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ELEVATOR WORLD Europe’s July-August 2026 Issue |
Features: Photo Contest 2026; The 55th ANACAM National Assembly...
Special Regional Section: Switzerland: EGL Elevators SAGL; Schindler X8 Roadshow Reaches High Point...
Columns: 25 Years of the NEW-Lift Service Center; Henning Stays True to Schwelm; The New Risk Map of Spain’s Elevator Sector...
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Visit our website to read the
July-August 2026 Issue, latest news, events and magazine archives!
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EW EUROPE TO FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
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The November-December 2026 issue of ELEVATOR WORLD Europe will focus on Environmental Issues (earthquake, flood and fire preparedness, pit cleaning, hydraulic oil disposal, building sway
and more) with bonus distribution at IEES 2026. Submissions will be accepted through October 30. The Advertising deadline is November 13. Contact Bülent Yılmaz for editorial submissions and editorial and advertising inquiries within Europe. Those outside of Europe may contact Angela C. Baldwin for editorial and T. Bruce MacKinnon for advertising.
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PROJECT OF THE YEAR DEADLINE EXTENDED TO SEPTEMBER 15
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The submission deadline for the ELEVATOR WORLD 29th Annual Project of the Year Awards has been extended to September 15. 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.
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USDJ PUTS KONE-TKE DEAL UNDER ANTITRUST MICROSCOPE
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The U.S. Department of Justice (USDJ) is putting KONE's plan to buy TK Elevator (TKE) in a deal worth US$34.4 billion under the antitrust microscope, with a full review of the plan underway, outlets including Briefs Finance report. Despite the USDJ's thorough antitrust review — which could take a year or more — Finland's KONE still expects to acquire Germany's TKE, with the transaction closing in the second quarter of 2027 at the earliest. Read more here
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SCHAEFER ELEVATOR COMPONENTS INC. NAMES SIMONSEN AS MD
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SCHAEFER Elevator Components Inc., with global headquarters in Germany, has named Toven Simonsen as managing director (MD). Simonsen brings experience across contract development and negotiation, technical problem-solving, modernization and maintenance programs, and regulatory compliance to the role. Simonsen joins as part of a planned leadership succession and will gradually assume responsibilities from Ross Watson, who will retire at a later date. Watson will remain closely involved throughout the transition. Read more here
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IN MEMORIAM: COLIN CRANEY
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Colin Craney, who had more than 47 years' vertical-transportation (VT) industry experience, initially in field and management roles within Otis followed by approximately 20 years in consulting, passed away in August. He was a longtime contributor to both ELEVATOR WORLD UK and its predecessor, Elevation. A consulting engineer with SVM Associates, he was a UK Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. He was also a Chartered Safety Health Practitioner, accredited consultant on the U.K. Health and Safety Executive's Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register and a member of the Chartered Institution of Safety and Health. Craney was a barrister, having been called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. He was a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, an Accredited Mediator and a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. Craney had been appointed in relation to hundreds of failure investigations, regulatory enforcement prosecutions, commercial claims and disputes. Areas of expertise included EU Directives, law and regulatory compliance and health and safety in the VT industry. He was a lead designer and authorizing engineer under the U.K.'s Health Technical Memorandum 08-02: Lifts, and was involved in countless modernizations of historic lifts and legal disputes involving VT. Craney's expertise and generous sharing of knowledge will be greatly missed. Our condolences to his loved ones.
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TKE REPORTS “EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS” FOR 3Q
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Düsseldorf, Germany-headquartered TK Elevator (TKE) on August 28 reported what CEO Uday Yadav described as "exceptional results" for the third quarter (3Q) and first nine months of 2026, buoyed by strong modernization and service sales and a return to growth in new installation (NI) growth in some regions. Challenging new-construction sectors in China and South Korea were offset by NI growth led by EOX — TKE's eco-efficient and digitally native elevator platform — in North America and Europe. Read more here
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BERNINGER APPOINTED CEO OF NORVESTOR’S ELEVATOR BUSINESS
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Effective July 1, Alwin Berninger has taken over as CEO of Norvestor’s elevator aftermarket platform consisting of the companies Langer + Laumann (L+L), Complete Plant Maintenance Engineering Ltd. (CPM) and subsidiary Northern Drives & Controls Ltd. (NDC). L+L is a leading specialist in retrofit drive and control systems, as well as safety-critical elevator door components, with a strong market position in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). CPM is a U.K.-based provider of maintenance services for elevators and industrial electromechanical equipment, and NDC is its subsidiary. Read more here
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ANICA MARKS 45 YEARS WITH TECHNICAL CONFERENCE
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The Italian National Association of Lift Component Manufacturers (ANICA) celebrated its first 45 years of activity with an event held in Besate in the province of Milan on May 5, Elevatori Magazine reports. To mark the occasion, more than 130 participants gathered for the association’s technical conference. The day was dedicated to celebrations, but also to technical matters (with a conference in the morning) and the proceedings of the members’ meeting, which took place in the afternoon. Read more here
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SCHAEFER ELEVATOR COMPONENTS INC. NAMES BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
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SCHAEFER Elevator Components Inc. has named Spencer Drysdale, with global headquarters in Germany, as business development manager for Canada and the U.S. Drysdale joins SCHAEFER after eight years with Otis, where he held a variety of sales roles. Drysdale said he's always valued the variety the elevator industry offers: Every building, customer and project brings its own set of challenges, combining technical problem-solving, collaboration and seeing projects come to life. Read more here
