Volume 81 | December 2025 | | | 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. | | | | TRIUMPH AND MONTANARI LEAD CUSTOMER JOBSITE TOURS | | | Triumph Electrical Supply organized events on November 11 and December 12 offering consultants a chance to see Montanari North America elevator machines in action at customer jobsites throughout NYC, Steve Tomasheski, who handles business strategy for Triumph, tells ELEVATOR WORLD. "In order to make this logistically possible and add a bit of fun, we decided to rent a party bus," Tomasheski said. The December 12 group included representatives of VDA (such as Vice President of Codes and Standards Greg DeCola); DTM Drafting & Consulting Services, Inc.; CBA Elevator Consultants; VSA Vertical Systems Analysis, Inc.; Clarkson + Varick; and Patriot Elevator Services. Among jobsites visited were an overhead geared installation on West 48th Street; a basement-geared installation on West End Avenue by DTM; a basement geared extended shaft system on Briggs Avenue in the Bronx; and an overhead, gearless installation on Horace Harding Expressway in Queens by VDA. Consultants also got to see the belted machine on display at the Triumph warehouse in Woodside, where they enjoyed lunch. The next Montanari machine jobsite tour is tentatively planned for late January 2026. | (l-r) Wendy Osborne, VSA; Andy Koontz, Patriot Elevator Services; Matthew Montesano, DTM; Greg DeCola, VDA; Jeff Smith, Triumph Electrical Supply; Kirles Girgis, Clarkson + Varick; and Vikas Patil, Montanari North America; photo courtesy of Steve Tomasheski | | | | DESIMONE TAPS HAUGHEY TO LEAD NYC OFFICE | | | | | DeSimone, a leading global engineering and consulting firm founded in NYC in 1969, in November announced the expansion of its vertical-transportation (VT) division with the addition of Robert Haughey to lead to the NYC practice. With nearly a decade of experience across VT consulting, modernization and maintenance strategy, Haughey adds a wealth of field expertise gained through progressive roles with Otis, Schindler and Lerch Bates. His portfolio includes major projects for clients including Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, American Express, JLL, Hines, Brookfield Properties, CBRE, Related Cos., Marriott International, NBCUniversal, Radio City Music Hall, Raytheon and Kaiser Permanente. Recently, Haughey served as a VT consultant for JPMorgan Chase's new supertall headquarters at 270 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan where he led and conducted in-depth traffic-flow analysis to integrate both people- and material-flow systems. At 383 Madison Avenue, a 47-story tower, Haughey served as lead consultant overseeing VT maintenance management of 33 elevators and escalators. In his new role, Haughey is focused on strengthening DeSimone's capabilities in elevator and building systems strategy and integration following its acquisition of KP Elevator Consulting in 2024. | | | | EXTELL SECURES US$1.13-BILLION LOAN TO BUILD MIDTOWN SUPERTALL | | | Extell Development founder and President Gary Barnett secured a US$1.13-billion construction loan from Tyko Capital to build a 74-story, 1,162-ft-tall supertall with 154 residences and 233,000 ft2 of commercial space at 655 Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, The Real Deal New York reports. Involving a rezoning application for the 765,000-ft2 structure, the plan secured the largest construction financing package in NYC in 2025. A rezoning application filed by Extell with the Department of City Planning in July doubled the original number of stories planned, with Barnett's planned improvements to the Fifth Avenue/59th Street subway station landing him an additional 130,000 ft2 of space. Luxury fashion brand Chanel is reportedly in talks to buy 65,000 ft of retail space, and the entire supertall could be complete by 2031. | | | | TWO OTIS ELEVATORS PART OF BROOKLYN MTA STATION UPGRADES | | | The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) tells ELEVATOR WORLD Otis manufactured two elevators that are part of accessibility upgrades at the Church Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, announced in November. The two new street-to-platform elevators are joined by a new entrance on East 18th Street, two new stairways, a new customer information screen and a new transfer bridge. There are also new boarding areas and tactile edge strips. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber noted the authority is "knocking out Americans with Disabilities Act projects five times as fast as predecessors" thanks to a design-build approach. On this project, 30% of the budget was awarded to disadvantaged businesses, and the team included Urbahn Architects, Dewberry, Forte Construction and EAE Halmar International, which will take care of elevator maintenance for the next 25 years. | One of the new Otis elevators; photo by Marc A. Hermann for MTA | | | | METRO ELEVATOR NAMES NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF MODERNIZATION ENGINEERING | | | | | Metro Elevator recently named Nate Beaudin its new national director of modernization engineering. Beaudin holds degrees in mechanical engineering and physics, and has more than 11 years of vertical-transportation industry