Elevator World New York June Newsletter

Volume 65 | July 2024

ELEVATOR WORLD New York is EW's free monthly newsletter focusing on vertical-transportation news in the Greater New York Region. Contact the EW Editorial Department to submit news or the EW Advertising Department to advertise and reach more than 5,000 subscribers in the New York area.

July 2024

CLADDAGH ELECTRONICS APPOINTS JOHNSON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT

Claddagh Electronics Ltd., the Long Island City-headquartered manufacturer of code-compliant solutions for the vertical-transportation industry, has expanded its leadership team with the appointment of Jeff Johnson as business development consultant. Johnson will focus on expanding Claddagh's presence throughout North America as a trusted provider of ASME A17.1- and CSA B44-compliant commercial traction and hydraulic elevator and escalator controllers, safety overlay systems and Claddagh's popular IP8300 landing control system. Prior to joining Claddagh, Johnson served as vice president of sales with Elevator Systems, LLC. He has also held senior sales and marketing management positions with Magnetek, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Rockwell Automation. Holding a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering technology studies from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, he is a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

CHAMPION "CHAMPIONS" ONE OF ITS OWN WITH SUPRRISE

NYC's Champion Elevator is known for giving back, whether it's St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, efforts to raise money to educate underprivileged youth or one of the countless golf fundraisers supporting a variety of worthy causes. Champion President and CEO Don Gelestino says he has always tried to "pay it forward." So when beloved colleague Champion Senior Account Executive/Major Accounts Mike Zenick received a scary cancer diagnosis awhile back, his Champion co-workers rallied around him. "This gentleman always keeps a 100% positive attitude, rarely misses work and helps new employees grow by taking time to teach them," Gelestino observes. "He has become a part of the family here at Champion over his five years with us." Members of the Champion team recently traded their business suits for jeans and T-shirts for a trip to Gelestino's cabin in upstate New York to treat Zenick to a much-needed break. Champion Chief of Operations Robert Masterson surprised Zenick with a handmade lamp and custom-made shirts sporting messages in support of him and the fight against cancer. Look for more about this heartwarming story in an upcoming issue of ELEVATOR WORLD!

(l-r) Champion's "Band of Brothers" Robert Masterson, Frank Feniello, Stirling Collins, Mike Zelnick, Steve Tilchen, William Hedrick and Don Gelestino; photo courtesy of Don Gelestino

NOBLE ELEVATOR SYSTEM FOR LOWER EAST SIDE MIXED-USE BUILDING

Noble Elevator Co., Inc. Vice President Thomas Dutton tells ELEVATOR WORLD Noble provided a three-elevator system for 139 Bowery, a 14-story mixed-use building on Manhattan's Lower East Side. The elevators are machine-room-less units from Delaware Elevator with Torin machines and Motion Control Engineering Motion 4000 controllers. New York YIMBY reported in June that construction had been completed on 139 Bowery, designed by Raymond Chan Architects and developed by Hung Kwong Leung through Joint Venture, Inc. The 59,000-ft² property includes 18 condominium units, 14 offices and ground-level retail. The building is across from the historic Bowery Saving Bank building between Broome and Grand streets.

139 Bowery; photo by Michael Young for New York YIMBY

TRIUMPH ELECTRICAL SUPPLY TO STOCK AND SUPPLY MONTANARI MACHINES

Montanari Group, the Italy-based manufacturer of elevator traction machines, has partnered with Triumph Electrical Supply, with headquarters in Mineola, NY, and a branch in Woodside, NY, for Triumph to stock and supply Montanari machines across North America. "This collaboration unites Montanari's top-quality elevator traction machines with Triumph's vast distribution network, ensuring the best products and services," Montanari stated. The Italian manufacturer said there are several reasons it chose to join forces with Triumph, including Triumph's ability to stock machines ready for next-day shipment and its team of in-house experts to assist customers with machine selection, installation and troubleshooting. Montanari said its products will "improve Triumph's ability to support the vertical-transportation contractor industry."

NAESA APPROVED FOR NEW YORK MECHANICS TRAINING CLASSES

NAESA International has announced it has received approval to teach New York Mechanics training classes. Registration is now open with courses offered on the following dates below that have been approved for New York Mechanic Training: August 15 in Blauvelt from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; September 18 in the Bronx from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; October 29 in Albany from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; November 7 in the Bronx from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and a December date to be determined for the Bronx from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check the NAESA website for additional classes that are being added. Big groups can also contact NAESA to set up something at that location.

