Elevator World

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com BUOYED BY TECHNOLOGY, OTIS REFLECTS ON A “SOLID” FIRST HALF In a second-quarter earnings call in late July, "solid" is how Otis CEO Judy Marks and Chief Financial Officer Rahul Ghai described the recently independent company's performance in the first half of 2020 — a year that presented challenges, mostly from the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis hasn't been all bad news for Otis: With continued business recovery in China and across the Asia-Pacific region (other than in India), the company is seeing interest in and demand for touchless and Internet of Things technology increase, although this isn't yet reflected by earnings, the Hartford Business Journal reported in August. In a pilot program, Otis recently installed gesture- and voice-activated elevator technology at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. A casino official says it is the first casino to do so, and Ot

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com CORONAVIRUS FAILS TO SLOW DOWN WITTUR’S SPAIN FACTORY Wittur will have safety precautions in place for at least the next several months, the elevator-door manufacturer tells ELEVATOR WORLD, but the pandemic failed to curtail 2020 production at its Zaragoza, Spain, factory, Heraldo reports. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the plant maintained orders 10% higher than what had previously been budgeted. Other than hiring 60 temporary workers over the summer to keep up with workload, it maintained a fixed workforce of 250. The plant counts among its major customers Schindler, Orona and Otis, for which it is fulfilling an order for elevator doors for three luxury cruise ships. Ninety percent of the doors produced at the factory are for export, which helped keep it aloft throughout the pandemic crisis. Image credit: courtesy of Wittur To read the full transcript of today's

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com INDIAN STATE AMENDS LIFT LAW TO ENHANCE PASSENGER SAFETY During a “Monsoon Session” on August 26, lawmakers in the northern Indian state of Haryana amended the Haryana Lifts and Escalators Act 2008 to allow elevator emergency rescue devices (ERDs) that include sufficient power backup, enabling them to operate during power outages, Outlook reports. The ERDs would be able to land on the desired floor and continue operating for at least 15 min. Approved during a session that was abbreviated due to a “sharp rise” in coronavirus cases in Haryana, the amendment was part of a raft of measures that included passage of bills aimed at stimulating the battered economy by providing tax relief, making certain processes more efficient and increasing borrowing limits. Image credit: courtesy by Suppadeth Wongyeo for Pixabay To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.c

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com CHICAGO’S THIRD-TALLEST TOWER CLOSES IN ON FALL COMPLETION Vista Tower, Chicago's third-tallest building at 101 stories and 1,191 ft, is headed for opening this fall, with finishing touches going onto the façade, Chicago YIMBY reports. Featuring gentle curves and a range of window colors to meet heat-load demands, the tower was designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang and developed by Magellan Group. Located at 375 East Wacker Drive at the mouth of the Chicago River, Vista Tower offers nearly 400 condominiums, from one bedroom to full-floor penthouses, starting on the 71st floor. Amenities include a fitness center, a golf simulator, outdoor terrace space and a demonstration kitchen. There will also be parking for 346 vehicles. Image credit: courtesy by Jack Crawford for Chicago YIMBY To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the P

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com ARCLINE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INVESTS IN KENCOR Arcline Investment Management, a private-equity firm with offices in San Francisco and NYC, announced today it has invested Kencor Elevator Systems, headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and providing modernization, maintenance, repair and new installation across the Mid-Atlantic region. The announcement comes on the heels of Arcline’s investment in and acquisition of D&D Elevator and Jersey Elevator. Kencor was founded in 1981 by Richard Kennedy, who will remain as a consultant. Karen Kennedy, CEO and Richard Kennedy’s daughter, said the company remains committed to quality and customer service and that Arcline’s investment will provide Kencor employees opportunities for further growth and development. Speaking on behalf of Arcline, which has US$1.5 billion in committed capital in companies, C. Mark Boelhouwer observed, “Kenc

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com HITACHI SUPPLYING 88 UNITS TO WUHAN, CHINA, METRO Hitachi Elevator (China) Co., Ltd. has won a contract to provide 22 elevators and 66 escalators to section 2 of Line 16 of the Wuhan, China, Metro, the company announced on August 25. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and serious flooding, construction of the Wuhan's rail transit system has continued, and construction of all stations on Line 16 has begun. Line 16 is a high-speed light rail line that connects the Hannan District with Wuhan's main business districts. It has 12 stations along its 32.4 km (12.7 km of which are underground). Five of the stations are elevated and seven are below ground. Regular service is expected to begin in 2021. Hitachi has provided more than 540 escalators to Wuhan Metro's Lines 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8, including four of its model EX-BPG with a lifting height of 22.4 m, the highest in central China. Image cred

