Top European operators dig for victory at the 2025 Volvo CE Operators Club Final
Bernard Vogt from Germany has triumphed in the 2025 Volvo CE Operators Club Final. The event also made history, as Iron Women graduates competed for the first time in the showcase’s 27-year history.
Since 1998, the Volvo Operators Club has put Europe’s top construction equipment operators to the test. This year the final was held in Eskilstuna, Sweden.
Hosted at the Volvo Customer Center, the annual event brought together 27 finalists from 14 countries. Vogt secured the crown after edging out Othmar Pletzer from Austria and Arne Brals from the Netherlands in a Super Final challenge spanning excavators, wheel loaders and articulated haulers.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Vogt says.
“You can’t even put it into words. I’ve dreamed of this since I was a kid. It’s kind of crazy when you finally reach that goal. After so many years, it’s truly exhilarating.”
By claiming the title of Europe’s best construction equipment operator, Vogt added a new chapter to his family legacy, following his father’s footsteps as a second-generation champion.
The event also marked a new chapter for Iron Women, Volvo CE’s vocational training program empowering women to build careers in construction, as graduates competed in the Operators Club Final for the very first time.
Among them was Liubov Kalantaievska from Ukraine, who qualified through national rounds after completing the program.
“Just a year ago, I had never operated an excavator,” she says.
“Thanks to the Iron Women program, I now have the skills and confidence to compete alongside the best.”
Since its start in Germany 27 years ago, the Operators Club has grown into a construction skills competition with more than 25,000 members in 18 countries, with Sweden and Latvia joining this year. Participants in the 2025 final tackled challenges such as The Tire, The Water Bucket and The Puzzle, using Volvo CE’s latest machines, including EC230 Electric, ECR58 and the A30 hauler.
“The Operators Club celebrates the craft and connection of operators,” Volvo CE Operators Club manager Hanna Jaschke says.
“Welcoming elite operators each year is such a joy for us, and the participation of Iron Women graduates marks a powerful step toward a more diverse operator community.”
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