80 Years of Westendorf 's lift Co. The SkiWelt success story celebrates its anniversary

Exactly 80 years to the day after its founding in 1946, the Westendorf mountain railways invited guests to a grand celebratory evening in the Alpenrosensaal – and Managing Director Stefan Grafl made the company's roots visible right at the beginning.

Westendorf mountain lifts celebrated their 80th anniversary on Saturday – to the day: in August 1946, 27 partners founded the private mountain lift company. What began with a bold vision in the austere post-war years is today one of the great success stories of the Tyrolean cable car industry: The first chairlift to the Alpenrosenhütte, opened in 1948 as "Austria's largest ski lift," laid the foundation for a company that, since 1985, as part of the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental – one of the largest and most popular interconnected ski areas in the world – has delighted guests from all over the globe.

The highlight right at the start: the founding document from 1946. Managing Director Stefan Grafl set the emotional high point during his welcoming remarks: In his hands, he held the original founding document, which his grandfather had signed 80 years earlier – thus making the roots of the mountain railway tangible, stretching back to August 8, 1946. "This document stands for the courage and vision of the founding generation – and for the fact that these roots continue to bear fruit to this day," said Grafl. How deeply rooted the mountain railway is in the town was also evident in the organization of the anniversary celebration: Around 90 percent of all companies involved in hosting the event were Westendorf businesses – from the technical aspects to the culinary offerings, the added value remained within the town.

A festive start under sunny skies. In radiant summer weather, the Westendorf mountain lifts welcomed their guests in front of the Alpenrosensaal, accompanied by music from the Westendorf brass band. The reception became a grand reunion: descendants of the founding members, shareholders, long-standing partners and friends of the company, mountain hut operators, representatives from politics, tourism and the cable car industry, as well as the employees of the Westendorf mountain lifts – without whose daily dedication the success story would be inconceivable – all joined together to celebrate eight decades of mountain lift history.

Prominent well-wishers and a reunion with the key figures. Among the guests of honor were National Councillor Franz Hörl, Chairman of the Austrian Cable Car Association, and the association's Managing Director, Peter Winkler, who congratulated the company on its impressive development. Westendorf's Mayor, René Schwaiger, also joined the ranks of those offering congratulations and acknowledged the importance of the mountain lifts for the town. The SkiWelt family was strongly represented: The managing directors of the partner lifts – Rudi Köck (Brixen im Thale), Klaus Exenberger (Ellmau-Going), Mario Gruber (Söll), Friedl Eberl (Hopfgarten-Itter), and Christine Haselsberger (Scheffau) – conveyed their congratulations, as did Walter Eisenmann, a founding member of SkiWelt, and cable car colleagues from Wildschönau and Steinplatte. Markus Kofler, Managing Director of the Kitzbühel Alps – Brixental Tourism Association, delivered the tourism region's congratulations. A particularly warm welcome was extended to the two former managing directors, Robert Kleinlercher and Hansjörg Kogler, who shaped the Westendorf mountain lifts for decades and set a decisive course with projects such as the Alpenrosenbahn cable car, the Kreuzjöchlsee reservoir, snowmaking, and the connection towards Kitzbühel. In a panel discussion, they, together with the current managing director, Stefan Grafl, reviewed the eventful history of the company – from the material shortages of the founding years to today's modern cable car technology.

A delightful evening of theater, talk, and live music. ServusTV weather presenter Andreas Ortner, a Westendorf native and practically a hometown host, guided the audience through the festive evening in the atmospherically decorated Alpenrosensaal – complete with an original Alpenrosenbahn gondola for photos and a commemorative corner featuring historical documents and film reels – with charm and wit. The Westendorf community theater group's performance, humorously depicting the early days of the mountain railway, elicited smiles and applause. To conclude the evening, the band TOMSN energized the audience with their live performance, keeping the anniversary celebrations going well into the night.

80 years of summit bliss – and an eye on the future. Today, the Westendorf mountain lifts are among the most important employers and the economic engine of the region – in winter as a popular gateway to the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental, and in summer with mountain experiences like the Alpinolino. "80 years of summit bliss is not an end point for us, but a mission," emphasized Grafl. "We want to continue the path of our founding generation: with innovative strength, with responsibility for our environment – ​​and as a strong part of the SkiWelt."