| ELEVATOR WORLD's December Issue
 On the Cover: Enhancing the Sydney Metro City Line: 190 new TKE units key part of "transformative" Australia project.
Features: Like a Tiger; The 2024 Ellies Award Winners...
Focus on Escalators and Moving Walks: Escalator Brake Failure Investigation; Fujitec Modernizes Its Longest Escalator in Japan... Columns: Focused on Success; Stronger Together... Subscribe or log in here to read more than 5,000+ searchable articles, news briefs, blog posts and more. | | EW MARCH TO FOCUS ON SUSPENSION MEANS AND MATERIALS, NEW YORK
ELEVATOR WORLD's March 2025 issue will focus on Suspension Means and Materials (ropes, belts, clamps, sheaves, plastic gears, rack and pinions systems and more) with a Special Regional Section on New York and bonus distribution at the NAEC Spring Conference. The article submission deadline is January 15, and the advertising deadline is February 3. To participate or for more information, contact the EW Editorial Department at phone: 251-479-4514, ext. 130 or editorial@elevatorworld.com. To advertise, contact ext. 131 or advertising@elevatorworld.com. | | 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 Advertisement | | | | METRO ELEVATOR WELCOMES WRAY AS VP OF SALES
Metro Elevator recently welcomed Natalie Wray as vice president (VP) of sales. Wray has more than 12 years of industry experience, joining Metro Elevator from Otis, where she held roles including senior regional sales manager for strategic growth for the West; generation manager based in Phoenix, Arizona; and branch sales manager based in San Diego, California. Read more here
KONE INTERIM EVP ROLES TO CONTINUE THROUGH MARCH 2025
KONE announced on December 9 that two interim executive vice president (EVP) roles announced in December 2023 will continue until the end of March 2025. They are interim EVP for Europe Nicolas Alchal and interim EVP for Strategy & Transformation Kaori Uehigashi. The EVP Europe role will transition back to Karla Lindahl by early April 2025 after she returns from parental leave. Read more here
G-TECH ELEVATOR SYSTEM FOR NEW NYC LOGISTICS WAREHOUSE
Linden, New Jersey-headquartered G-Tech Elevator Associates LLC tells ELEVATOR WORLD it provided a six-unit elevator system to Review Avenue Complex, a new Class A logistics warehouse at 28-90 Review Avenue in Long Island City, Queens, NY. Developed by Innovo Property Group, the 736,400-ft2 complex includes four stories of warehouse-parking/loading space with ground-floor and rooftop parking. Read more here | | | GEE 2025 RETURNS, LAUNCHES OBSERVATORY
Milan International Building Alliance (MIBA) announced the Global Elevator Exhibition (GEE) 2025 will take place on November 19-21, 2025, at Fiera Milano in Milan, Italy. Also announced, MIBA and Politecnico di Milano have partnered to create an Observatory that analyzes scenarios and trends in the industry. Read more here
FUJITEC EXPLAINS NEW STRATEGY CENTERED AROUND DIGITAL TWIN CONCEPT
Fujitec announced on December 12 it has unveiled a new webpage that explains and explores its new Fujitec DX initiative to realize a digital twin — a "mirror image of the real world expressed in digital form that makes it possible to simulate reality, as well as collect and optimize data in real time." Fujitec DX is in line with the Japan-headquartered OEM's new management strategy centered around the concepts of "Continuity and Change" and "Safety and Reliability." Read more here
SCHINDLER METACORE: POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO OFFICE VACANCIES
The U.S. office vacancy rate hit a record high of 20.1% in the second quarter of 2024, according to ratings service Moody's. To combat this, big cities have created incentives for office-to-residential conversions to fill the empty space, but many older buildings have elevator cores that serve only fixed floors for fixed purposes, with no easy way to change their functionality, Engineering News-Record reports. Schindler Elevator's MetaCore is a suite of operations software and Internet of Things sensors that can react to specific people entering a building and prepare elevators as needed, with service to offices, retail, hotels or residences, optimizing the number of lifts needed. Smartphones, chip cards or temporary access codes can be used to identify users and their likely destinations. MetaCore technology supports a "vertical village" concept that not only allows one core to serve multiple uses, but even opens up individual floors to have both offices and residential sections. The system can also reconfigure the elevator car to custom applications, with different lighting and music playing. | | Mongrain Vertical Transport current products include the complete range of hydraulic elevators as well as the Emarelle hydraulic machine-room-less elevator system. Each is custom tailored to meet demanding design and performance standards as specified by building owners, architects, and installers. For more information, please email us at info@mvtinc.com or visit us online at www.mvtinc.com. Advertisement | | | | KONE PROVIDING ELEVATORS FOR NEW HOSPITAL IN SWEDEN
