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ELEVATOR WORLD’s July 2026 Issue
 On the Cover: Otis Smart Elevators for Modern Urban Villiage in Tokyo
Features: IAEC Forum 2026; IUEC Global Safety Summit; ECNY Supplier Showcase 26...
Focus on Motors and Drives: The BRUsystem; Troubleshooting Electric Motors and VFDs in Elevator Applications
Columns: ISO 8100 and Beyond; ESCO Elevators, Inc., Part Two; Riding the EV Wave...
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EW SEPTEMBER 2026 TO FOCUS ON HOISTWAY TOOLS, COMPONENTS AND PRODUCTS
ELEVATOR WORLD’s September 2026 issue will focus on Hoistway Tools, Components and Products (guide rails, ropes, roller guides, pit ladders, false cars, lights and more). A Special Section will feature the NAEC Convention Preview with bonus distribution at NAEC and The Elevator Show. The editorial deadline is July 15, and the advertising deadline is August 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.
ENTER THE 2026 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARD CONTEST
ELEVATOR WORLD’S sixth annual Product of the Year Award recognizes outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers whose products are considered particularly noteworthy or innovative. The product(s) should represent any of the following qualities: a significant advancement in a technology or its application, an exceptionally innovative design, a substantial achievement in price/performance, improvements in design performance and a potential for new product designs/opportunities. To learn more about how your company can participate in the 2026 contest, download and complete the 2026 entry form. Submissions must be received by August 24.
SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT FOR THE EW PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Submissions are now being accepted for the ELEVATOR WORLD 29th Annual Project of the Year Awards. We are seeking submissions of projects featuring vertical, horizontal or inclined transportation systems with an innovative design, special application or approach that solved a major problem or overcame a unique challenge. Projects will be judged on innovation, originality and creativity, challenges overcome, installation methods and techniques and use of advanced technology, as well as overall quality of presentation. This year’s categories are Elevators, New Construction; Elevators, Modernization; Escalators, New Construction; Escalators, Modernization; Moving Walks; Inclined Elevators; Platform Lifts & Stairway Chairlifts; Private-Residence Elevators; and Special-Purpose Lifts. All entries will be judged and categorized as received by an impartial panel of experienced industry experts and professionals. Winning entries will be published in the January 2027 issue of ELEVATOR WORLD. Winners in each category will be acknowledged with an award of recognition. The submission deadline is September 2. |
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OTIS TO MOVE HQ FROM FARMINGTON TO WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
Otis tells ELEVATOR WORLD it will relocate its headquarters (HQ) from 1 Carrier Place in Farmington, Connecticut, to a 31,790-ft2 leased space approximately 5 mi. northeast at 29 South Main Street in West Hartford, Connecticut, in 2027. The OEM has approximately 1,000 Connecticut-based employees, and its presence and employment in the state will not be affected by the move. Colleagues based at Otis HQ include Chair, CEO and President Judy Marks and members of global departments spanning HR, Sales and Marketing, Communications, Investor Relations, Digital Technology, Finance, Accounting, Legal and more. Read more here
THE U.K.’S PACE GROUP MAKES DOUBLE ACQUISITION
West Midlands, U.K.-headquartered Pace Group, a lift maintenance and repair specialist backed by private equity firm LDC, has strengthened its U.K.-wide presence with a double acquisition of Shipley, U.K.-based Bradford Lifts and Aberdeen, Scotland-based Atlas Lifts, Business Sale Report reports. The two newly acquired businesses specialize in elevator maintenance, bringing additional expertise into Pace Group, which maintains and repairs elevators, service lifts and stairlifts to improve safety, performance and lifespan. The deals bring a total of 25 employees into the group, bringing its overall headcount to 207. The acquisitions increase the group’s core-maintained units to approximately 10,000, with 700 units from Bradford Lifts and more than 300 from Atlas Lifts. Since Pace Group’s management team, led by directors Scott Haywood and Lukas Schlenker, secured backing from LDC in July 2024, the group has made 17 complementary acquisitions and increased revenue by 65% in the year ending September 2025. |
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TKE’S NEW SUSTAINABILITY REPORT REFLECTS PROGRESS
On July 10, TK Elevator (TKE) published its 2024/2025 Sustainability Report, reflecting progress the Dusseldorf, Germany-headquartered OEM has made toward its sustainability priorities including climate change, circularity, safety, equal opportunities, responsible business practices and sustainable supply-chain management. The company reported that Scope 1 and 2 emissions are down 31%, and Scope 3 emissions are down 19% versus a 2019 baseline, TKE's EOX platform has reached 80% of order intake in Europe and 40% in the Americas and renewable electricity has reached 83% globally. Read more here
TROUTMAN, D&D, HELP CREATE CUSTOM ELEVATOR CAB FOR SPIKE LEE
