Elevator World

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com NEII NEWS: REVISED GUIDE AND A TRANSITION The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII) recently announced its Elevator & Escalator Industry Cybersecurity Best Practices guide has been revised and that its Director of Government Affairs Dylan Isenberg is leaving this month to attend Temple University Beasley School of Law. With NEII for more than three years, Isenberg is credited with passing legislation in Louisiana, negotiating amnesty for civil fines in Massachusetts and assisting companies with tariff issues. An announcement on Isenberg’s replacement will be made soon. After contacting global cybersecurity company Symantec in 2019 to conduct a peer review of the best-practices guide, initially released in April 2019 (ELENET 781), NEII added a new terminology section and an expanded section on operational cybersecurity to it. To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visi

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com MANCHESTER APPROVES PLAN FOR TWO 52-STORY TOWERS City officials in Manchester, U.K., have approved plans by architect SimpsonHaugh for a mixed-use project of two high-rise residential towers joined by a podium with ground-floor retail units, Architects' Journal reported on August 3. The towers, standing 52 stories each, are named Blade and Cylinder and will hold 855 apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms. The project, by developer Rennaker, will include 244 parking spaces for residents, a 389-space public parking lot and a new primary school. The project constitutes the second phase of Rennaker's Crown Street regeneration development. Blade and Cylinder will stand next to two phase-one towers, also designed by SimpsonHaugh, which are under construction. Those buildings are to rise 21 and 51 stories. Image credit: courtesy of SimpsonHaugh To read the full transcript of to

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com ACQUISITION COMPLETE; THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR INDEPENDENT The acquisition of thyssenkrupp Elevator by private-equity firms Advent International and Cinven is complete, with all relevant regulatory authorities approving the transaction, thyssenkrupp Elevator announced on July 31. "The successful closing marks a new chapter in our history," CEO Peter Walker said. Advent and Cinven said they aim to grow thyssenkrupp Elevator through organic growth; carefully targeted acquisitions, particularly in Asia; energy-efficient product development; and R&D. As part of the change in ownership, thyssenkrupp Elevator will relocate its global headquarters from Essen to Düsseldorf, Germany, in 2021. With operations worldwide and more than 50,000 employees, thyssenkrupp Elevator had sales of EUR8 billion (US$9.4 billion) in 2018-2019. Service is its most important business, with approximately 1.4 mil

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com OTIS CHINA OPENS NEW ESCALATOR FACTORY IN SHANGHAI Otis China recently announced the official opening of its new escalator factory in Shanghai, a facility with intelligent manufacturing and advanced automation that meets Industry 4.0 standards. The factory, relocated from South China to its new home in East China, meets Otis' global quality standards, the company said. It will employ 3D modeling, custom engineering and real-time quality control to enhance both the finished products and the factory's efficiency. Perry Zheng, president, Otis China, said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony that the factory, which will produce high-performance escalators and moving walks, will serve a global market. Image credit: courtesy of Otis To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │ Google Play | SoundCloud │ Stitcher │ TuneI

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com KONE TO SUPPLY JINAN METRO LINE R2 WITH 107 ESCALATORS KONE will deliver 107 escalators to the first phase of the Metro Line R2 in Jinan, China, the company announced on July 28. Jinan, the capital of eastern China's Shandong province, has traditionally been a major bus transportation hub, but the city opened its first metro line in 2019. Metro Line R2 will total 36.4 km in length, with most of it — 34.5 km —underground. The 19-station line will connect major areas of Jinan, including the old town, the newer part of the city in the west and the Jinan High-tech Industrial Development Zone in the eastern part of the city. It will also connect to existing metro lines R1 and R3. KONE will equip 10 of the stations with 107 TransitMaster™ escalators. The contract also includes two years of standard maintenance. Construction of the line is expected to complete at the end of 2020. Hitachi

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com ELEVATOR INDUSTRY COVID-19 SURVEY RESULTS ANALYSIS Elevator World, Inc.; the German elevator association VFA Interlift e.V. and fair organizer AFAG, in association with Credit Suisse, recently shared results of a survey of elevator industry representatives on the current industry status and anticipated effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on business. Credit Suisse Managing Director and Head of European Capital Goods Equity Research Andre Kukhnin assisted with preparation of a chart analysis, including breakdowns by country, of the results (excluding China, as only three of the nearly 600 responses were from that country). Calculating results using a method akin to the widely followed, evenly balanced Purchasing Manager Index, observations include: • Overall assessment of the current economic situation leans toward “challenging,” with 34% answering “bad,” 26%, “good” and the remaini

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com “TREMENDOUS ADDITION” TO NYC SKYLINE HITS MILESTONE Construction on One Vanderbilt, a 77-story supertall office tower described as a "tremendous addition to the Midtown skyline” in NYC, hit a milestone earlier this month when its 100-ft-tall architectural spire was replaced, New York YIMBY reports. The spire was initially erected in September 2019 for the topping-out ceremony, then disassembled in December to allow construction cranes full access to the 1,401-ft.-tall structure. Kohn Pederson Fox designed One Vanderbilt, which will be served by a Schindler vertical-transportation system. The source said the most-anticipated feature of the supertall is its 1,000-ft-high The Summit outdoor observatory, designed by Snøhetta and set to open in October 2021. Image credit: by Michael Young for New York YIMBY To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/ne

