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. | | | | TARIFFS AND CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM: NY BUILD DRAWS A BIG CROWD | | | (l-r) Sean Brock, Dru Brooks and Kush Bedrolli of Liberty Elevator | | New York Build 2025, held on March 12-13 at the Javits Center in Hell's Kitchen, drew tens of thousands of contractors, architects, engineers, developers, government representatives and other construction professionals, including representatives of the vertical-transportation (VT) industry. More than 400 exhibitors showcased their latest offerings. Among VT companies with booths were Champion Elevator Corp.; Liberty Elevator Co., Inc.; Major Elevator; MH Vertical; Schindler; and Start Elevator. The tradeshow floor was especially busy on the first day, with crowds thinning on the second. The business climate was discussed at all tables with cautious optimism prevailing. A hot topic was tariffs: what to do and how to make the customer understand what they are. A panel discussion on "The Evolution of New York's Skyline: Tall Buildings Coming to NYC" revealed that most of the panelists agreed that office-to-residential conversion is not easy and being directed toward lower-income opportunities. Most tall buildings coming to the city are high-end residential projects, including supertalls, with commercial/residential and residential/hotel project dominating potential development. — reported by Matthew Jackson, EW Correspondent | | | Kristin Collins and Corinne Schmidt of Schindler | | | | | CLADDAGH HOSTS HYDRASAFE BRAKE LUNCH AND LEARN IN LIC | | | (l-r) Angelo Mottola and Champion Elevator President and CEO Don Gelestino; image courtesy of Gelestino | | Claddagh Electronics Ltd. hosted a well-attended Lunch and Learn on March 12 at its Long Island City (LIC) office featuring a presentation by HydraSafe® Brake co-founder Timothy Toan, who traveled from Chicago. An audience of contractors, consultants and more, including EW President T. Bruce MacKinnon, learned about how the patented brake system is designed to work seamlessly with the Claddagh Plus control unit, providing a reliable solution for elevator systems that need to comply with single-plunger code and unintended motion/overspeed regulations. Claddagh will be a local supplier of the HydraSafe product line. Attendees included representatives of Italy's Montanari Group, Türkiye's EMAY Automatic Doors, Brooklyn's National Elevator Cab and Door Corp. and many more. "Thanks to (Claddagh Senior Electrical Engineer) Peter A. Novak, P.E., for the invite, and (Claddagh Co-Founder) Angelo Mottola," MacKinnon said. "What an amazing dinner with a team that included Bali Harmath and Dominic Beni with CloudMonitoring." | | | Angelo Mottola at the head of the table with his esteemed dinner guests | | Timothy Toan of HydraSafe Brake conducts the class; image courtesy of Claddagh Electronics. | | | | PERLEN STEEL WELCOMES MASTERSON AS ITS NEW CEO | | | | | Perlen Steel, headquartered in Newark, NJ, in late February announced Robert Masterson as its new CEO. Masterson's "proven ability to inspire teams, drive sustainable growth and transform challenges into opportunities aligns perfectly with our commitment to quality and innovation in the steel industry," Perlen stated. A 42-year veteran of the elevator industry, Masterson joins Perlen from NYC-based Champion Elevator Corp., where Champion President and CEO Don Gelestino said he "left an indelible mark" with his technical expertise, innovative leadership and commitment to excellence, innovation and integrity since joining Champion in 2018. Roles Masterson held there include chief of operations for New Jersey and New England, Green Technology and Sustainability advisor and senior sales engineer for Special Projects. At Perlen, Masterson fills a role most recently held by Yizar Shimoni, whom Perlen thanked for his leadership and accomplishments. | | | | VANTAGE NAMES LAZEAR VP OF STRATEGIC ACCOUNTS | | | | | Vantage Elevator Solutions, headquartered in the Bronx, announced on March 17 that Eric Lazear has joined the company as vice president (VP), Strategic Accounts. Lazear has more than 35 years' experience in the elevator industry. He previously served as chief revenue officer at American Elevator Group, VP at GAL Manufacturing (Vantage) and director, Americas, at Draka EHC. Earlier in his career, he was president at Amtech Elevator. Additionally, Lazear has been an active leader in the industry, serving on the boards of the National Association of Elevator Contractors and National Elevator Industry, Inc. In his new role at Vantage, Lazear will lead the development and execution of sales strategies, strengthen relationships with key strategic accounts, drive revenue growth and ensure customer satisfaction. He will also provide leadership and support to help achieve company goals and deliver exceptional value and solutions. | | | HIGHRIDE PROVIDES MRLS FOR NEW BRONX RESIDENTIAL BUILDING | | | Highride Elevator Services tells ELEVATOR WORLD it provided two gearless machine-room-less (MRL) elevators for 91 Bruckner Boulevard, a new mid-rise residential building designed by S. Wieder Architect and developed by Anshel Fridman of Artist Construction LLC in Mott Haven, the Bronx. The 3500-lb capacity, inline units make nine stops. Including 89 residences on seven floors, the property had a housing lottery launch earlier this month by NYC Housing Connect, according to New York YIMBY. In addition to the elevator, amenities include a gym, a shared laundry room and a rooftop terrace. Applications for the housing lottery must be submitted no later than April 28. | | | Foliage accentuates the building; image courtesy of NYC Housing Connect. | | Elevator bank; image courtesy of NYC Housing Connect | | | | EDUCATION, GOLF AND NETWORKING AT NAEC SPRING EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE | | | (l-r) Morgan Jones and Carlos Escobar of Hyperion Solutions kicked things off at the amazing welcome reception; image courtesy of John Mezzo | | With the National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) Spring Educational Conference winding down on March 19 at the beautiful Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa in Hilton Head, South Carolina, with a no-frills golf tournament and a beach cleanup sponsored by NAEC's NexGen group (whose annual retreat was held concurrently), the annual conference drew kudos from the many who attended from the NYC area and beyond. John Mezzo, president of Manhattan-based Dynasty Elevator, said that Morgan Jones and Carlos Escobar of Hyperion Solutions kicked things off right at an amazing welcome reception on March 16, with Alyssa Gelbard from Point Road Group giving an excellent presentation on how to best use LinkedIn on March 17. Mezzo was among those who enjoyed some fun in the sun on the golf course with colleagues, and the education continued throughout the four-day event. Hot topics included the 2025 Elevator Industry Field Employees' Safety Handbook, emergency communications, residential elevator safety, AI troubleshooting, codes and, of course, tariffs. On March 18, Travis Hall of Alliance Elevator Solutions and Christopher Scalisi of Mohawk Global Trade Advisors presented "Navigating Trade Compliance & Tariff Impact," sharing strategies with attendees on how to mitigate costs. | | | (l-r) Tom Warmingham of Monitor Elevator Products, John Mezzo of Dynasty Elevator and Brad Ries of EMS Group; image courtesy of Mezzo | | He thinks he left his GatoradeTM back at the eighth hole; image courtesy of John Mezzo. | | | | REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR ECNY NAESA QEI SEMINAR | | | Elevator Conference of New York (ECNY) announces that registration is now open for the one-day ECNY NAESA International Qualified Elevator Inspector (QEI) educational seminar. ECNY members in good standing may choose April 23 or April 24. Meeting the 2025 Annual Maintenance of Qualifications for QEI requirements and providing New York state continuing-education (CE) credits for inspector or mechanic licensing, the courses will held from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. at Villa Barone Manor in the Bronx. The final 0.2 CEUs (2 h) will be completed via on-demand training through NAESA. The US$375 fee includes coffee breaks and lunch. Spots are provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and those planning to attend must register by April 9 by visiting the ECNY website and going to the Events tab. For questions, contact ECNY at email. | | | | NEII: NEIEP SITE ADDS U.S. MAP SHOWING UPCOMING RECRUITMENTS | | | The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII) announced the National Elevator Industry Education Program's (NEIEP) website now features a U.S. map showing locations for upcoming elevator constructor apprentice recruitments. Recruitments are the formal application process that each International Union of Elevator Constructors local has every two years. Eligible applicants can submit their application online for the local of their choice once that recruitment is live. Upon submission of the application, there are two more steps before the applicant can be considered for an apprenticeship: the Elevator Industry Aptitude Test and an interview. Upcoming recruitments in the region include NYC in December; Poughkeepsie, NY, in February 2026; and Harford, CT, in September 2026. All dates and locations are tentative. | | | | VT INDUSTRY ON HAND FOR IREM NYC ANNUAL DINNER & AWARDS | | | Members of the vertical-transportation (VT) industry were on hand for the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) NYC Annual Dinner & Awards on March 6, with Dynasty Elevator President John Mezzo describing it as "an awesome evening." Manhattan-based Champion Elevator Corp. was among the sponsors for the event, held at the 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar in the Flatiron District. Champion Elevator President and CEO Don Gelestino said it was great catching up with colleagues Joseph Caracappa, Ed Rivera, Kenneth Seiferth III, Haniel Lora and Carlos Honorio, among others. IREM NYC honorees included Real Estate Person of the Year James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York; Certified Property Manager of the Year Konstanina Thiakodemitris, CPM®; Special Achievement Award, and Nicholas Stolatis, CPM, EPN Real Estate Services. Gelestino has been friends with Thiakodemitris for more than 20 years, "and seeing her honored for her dedication, leadership and impact on the industry was a proud moment for all," Gelestino said. | | | (l-r) Stirling Collins, Joe Corrado and Don Gelestino; "A great job by all the sponsors!" Gelestino said. | | (l-r) Michel Torres, CPM, executive vice president at Parkchester Preservation Management and Dynasty Elevator President John Mezzo; photo courtesy of John Mezzo | | | | SOUTH JERSEY ELEVATOR WELCOMES VP SHORT | | | | | Blackwood, New Jersey-headquartered South Jersey Elevator (SJE) recently welcomed Christopher Short to its team as new vice president (VP). Holding a BA in communication studies from the University of Connecticut, Short joins SJE with a long vertical-transportation industry career, including with Raleigh, North Carolina-based Southern Elevator Co. Inc., where he held leadership roles including director of sales, director of operations and president over more than 16 years. SJE President Bill McGrath said Short brings a "wealth of industry experience, leadership and a forward-thinking mindset that will help drive the company to new heights." | | | | GELESTINO IS RED AWARDS ELEVATOR CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR | | | | | Don Gelestino, president and CEO of Manhattan-based Champion