ELENET Issue #1020 | The Elevator World Weekly Industry Newsletter

Issue 1020 | 11/8/2023 | Currently reaching 35K Global contacts

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ELEVATOR WORLD'S November Issue

On the Cover: Sustainability in Spain. Otis' Madrid, San Sebastian and Vigo facilities achieve key certifications.

Features: "Rock"-ing It in Egypt; Hangzhou Metro Line 6; "A Heritage of Unsuspected Richness"

Focus on Fixtures: Spotlight on South Korea; Beauty and Safety by Design; From Fixtures to Software

Columns: ELEVATOR WORLD's Golden Anniversary; Remote Interaction Operation and Cybersecurity is Codified; All In; Are You an Empathetic Leader?; Hilton's Evolving Kenyan Story; Australia Stories; Challenges of Elevator Modernization; Down the Hatch; Universal Design and Roping Systems; Open Data Platform for Lift Optimized Service: An Opportunity for SMEs in the Lift Industry

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EW TO FOCUS ON DIGITALIZATION, PROJECT OF THE YEAR WINNERS

ELEVATOR WORLD's January 2024 issue will focus on Digitalization (AI, automation, simulation, BIM, digital twin and more) and will feature the 2024 Project of the Year Winners. The article submission deadline is November 15, and the advertising deadline is December 1. To participate or for more information, contact the EW Editorial Department at phone: 251-479-4514, ext. 30 or editorial@elevatorworld.com. To advertise, contact ext. 31 or advertising@elevatorworld.com.

KONE ELEVATORS INDIA INAUGURATES TEST TOWER AND LABS NEAR CHENNAI

KONE Elevators India inaugurated an elevator test tower and labs at its location in Sriperumbudur near Chennai on October 31, with KONE President and CEO Henrik Ehrnrooth and KONE India Managing Director Amit Gossain in attendance. The tower and labs enable "state-of-the-art" R&D capabilities and promise to bolster KONE India's presence both domestically and in the global market. Read more here

Maven Group, LLC is the premier choice for owners of independent elevator companies who consider selling their business. We understand the daily challenges of independent companies and we know what buyers are looking for. To maximize your return, we provide hands-on help when you prepare for the complex mergers & acquisitions process. For confidential advice, please contact Dominik Sachsenheimer at dominik@mavenelevator.com / 561-225-3320 or Bill Beaury at bill@mavenelevator.com / 239-253-4500; www.mavenelevator.com

SWEDEN'S CIBES LIFT GROUP ACQUIRES CONNECTICUT-BASED ESC

Cibes Lift Group, a leading manufacturer of screw-driven, modular platform lifts headquartered in Gävle, Sweden, has acquired Elevator Service Co., Inc. (ESC), based in Torrington, Connecticut, and serving the Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts markets. General Equity, a mergers and acquisitions advisor based in Dallas, handled the deal on behalf of ESC, which offers a wide range of home, platform and limited use/limited application lifts. Read more here

CALTECH LIFTS WINS FAMILY BUSINESS AWARD ON HEELS OF 45TH ANNIVERSARY

Caltech Lifts has been named Best Dundee-based Family Business of the Year in The Courier Business Awards 2023 days after it celebrated its 45th birthday. The family firm, founded in Dundee, Scotland, U.K., in 1978 by engineer Howard Renwick and now run by his sons Andrew and Fraser, was named the best family Dundee-based business at the awards ceremony at the Apex Hotel in Dundee on October 28. Read more here

ALLSAFE ELEVATOR INSPECTIONS JOINS VDA, INC.
VDA, headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey, announced on November 6 it has purchased Allsafe Elevator Inspections, an Allsafe Dominion Company with West Coast headquarters in Denver, Colorado, and East Coast headquarters in Towson, Maryland. The merger includes Dominion Elevator Inspections, which has a Washington, D.C., area office in Alexandria, Virginia, as well as an office in Richmond, Virginia. VDA observes that Allsafe's inspection clients will benefit from "synergies offered by the combined companies." Customers can expect to see a more robust offering of services to help keep their VT equipment safe, code-compliant and operating at maximum efficiency, according to VDA. VDA stated: "Allsafe's pristine reputation in the inspection business, coupled with VDA's first-class reputation in VT consulting, make this a win-win for both companies."