Troutman Elevator Interiors, headquartered in Ridgewood, NY, and D&D Elevator Maintenance, Inc., based in Elmsford, NY, were key members of a team that recently completed a custom home elevator redesign for renowned American filmmaker Spike Lee at his Midtown Manhattan residence, Troutman President Aldair Cardoso tells ELEVATOR WORLD. “As a New York-based company and lifelong (New York) Knicks fan, having the opportunity to contribute to a project for Spike Lee made this one particularly meaningful for me and our team,” Cardoso said. Lee is perhaps the most famous superfan of the professional basketball team, having held courtside tickets for decades. Lee’s home elevator now delivers a “timeless New York aesthetic,” with Muntz bronze in a satin finish, Uptown Walnut laminate panels and premium vinyl flooring. “The combination of warm wood tones and satin bronze details create an understated yet distinctive finished space,” Cardoso observed. Look for more about this project soon in EW. |
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ACTION ELEVATOR WELCOMES MADDEN AS CFO
Action Elevator, serving the Mid-Atlantic and Washington, D.C., markets, recently welcomed Paul Madden as its new chief financial officer (CFO). A vertical-transportation industry veteran, Madden spent 17 years at Schindler where he held roles including area finance controller, regional finance manager and assistant to the CEO. He also held director of finance roles at Metro Elevator and TK Elevator. Madden holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from Loyola University of Maryland and an MBA from University of Georgia — Terry College of Business. Read more here
FLORIDA-BASED RESIDENTIAL ELEVATORS EXPANDS INTO ARIZONA AND NEVADA
Residential Elevators, a family-owned company based in Tallahassee, Florida, that designs, manufactures, installs and services home elevators throughout the U.S., announced on July 12 it has expanded its factory-direct service model into Arizona and Nevada. The expansion aims to better serve homeowners seeking a high-quality elevator system for aging in place that provides accessibility and reliability. Accessibility is not a "one-size-fits-all" matter, the company observed. Read more here
NAEC NEXGEN OFFERS SUBCOMMITTEE OPPORTUNITIES TO MEMBERS
The National Association of Elevator Contractors’ (NAEC) NexGen Committee invites members to “take [their] involvement to the next level” by joining a subcommittee. Available subcommittees include the Education Committee, Social Media & Events Committee and Welcoming & Recruitment Committee. NexGen is NAEC’s initiative to equip emerging industry professionals with the tools they need to succeed in leadership positions through targeted education, mentorship and networking. Volunteer subcommittee members can benefit from expanding their professional network and contributing to meaningful initiatives. |
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VT EXPERTS AMONG 100 CONFIRMED SPEAKERS AT VU SUMMIT
Vertical-transportation (VT) experts are among the approximately 100 confirmed speakers for the Vertical Urbanism (VU) Summit London 2026, planned on October 26-29 by the Council on Vertical Urbanism at Hilton London Metropole on Edgware Road. Internationally recognized experts across architecture, engineering, development, planning and VT slated to speak include KONE Volume Elevator Offering Senior Manager Tom Wavre, KONE Malaysia Managing Director Tze Ping Teoh and Jaros, Baum & Bolles President Walter Mehl. Read more here
KONE AND AIO AGREE TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE IN EGYPT
KONE and Arab International Optronics (AIO), a prominent Egyptian company operating nine factories in Cairo that produce precision optical, electro-optical and electronic systems, in July signed an agreement to develop sustainable urban infrastructure in Egypt, outlets including Daily News Egypt report. The agreement combines the Finnish OEM's people-flow expertise with AIO's industrial and technological capabilities to support future-ready, sustainable and innovative mobility solutions through advanced infrastructure nationwide. Read more here
OTIS NAMED TO TIME’S INAUGURAL AMERICA’S BEST COMPANIES LIST
Otis, the global elevator and escalator OEM headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut, announced on July 10 it has been named to TIME’s inaugural America’s Best Companies list. The ranking recognizes the top 1,000 U.S. companies based on employee satisfaction, financial performance and sustainability-related transparency. Otis ranked among the top five companies for “Sustainability Transparency” in the Engineering, Manufacturing & Medical Technology industry. Rankings are based on an analysis of employee survey results, financial performance and sustainability-related indicators and reporting. Read more here |
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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
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UKTRAM ADDS LIFTS AND ESCALATORS BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE DOCUMENT
UKTram, the trade body for the light rail sector across the British Isles representing tramways, metros and other guided transit systems in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man, recently added two new Best Practice Guidance documents: Embedded Track Renewal and Lifts and Escalators — Procurement for Reliability and Maintenance. The Lifts and Escalators document focus on reliability, asset management and procurement. It offers practical advice to help operators plan, maintain and modernize lifts and escalators more effectively. Topics include maintenance strategies, life-cycle planning, procurement and lessons learned from infrastructure projects. Part of UKTram’s commitment to working together with the light-rail sector, the documents may be accessed by members via the UKTram Members Hub.
