25.03.2026

MK 120-5.1E for Richi

Swiss rental company Richi has taken delivery of an eight tonne Liebherr MK 120-5.1E self-erecting mobile tower crane, replacing a 19 year old eight tonne MK 100 in the company’s fleet.

The electric powered MK 120-5.1E was launched and first displayed at the JDL trade show in September last year. It has a maximum capacity of eight tonnes, a 52 metre jib, with a jib tip capacity of 2.1 tonnes and a maximum luffing angle of 40 degrees. It also features a new 12 inch TC-OS (Tower Crane Operating System) display screen with updated user interface.

Markus Fleck, head of cranes and transport at Richi said: “On more and more construction sites, there is a growing demand to minimise emissions. Thanks to the 63 Amp external power connection, we can operate the MK 120-5.1E electrically and thus reduce emissions. We have a large number of carpenters, timber construction firms, roofers, and garden and landscape contractors in our customer base. The MK 120-5.1E is quick to set up, takes up little space, and can often be used where our truck-mounted loader cranes and the MK 88 are no longer sufficient. It is ideally suited and efficient for short term jobs.”

Family owned Richi was established in 1924 by Johann Richi to operate a small gravel pit, initially promoting the business as a gravel supplier. To meet delivery needs, he purchased a horse and cart and began a transport business, acquiring his first vehicle, a Berna truck, in 1929 which logged two million kilometres before being retired in 1964.

In the mid 1960s, Richi expanded into excavating and earthmoving to fill open gravel pits, and in 1978 introduced road-going cranes, including a 45 tonne Grove TMS 475 truck crane and an 18 tonne Grove TMS 180 on an American chassis. Today, the crane fleet features mobile self-erecting tower cranes, large articulated loader cranes, and All Terrains, including a six axle 350 tonne model supported by a team of 150 employees.