KONE will equip Region Västmanland's new emergency hospital in Västerås, Sweden, with 20 elevators to ease accessibility for doctors, staff and patients in the 75,000-m2 facility, set to be inaugurated in 2029, KONE announced on December 12. Built by Nordic construction company NCC, the new complex will be served by 15 MonoSpace® 700 DX machine-room-less, two MiniSpaceTM DX high-speed passenger and three Transit DX freight/passenger elevators. Read more here
OSHA EXPANDS DEPLOYMENT OF VUZIX M400 SMART GLASSES
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has expanded deployment of Vuzix M400TM smart glasses by placing an order for additional devices, Vuzix® Corp. announced on December 2. With offices in Rochester, NY, and Kyoto and Okayama, Japan, Vuzix is a designer and manufacturer of AI-driven smart glasses and augmented-reality (AR) technologies and products. Read more here | | Draka EHC, a brand of Prysmian, 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. DrakaEHC.com Advertisement | | | | GREGORIO AMONG LIC BID EXPANSION STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS HONORED
Mark Gregorio, president of Long Island City (LIC)-headquartered TEI Group, was among members of the LIC Business Improvement District (BID) Expansion Steering Committee honored by the LIC Partnership recently, TEI Group announced. Gregorio is among local community and business leaders tasked with analyzing the feasibility of expanded BID services — one on the east side of Sunnyside Yards and one on the west side — in an effort to create a cleaner, safer and more cohesive LIC, Queens, NY. Read more here
CECA ER MEETINGS OF 2025 ANNOUNCED
Canadian Elevator Contractors Association (CECA) has announced its meetings for the Eastern Region (ER) for next year. The first meeting will be held on January 29 at 5 p.m. at Hôtel Must near the airport in Québec City. The meeting will feature a supplier presentation by Hyperion, a U.S.-based provider of vertical-transportation systems and components, digital solutions and technical services. 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 Advertisement | | | | TEI GROUP REPOSITIONS ELEVATORS FOR MAJOR NYC CONVERSION
TEI Group tells ELEVATOR WORLD it was contracted by Leeding Builders Group to reposition seven traction elevators — including four extension elevators — at 222 Broadway in Manhattan's Financial District. The 31-story former Western Electric Building was completed in 1961 and is currently undergoing conversion of its 756,138 ft2 into nearly 800 apartments, The Real Deal (TRD) was among outlets to report. Read more here
VT AMONG 23 HIGH-PROFILE INDUSTRIES EGYPT AIMS TO LOCALIZE
Vertical-transportation (VT) is among 23 high-priority industries that Egypt aims to localize, part of a broader strategy to enhance industrial development and minimize reliance on imports, Egypt Today reports. Elevators and escalators join sectors that are integral to Egypt's economic growth, rely on locally available raw materials and are key to the country's import substitution strategy. The sectors include solar energy components, vehicle tires, batteries, wind energy components, water treatment systems, infant formula, aluminum, electrical transformers, central air-conditioning chillers, polyester manufacturing and a variety of motors. Announcing the initiative during a meeting with industrial investors in El Sharqia Governorate, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel El-Wazir said incentives and streamlined investment procedures for stakeholders will be pursued. | | | ARCHI-TREAD RELOCATING FROM N.J. TO FLORIDA
After operating in Boonton, New Jersey, for approximately 10 years, Archi-Tread,® Inc., is relocating its corporate office to Florida. The shop will close during the weeks of Christmas and New Year and reopen in Florida on January 6, 2025. The new corporate office address is 25114 Longmeadow Drive, Punta Gorda, FL 33955. Read more here
HALIFAX HOSPITAL TO GET ELEVATOR REPLACEMENT, UPGRADES
Officials at Nova Scotia Health have started the multimillion-dollar process to replace outdated and out-of-order elevators at the beleaguered Victoria General Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, CBC Lite reports. The hospital's elevators have become "unreliable and not serviceable," according to officials. In November, the health authority awarded an untendered contract to Maxim Construction for alterations at the Victoria building to accommodate the replacement of two of the elevators and upgrade the other two. Read more here | | MODERN ELEVATOR PROVIDES TWO NEW ELEVATORS AT QUEENSBORO PLAZA STATION
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) tells ELEVATOR WORLD Modern Elevator provided two new Americans with Disabilities (ADA)-compliant elevators unveiled to the public on December 12 at the Queensboro Plaza subway station near the east end of the Queensboro Bridge. The US$69-million project was made possible through funding from the Federal Transportation Administration. In addition to one elevator connecting the street and mezzanine levels and another connecting the mezzanine to both platforms, the project includes expansion of the mezzanine by approximately 2,100 ft2, a new street stairway and new ADA-compliant boarding areas with new platform edges. Nearly 100,000 daily riders will benefit from the more accessible station, NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said.
