Elevator World

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by Franz: www.hellofranz.com OTIS LAUNCHES EMBEDDED SYSTEMS CoE IN DETROIT On the heels of announcing its newest elevator platforms, Otis said in July it is opening a new Embedded Systems Center of Excellence (CoE) in the Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills, Michigan. Currently composed of approximately 12 Otis colleagues, the CoE will be “a global hub for innovation in model-based design, advanced control software, automated testing and electronic safety systems at Otis.” The new facility will help the OEM transform its offerings by adding electronics and other software-rich digital and connected technologies to its line of elevators and escalators, such as its new elevator platforms, Gen3™ and Gen360™. Much of this technology has been used to develop safety-critical systems including touchless user interfaces, drive-by-wire and ABS braking. The Detroit CoE is part of Otis’ global engineering organization and will work on

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by Franz: www.hellofranz.com SINGAPORE TO PAY BONUSES TO VT TECHNICIANS Channel News Asia reports that Singapore's Tripartite Cluster for Lift and Escalator (TCLE) announced in July that vertical-transportation (VT) technicians in the country will receive mandatory bonuses of at least a month’s pay beginning in 2023. The bonuses represent updates to the progressive wage model (PWM) for the sector. TCLE also agreed to extend the existing lift PWM to cover escalator maintenance workers in 2022. In 2018, the VT industry adopted a voluntary PWM transitional wage benchmark, which mapped a schedule of minimum basic wages from 2020 to 2022. This was to give the industry time to adjust. In 2022, PWM adoption will be a mandatory registration requirement with the Building and Construction Authority for all VT maintenance firms. Image credit: by Idyshah for Pixabay To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorwo

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com NEW EMIGRATION HALL OPENS AT AIRPORT IN SRI LANKA A new “Emigration Hall” opened at the departure passenger terminal in the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Sri Lanka, ColomboPage reports. The terminal was renovated under the BIA Terminal 1 expansion project, and 23 emigration counters have been added, allowing passengers to avoid congestion and reach their destinations without hassle. Two new escalators with three additional floors and a new elevator were among the upgrades installed at the terminal. Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga and Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa opened the terminal on July 15. Image credit: by Cherubino for Wikipedia To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │ Google Play | SoundCloud │ Stitcher │ TuneIn

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com PROVINCETOWN INCLINED ELEVATOR INSPECTION CONTINUES The newly constructed inclined elevator at the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum in Provincetown, Massachusetts, is still going through inspections after being declared fully functional in April, the Cape Cod Times reports. “We’ve learned elevator controllers and elevator safety is quite rigorous,” said K. David Weidner, executive director of the monument and museum. “'Safety first,’ is our motto.” The elevator, known as the Bradford Access Project, is designed to use a 162-ft length of double rails to bring the 3000-lb glass cab, with up to 18 people at a time, up from Bradford Street to the top of High Pole Hill, which is approximately 85-ft high, in 2 min. This elevator is the first of its size and magnitude in the Commonwealth, the source reports. The project is going through a series of pre-inspections by the Massach

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com D&D ELEVATOR ELEVATES KEY EMPLOYEES TO MANAGEMENT ROLES Yonkers, New York-based D&D Elevator, an American Elevator Group company, announced two key promotions: Deborah Yanno, who has been with D&D 15 years and previously served as modernization manager, is now vice president, and Eric Dettmering, who has been with the company 30 years and previously served as modernization supervisor, is now modernization manager. Of Yanno, D&D President Michael Bonardi said, "We value her leadership and look forward to having her more involved in strategic decision-making." Of Dettmering, he said, "Eric has truly grown with the business, and it's been fantastic to see him accept new opportunities, take on new responsibility and continue into a management position." The moves are part of a series of internal transitions within D&D after Bonardi became president in August 2020 and Bobby Shaeffer s

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by Matot Dumbwaiters and Material Lifts: www.matot.com ELEVATOR INDUSTRY LAUNCHES FIFTH COVID-19 SURVEY Elevator World, Inc.; the German elevator association VFA Interlift e.V.; and fair organizer AFAG, in association with Credit Suisse, are launching a fifth survey of elevator industry representatives on current industry status and anticipated effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on business. Results of the fourth survey were released in early June and revealed that outlook improved to net positive and employment prospects remained healthy, while assessment of the competitive situation remained unchanged. The survey received nearly 400 responses, compared with 600 in the third iteration, 572 in the second and 550 in the first. For the fourth iteration, Credit Suisse Managing Director and Head of European Capital Goods Equity Research André Kukhnin assisted with preparation of a chart analysis, including breakdowns by country,

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by Matot Dumbwaiters and Material Lifts: www.matot.com CAMPAIGN RECOGNIZES EFFORTS OF VT PERSONNEL IN INDIA International Sourcing Exposition for Elevators & Escalators (ISEE), an industry event being held in Mumbai, has launched the “ELEVATOR MECHANICS – You Keep the World Moving” public campaign to recognize the work of elevator personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Print reports. The campaign is in response to the lack of recognition of those who work on lifts, elevators and escalators as essential service workers, meaning that these personnel rarely received priority for facilities and vaccinations or government support, according to the source. Some elevator mechanics were even charged with lockdown violations as they continued to work in different buildings to keep the elevators moving, and many would walk miles to attend to elevators due to not being able to use public or private transport. The source reports t

