TechnoAlpin: a passion for snow making

The ski resorts south of the Alps had been adversely affected by several winters with very little snowfall at the beginning of the 1980s. Therefore the Obereggen ski resort in the Dolomites in South Tyrol decided to buy a snow gun from the USA. It did not achieve the desired effect, however, because of the borderline temperatures on the south side of the Alps. This prompted the managers of the ski resort, Walter Rieder and Georg Eisath, to develop a snow gun themselves. Using standard parts commercially available for agricultural purposes, they built a prototype which was soon able to match the quality and performance of the American snow gun.

Obereggen AG eventually bought the prototype and allowed Eisath and Rieder the scope to develop their snow gun further. The other ski resorts in the area were becoming more and more interested in the snow guns which is why the company WI.TE. was set up in the mid-1980s. With Erich Gummerer on board, this business formed the basis for the establishment of TechnoAlpin in 1990.

Right from the outset, TechnoAlpin was looking to operate in an international market. The founders of the business were convinced that this was the only direction which would lead to success in the niche market of snow-making systems. This worldwide focus made it possible to drive and increase investment in research and development.

The company concentrated in the first few years on selling individual snow guns but soon realized that a turnkey solution is fundamental to the optimum quality of a snow-making system. Today, therefore, TechnoAlpin offers a full project management service encompassing all the phases involved in providing a snow-making system, from planning and installation right through to after-sales service. A wide range of different fan guns and snow lances and the use of custom control software enable the development of individual turnkey solutions. By selecting the right snow gun and making the necessary adaptations to suit the terrain and infrastructure, while taking account of a wide and diverse range of given factors and conditions, TechnoAlpin can guarantee optimum use of the available resources.