Draka EHC, a brand of Prysmian Group, is a global manufacturer and supplier dedicated to sustainability and developing innovative solutions for the vertical transportation industry. Our diverse portfolio of high-quality elevator products includes travelling cable, compensation cable, hoistway cable, wire rope, coated steel rope, rope brakes, wireway, harnessing, and lubricants. For escalators and moving walks we offer essential handrail solutions, field splicing services, skirt brushes, rollers, replacement parts and more. Elevator & Escalator Solutions Catalog | www.DrakaEHC.com

OTIS CHINA CONTRACTS HIGHLIGHTED DURING 3Q EARNINGS CALL

Two major contracts in China were among those highlighted by Otis President and CEO Judy Marks during a 3rd Quarter 2023 earnings call on October 25. In the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Otis is supplying 47 Gen3^TM elevators to more than 30 elevated walkways to "provide improved accessibility for the aging population and people with disabilities." Read more here

119 EXHIBITORS FROM 13 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES EXPECTED AT GEE IN MILAN

Organizers of the inaugural Global Elevator Exhibition (GEE) on November 15-17 at Fiera Milano (Rho) in Milan, Italy, expect to welcome 119 exhibitors from 13 different countries — including Türkiye, China, France and Spain — to the new international trade fair focused on vertical and horizontal mobility. To be held simultaneously with related Milan International Building Alliance (MIBA) events, GEE will also feature a rich program of conferences including an extensive training program that involves leading international experts, trade association representatives, certification bodies and university lecturers. Participants will have the opportunity to meet 100 buyers selected by Fiera Milano from 23 countries, with buyers of particular relevance coming from the U.S., Argentina, Egypt, Australia and the U.A.E. MIBA events to be held alongside GEE are the ME-MADE expo, Italy's leading international event for sustainable building and enclosure solutions; the SMART BUILDING EXPO home and building automation technological integration event; and SICUREZZA, Italy's leading trade fair for security and fire prevention.

Lift Business Advisors in the last 3 years has successfully represented the sellers of more than 25 elevator contractors and suppliers in the elevator industry to a broad range of acquiring companies. Since our inception in 1998, we have provided hands on support to help improve profitability and optimize value for an eventual exit. Contact Jeff Eaton for a confidential discussion and complimentary strategic review. www.liftbusiness.com, jeff.eaton@liftbusiness.com

CiA INVITES DISCUSSION ON CANOPEN AND AI AT SPS TRADESHOW

The nonprofit CAN in Automation (CiA) association invites discussion about AI and CANopen at its booth at the SPS (Smart Production Solutions) tradeshow in Nuremberg, Germany, on November 14-16. CANopen Lift is the CAN communication platform for elevator control systems. Read more here

AXXIOM ELEVATOR LAUNCHES WEST COAST OPERATION THROUGH INVESTMENT IN AES

Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Axxiom Elevator, a provider of elevator maintenance, repair and modernization services, recently completed an investment in Arizona Elevator Services (AES), the largest independent elevator service provider in Arizona and a leader in the Phoenix market, Maven Group — financial advisor to AES — announced on November 6. Read more here

Lustre Products. Elevator Handrails, Safety Barricades, Tools & Components for the lift industry. Supplying the world for more than 30 years. Long life and reliability are the hallmarks of our products. Custom or standard, you get it quickly and correct. We Guarantee It. www.LustreProducts.com

OTIS TO PROVIDE 15 ELEVATORS FOR NEW BURNABY MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITY

Otis President and CEO Judy Marks announced during a third quarter 2023 earnings call on October 25 that the company has been contracted to provide seven SkyRise^® and eight Gen3^TM Edge elevators to South Yards, a new master-planned community by Anthem Properties in the Brentwood neighborhood of Burnaby, Canada. Read more here

TORIN DRIVE NA ANNOUNCES FIVE-YEAR WARRANTY FOR ELEVATOR TRACTION MACHINES

Torin Drive North America (NA), a leading provider of elevator traction machines, recently announced a five-year warranty for its elevator traction machines. Observing that elevator reliability and performance are of paramount importance to the vertical-transportation industry, Torin Drive NA said the warranty "reflects (the company's) unwavering dedication to delivering top-tier products and reaffirms Torin Drive NA's belief in the quality and durability of its elevator traction machines." Torin Drive NA General Manager Morgan Jones elaborated: "Elevator reliability is critical, and we believe in the craftsmanship and engineering that goes into our products. This warranty not only demonstrates our commitment to quality, but also our confidence in the performance and longevity of our elevator traction machines."