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com 70-PLUS-STORY BUILDINGS NOW ALLOWED IN FIVE INDIAN CITIES The maximum allowed height of buildings in five cities in the Indian state of Gujarat — Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot and Gandhinagar — has jumped from 23 to 70-plus stories since the state government amended building regulations, Live Mint reports, citing Press Trust of India. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the new rules will ensure "optimum utilization of land and, eventually, help in lowering the prices of houses." Applicable to towers exceeding 100 m in height, the amended regulations require structures 100-150 m tall to have a 2,500-m2 plot, and those taller than 150 m, a 3,500-m2 plot. A special committee will be formed to approve projects. Image credit: courtesy by Sgmanna for Wikipedia To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com LUXURY CONDO TOWER PLANNED FOR HOUSTON'S RIVER OAKS AREA A developer is planning a luxury high-rise condominium building in Houston's River Oaks area, Community Impact reported on August 17. The Paramount, a 25-story tower, will have 50 residences ranging from 1,800 to 6,500 ft2, with prices starting at US$1.055 million. Units will feature 11-ft ceilings and private elevator entry. Other planned amenities include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, 24-hr concierge service, valet parking, a grand lobby and lounges. The tower was designed by father-daughter team Randall and Natalie Davis in partnership with Power Brown Architecture. Developer Randall Davis Co. plans to break ground in late 2020 or early 2021, and completion is targeted for late 2021. Image credit: courtesy of Randall Davis Co. To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com VT EQUIPMENT AT ATLANTA AIRPORT FACILITY GETS A BOOST The Atlanta City Council approved an additional US$3 million for elevator and escalator maintenance at the Rental Car Center at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Aviation Pros reported on August 18, citing The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The funds include US$1 million for a technician to be on hand 16 hr a day, 365 days year to handle elevator entrapments and malfunctioning escalators. Connected to the airport via the Sky Train, the Rental Car Center opened in 2009, and its elevators and escalators have experienced “frequent failures.” Image credit: courtesy from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport 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 NYC HARD ROCK'S EXTERIOR SHOWS QUICK PROGRESS The glass curtain wall on NYC's Hard Rock Hotel has nearly reached the top of the 35-story structure, a milestone that points to the speed with which the Times Square tower has come together, New York YIMBY reported on August 17. The 442-ft-tall, 291,000-ft2 tower being developed by Extell and Hard Rock International will bring 446 guest rooms and a list of amenities that includes two entertainment venues, meeting spaces, 24-hr dining options, a fitness center and a rooftop lounge. Set at 159 West 48th Street, the building's lower half is wrapped in dark reflective glass, and metal framework forms the perimeter of the multistory podium. Once complete, a crown of tall, blank walls will display a lighted Hard Rock logo. The elevators are being provided by Schindler, and the custom cabs are by Elevator Interior Design. SLCE Architects is

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com KONE SUPPLYING 103 VT UNITS FOR CHONGQING METRO KONE will supply 103 vertical-transportation (VT) units for the second phase of Metro Line 6 in Chongqing, China, the company announced on August 18. The OEM will equip the line's stations with 83 of its TransitMaster™ escalators, and 16 MonoSpace® and four MiniSpace™ elevators. Additionally, the contract includes two years of standard maintenance. Line 6 will create a connection through the Liangjiang New Area in the north of Chongqing, a district for international business, exhibitions and conferences, leisure tourism, cultural creativity and ecological living. At a length of more than 14 km, phase two of Line 6 will travel from Yuelai station to Shaheba station through seven stops and connect to three other existing lines of the Chongqing metro system. It is being developed by the Chongqing Rail Transit Co., Ltd. and is expected t

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR PARTNERS WITH GEORGIA TECH BAC On August 17, thyssenkrupp Elevator announced it has partnered with the Business Analytics Center (BAC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology's Scheller College of Business in Atlanta to "apply business analytics tools and techniques through research, collaboration and innovation to help drive thought leadership. . . and promote analytics research." The partnership Is set to begin this fall with a business analytics practicum providing experiential learning opportunities for MBA students. BAC Managing Director Keith Werle explained the practicum involves students spending an entire semester addressing a "real-world business and data-analytics challenge" faced by thyssenkrupp Elevator. Baha Tevek, director of U.S. Field Technology at thyssenkrupp Elevator and a Scheller College of Business graduate, said partnership will help th

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com ARCLINE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INVESTS IN D&D ELEVATOR Arcline Investment Management, a private-equity firm with offices in San Francisco and NYC, announced on August 14 it has invested in D&D Elevator, headquartered in Yonkers, New York. The announcement comes of the heels of Arcline’s acquisition of Jersey Elevator. Founded in 1981, D&D is a provider of elevator maintenance, repair, modernization and new installation across New York state. Company CEO and President Bobby Schaeffer said, “We have achieved a sustained period of robust growth, which requires substantial resources to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality service. This significant investment provides us with necessary, long-term stability … .” Speaking on behalf of Arcline, which has US$1.5 billion in committed capital in companies that include those in the industrial technology and aerospace sectors, C. Mark

