Elevator World

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com OEMS WIN PRESTIGIOUS RED DOT PRODUCT DESIGN AWARDS Otis and KONE are among OEMs to recently announce winning awards in the international Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021 competition. Otis was recognized for its Ambiance hall fixtures with call buttons and position indicators. Ambiance fixtures are available in Europe with Gen2® elevators. The fixtures replace conventional, small call buttons covered by a switch plate with large tiles that can be pressed on their entire surface, making it easier to push the button with an elbow, forearm or wrist. Ambiance fixtures also reduce energy consumption and exceed new European accessibility standards. Finland-based KONE won five awards, including a Red Dot: Best of the Best honor in the Interior Design Elements category for its TravelMasterTM Premium Kit escalator solution. The company was also recognized for the Lane next-generation acce

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com NAEC CONVENTION MOVED FROM ATLANTIC CITY TO NEW ORLEANS The National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) announced on May 17 that its 72nd Annual Convention and Exposition has been moved from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to New Orleans. The dates have also been changed to October 4-7. NAEC Executive Director Rená Cozart observes the association has been in close contact with the New Jersey governor’s office and the Centers for Disease Control as event restrictions related to COVID-19 ease, but “the incremental openings are vague enough in nature that we cannot, in good conscience, continue registering and advising exhibitors when Atlantic City may not be up to full capacity for large group meetings.” NAEC President Hope Evans says the association has “a fantastic alternative in New Orleans,” which has hosted successful NAEC events in the past. The new venue is the Ernest N. M

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com IN MEMORIAM: ZACK McCAIN, JR. Upon learning that his friend and colleague, Zack McCain, Jr., had passed away at age 88, Jim Coaker reflected on McCain's legacy. For those in the elevator industry, Coaker said, McCain's handbooks are “an indispensable resource; any inspectors who don't use them are doing themselves a terrible disservice." A more than 45-year veteran of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) A17 code development, McCain died at his home in Norman, Oklahoma, on May 11, surrounded by loved ones after a battle with cancer. An ELEVATOR WORLD author who penned many articles and books, McCain became involved in A17 code in 1976 and continued to contribute until shortly before his passing. After earning his mechanical engineering degree from Lamar University, the Beaumont, Texas, native obtained his professional engineer license and was the elevator program admini

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com OBSERVATORY WITH GLASS ELEVATOR TO DEBUT IN MANHATTAN Summit One Vanderbilt, an observatory in the crown of the new 1,401-ft-tall One Vanderbilt office supertall in Midtown Manhattan, is set to open on October 21, developer SL Green announced on May 11. Described as a multisensory, immersive experience, the attraction includes an all-glass elevator system called Ascent that travels up the outside of the building and provides "breathtaking" views of NYC from 1,210 ft up. Robert Schiffer, managing director at SL Green, told ELEVATOR WORLD that Cimolai Technology SpA of Italy manufactured the lift's rack-and-pinion system and drive, and Wittur designed its cabs. In addition to the glass elevator, Summit One Vanderbilt will boast Levitation — transparent glass sky boxes jutting out over the city, suspending guests 1,063 ft above Madison Avenue, as well as an outdoor bar, seating areas

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com SPECIALIZED ELEVATOR SERVICES EXPANDS CALIFORNIA REACH Specialized Elevator Services (SES), an independent company providing maintenance, repair and modernization, has expanded its reach in California with a new Sacramento office. Serving customers throughout the Sacramento area, the office is led by District Sales Manager Rachel Jones. Servicing most major brands, SES has additional offices in San Diego, Los Angeles/Orange County/Inland Empire and San Francisco. "The chance to work with an independent service company will provide elevator owners and managers with more choices in the Sacramento market," Jones said. The new office can be reached at 916-792-5414. 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 RECENT LEASES AT MANHATTAN OFFICE TOWER POINT TO RECOVERY Office tenants including investment firms U.A.E.-based Mamura Holdings LLC, MSD Partners and asset manager Nearwater Management recently signed leases with SL Green for space in the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed One Vanderbilt, a new, 1,401-ft-tall supertall in Midtown Manhattan, Real Estate Weekly reports. A total of 11 new leases signed during the pandemic brings occupancy to 79% at the tower — which is served by a Schindler vertical-transportation system that includes 43 elevators and five escalators — and points to post-pandemic recovery. MSD will occupy 35,000 ft2 of space under a 10-year lease, and MSD, the entire 26th floor, under a 15-year lease. Steven Durels, executive vice president and director of Leasing and Real Property at SL Green, said the firm anticipates “leasing velocity to remain strong as NYC’s revitaliza

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com UNITED CABS RESTRUCTURES, EXPANDS AND TAPS A LEADER A new entity, United Vertical Group, has been formed to represent United Cabs Inc.'s elevator cab products and United Metals Corp.'s hoistway entrance products, United Cabs announced this month. At the same time, the Long Island, New York-based company announced Laureen Rios as president of United Vertical Group. The restructuring comes in tandem with United Cabs' recent move into a 35,000-ft2 space, which is being outfitted with more than US$1 million in new machinery. The company stated the restructuring and physical expansion promise to enhance customer service and facilitate growth in a competitive market. Rios has more than 17 years' experience in the elevator industry and has handled "virtually every situation" with vendors, colleagues and clients. She is highly regarded among elevator contractors and consultants, according