Newly merged and resulting in the largest elevator consulting firm in North America, KJA/ATIS has immediate openings for consultants in Vancouver and Montreal, SEO in Calgary and inspectors in Toronto. QEI certification preferred. If interested, please contact HR@libertyelevatorexperts.com

SERVED BY OTIS VT, NYC'S THE SPIRAL WINS CTBUH AWARD AND MARKS FIRSTS

Bjarke Ingels Group's (BIG) first supertall and first commercial high rise in NYC, The Spiral on the northern edge of the High Line at 66 Hudson Boulevard, was recently named the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's (CTBUH) Best Tall Building in the 300-399 m category, beating out competitors in Australia, China and the U.A.E. Read more here

ALIMAK AND TORRE DE COLLSEROLA PARTNER TO MODERNIZE HISTORIC BARCELONA ELEVATORS

Sweden's Alimak Group recently announced it is partnering with Torre de Collserola — a project of historic significance in Barcelona, Spain — to modernize the two Alimak elevators initially installed in 1992 for the Barcelona Olympic Games and designed by famed architect Norman Foster. Read more here

GEE, Global Elevator Exhibition is the new event dedicated to VT and horizontal mobility that will be held in fieramilano (Italy – Milan) from November 15 to 17, 2023. Click here to get your ticket!

TSSA GATHERING FINAL FEEDBACK BEFORE NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH

As part of its digital modernization efforts to enhance efficiency of doing business, Ontario, Canada's not-for-profit regulator Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is preparing to launch a new website on November 17. Read more here

MODERN ELEVATOR INSTALLS THREE NEW ELEVATORS AT BROOKLYN MTA STATION

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) tells ELEVATOR WORLD Modern Elevator installed three new elevators at the Flushing Avenue subway station in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. The units replaced original elevators that were more than 20 years old, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle is among outlets to report. Read more here

Now Hiring (Remote): National Product Manager & Ambassador – Video Solution
30-35% travel. Up to $130K + Bonus. Newly created role focused on educating and creating awareness through research and industry conversation among elevator consultants, inspectors, service companies and other industry related entities in states adopting ASME 2019 video and two-way messaging.

WINNING DESIGN FOR PROPOSED SEOUL TOWER OPENS AND EXPANDS PUBLIC REALM

NYC-headquartered architecture firm ODA recently won the Creative Innovation Architecture Design Pilot Project for a proposed mixed-use tower in Seoul's Gangnam District inspired by the concept that "porosity leads to prosperity," the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat reports, citing ODA. Read more here

10-YEAR-OLD BOY DIES IN ELEVATOR INCIDENT IN AUSTRALIA

A 10-year-old boy died in Wahroonga, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, on November 1 as a result of being "crushed under an elevator" at a school for the disabled, People is among outlets to report. NSW emergency responders arrived at the school to remove the child, but he died at the scene. Read more here

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MIAMI HIGH-RISE OFFICE RECEIVES UNANIMOUS APPROVAL

New York-headquartered architectural practice Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) has announced the approval of Tower 36, a 635-ft luxury office adjacent to Miami, Florida's Design District. The tallest in the neighborhood, the "Class-A" office tower will offer tenants sweeping views of Biscayne Bay and an array of amenities, including landscaped rooftop gardens. Read more here

69-YEAR-OLD MAN DIES IN ELEVATOR SHAFT FALL IN SOUTH INDIA

A 69-year-old man died on November 4 from falling down an elevator shaft in the Thindal neighborhood of Erode in the south India province of Tamil Nadu, The Hindu reports. Police said the man provided laundry service to residents of the four-story apartment building. While collecting clothes from a resident on the fourth floor, the man pressed a button to call the lift, which had moved to the ground floor. "The safety gate could have opened accidentally, and he fell through the shaft onto the lift," the source said.

Empowering Elevator Business Owners & Entrepreneurs by Sean Madden is specifically geared toward independent elevator service business owners and entrepreneurs who want to make a difference in their businesses. If you're starting, maintaining or growing your own independent elevator service business, this book is for you. It contains anecdotes from my experiences along with advice, tools and practical templates that will show you how to grow your business proactively and strategically. Order your copy today!

DUBAI RESORT NAMED CTBUH BEST TALL BUILDING MENA

Atlantis The Royal Resort on Palm Jumeirah Island in Dubai, U.A.E., was named the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) 2023 Best Tall Building, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), during the organization's annual international conference in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur on October 16-21. Read more here

DESIGNS IN THE WORKS FOR LONDON'S FOURTH-TALLEST TOWER

RSHP is working up designs for a "landmark" 240-m-tall, 54-story skyscraper, which would be the Square Mile's fourth-tallest tower, to replace contractor Multiplex Europe's headquarters at 99 Bishopsgate in London, U.K., Building Design reports. The existing 28-story building at 99 Bishopsgate would be demolished and the new building would more than triple the office space.