About Conrad Gruber
He is modest, calm, speaks very quietly, thinks about every word, has all the time in the world: that is Conrad Gruber from Thierbach in the remotest Wildschönau, a Tyrolean high valley near Wörgl at around 1200 metres above sea level. He was born here a good 50 years ago as the son of a mountain farming family. He grew up here he returned and stayed here with his own company after a few years away.
On the first encounter, you notice his outfit: black leather trousers, black shirt and – depending on the season – a black leather jacket on top of that. Only his brand name ALBREX, embroidered neatly on his shirt collar, is eye-catching. Pure modesty! Befitting his image, he is usually out and about on the road with a black VW T5 with an ALBREX logo in lush yellow. He loves the understatement, which is otherwise also characteristic of him.
After the first impression has solidified in the mind of the visitor, there is usually a discussion, which was actually the reason for meeting Conrad Gruber. It seems as if you have a psychologist in front of you. There is question after question (and hopefully the right answers) before he decides to take on the project. At some point, the topic of money also comes up briefly – but really just by the by – and then the schedule, delivery date. Plenty of time is required! Nothing happens quickly. Quick is not good. And merely good is not enough for him. It must be perfect! He is a tinkerer who does everything himself, in order to meet his own standards. He sees himself as a specialist for special things. He is in fact a brilliant developer of highly complex engine systems.
He has largely taught himself his astounding technical level of work and expert knowledge, he could even be called an autodidact. His “profiler methods” are the basis for this: he is able to think himself inside an engine. The result is that the professionals in various industries now ask him for advice.
The love of technology must have been given to Conrad Gruber at birth. Surrounded at his parents’ mountain farm by farming machines and tractors, he was only 10 when he first tinkered with a PUCH MS50, the legendary Austrian moped, followed by an NSU Prinz.
After his training as a vehicle mechanic, he worked at Albert Wörgl in the 1980s. Franz Albert, as a mechanic, developer, inventor and racing driving, was presumably the impetus for his further development, which he was able to deepen further at König in Munich. In 1996 he founded his own company ALBREX High-Performance Engine Technology Conrad Gruber in Thierbach, in the remote Wildschönau, a Tyrolean high valley near Wörgl at about 1200 metres above sea level.
About the workshop
Coming from Wörgl, the hamlet Thierbach lies around 20 km into the Wildschönau valley after Niederau and Oberau. After arriving at the end of the road, you find yourself in front of the church. To the left of it and set back a little, you can see the primary school. And where do you go from there? Already here you have the impression of having wandered into a set for a homeland film.
To the right there is an inconspicuous and unindicated turnoff, continuing uphill between two gardens, single track and steep, and then past another mountain farmhouse the destination appears after a few hundred metres: a charmingly renovated farm, over 400 years old, with a big gate to the left of the building. The satnav would now announce with a friendly voice: “You have arrived at your destination!” No indication of a business, no ALBREX logo, no advertising, no cars in front of the gate, no reception… until Conrad Gruber personally opens the gate with a friendly greeting and invites you to enter the hallowed grounds.
There is no hint of a workshop here! This space hewn out of the rock is the place where really big dreams come true. One could also say it is an alternative kind of farm shop. And this shop is tidy like no ither: no drop of oil has ever been on the floor for more than a couple of seconds and no tool has left the cupboard for longer than it was needed. Every vehicle still waiting to be handled is veiled in fine cloth to protect it not only from dust but also from curious eyes. This workshop is a “clean room” and discreet too!
About the expert
Conrad Gruber is a generally sworn and legally certified expert for the fields of motor vehicle electronics, repairs, technical tuning of engines, drives and the chassis or sports, luxury and racing vehicles. He was appointed in this function by the Innsbruck Regional Court and included on the list of legal experts.The conditions for this position are not only his two completed professional qualifications as a vehicle technician and as a mechanical engineer, but also his many years of professional experience and his exceptional and unique specialist knowledge. In these specialist areas, he is the only legal expert and assessor in Austria and one of the few in the European Union.
His expertise is in demand if the court or the involved parties are lacking expert knowledge in these highly specialised fields in judicial or extrajudicial disputes. In legal disputes, his accreditation is restricted to Austria. In extrajudicial dispute settlement proceedings, however, Conrad Gruber may be consulted and appointed within the whole EU.