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by Matot Dumbwaiters and Material Lifts: www.matot.com TK ELEVATOR ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO MANAGEMENT BOARD IN GERMANY TK Elevator (TKE) has announced two new changes to its management board in Germany, effective October 1. Dr. Phillip Voet van Vormizeele will succeed Dr. Detlef Hunsdiek, who is retiring, in the position of chief human resources officer (CHRO), and will oversee HR and legal, compliance, data protection and labor relations. Kevin Lavallee will assume the position of chief operations officer (COO) with a responsibility for field operations in addition to his current role as CEO of the business unit of North America. TKE created this new position to focus on customers and digital innovation in the service business. “With the new structure and a dedicated position for COO Field on the TK Elevator GmbH Management Board, we believe that the company is well-positioned to continue its transformation process and head i

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by Matot Dumbwaiters and Material Lifts: www.matot.com KONE WINS 77-UNIT CONTRACT FOR CHANGSHA, CHINA, PROJECT KONE has won an order for 77 units that will include elevators, escalators and moving walks for the two-tower Changsha Shengtong Meixi International Headquarters Center, the OEM announced on July 9. Changsha, capital of southern China’s Hunan Province, is welcoming the development to its CBD, on the shore of Meixi lake. The mixed-use towers will stand 279.5 m and 215.5 m and provide offices and residences for up to 7,000 people. KONE will supply 26 MiniSpace™ and 17 MonoSpace® elevators, 32 TravelMaster™110 escalators and two TravelMaster™115 moving walks. The contract also includes the company’s 24/7 Connected Services predictive-maintenance solution, as well as two years of standard maintenance. The project is being developed by Hunan Shengtong Real Estate Co. and is expected to be completed in 2023. Image cred

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com BROKEN VT IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE TRANSIT STATIONS AN ISSUE A dozen escalators and one elevator in the four downtown stations of the Seattle transit tunnel remained broken as of the first week of July, Mass Transit reports. When 2021 began, 28 of the 58 escalators and elevators, all more than 30 years old, were inoperable at the stations when King County Metro handed over maintenance duties to Sound Transit. Sound Transit has hired a new contractor and budgeted US$8.7 million to nurse the old equipment along through 2023. Nearly all escalators will receive new step chains this year, and the first new escalators will arrive next year. The agency will replace every escalator over five to seven years, the biggest cost in its US$96-million tunnel-renovation budget. Replacement parts for the elevator should arrive this summer. But the source reports that full access to the train platforms

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com INTERLIFT ENJOYS STRONG RESPONSE FOR APRIL 2022 FAIR Organizers AFAG and VFA-Interlift e.V. say the international vertical-transportation (VT) trade fair interlift is more than 80% booked, with more than 300 VT companies registered. The fair, which was postponed six months to April 26-29, 2022, at Messe Augsburg in Germany (ELENET 883), is seeing numerous first-time registrants, organizers say, "so the prospects for the coming interlift are good." Against a backdrop of travel restrictions lifting as the coronavirus pandemic gets under control thanks to vaccinations, the fair will incorporate "a discreet hygiene concept." A digital preview of the 2022 fair is scheduled on the original dates — October 19-22 — and the 2023 fair is planned on October 17-20. For more information, visit the trade fair website. Image credit: courtesy of interlift To read the full transcript of today

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com CTBUH ANNOUNCES THEIR 2021 CONFERENCE WILL BE IN-PERSON The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats announced that their 2021 conference will be taking place in person November 8-12. Titled “The Future City: Addressing Carbon, Climate and Societal Crises”, the conference will be held at a dozen or more chapter locations across the Americas, Australia, China, Europe, Middle East, and Southeast Asia, with more locations and dates to be announced. CTBUH is looking for members to help plan the event for their chapter. For more information, go to ctbuhconference.com or email info@ctbuh.com. Image credit: courtesy of CTBUH To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │ Google Play | SoundCloud │ Stitcher │ TuneIn

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com NEONODE AND DEWHURST PARTNER TO CREATE CONTACTLESS ELEVATOR PRODUCTS Neonode Inc. announced it has partnered with Dewhurst UK Ltd. to build, market and sell contactless elevator control products and solutions. Featuring Neonode contactless technology, Dewhurst launched HALO, its first contactless elevator product, in early 2021, which has already been installed in several locations in the U.K. and will continue to be installed through 2021. “The elevator segment is important to Neonode’s contactless touch business, and I am happy to see Dewhurst’s achievements so far and look forward to deepening our win-win cooperation going forward,” said Urban Forssell, CEO of Neonode. Image credit: courtesy of KONE To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │ Google Play | SoundCloud │ Stitcher │ TuneIn