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com IN MEMORIAM: KEITH JENKINS Keith Jenkins, a resident of Montreal and founder of Canadian elevator consultancy KJA Consultants Inc., passed away in February at age 83. Widely regarded as a pioneer in the elevator consulting profession, Jenkins was a contemporary and associate of ELEVATOR WORLD founder William C. Sturgeon. Jenkins and his projects were featured often in EW throughout the 1970s and '80s when his firm, founded in 1965, was known as Keith Jenkins & Associates. What is now KJA grew to become the third-largest consultancy in North America. Survivors include his wife, Sylvie; daughter, Katherine; and many other loved ones, friends and colleagues. KJA Chief Operating Officer Rob Isabelle observed that many "old timers" knew Jenkins for his superior intellect, technical abilities and elevator industry trailblazing. Many of his colleagues shared tributes about his legacy.

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com AEG ACQUIRES ABELL ELEVATOR INTERNATIONAL American Elevator Group (AEG) announced on May 3 the acquisition of Abell Elevator International, which serves customers throughout Kentucky and North Carolina. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Abell Elevator was founded in 1910. It was acquired by industry veteran Kent Lloyd in 1976. The company specializes in installation, maintenance, modernization and repair of all types of vertical-transportation equipment, with a particular focus on energy-efficient, environmentally responsible elevators. Abell Elevator is led by Kent Lloyd's son, David Lloyd, who serves as president. 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 SCHINDLER ACQUIRES DENVER-BASED CES Schindler has acquired Denver-based Colorado Elevator Solutions (CES), Florida-based Maven Group LLC, which facilitated the transaction, announced on May 4. CES founder and principal Scott Brugh said he is proud of the portfolio CES has built in the Denver area over the years. "With the addition of Schindler's engineering expertise, we hope to provide the best of both worlds to our employees and customers going forward," Brugh said, praising the "competitive bid process and due diligence" arranged by Maven. Lape Mansfield Nakasian & Gibson LLC served as legal advisor to Schindler, and FR Law Group acted as legal advisor to CES. Image credit: courtesy of CES 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 KEIJI NAGATA LEAVES DUBAI AFTER LEADING TOSHIBA GULF Effective April 1, Keiji Nagata, managing director of Toshiba Gulf and corporate representative of Toshiba for Middle East-Africa (MEA), officially transferred to Toshiba HQ and has left Dubai, the company reported on April 22. In his farewell address at Toshiba Elevator Middle East in mid-April, Nagata thanked all for the support, guidance and encouragement. He further stated that working in such an exciting marketplace, including Dubai, UAE and other MEA countries, with the most intelligent people was an excellent opportunity for him to grow, even at his age. In his new assignment, he will be supporting the global business growth of Toshiba on the corporate side in Japan. Satoshi Kawada, the new Toshiba corporate representative for MEA, is now based in Dubai as managing director of Toshiba Gulf. He previously has overseas exp

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com CITY OF LONDON’S SKYSCRAPER APPETITE REMAINS “FIERCE” A growing amount of empty office space and a push toward carbon neutrality have thus far failed to quell the City of London's "fierce" appetite for tall-building construction, with six skyscrapers taller than 145 m greenlit in the past few years, Architects' Journal reports. Three such towers were approved in the first few months of 2021, joining a previously approved trio that includes two taller than 250 m. Despite a "new normal" that includes working from home, skyscraper developers are bullish on the downtown London office market, with Patrick Wong, CEO at Hong Kong-based Tenacity, observing that building the "right building at the right time" is key. Tenacity is building the 50-story 8 Bishopsgate, which, like its neighbor 22 Bishopsgate, will have more than 10% of its floorspace dedicated to amenities. Beyond the standard

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com PENN STATION’S POSSIBLE REDESIGN REVEALED FOR NYC New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has released new reconstruction options for revitalizing Pennsylvania Station in Midtown Manhattan, New York YIMBY reported on April 24. The proposals, part of the suggested Empire Station Complex, reveal a massive undertaking by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Amtrak and NJ Transit to unify all three concourses into a fresh, modern space designed by FXCollaborative and WSP. The existing Penn Station serves 600,000 passengers daily, but the redesign will accommodate a future influx of customers using both the existing Penn Station and the upcoming Penn Station expansion. The state projects ridership to grow to 830,000 daily by 2038, about 54% of whom will be MTA customers using the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North and the subway. Another 42% percent will be NJ Transit customers, with th

