Hess GmbH Expands Fleet with Liebherr MK 140-5.1E Mobile Construction Crane
The new crane has already completed its first assignments, demonstrating its ability to work efficiently in confined city environments while achieving long reaches over tall buildings and other obstacles.
The acquisition marks Hess GmbH's entry into the mobile construction crane segment. According to Oliver Kuldtzun, Head of the Crane Division, the company had been considering the investment for two years but waited until it secured a suitable operator before proceeding.
A long-standing Liebherr customer, Hess selected the MK 140-5.1E to complement its existing fleet, which includes truck-mounted cranes, loader cranes and specialized electric cranes for indoor applications.
The MK 140-5.1E combines the mobility of a mobile crane with the operational advantages of a tower crane, making it particularly suitable for urban construction projects where space constraints and lifting reach are critical factors. The addition is expected to enhance Hess GmbH's ability to serve a broader range of construction and infrastructure projects across Germany.
Hess GmbH is planning to use the new lifting machine primarily for operations in inner-city areas. “The MK is the ideal machine for such confined environments. With its vertical tower and trolley jib, it clears obstacles very easily. We have a large client base in the air conditioning and ventilation sector, as well as in antenna construction. We have also already had several assignments in hall construction and steel construction,” says Kuldtzun. Hess deliberately opted for the largest MK crane in the Liebherr portfolio: “Thanks to its performance and jib length, the MK 140-5.1E is a highly sought-after crane on the market.”
The first job for the new MK 140-5.1E in Düsseldorf city center was particularly tight: the crane had to be set up between two trees and had to be moved around repeatedly whilst the tower was being erected. As self-ballasting was not possible due to the trees, the counterweight was attached using a loading crane. The lift itself went smoothly: a 3.2-tonne chiller unit was hoisted into the courtyard of the Steigenberger Parkhotel.
During an operation in Krefeld involving the dismantling of antennas, the MK 140-5.1E demonstrated its advantages over a telescopic crane. A 150-tonne mobile crane would have required the fitting of a lattice jib and would have had to be repositioned on site. The MK 140-5.1E was able to reach all working positions from a single location.
Published on:
11 June 2026
Share:
We Value Your Comment