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com “EXTREMELY COMPLEX BUILD” IS A WRAP IN MELBOURNE CBD A project comprising a 38-story, 43,000-m2 office tower and a 255-room hotel that contractor Multiplex described as "an extremely complex build" is complete in the Melbourne, Australia, CBD, The Urban Developer reports. Boasting a Schindler vertical-transportation system, 80 Collins Street is owned by Australian property giant Dexus and was designed by Woods Bagot and UN Studio. Graham Cottam of Multiplex observed the job involved 7,000 mT of structural steel and 30,000 m3 of concrete, and called for the office tower to cantilever over existing buildings. This, he said, was "the first time this engineering feat has been achieved on such a scale." Image credit: courtesy of Woods Bagot To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │ Google Play | SoundCloud │ S

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com IN MEMORIAM: DAVID “BURT” SPAETHE David "Burt" Spaethe of Richmond, Indiana, a longtime elevator man who remained involved in the industry throughout his life, passed away unexpectedly on July 20 at age 89. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Spaethe retired from Elevator Equipment Corp. (EECO) of Richmond in 2008 after a more-than-50-year career. In 1995, he moved to Richmond, where he joined EECO as package division manager with more than 40 years of hydraulic elevator experience. Spaethe previously owned the former White-Evans Elevator Co. in Indianapolis, going on to serve as vice president of Canton Elevator, Inc. in Canton, Ohio. He corresponded with ELEVATOR WORLD, and conducted educational sessions and roundtable discussions on hydraulic elevators at NAESA International and National Association of Elevator Contractors events. Survivors include wife, Sally; children, Rebekah, Deborah

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com PRYSMIAN GROUP TO ACQUIRE EHC GLOBAL Prysmian Group announced on July 22 it will acquire 100% of EHC Global, "a complementary add-on to Prysmian's Draka Elevator business." Draka offers more than 7,000 components for the vertical-transportation (VT) industry and generated more than EUR250 million (US$289.3 million) in revenue in 2019. Draka products can be found in iconic skyscrapers, including those in Hudson Yards in NYC, Dubai's Burj Khalifa, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and The Shard in London. Headquartered in Oshawa, Canada, with manufacturing and distribution facilities in North America, South America, Europe and China, EHC Global, a supplier of escalator handrails and other VT components, generated revenue of CAD119 million (US$88.5 million) and realized earnings exceeding CAD18 million (US$13.39 million) in 2019. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 202

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com 96 THYSSENKRUPP UNITS FOR INDIA’S LARGEST CONVENTION CENTER Fifty-three elevators, 39 escalators and four moving walks will be provided by thyssenkrupp Elevator India to the India International Convention & Expo Centre (IICC), to be the country's largest convention and exhibition space upon its completion in mid-2021, India Education Diary reports. IICC is being developed by IICC Ltd. and Larsen & Turbo Ltd., and is a Government of India smart-city project taking shape near the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. In addition to the convention and exhibition space, there will be a multipurpose arena, and retail, commercial, hospitality, entertainment and lifestyle space. The government envisions IICC as a new CBD. thyssenkrupp Elevator India CEO Manish Mehan said the units will have high-end features and finishes, including titanium and gold finishes for elevator cabi

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com SCS ELEVATOR PRODUCTS, RAILEYES PARTNER Red Wing, Minnesota-based SCS Elevator Products, Inc. has partnered with RailEyes to use its TouchPointTM antimicrobial product to coat elevator buttons and other high-touch surfaces. The thin, heavy-duty antimicrobial urethane film is infused with silver nanoparticles, which have been proven to combat microbes. The film can also incorporate social-distancing messages, and may be applied to buttons, panels and other elevator surfaces without affecting American Society of Mechanical Engineers regulation compliance. The goal of the partnership, according to SCS, is to "help facilitate reopening efforts across the country." 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 GERMANY’S MAYR FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY Mayr GmbH + Co. KG, headquartered in Mauerstetten, Germany, recently described its efforts toward climate neutrality and sustainability. Manufacturing safety brakes, torque limiters and shaft couplings for elevators and other systems, the company achieved climate neutrality this year, thanks to measures like generating its own power (since 2017), minimizing paper use and purchasing climate certificates. Managing Partner Ferdinand Mayr said the COVID-19 pandemic is providing further opportunities, with more work being carried out from home and teleconferences replacing air travel, resulting in reduced CO2 emissions. Product innovation also plays a role, the company states, providing electromagnetic safety brakes as an example. These brakes “optimize magnetic flux through design and material selection [so] the required magnetic tensile force