Elevator Corp., will receive the Elevator Contractor of the Year award at the 2025 Red Awards, a commercial real estate event held annually to honor business partners in black-tie ceremonies in NYC and Miami. Red Awards 2025 in NYC will be held on April 3 at The James New York-NoMad. Red Awards has held seven ceremonies so far, bestowing awards on 140 "exemplary real estate developers, brokers, architects and contractors." Each event garners hundreds of nominations that are meticulously reviewed and selected by Red Awards' advisory board and steering committee members. In announcing Gelestino's award, Champion Elevator observed that he has "set the standard for excellence in elevator services, delivering innovation, safety and reliability across the industry." | | | | SAVE THE DATE: LOUIS J. MEZZO MEMORIAL GOLF OUTING 2025 | | | | | John Mezzo, president of NYC-based Dynasty Elevator, announced the fourth annual Louis J. Mezzo Memorial Golf Outing benefitting the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation will return to the Harrison Meadows Country Club in Harrison, New York, on June 26. Honoring Mezzo's late father, the golf outing is set to start at 10 a.m. with registration, bag valet and practice. Lunch is set for 11 a.m. with a shotgun start at noon. Including on-course contests, the annual event will culminate in a dinner reception that includes entertainment, awards, a silent auction, raffles and a terrace shootout contest. Contact Mezzo by email or phone 718-380-3135 to pre-book a sponsorship or for further information. You may also register here. | | | NUMBER OF NJ TRANSIT VT INCIDENTS CLIMBS BY 12% | | | In 2024, NJ Transit experienced 2,725 elevator and escalator incidents at train stations, representing an increase of 12.3% over 2023, when there were 2,426 incidents, Asbury Park Press reports. Incidents include such things as freeing entrapped passengers and shutting down a unit for service, maintenance or cleaning. The source observes that the transit system has 84 elevators at its rail stations, including 23 at its light rail stations. When these units are out of service, it creates headaches for physically handicapped people. NJ Transit offers options for riders in such situations, such as advising them to take another train to a further stop that has a working elevator, but passengers are often unaware of these options. Some pieces of equipment have been out of service for months or years, including an escalator that has been out since September 2021 and another that has been out since July 2024. These units, according to NJ Transit, are "nearly 30 years old" and need to be replaced. Bids for the escalator replacement contracts were due on March 12. "Access to the system for all customers continues to be a top priority," NJ Transit stated. | | | NEII PROVIDES CODE DEVELOPMENT UPDATE | | | National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII) recently provided a code development update. NEII observed the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) works continually on ASME A17.1/CSA Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators. Changes for the 2025 edition are finalized, and publication is expected before the end of the year. Work is now focused on the 2028 edition. The International Code Council (ICC) A117.1 Standards Committee continues to meet virtually every two weeks to review proposed revisions to the next edition of the ICC A117.1 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities. This committee aims to complete its work and publish the next edition by the end of the year. ICC plans to hold its first Committee Action Hearing (CAH) for Group B of the 2027 edition of the ICC International Building Code Series (I-Codes) in April in Orlando, Florida. Group B focuses on general business sections of the International Building Code, including Chapter 30 on elevators. Second draft meetings to review proposals for the 2026 edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70 National Electric Code have concluded, with approximately 30 proposals received on Article 620 relating to elevators. Publication is expected later this year. | | | BRONX PROPERTY FACES DOB VIOLATIONS OVER BROKEN ELEVATOR | | | Cliffside Properties and Wavecrest Management, owner and manager, respectively, of a 10-story residential building at 1853 Anthony Avenue in the Bronx are facing several violations from the Department of Buildings (DOB) and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development over an elevator that tenants say has been out for three weeks, outlets including News 12 New Jersey report. Disabled residents say they have missed doctor's appointments and have diminished quality of life due to an elevator that "regularly goes out for weeks at a time." DOB inspectors were at the property on March 17, issuing orders for the landlord to immediately take steps to return the elevator to safe working order as soon as possible. Violations being faced by Cliffside Properties and Wavecrest Management include a Class 1 violation — an "immediately hazardous" violation with penalties that range from US$1,000 to US$25,000. | | | April 9, 2025 For more information, visit website. | | May 19-23, 2025 For more information, visit website. | | 50th Annual Pop/Joe Golf Outing | September 8, 2025 For more information, visit website. | | | Editorial submissions, reprint permission requests and subscription/removal requests should be sent to the ELEVATOR WORLD Editorial Department. EW New York editorial staff: Angela C. Baldwin, Kaija Wilkinson and Lindsay Fletcher. The EW Editorial Calendar can be downloaded here. ELEVATOR WORLD New York is a registered trademark, and all rights are reserved. Copyright 2025 © Elevator World, Inc. | | | Copyright © 2025 Elevator World, Inc., All rights reserved.
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