The company was founded by Albert Rapp in 1949 and was later taken over by his sons after he passed away in 1973. From 1979 the company was led by the managing director, Mr. Georg Rapp. And later, in 1998 the daughter, Birgit Gödde entered the business as a partner and is now successfully managing the 20-staff company single-handedly.
The atmosphere within the company is very relaxed and collegial. No wonder, because the opinions of the employees are listened to when making investments.
Klaus Westphal, the technical manager at Rapp, clearly remembers his first encounter with Hydrema. “We were at the TiefbauLIVE in Karlsruhe and when the rain came, we sheltered in the tent at Hydrema and looked at the excavator. We were so impressed by the purely visual perception of the machine that we continued to work with the product. We then coordinated a demonstration with the local dealer, DiTec.“
Compact and yet large ranges: This is one of the many features that distinguish the Hydrema city excavator.
A comparison with another well-known manufacturer immediately confirmed the impression that one could already infer from press releases and brochures; Christian Fuchs, an experienced excavator operator at Rapp, explains: "The feeling of well-being inside the cabin of the Hydrema is characterized by the significantly wider seat, the overall larger cabin, but also the much better visibility. Just as important are the hydraulic power and the stability, which is much better with the Hydrema. We opted for the wide axles because of the power with which the extremely compact machine is equipped. The advantage is, wherever you can drive into, it is possible for the machine’s upper carriage to slew as it stays within the width of the wheels. No other in this class is so compact with this performance.“
The company's range of services includes road construction, general earthworks and civil engineering, as well as sewer, pipeline and cable work. On the construction site in Sundern, the emergency power supply is being put in the ground for the pumped-storage facility at the Sorpe dam and reservoir. Christian Fuchs explains the importance of this construction project: “The water is used to supply the VELTINS brewery with rinsing water, among other things. In the event of a power failure in the vicinity of the dam, entire companies in the region are affected. ”Breaking up the asphalt of the road surface is a minor matter for the MX14. Due to the construction site, the narrow street preferred by the residents can only be used in one lane controlled by a traffic light. Christian Fuchs therefore has to repeatedly move the excavator to the side for traffic on the incline of the road. "This is not a problem with the MX14 either, because the powerful drive train allows the machine to go back and forth without any problems, even on inclines." And in fact, this maneuver can also be mastered in flowing movements for the experienced excavator operator; just as quickly as the excavator has driven away from the construction site, the excavator is just as swiftly brought back into position.
Operator Christian Fuchs was very positive about the comfort in the cab, the overall width of the workplace and the view.
Another important argument in favor of the Hydrema excavator was the noise. It is also clearly audible for Patrick Westhoff, who works in the trench at the construction site: "The excavator is pleasantly quiet with its 175 HP, which is also very important for me, who works outside the machine." But the operator Christian Fuchs has also noticed that the excavator is extremely quiet in the cab.
Helmut Frantz from the responsible dealer DiTec himself was surprised by the speed and clarity of the purchasing decision. “The machine was very convincing in the demonstration. Everything was perfect for the customer, including the mounted equipment on the demonstration machine. The new machine should be the same. We only had to integrate another quick-hitch system into the excavator, but that wasn't a problem either. I am happy to have a new, satisfied customer.“
A happy customer and a happy sales man from left: Excavator driver Christian Fuchs, DiTec sales man Helmut Frantz, managing director of Gebr. Rapp, Birgit Gödde, construction worker Patrick Westhoff and technical manager Klaus Westphal.
For Hydrema sales manager Martin Werthenbach it is always the best statement when the machine is convincing by itself. “I am of course very proud when contact with the dealer is established through the machine. This happens over and over again, because our machines have numerous unique selling points that are convincing.
It is also pleasantly quiet to operate the excavator, as the noise inside the cab is 68 dB (A) at 2200 rpm and 66 dB (A) at 1500 rpm - where the machine still works with an incredible 164 hp. For many users, ultimately the composition of all characteristics is decisive. Even though several other brands introduces new models into this segment, the difference remains and the core statement remains valid that no excavator is as compact and at the same time as powerful as the Hydrema. Working with a Hydrema means making use of the unique selling points. Furthermore we like to discuss fleet optimization potential with our customers, because the combination of power and compactness in combination with the fact that our machines are specially built for use with tilt-rotators significantly reduce the number of machines required on a construction site.
A Hydrema city excavator equipped with a tiltrotator and pallet fork replaces the wheel loader, which is often only required for pallet use,”explains the Hydrema sales manager.