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com THYSSENKRUPP MOBILITY EQUIPMENT FOR BRAZIL AIRPORTS thyssenkrupp Elevator is providing elevators, escalators, moving walks and passenger boarding bridges (PBBs) — including 131 new units and PBBs — to Brazil's five largest airports. The most recent installations include 11 elevators, nine escalators, eight PBBs and two iWalks at Salvador International Airport in Bahia; 13 elevators, six escalators and three PBBs at Macapá International Airport in Amapá; 15 elevators, eight escalators and 10 PBBs at Florianópolis International Airport in Santa Catarina; and 18 elevators, seven escalators and six PBBs at Porto Alegre Airport in Porto Alegre. Observing that more than 100 million people travel by air in Brazil each year, thyssenkrupp Elevator said it has approximately 500 solutions in place at airports nationwide, including at Latin America's biggest airport, São Paulo/Guarulhos Inter

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com SOME OF LONDON TUBE’S OLDEST ESCALATORS BEING REPLACED A trio of new escalators to replace some of the oldest serving the London Tube are coming to the Marylebone Station in West London, MyLondon reports. Transport for London has already started on the three-year project, which includes a new escalator to replace a staircase and replacement of two existing escalators. Two escalators — one up and one down — will remain open throughout the work, set to start in earnest in September. The source shared interesting facts about escalators that serve stations like Marylebone along the Bakerloo Line, such as: • Marylebone units date as far back as 1943. • Each unit weighs approximately 40 mT and carries millions of passengers each year. • Tube escalators operate in both directions for up to 20 h per day. • A typical 15-m-rise escalator has roughly 15,000 moving parts. Image credit: c

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com 70-PLUS KONE ELEVATORS FOR GRAND PARIS EXPRESS METRO KONE has been selected by Société du Grand Paris (SGP) to provide more than 70 elevators to Line 15 of the Grand Paris Express metro. The 33-km line will pass through 22 municipalities and serve more than 1 million residents as it makes 300,000 trips per day. Working with SGP, KONE will deliver and install a mix of opaque and transparent panoramic MonoSpace® units with energy-efficient EcoDisc® traction technology. The order was booked in the second quarter of 2020, and the line is expected be operational in 2025. "We're very proud to be involved in this impressive project. . . along this new high-capacity line in one of the busiest metros in the world," Pierre Liautaud, executive vice president for KONE South Europe, Middle East and Africa, said Image credit: courtesy of SGP and Dominque Perrault Architecture To read the ful

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com OSHA RESCHEDULES SAFETY STAND-DOWN OSHA has announced that its seventh-annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction has been rescheduled for September 14-18, following postponement earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The administration is partnering with other safety organizations to encourage employers to provide safety demonstrations on fall-protection equipment; conduct talks regarding fall-related hazards, safety policies, goals and expectations; and promote the event by using “#StandDown4Safety” on social media. Observing that falls continue to be the leading cause of fatalities in construction, the agency encourages employers to promote fall safety virtually or while employing social distancing among small groups. Employers are also encouraged to provide feedback after their events and obtain a personalized certificate of participation. Image c

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com THYSSENKRUPP'S POWERS WINS WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY AWARD Alison Powers, head of thyssenkrupp Elevator's Innovation and Qualification Center and Test & Qualification, NA, was awarded the Connected World Women of Technology Award during a virtual ceremony on August 6, the company announced. In recognizing Powers, a panel of past winners noted her involvement with technology; her role in helping thyssenkrupp Elevator prosper and progress; her contributions to the growth of technology; her mentoring of other women; and her efforts to support other women in business, technology, transformation and the local community. Powers, a native of Atlanta, began her career with thyssenkrupp Elevator in 2013, working at the Product Development Center in Memphis. She returned to Atlanta in 2018, taking over as head of Research of Innovation, working on such technologies as the MAX predictive maintenan

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com WITTUR OPENING GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE IN ITALY Wittur will soon open its Global Technology Centre (GTC) in Bergamo, Italy, the company announced on August 6. Focusing on the Sematic brand, the center will house global teams from application engineering, product development, R&D and special projects. Incorporating university partnerships, the GTC will be a place where customers and global experts can interact within specially designed product-creation spaces. Majority owned by Bain Capital, Wittur has approximately 4,700 employees and does business in more than 50 countries. Image credit: courtesy of Wittur 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 FUNDS OK'D FOR ESCALATOR WORK AT CLEVELAND STADIUM Cuyahoga County, Ohio, has agreed to repay the Cleveland Indians for millions of dollars' worth of improvements to Progressive Field, the home stadium for the Major League Baseball team, Ideastream reported on August 4. The US$3.5 million in upgrades included several projects, but the lion's share — more than US$2.2 million — was devoted to the stadium's escalators, including US$1.5 million for repairs and nearly US$800,000 for preventive maintenance and other work. The money came from a reserve fund originally set up in 2017 to pay for renovations to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, home of the National Basketball Association's Cleveland Cavaliers. Image credit: Image by Hebi B. Pixabay To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │ Google Play | SoundCloud │ Stitch