THIRD ANNUAL LOUIS J. MEZZO GOLF OUTING A GREAT SUCCESS

The third annual Louis J. Mezzo Golf Outing on June 13 at Harrison Meadows Country Club in Harrison, New York, was a great success, with approximately 100 participating under sunny skies and warm temperatures. "The craziest thing happened!" said president of NYC-based Dynasty Elevator John Mezzo, who founded the event in memory of his late father. "My uncle, my dad's brother, got his first-ever hole in one!" Mezzo thanked the PGA Tour, the Harrison Meadows staff and the event's gold sponsors that included: AJM Property Consulting; DTM Drafting & Consulting Services, Inc; Gillespie Corp.; Manhattan Resident Managers Club; The Peelle Co.; Smartrise Engineering, Inc.; Vantage Elevator Solutions; and VDA, Inc. Another highlight of the day was when Sal Vasapolli of Catalyst Construction recreated the iconic scene from the movie The Wolf of Wall Street, featuring the white Lamborghini "on the very steps where the unforgettable moment was filmed."

The white Lamborghini

JPMORGAN CHASE UNDER CONTRACT TO BUY 250 PARK AVENUE FOR US$300 MILLION

Turnstiles lead to an elevator bank at the recently repositioned 250 Park Avenue; image courtesy of 250parkave.com.

JPMorgan Chase, in partnership with Hines, is under contract to buy 250 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan from AEW in a US$300 million deal, The Business Times was among outlets to report on July 17. All the parties are being close-lipped about the transaction, which has not yet closed, but a team led by Adam Spies and Doug Harmon of Newmark Group is handling the sale. The 21-story office building spans 519,783 ft²and is built in the neoclassical style. With the deal, JPMorgan Chase expands its Park Avenue presence, as it is building a 1,388-ft supertall at 270 Park Avenue for its new headquarters (HQ). The HQ elevator system will be by Otis, and Jaros, Baum & Bolles is among the consultants. Located steps from Grand Central Terminal, the recently repositioned 250 Park Avenue boasts a new building entrance, new interior elevator cabs and "state-of-the-art innovations," according to 250parkave.com.

FRIED CELEBRATES 20 YEARS WITH VDA

Vertical-transportation (VT) consultant David Fried recently celebrated 20 years with VDA, Inc., headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey. A graduate of the International Institute for Management Development, Fried has a long VT industry career. He spent more than 30 years with Millar Elevator Industries, Inc., a company that was once part of Westinghouse's Independent Service division whose notable NYC installations include the Empire State Building, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Hotel Elysee and The Blakely Hotel. After Schindler acquired Westinghouse, Fried served as National Accounts vice president for Schindler for two years before joining VDA. He has also been a frequent contributor to ELEVATOR WORLD, most recently with "Double-Deck Deep Dive" about the modernization of the unique double-deck elevators at NYC's Citycorp Center (EW, May 2023) and "Office Buildings Reimagined," a piece about VT's role in building conversions (EW, October 2023). In announcing Fried's 20-year milestone, VDA said: "We deeply appreciate the dedication and expertise that you bring to the team. Your leadership and hard work do not go unnoticed, and you are vital in our mission to Lead The Way."

NAEC PARTNERS WITH FMSC TO LAUNCH UNITED IN DEED AT UNITED

The National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) announced it will launch United In Deed, a partnership with the nonprofit organization Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), on September 23 as part of the United Convention and Expo in Atlantic City, New Jersey. NAEC thanks the initiative's generous host, MEI — Total Elevator Solutions, which will assist in packing meals that will feed children all over the world. "For years, NAEC members have been requesting an event like this to take place at our annual convention," NAEC National Development Officer Lori Wolking said. "In honor of NAEC's 75th anniversary, we are proud to roll out United In Deed." Including lunch provided by NAEC, the event is scheduled for 11-1:30 p.m., and those interested in attending may register here.

APi GROUP AIMS TO "BUILD A US$1-BILLION-PLUS ELEVATOR AND ESCALATOR SERVICES PLATFORM"

Following the acquisition of Tampa, Florida-based Elevated Facilities Services Group, Minnesota-based APi Group Corp. plans to "build a US$1-billion elevator and escalator services platform over the long term" through organic growth, cross-selling with APi's life-safety businesses and a "robust M&A pipeline," APi Group CEO Russell Becker told Engineering News-Record in June. Elevated Facilities Services, a provider of contractually based services for all brands of elevator and escalator (E&E) equipment, represents a new type of services contractor for APi, whose holdings include New Jersey-based heavy-equipment contractor J. Fletcher Creamer & Son and Minnesota steel fabricator LeJeune Steel. Becker says APi intends to acquire additional E&E services companies, a move that will be bolstered by a complex financial repositioning that occurred as a result of the most recent acquisition.