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com HYUNDAI ELEVATOR’S DOMESTIC BUSINESS STRONG IN 2020 South Korea's Hyundai Elevator reported strong new and modernization business across the country in the first half of 2020, citing a "strong will to stand up to challenges" of the COVID-19 pandemic. In its summer 2020 newsletter, Hyundai Elevator shared details of major contracts, including Lotte Castle, which will include the tallest building in the Dongdaemun-gu area of Seoul. The contract includes 99 elevators traversing 65 above- and eight below-ground floors within five buildings. Installation is anticipated in 2023. The OEM is also providing 384 elevators with options such as foot activation for buildings of varying heights at 12 sites across the country for Daelim Industrial Co. Modernization jobs include the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul (four elevators serving 20 floors) and Booyoung Housing developments in locations across

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com EHC GLOBAL CUSTOM HANDRAILS FOR SLOVAKIA, MEXICO RETAILERS EHC Global recently installed custom NT ColourRailTM escalator handrails at malls in Bratislava, Slovakia, and Mexico City. In Bratislava, brown handrails were installed on units at the five-story Aupark Shopping Mall and Entertainment Centre, which opened in 2001 and underwent expansion in 2015. Receiving more than 12 million visitors a year, the mall’s interior design features brown earth tones, wood railings and water features, and the high-gloss brown handrails “enhance the overall appearance of the escalators, complement the wood-grain cladding and help deliver a safe, hands-on tactile experience,” according to EHC Global. In Mexico City, pink handrails were installed at Liverpool’s flagship department store, a high-end retailer in the Paseo Interlomas Shopping Mall. Image credit: courtesy of EHC Global To read th

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com SINGAPORE TOWERS TO BE WORLD'S TALLEST MODULAR BUILDINGS A two-tower residential project planned for a site on the western edge of Singapore's urban core will be notable as the world's tallest modular-constructed buildings, Architectural Digest reported on July 13. The 56-story towers, known as Avenue South Residences, will be built with a process called prefabricated, prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC). Semi-finished apartment modules will be manufactured offsite at factories in Singapore and Malaysia and brought to the 5.6-acre site, where they will be stacked like building blocks to create a total of 988 condominium units. Markus Cheng, an associate of ADDP Architects, the firm overseeing Avenue South Residences, said PPVC is especially useful in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, because social distancing is easier to implement: "When you build in a factory, you minimize

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com COVID-19 CONCERNS FORCE DELAY OF CHICAGO CONDO TOWER Construction of a luxury residential tower in Chicago has been put on hold until at least the end of September after a lender for the project cut off funding, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat reported on July 10. Codevelopers Time Equities, JK Equities and Oak Capitals have shut down the site of the 74-story, 421-unit 1000M, which was designed by Helmut Jahn for a site on South Michigan Avenue, after construction lender Goldman Sachs ordered a 90-day period to review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lender expressed concerns "about economic stability of the market," according to Time Equities chairman and CEO Francis Greenburger. While Goldman Sachs could resume funding the US$470-million project after the review, the developers were exploring other financing options. Image credit: courtesy of Helmut Jah

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com INTERLIFT ORGANIZERS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT 2021 EVENT With approximately 160 registrations as of July, organizers of Interlift, planned on October 19-22, 2021, at Messe Augsburg in Augsburg, Germany, are optimistic about the upcoming iteration, stating, "After much uncertainty, the outlook for next year is positive." The international vertical-transportation tradeshow is set to occupy the same 46,500 m2 as in 2019, including two temporary exhibition halls (one of which is to be occupied by Wittur exclusively). Organizers reflected on a recordbreaking Interlift 2019, which had 577 exhibitors from 44 countries and 21,260 visitors from more than 100 countries. Interlift representatives aim to determine hall placement in August, by which time all placement requests should have been received. For more information, email VFA-Interlift e.V. Image credit: courtesy of Interlift To read the

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com PLANT-WRAPPED TOWERS WITH GARDENS FOR BEVERLY HILLS Foster + Partners has conceived a plan for a 17.5-acre site between Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills, California, that includes 32- and 28-story condominium towers wrapped in vegetation and botanical gardens with approximately 300 different species of trees and plants, The Architect's Newspaper reports. If all goes as planned, Alagem Capital Group will start construction on One Beverly Hills in 2021 and finish in 2024. The site abuts a golf course and is home to famous hotels the Beverly Hilton and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, which will remain. They will be joined by a third, "ultra-luxury" hotel and 10 acres of open-to-the-public gardens. Alagem estimates One Beverly Hills will generate roughly US$1.2 million in new city revenue, and create 1,500 construction jobs and 900 permanent jobs. Image credit: c

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com THYSSENKRUPP ACQUIRES WINNIPEG ELEVATOR, WINS CONTRACT thyssenkrupp Elevator Canada has acquired maintenance and modernization contractor Winnipeg Elevator Group (WEG), the company announced on July 7. With a portfolio of about 1,000 elevators, escalators, stairlifts and dumbwaiters, WEG has been serving the Winnipeg area for more than 50 years. thyssenkrupp said it would retain the 23 staffers and most of the WEG ownership team. WEG, with a warehouse and fleet of service vehicles, offers regular maintenance, repair and 24-hr emergency service. In another development, thyssenkrupp won a contract to modernize 12 elevators at 201 Portage, the tallest building in Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba. The contract includes service for these units, plus the 33-story, 128-m-tall building's two escalators and four other elevators, adding a total 18 units to the company's service portfol