OUT-OF-ORDER LIFTS AT DUTCH TRAIN STATIONS LEAVE WHEELCHAIR USERS STRANDED
Out-of-order elevators at train stations across the Netherlands are leaving wheelchair users stranded on a platform or causing them to miss their trains, the NL Times reports on RTL Nieuws's interview with 22-year-old Yira Bes, who uses a wheelchair. "It is simply not indicated properly, which means that I often find myself at a station and cannot get off the platform," said Bes. Read more here | | Interested in a gearless traction machine with a laser-focus on safety and longevity? Hollister-Whitney products are designed with the customer in mind. That means superior value and painless serviceability for decades of operation. The GL171X is a cost-effective, gearless solution designed to fit through 27-inch doors. Learn more about its powerful, energy–efficient performance. Advertisement | | | PHASE ONE OF MUMBAI RAILWAY STATION UPGRADE COMPLETE
A new escalator was inaugurated on platform No. 4 at Ghatkopar railway station, in Mumbai, India, completing the first phase of the station's upgrade project, MSN reports. The two-part restoration effort led by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corp. (MRVC) at Ghatkopar station is part of a larger effort to refurbish 17 stations in the city. The upgrade at Ghatkopar station, an important connection between other major stations, aims to modernize the station and ease congestion. Read more here
JAPANESE CITY CREATES INITIATIVE TO DISCOURAGE WALKING ON ESCALATORS
The Nagoya city government has announced it is conducting research with Osaka University students in which they are using posters to discourage walking on escalators, NHK World Japan reports. In Japan, people commonly stand on one side of escalators so passengers can walk past on the other side. Nagoya started its initiative due to a survey by an industrial organization that showed approximately half of accidents involving escalators resulted from "improper use," such as walking on them. Read more here | | New York Build (March 12-13, Javits Center) is the largest construction & design show for New York. The show features 40,000+ registered visitors, 500+ world class speakers across 14 conference tracks and AIA workshops, Government Hub, exclusive networking events, 500+ exhibitors and the Tri-State's biggest Festival of Construction. Advertisement | | | POSSIBLE REASON GIVEN FOR CONTINUED ELEVATOR ISSUES IN HYDERABAD
Jugaad, a Hindi word that can be used to refer to a quick fix or workaround, seems to be a factor in repeated lift accidents in Hyderabad, India, The Times of India reports. Approximately 70 to 80% of lifts in the state are not from original manufacturers but assembled with parts sourced from suppliers in other states and not adhering to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) regulations, according to industry estimates. Some suppliers do not even provide invoices to keep low prices off the books. Read more here
CANADA POST WORKERS RETURN AS NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE
Thanks to Canada's federal government, Canada Post operations resumed on December 17 after a month-long strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers as negotiations continue between Canada Post and the union representing more than 55,000 workers, the National Post is among outlets to report. An agreement is expected in the coming year. In the meantime, the U.S. Postal Service has stopped accepting mail to Canada, and it is uncertain when that will resume. Canadian Elevator Contractors Association Executive Director Catharine Bothwell said, "Elevators aside, it has affected many of the small retailers who depend on Canada Post during this busy holiday season." During the strike, many people switched to electronic payment or more-expensive courier delivery methods, Bothwell said. Among those impacted were clients of Ontario's Technical Standards and Safety Authority that use mail for invoicing, statements, applications and authorizations. | | THE 2025 EW MEDIA KIT IS HERE! Download the ELEVATOR WORLD Media Kit to see EW's upcoming feature stories, focus topics, special sections and editorial and advertising submission deadlines here. Join us as we continue to celebrate and support the industry in 2025! Advertisement | | | EDITORIAL AND SUBSCRIPTIONS: Editorial submissions, reprint permission requests and subscription/removal requests should be sent to editorial@elevatorworld.com. ELENET Editorial staff: Angela C. Baldwin, Kaija Wilkinson, Lindsay Fletcher and Sophie Goodwin. ADVERTISEMENTS: To advertise and reach ELENET's readership of 41,000+, contact the Advertising staff at phone: 251-479-4514 or e-mail: advertising@elevatorworld.com. Download the ELEVATOR WORLD magazine Editorial Calendar to see EW's upcoming feature stories, focus topics, special topics, special sections and Editorial/Advertising submission deadlines here. ELENET is a registered trademark, and all rights are reserved. Copyright 2024 © Elevator World, Inc., 354 Morgan Avenue, Mobile, AL 36606, phone: 251-479-4514, www.elevatorworld.com. | | | | |
Comments
Post a Comment