**START ELEVATOR'S O'SHEA FEATURED IN NYREJ'S "2024 ONES TO WATCH"**

Bronx-based Start Elevator announced in June that its founder and president Jack O'Shea is featured in the New York Real Estate Journal's (NYREJ) "2024 Ones to Watch" feature on local leaders. "Exemplifying the American Dream," O'Shea immigrated from Ireland with only a few hundred dollars, going on to grow Start Elevator into one of the largest independent elevator service companies on the East Coast. His NYREJ profile observed that, in the past year, Start Elevator became the sole provider for Montefiore Real Estate Group's area portfolio and completed a 32-car elevator modernization in Brooklyn. "Jack's leadership and commitment to building strong relationships were key to these successes," NYREJ observed.

ADA-COMPLIANT ELEVATORS COME TO TWO MORE LIRR STATIONS

The NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced on June 28 it has made the Long Island Rail Road's (LIRR) Amityville and Lindenhurst stations accessible to all in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Crews have completed building, testing and activating elevators connecting from the street to both stations, which are elevated some 200 ft above street level. MTA tells ELEVATOR WORLD the elevator provider for both stations was Bohemia, NY-headquartered Citnalta-Scalamandre, J.V. (CSJV), which announced in 2022 it had received a notice to proceed by LIRR and MTA Construction & Development on design/build services for ADA upgrades at nine stations, including Amityville and Lindenhurst. CSJV is working with Freeport, NY-based Peter Scalamandre & Sons, Inc., on the upgrades. The MTA has made three stations on the Babylon Branch fully ADA accessible since May, when it completed similar upgrades at Copiague.

Accessibility for all is the goal of LIRR and MTA; image courtesy of MTA.

VT CONSULTANCY VDA ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC RESTRUCTURING

Gavin Campbell, CEO of East Hanover, NJ-headquartered vertical-transportation consulting and inspection provider VDA, Inc., has announced a strategic restructuring to support its strategy as it continues to grow. VDA has scaled its business "to the point where we need to concentrate our strategies within three business units (verticals) to accelerate our growth growing going forward," Campbell said. The three new business units and their leaders are: Inspection Services (including certificate management), Theresa Tsamoutalis; Existing Installation Consulting (modernization, maintenance management, and equipment evaluation services, including CARETM), Bobby Kemple; and Design Services (new equipment design), Michael Muñoz. "Each new business unit leader will work alongside our sales and operational leadership to ensure the long-term success of VDA," Campbell added. VDA has more than 35 offices across the U.S.

NYT PIECE USES ELEVATOR TO EXPLAIN HOUSING COSTS AND OTHER WOES

Stephen Jacob Smith, founder and executive director of the Center for Building in North America, used the elevator to explain why housing costs have skyrocketed, among other woes, in a guest essay for The New York Times (NYT). He begins with a personal story about how he had to climb stairs to reach his third-floor Brooklyn apartment post-pandemic, becoming dizzy and winded because he was ill. "On bad days, I became a prisoner in my own home," he said. A few months later, Smith visited his mother in Bucharest, where her five-story building was equipped with a small elevator. Elevators, even in mid-rise buildings, are common in Europe, where code is harmonized. In North America, on the other hand, "not only do we have our own elevator code, but individual U.S. jurisdictions modify it further," he wrote. Add to that the tight market for skilled labor and the strength of the union, and elevators become too cost-prohibitive for many developers. While the elevator helped our country grow into an "economic powerhouse," with "the elevator-powered Manhattan skyline becoming the command center for the global economy," today the cost to add an elevator in New York or many other American cities has skyrocketed. "A basic four-stop elevator costs about US$158,000 in NYC, compared with about US$36,000 in Switzerland," he observed.

MTA CELEBRATES DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH WITH NEW CUSTOMER-SERVICE TOOLS

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is celebrating Disability Pride Month in July with new customer-service tools to better keep them up to date on the real-time status of elevators and escalators throughout the subway system. Customers can also see the real-time status of elevators and escalators via the new MTA app. Customers can sign up for personalized updates on the status of service for specific elevators and escalators at subway stations and customize their alerts for the days, times and stations that best suit their journeys. Customers with existing MTA Service Alerts accounts can add elevators and escalators to their current alerts. "The MTA is committed to expanding accessibility across the transit system and we're delivering on that promise with a surge of projects to make stations Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible and, now, upgraded communication targeted to riders with disabilities," MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.

UPCOMING EVENTS

39th Annual Pop/Joe Golf Outing

Old Brookville, New York

September 9, 2024

For more information, visit website.

2024 United Convention & Exposition

Atlantic City, New Jersey

September 23-26, 2024

For more information, visit website.

International Elevator & Escalator Symposium

Paradise Island
Bahamas

November 12-13, 2024

For more information, visit website.

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