experience. Based in the NYC area, Beaudin joins Metro Elevator after holding roles including modernization field superintendent with both TK Elevator and Schindler. He was also a mechanical engineer with Schindler for more than five years. In his new role at Metro Elevator, Beaudin is tasked with strengthening modernization programs nationwide — enhancing project performance, elevating installation quality and advancing engineering solutions that support continued growth. Beaudin "brings deep technical expertise and a proven commitment to quality, innovation and efficiency," Metro Elevator observed. "[His] leadership style and passion for innovation align perfectly with Metro's culture of teamwork, quality and continuous improvement." | | | EMAY AND CLADDAGH PRESENT U.S-MADE PRIMA DOOR OPERATOR | | | EMAY Group Co., headquartered in Türkiye, and Claddagh Electronics, based in Long Island City (LIC), presented their Prima Door Operator at the EMAY U.S.A. offices in LIC on December 3. The product is made in the U.S. through an EMAY-Claddagh partnership — EMAY Automatic Door System USA. Representatives from TEI Group, BP Elevator, Universal Elevator and Hudson Elevator Group were among the nearly 60 in attendance. EMAY and Claddagh anticipate producing approximately 250 Prima units annually at the LIC shop. — reported by Matthew Jackson, EW Correspondent | Leaders from EMAY and Claddagh presented the Prima Door Operator; photo by Matthew Jackson. | | | | ESI PARTNERS WITH SKYLINE TO INSTALL FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND CONTROLLER | | | Cab interior; image courtesy of Skyline Elevators | | Elevator Systems, LLC (ESI) recently partnered with Skyline Elevators to install its first ES2 traction controller for 500 ft/min speed elevators with an Elgo Absolute Positioning System at 250 West 49th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The Skyline team installed two elevators serving 30 landings at the 28-story residential tower, designed by S. Weider Architect and developed by Chess Builders. Skline's Shimon Weiss praised the team for a job well done, while ESI thanked Vice President of Engineering Robert Carlson for his leadership and Kristan Ramnarine for his hands-on support throughout the project. "This collaboration reflects our commitment to innovation, teamwork and customer success," ESI stated. | | | The ESI team celebrates a job well done; image courtesy of ESI. | | | | ECNY ANNOUNCES 2026 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM | | | Elevator Conference of New York (ECNY) announces and invites applications for its 2026 Scholarship Program. The association is offering at least two US$5,000 scholarships to high school seniors who are graduating in 2026, with the possibility of additional scholarships in various amounts if more than 10 applications are received. Eligibility is open to any daughter, son, stepchild or grandchild of an ECNY member in good standing, and the deadline for submissions is March 14, 2026. Note that individual members may submit only one application per household. Corporate members may submit up to five applications — one per household — including employees of the company. Scholarship application information is available on the ECNY website under the Scholarships section. | | | | SMITH JOINS TRIUMPH ELECTRICAL SUPPLY | | | | | Jeff Smith has joined Triumph Electrical Supply as national sales director, working closely with Triumph partners at Montanari North America Inc. Located in NYC, Montanari North America was launched in 2024 to supply high-quality traction machines to the North American and Canadian markets. Smith's first day on the job was memorable as it was at the Elevator Association of Florida (EAOF) meeting and golf event in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where attendees talked business, networked, played golf and saw a SpaceX rocket launch that included its "unmistakable sonic boom," according to Stephen Tomasheski of Triumph. Smith said he "looks forward to many great things to come" with Tomasheski, Triumph owner Angel Luna, Montanari Group Sales Director Vikas Patil and Alessandro Montanari. Smith joins Triumph from TEI Group, where he served as vice president of sales and marketing. | | | EAOF attendees listen to a presentation by Montanari; photo courtesy of Jeff Smith. | | | | MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC U.S. LAUNCHES AT-MOD MODERNIZATION SOLUTION | | | | | The Elevator and Escalator Division of Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc., headquartered in Cypress, California, has launched the AT-MOD modernization package, an advanced modernization solution designed to enhance building vertical-transportation systems while preserving major existing components that may otherwise be prohibitively costly to replace. The AT-MOD package allows building owners to improve the reliability, efficiency and performance of their elevators by integrating Mitsubishi Electric's latest modernization technology with existing system components. This flexible approach provides a tailored solution for customers whose buildings may not allow or require a full elevator system replacement. By focusing on flexibility, Mitsubishi Electric ensures that more customers can