HYUNDAI ELEVATOR EXECUTIVES BUY KRW1 BILLION IN TREASURY SHARES
All executives at Hyundai Elevator, headquartered in Chungju, South Korea, are buying treasury shares to strengthen responsible management, outlets including Maeil Business report. Shares purchased by the approximately 30 executives total KRW1 billion (US$668,395). The share purchases are also intended to restore market trust and protect shareholder interests. "The purchase of treasury shares by all executives…demonstrates, through action, our confidence in the company's mid- to long-term growth and corporate value," the company stated. Read more here |
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Hilliard offers its customers two styles of spring applied electric released brakes that can be easily fitted to "A" frame elevator drives. These brakes are designed to apply when unintended travel of the car occurs. Hilliard offers a friction disc plate-style brake that attaches to the drive shaft of the pulley and a caliper-style that acts on a ring attached to the pulley. These brakes are an alternative to a rope gripper when performing a modernization job which requires lifting or moving a drive or extra construction to the elevator. Hilliard offers certain models of these two styles of brakes that meet CSA approval. For more information, visit www.hilliardcorp.com Advertisement
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DEVELOPED IN SHANGHAI, OTIS GEN3 COMFORT WINS RED DOT AWARD
Otis announced on July 7 its Gen3TM Comfort elevator, developed by a design team in Shanghai, won a prestigious Red Dot Award in the Mega Trends: Ageing and Geriatrics category. High-quality senior living is a priority in China, where more than 400 million people are projected to be older than 60 by 2035, Otis observed. Many will live in older apartment blocks where inaccessible and unreliable elevators can restrict their independence and quality of life. Read more here
ITALY’S DONATI ACQUIRES SPANISH COMPANY TO STRENGTHEN EUROPEAN POSITION
Donati S.p.A., an elevator and escalator component distribution specialist headquartered in Milan, Italy, on July 8 announced the acquisition of International Elevator Commerce SL of Barcelona, Spain, strengthening its leadership in Europe. Elevator Commerce projected revenue of approximately EUR22 million (US$25.1 million) and earnings in excess of EUR3 million (US$3.4 million) for 2026. With its direct entry into Spain through Elevator Commerce — following its expansion into Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands — Donati takes a further step toward becoming the leading vertical-transportation component distributor in Europe. Read more here
MTR IN HONG KONG TEAMS UP WITH ACTOR ON ESCALATOR SAFETY
Mass Transit Railway (MTR) in Hong Kong has teamed up with Hong Kong-based ad agency The Bread Digital and well-known actor Kent Cheng on a public escalator safety campaign, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reports. The move was prompted by data showing that elderly passengers account for nearly half of all escalator accidents. The "JUST stand firm" campaign features Cheng — whose name in Chinese phonetically resembles the English word "just" — as spokesperson. Known throughout Asia by both older and younger generations, Cheng gained fame recently from completing a marathon earlier this year. Read more here |
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RTD EXPANDS ELEVATOR PROGRAM
Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) reports it has expanded its proven Customer Experience Elevator Program to seven more locations in 2026, building on the program’s success in reducing unwanted behavior and maintenance calls. Reprogramming public elevator doors to remain open when not in use significantly deters security-related calls and criminal activities at RTD stations – in many cases by more than 50%. The program launched in March 2024 as a 90-day pilot at three high-usage light rail stations — Colorado, Nine Mile and Southmoor — spearheaded by the RTD Transit Police Department. Read more here
HYUNDAI INITIATIVE DELIVERS 2,600 PENCIL CASES TO CHILDREN IN NEED
Hyundai Elevator recently announced that it successfully completed the “Making Block Pencil Cases” volunteer activity, in which employees assembled block-shaped pencil cases and filled them with school supplies for donation, Business Korea reports. Approximately 130 employees assembled the block pencil cases while also writing English messages of encouragement on postcards to send to the children overseas. Read more here |
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Register now for Draka EHC’s webinar Traveling Cables Reimagined - A Journey Through Innovation on July 28, 2026 at 10:00 AM CST. You'll learn about the rapid evolution of elevator traveling cables alongside modern communications technologies, and the innovative solutions meeting today's industry demands for data transmission, security, and safety. You'll also get a peek into the process to create new products while maintaining code compliance along with flexibility for new installs or existing infrastructure. Advertisement
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HONOLULU RAIL SYSTEM FACES PERSISTENT OUTAGES
Honolulu officials recently celebrated Skyline’s third anniversary, touting more than 5 million riders who have journeyed between its 13 stations since its opening, but the system has also faced persistent station outages, Civil Beat reports. Skyline stations went out of service more than 100 times during the six months between November 2025 and May 2026, according to data the source obtained through a public records request. Read more here
LONDON CREATES 2026 TO SHOWCASE ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS AND DESIGNERS
London Creates 2026, a free exhibition showcasing pioneering architects, engineers and designers, will take place at The Truman Brewery at 91 Brick Lane in London on July 16-26. Curated in collaboration with ZHA Architects, the exhibition will explore how human creativity and technologies are transforming the creative process from concept to creation. It is hosted by Archisource in collaboration with JP, Intel®, D5 and Affinity. Through real-world projects, interactive virtual experiences, physical models, design drawings and digital tool demonstrations, London Creates will present new approaches to digital fabrication, structural computation, material innovation, climatic intelligence and design-led technological advancement. Read more here |
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EW’S 2026 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARD IS OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS. ELEVATOR WORLD’s Product of the Year Award honors manufacturers for outstanding product innovation and development. For more information, previous winners, and submission criteria, visit the official contest page at https://elevatorworld.com/contests/product-of-the-year/ Advertisement
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