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PFEIFER AND AFD JOIN FORCES
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On August 14, the German-based PFEIFER DRAKO Drahtseilwerk GmbH acquired the elevator wire rope business of AFD Industries, Inc. For 30-plus years, AFD has been the exclusive North American distributor for DRAKO elevator ropes along with providing a broad range of elevator components. AFD continues as PFEIFER DRAKO Elevator LLC as a sales entity within the PFEIFER Group. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, with a warehouse and shipping in Indiana, the team, locations and DRAKO rope products will stay the same. Beginning in 2027, PFEIFER DRAKO Elevator LLC will focus on serving the elevator wire rope market with DRAKO elevator wire ropes only. Read more here
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PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT ALLOWS FOR MITSUBISHI UNITS IN PETRA GROUP PROJECTS
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On August 31, Mitsubishi signed a memorandum of strategic partnership with Tbilisi, Georgia-based Petra Group where Mitsubishi elevators will be installed in Petra Group’s ongoing mountain and coastal projects: Petra Sea Resort and Petra Ski Resort, Georgia Today reports. As the first stage of the partnership, an agreement was signed for the purchase of 15 elevators for three buildings in Tsikhisdziri, Georgia. The number of elevators and their technical specifications for the projects were determined based on a traffic-flow analysis conducted for the buildings. Read more here
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UZBEKISTAN AND BELARUS OFFICIALS DISCUSS ELEVATOR SAFETY
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Representatives from Belarus' Department for Supervision of Industrial Safety (Gospromnadzor) and the Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan held a working meeting in August to exchange experience regarding elevator safety and state supervision over elevator operation, UZ Daily reports. During the meeting, Belarusian officials delivered reports on core operational areas, including a presentation on the circulation and safe operation of elevator equipment in Belarus and state supervisory practices over elevator operations. Read more here
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VT PROVIDERS AMONG NEWSWEEK’S WORLD’S GREENEST COMPANIES 2026
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Vertical-transportation (VT) manufacturers and related providers are among those to make Newsweek's 2026 World's Greenest Companies list. The ranking recognizes 850 companies across 28 countries based on an evaluation of companies' self-disclosed environmental performance, including greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, waste generation, sustainability data disclosure and commitments, observed Otis Worldwide, which is among those to make the list with "5 stars, the highest rating awarded." Otis made the list for the second consecutive year. Read more here
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TÜV SÜD APPOINTS HONVÁRI AS HEAD OF LCC UNIT
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TÜV SÜD has appointed Gábor Honvári as head of the global Business Unit Lifts, Cranes and Conveyors (LCC) of its Industry & Infrastructure Division. Based in Hungary, Honvári will lead the international business in this area. Honvári brings more than 20 years in various management positions at a leading manufacturer in the LCC industry, amongst others as Regional Technical director and Business manager in Central-East Europe and Quality manager of the European escalator division. He joined TÜV SÜD in 2020 as LCC hub manager Central-East Europe and has recently been appointed to Business Line manager LCC Consulting. Read more here
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PAY-PER-RIDE ELEVATORS SPARK PUSHBACK BUT PERSIST IN SOME PLACES
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Requiring residential building tenants, regardless of age or physical ability, to pay to ride an elevator has sparked strong pushback, resulting in most countries getting rid of such systems, Yahoo News reports. Still, systems that require passengers to pay using either a coin- or card-operated system persist in some places, including Tbilisi, Georgia, where Soviet-era towers have "rudimentary metal coin boxes" that take up to GEL10 (US$3.83) per ride to help pay for electricity and maintenance on aging lift systems operating past their expected lifespan. Read more here
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ALIMAK GROUP’S CLIMATE TARGETS APPROVED BY THE SBTi
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Alimak Group announced its climate targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), an independent validation the Sweden-based company's emissions-reduction targets are aligned with the latest climate science and support the ambition of limiting global warming to 1.5˚C. The SBTi has approved these targets for the vertical-access and working-at-height equipment manufacturer: reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 65% by 2031 from a 2019 base year and reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions by 55% for SEK value added by 2031 from a 2023 base year. Read more here
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KONE TO OUTFIT LUXURY MALAYSIA TOWER WITH VT AND MORE
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A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by Stark Development and KONE for the Finnish vertical-transportation (VT) company to provide 10 elevators, four escalators and digital solutions for Stark Tower, a new 34-story luxury development taking shape in Penang, Malaysia, Buttondown reports. The MoU will combine the developer's vision with "KONE's professional technology to create a safer, smoother and future-oriented VT system." The VT system will feature the unique, panoramic Bubble Lift that allows residents and guests to enjoy views of the surrounding area. Read more here
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GERMAN SHIP ELEVATOR SPECIALIST LUTZ RESTRUCTURES LEADERSHIP
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LUTZ Aufzüge, which has been developing ship elevator systems from its headquarters in Reinbeck, Germany, since 1927, has restructured its executive leadership, marking the start of a generational transition. Majority shareholder Hans Martin Lutz is stepping back from day-to-day management to join the company's advisory board. Andreas Hönnige joined the company as chief technical officer on August 5. As of September 1, Moritz Petsch took over as chief financial officer, succeeding Christian Gmelin, who retired on May 1. Read more here
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Editorial submissions, reprint permission requests, subscription/removal requests should be sent to the EWEU News editorial staff: Angela C. Baldwin, Kaija Wilkinson, Lindsay Fletcher and Kathleen Farrell. The ELEVATOR WORLD Media Kit can be downloaded here. EWEU News is a registered trademark, and all rights are reserved. Copyright 2026 © Elevator World, Inc.
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