access modern elevator performance without compromising unique building requirements. The AT-MOD package reflects the ability to integrate seamlessly into a variety of existing building conditions. | | | | ECNY HOSTS SUCCESSFUL CONTROLLER ROUNDTABLE IN THE BRONX | | | The Elevator Conference of New York (ECNY) hosted a successful Controller Manufacturer Roundtable at Maestro's Caterers in the Bronx on November 20. Approximately 65 industry members attended, with eight company representatives giving presentations on and answering questions about their controller offerings. Each presenter hosted their own station, offering a focused presentation on the controller's current features, available options and upcoming products. Presenters included Claddagh Electronics, Ltd.; Elevator Controls' Pixel; Elevator Systems; GALaxyTM Controls; Motion Control Engineering; Nexus/Hydro; Smartise Engineering, Inc; and Virginia Controls. — reported by Matthew Jackson, EW Correspondent | Each presenter hosted their own station; photo by Matthew Jackson | | | | TEI MODERNIZES 20, INSTALLS TWO ELEVATORS AT HISTORIC COURTHOUSE | | | The Bronx County Courthouse; photo by Andrew Carrotflower for Wikipedia | | TEI Group tells ELEVATOR WORLD it recently modernized 20 and installed two elevators at the historic Bronx County Courthouse, also known as the Mario Merola Building, at 851 Grand Concourse in the Bronx. Designed by architects Joseph H. Freelander and Max Hausle in the Art Deco style, the nine-story limestone building was built between 1931 and 1934. It has four identical sides, an interior court and a frieze designed by sculptor Charles Keck. The building also features sculptures by noted sculptors George Holburn Snowden and Joseph Kiselewski. Housing all municipal Bronx borough functions, the building sits two blocks southeast of Yankee Stadium. [1] Reference [1] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronx_County_Courthouse | | | | ALI LOOKS TOWARD NATIONAL LADDER SAFETY MONTH 2026 | | | American Ladder Institute (ALI), a nonprofit trade association that promotes ladder safety through resources, training and developing ladder safety standards with the American National Standards Institute, is looking toward its annual National Ladder Safety Month in March 2026. Dedicated to promoting ladder safety at work and home, this year's observance will mark the event's 10th anniversary under the theme "10 Years of Safer Climbing." The 2026 campaign will focus on five key topics: Choosing the Right Safety Ladder, Check Before You Climb, Set It Up Safely, Climb Safely and Safe Steps With Stepstools. "Ladders are among the most used tools in construction, yet they're often taken for granted," ALI stated. "ALI urges contractors, construction crews and safety professionals to refocus attention on training, equipment inspection and safe-climbing practices" available on the ALI website. | | | IN MEMORIAM: ROBERT A.M. STERN | | | Robert A.M. Stern, a renowned architect who founded the firm that helped shape the luxury condo market in Manhattan, NY, passed away on November 27 at age 86 after a brief illness, The Real Deal NY is among outlets to report. By the time he was a young teen, Stern knew he wanted to be an architect, going on to earn a master's degree in architecture from Yale University in 1965. He founded NYC-based Robert A.M. Stern Architects in 1969 and served as dean of the Yale School of Architecture from 1998-2016. Stern's firm emphasized incorporating architectural history and "complexities of place," making its mark on the Manhattan skyline with 15 Central Park West, a luxury 35-story condominium building dubbed the "Limestone Jesus" that sold out before completing construction in 2008. Stern's firm also designed major projects in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Dallas, Texas; and south Florida. | | | Robert A.M. Stern; image courtesy of the Historic Districts Council | | 15 Central Park West, a luxury condo building also known as the "Limestone Jesus;" photo by Thomas Craven for Wikipedia | | | KCS NONPROFIT TO RECEIVE MUCH-NEEDED ELEVATOR FOR QUEENS HQ | | | Korean Community Services (KCS), a nonprofit organization headquartered in Bayside, Queens, has received US$2 million in state funding to install a much-needed elevator, QNS reported on December 2. The funding, secured with the help of state Sen. John Liu, will allow KCS to expand programs and services that include senior services, youth programming, adult education, workforce development, family support, community events and more. It also brings the two-story facility into Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. KCS President and CEO Myoungmi Kim said the nonprofit has been "waiting years" for an elevator, which she described as essential. Kim said KCS will now be able to offer "an accessible environment where every community member — from children to seniors and new immigrants — can safely and comfortably participate in our programs." | | | | NAEC Spring Educational Conference | March 22-25, 2026
For more information visit naec.org. | | | | 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, Kathleen Farrell 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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