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com VISITOR CENTER OPENS WITH TKE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ELEVATORS TK Elevator (TKE) announced that it provided two environmentally friendly elevators for the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center on Pikes Peak – America's Mountain in Colorado. The Summit Visitor Center opened on June 30 and is located at the top of the 14,115-ft mountain, making it the highest active construction project in the U.S. The general contractor was GE Johnson. The TKE elevators were manufactured with the healthiest materials in the industry and play a role in helping the Summit House Visitor Center in its pursuit to become the first building in Colorado to meet Living Building Challenge certification. The Summit Visitor Center will feature net positive energy, net positive waste and net positive water. GE Johnson, headquartered in Colorado Springs, has partnered with TKE on a variety of projects, including t

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com 3PHASE MERGES WITH WEST VIRGINIA ELEVATOR Leading independent elevator and escalator service provider 3Phase Elevator announced in June that it has merged with West Virginia Elevator. Canton, Massachusetts-based 3Phase made the move after it received an investment from Berkshire Partners. The investment is designed to help it expand nationally, and its merger with West Virginia Elevator will help it move into the Midwest. Charleston-based West Virginia Elevator, founded in 2012 by Dustin Bozek and Chris Bradley, provides a full range of elevator services, from maintenance to new installations. 3Phase, founded in 1996, is a provider of elevator and escalator maintenance, repair and modernization services in 14 states across the eastern U.S. Maven Group served as financial advisor to West Virginia Elevator, and Harvey & Co. served as financial advisor to 3Phase and Berkshire Partne

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com KONE ANNOUNCES DX SERIES FOR MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA KONE has announced its digitally connected elevator series to markets in the Middle East and Africa, ITP.net reports. The KONE DX Class elevators feature built-in connectivity and use open application programming interfaces (APIs) to manage and integrate different devices, apps and services with new and existing systems. The new elevators also include smart materials and finishes that improve hygiene, digital services that can be accessed remotely and are designed to contribute to sustainability and energy efficiency. “The KONE DX Class cleverly caters to the modern demands of our customers in the region, providing added convenience, safety, security and ease of use, particularly in the wake of COVID-19,” said Ruban Bilen, regional managing director of KONE Middle East and Africa. To read the full transcript of today's podcast

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com EFESME LOOKS TO FUTURE, NAMES BOARD During its general assembly held online on June 19, the European Federation for Elevator Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (EFESME) reinstated board members and added a new one. Reelected were Massimo Bezzi (Italy), president; Damyan Petrov (Bulgaria), vice president; and Luciano Faletto (Italy), secretary general. They were joined by José María Compagni Morales, coordinator of the federation's Spanish member Federación Española de Asscoaciones de Pequeña y Mediana Empresa de Ascensoristas, who will serve as second vice president. With Morales' contributions, EFESME said it aims to develop additional programs for lift small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Marcel Boutillier (France) was thanked for his contributions as vice president and, previously, president. During the assembly, members said they plan to continue activities aimed at bui

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com KONE TO PROVIDE VT FOR EGYPT’S ICONIC TOWER KONE has won an order to install 60 custom-made elevators and escalators for Iconic Tower, a new building under construction in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital (NAC). When complete, Iconic Tower will be the tallest building in Africa. NAC is under construction just outside Cairo and is being designed with smart technologies. Iconic Tower will be located within the city’s CBD, which will include 20 skyscrapers. The 80-story, 385-m-tall Iconic Tower will include office, hotel and residential amenities. It will also hold most of Egypt’s government offices. KONE’s delivery will include 36 MiniSpace™ and 13 MonoSpace® elevators, plus seven TranSys™ freight elevators and four TransitMaster™ 120 escalators. All of the vertical-transportation (VT) units will feature custom-designed finishes. The VT system will also use KONE’s Destination Con

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com ORONA EXPANDS, GIVES BACK DURING CHALLENGING YEAR Hernani, Spain-headquartered elevator manufacturer Orona gained employees, financial strength and market presence as it enhanced corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives during a challenging 2020, the company said in a press release detailing its annual members meeting, held virtually on June 18. In 2020, Orona maintained sales of EUR799 million (US$954 million), a figure comparable to the previous year, and employment of 5,471, which was more than the previous year. With the incorporation of one company each in Malta and Portugal, Orona operates in 12 countries. The additions are part of Orona's 2030 plan that includes achieving a turnover of EUR1.2 billion (US$1.43 billion) and employing 7,800. Among notable projects are the Donostia Metro, which will link the Amara District with other districts in San Sebastian, Spain.

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by Matot Dumbwaiters & Lifts: www.matot.com CHICAGO WEST LOOP MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT APPROVED The Chicago Plan Commission has approved the updated mixed-use development proposal at 1150 West Lake Street in the West Loop, Chicago YIMBY reported in June. Designed by Gensler, the new construction consists of a two-tower scheme. The southern tower will rise 29 stories, topping off at 330 ft, with residential, retail and parking space. The northern tower will encompass 18 floors, rising 222 ft, with 179 residential apartments. The new scheme reflects a reduction in floors for the southern tower, down from the original 33 stories, while the northern tower was switched to a residential use and increased from 11 to 18 floors. The design of the towers reflects an effort to reduce visual massing and improve light and air for surrounding buildings. The southern edifice rises in four distinct massings, creating a podium and three connec