working practices. Congratulations to Bernard and all the finalists for demonstrating such an exceptional level of skill."

As infrastructure projects become more complex and construction equipment incorporates increasingly advanced technologies, the role of the operator has never been more important. The Operators Club Finals provides a platform to celebrate that expertise while raising the profile of a profession that is essential to delivering safer, more productive, and more sustainable construction.

A showcase of skill, precision, and professionalism

All 22 competitors arrived in Eskilstuna having already qualified through national heats, but the Finals presented an even greater test. Designed to assess precision, control and consistency, the competition challenged operators through a series of disciplines.

Around three quarters of this year’s finalists were competing in the Finals for the first time, highlighting the competition’s ability to bring new operators onto the international stage. Alongside these newcomers were experienced competitors including Switzerland’s Marcel Hirter, competing in his tenth Finals after 39 years in the industry; Denmark’s Bendt Risom, making his eighth Finals appearance; and Italy’s Ermes Gemo, a two-time champion competing in his fifth Finals.

Each operator tackled three qualifying disciplines, a hauler precision course ‘The Smooth Haul,’ a wheel loader challenge called ‘Pole Position’ and an excavator test dubbed ‘Grade Master’ before the field was narrowed to ten semi-finalists. From there, five operators advanced to the final. The decisive stages challenged operators to demonstrate precision under pressure, from catching and transferring moving boule balls with an excavator bucket in the semi-final to switching attachments, loading pallets and crushing an egg with pinpoint accuracy in the final.

Every discipline was timed, but for the first time the Finals also introduced formal penalties for breaches of safety procedures, reinforcing that success depends not only on speed and accuracy, but on working safely. 

For Sweden's Erik Andersson, a first-time finalist, competing in Eskilstuna carried particular significance. Having grown up visiting Volvo Days and the Machine Show in his hometown, he now found himself competing on the same site that first inspired his interest in construction equipment.

The finalists’ stories also highlighted why construction equipment operation remains such a rewarding career. Whether drawn by the variety of the work, the satisfaction of building infrastructure that serves communities for decades, or simply a lifelong fascination with machines, competitors described a profession that continues to challenge, develop and inspire.

Construction is facing a well-documented challenge to attract and train the next generation of skilled operators. By showcasing the technology, expertise and career opportunities involved in the profession, competitions such as the Volvo Operators Club Finals help inspire future talent to consider a career behind the controls.