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com AEG INTRODUCES TUITION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM American Elevator Group (AEG), headquartered in NYC, has introduced a tuition reimbursement program for its approximately 650 employees nationwide not covered by a collective bargaining agreement. The initiative aims to deliver the same benefits as those available to employees covered by union-regulated programs. Announced on April 27, the program provides fee reimbursement for up to two classes per semester, with a maximum of US$5,250 for undergraduate students or those in certification programs and US$7,250 for graduate students. "One of the central values of AEG is to invest in its people," said AEG President C. Mark Boelhouwer. "We want to ensure that anyone who chooses to focus on developing their career through education gets the support they need." To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com SOUTH KOREAN TOWER WITH MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC LIFT COMPLETES The 27-story Bundang Doosan Tower, with a design by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) featuring stacked, skybridge-connected masses forming a grand, square portal, is complete in Seongnam, South Korea, KPF announced in April. KPF Communications Manager John Gibson tells ELEVATOR WORLD the tower — headquarters for Doosan Corp. — is served by a Mitsubishi Electric elevator system. Six lifts serve the parking and podium-level office amenities area, eight, the low office zone, and 10, the high office zone. For better efficiency, office zone elevators have been equipped with a destination-dispatch system. Besides offices, the 83,000-m2 building includes an auditorium, a daycare center for employees' children, a fitness center, the Doosan History Museum and a café that opens to a landscaped roof terrace. "The design strives for rational s

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com 92 OTIS ESCALATORS PART OF MUNICH METRO MODERNIZATION Through 2026, Otis Germany will install 92 heavy-duty NPETM escalators at 18 stations of the Munich Metro, bringing the number of escalators the OEM has supplied to the system since 1985 to 500. Part of an ongoing modernization, the escalators will be manufactured at Otis' facility in Breclav, Czech Republic. In announcing the deal in April, Otis observed it worked closely with Stadtwerke München, the public company that operates the metro, to develop the escalator system. It will include custom controllers to collect real-time data that passengers can access online or through the city's transport app to confirm escalators are in operation. The data will also enable timely maintenance and reduced downtime. The controllers will be manufactured by Otis in Berlin. Image credit: courtesy of Otis To read the full transcript of t

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com IMEC WINS 72-ELEVATOR ORDER FOR TWO COMPLEXES IN INDIA Mitsubishi Elevator India Pvt. Ltd. (IMEC) has won an order to supply 72 elevators, including 37 high-speed units, to the Commerzone Madhapur and Altimus luxury commercial complexes, developed by K Raheja Corp. in Hyderabad and Mumbai, respectively. At Commerzone Madhapur, there will be 18, 210 m/min and 29 standard lifts and at Altimus, 19, 360 m/min and six standard lifts. Both systems will be equipped with the Destination Oriented Allocation System (DOAS®) to meet COVID-19 needs for touchless operation and M's BRIDGETM predictive-maintenance technology. In announcing the award on April 21, IMEC observed that business decreased temporarily due to the pandemic, but is expected to stabilize from fiscal 2022 onward. Image credit: Courtesy of K Raheja Corp 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 CONSTRUCTION SET TO START ON MIAMI HIGH RISE Developers Royal Palm Cos. and OneWorld Developers are poised to launch construction of the Legacy Hotel & Residences, a 50-story mixed-use tower set to rise at the Miami Worldcenter development, Florida YIMBY reported on April 15. Designed by Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design Inc., the skyscraper is expected to rise approximately 661 ft along the Miami skyline. The permit filing has the site addressed as 930 Northeast First Avenue, sitting diagonally across from Paramount Miami Worldcenter. Plans call for Legacy Hotel & Residences to locate up to 260 guest rooms and other hotel facilities within the lower half of the tower, with guests to be welcomed through a 40-ft-tall lobby. The residential component will be built within the upper half of the structure, offering up to 290 MicroLuxe-themed residences ranging from studios up to

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com LIBERTY ELEVATOR OPENS FLORIDA OFFICE Liberty Elevator Corp., which has served the NYC metropolitan area for more than 60 years, recently announced the opening of an office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The move came after requests from some of Liberty's customers who have properties in Florida. Liberty's certified union mechanics now provide clients in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Naples and surrounding areas with maintenance, modernization and new-construction services. "As a larger independent, family-owned elevator contractor, we are robust enough to mobilize assets for any size project, yet remain agile enough to address individual client needs in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and, now, Florida,” Liberty Elevator states. To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │ Google Play | SoundCloud │ Sti

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com IN MEMORIAM: MARTHA HULGAN Martha Hulgan, longtime friend of ELEVATOR WORLD, founding member of the Vertical Initiative for Elevator Escalator Women and owner of MMH & Associates, LLC, Elevator Consulting, passed away near her home in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 12 after a brief illness. Hulgan had more than 40 years’ experience in the elevator industry, founding Elevator Maintenance & Repair Co., Inc., in Chattanooga with her late husband, Bud, in 1979 after studying at Edmondson Business College. In 2001, Hulgan’s career transitioned to Otis when the OEM purchased Elevator Maintenance & Repair and merged it with its Chattanooga operation. With Otis, Hulgan served as regional business development manager, territorial manager and sales representative for the Chattanooga/Nashville markets. She left Otis in 2006 and launched MMH & Associates in 2008. In this role, Hulgan provid