Elevator World

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com THYSSENKRUPP MAKES SWEDISH ACQUISITION thyssenkrupp is acquiring Stockholm-based Sdiptech AB, which has a maintenance portfolio of 9,500 units, the OEM announced on February 19. Companies operating under the Sdiptech umbrella employ 115 and generated revenue of EUR30 million (US$36 million) in fiscal 2020. Subject to approval by Swedish authorities, the deal is expected to close in April. The acquisition brings thyssenkrupp's total number of employees in Sweden to more than 250. "Sdiptech's Swedish elevator businesses belong to the most trusted and respected elevator companies in Stockholm, and we are thrilled that they will become part of [our] elevator family and contribute to our profitable growth in the Nordic region," thyssenkrupp CEO Peter Walker said. Image credit: by Bruno/Germany for Pixabay 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 50 HUDSON YARDS TOPS OUT New York YIMBY recently reported on the topping out of Foster + Partners and Oxford Properties' 50 Hudson Yards at 1,011 ft. The 58-story commercial supertall is the final building for Hudson Yards' first phase. At 2.9 million ft2, it is also the largest by volume and features the first installation of thyssenkrupp Elevator's TWIN system in NYC and second in the U.S. Major tenants, including BlackRock and Facebook (the latter at 1.2 million ft2) have been secured, and opening is still set for next year. Image credit: via Hudson Yards Instagram 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 IAEC FORUM POSTPONED, MOVED TO ORLANDO IAEC Forum 2021 has been rescheduled to June 29-July 2 at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort in Orlando the International Association of Elevator Contractors (IAEC) recently announced. The new location will double the total meeting space from last year's iteration to provide extensive room for social distancing during seminars, dining/reception and tradeshow, organizers said. Image credit: by Ralf Gruber for Pixabay 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 FINAL KPF DESIGN OF 5 WTC IN NYC REVEALED, APPROVED A design by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) was selected for Five World Trade Center (5 WTC) by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey during a board meeting on February 11, New York YIMBY reports. The 900-ft-tall, 80-story structure at 130 Liberty Street is the latest piece of the redevelopment of the WTC site in NYC’s Financial District. The selection allows Silverstein Properties, Brookfield Properties, Omni New York LLC and Dabar Development Partners to secure a 99-year ground lease for the 1.56-million-ft2 tower. A departure from the sleek minimalist designs of the four other WTC towers, renderings show a floor-to-ceiling curtain wall with rounded corners and a large-scale grid of light-colored mullions. Residential amenities are indicated by a subtle setback at the middle. On the drawing board are 190,000 ft2 of office space

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com OSHA UPGRADES, UPDATES COVID-19 SITE OSHA recently revamped and has continually updated its COVID-19 webpage over the past few months. New resources include “Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace,” guidance on common COVID-19 citations, alerts on ventilation in the workplace and short video public service announcements on preventing COVID-19 transmission in the workplace for employers (English and Spanish) and workers (English and Spanish). A new poster on Keeping Workers Safe at COVID-19 Vaccination Sites, is available, along with a Polish version. Image credit: by PIRO4D for Pixabay 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 OTIS BRAZIL SIGNS MAINTENANCE CONTRACT FOR 88 UNITS Otis Brazil has signed a maintenance contract with Gazit Group for 88 units across six properties, adding 51 units to Otis’ service portfolio and renewing a contract for an additional 37 units, including elevators, escalators, moving walks and platform lifts. With what Otis describes as focus on technology and safety, the company’s work at Shopping Light, a mall in São Paulo housed in a historic building, led to this contract. When it opened in 1929 as the headquarters of the first power distribution company in Brazil, the structure was one of the first in the country with Otis elevators. “After more than 90 years of caring for those six elevators and their countless passengers, we’re proud to have modernized three of them just last year,” stated Fernando Peiter, Otis Latin America sales and marketing director. Image credit: co

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com HITACHI ELEVATOR PROVIDING 201 UNITS TO SHANGHAI METRO Hitachi Elevator (China) Co., Ltd. is providing 201 elevators and escalators to 14 stations along Shanghai Metro Line 15, which opened for trial operations in January. Starting at Gucun Park to the north and ending at Zizhu High-Tech Industrial Park to the south, the 42-km underground line is the longest (in kilometers) to open in China all at once. Hitachi's EX-BPG escalators, which the company states provides better braking than standard industry models, were used. This model is equipped with more than 30 safety devices. Hitachi has provided products and services to rail transit projects in 24 cities in China. It is also providing maintenance for Line 15 and "plans to deploy the latest technologies, including AI, cloud computing and Internet of Things." Image credit: courtesy of Hitachi Elevator To read the full transcri

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com IGV ADDS EXPORT MANAGER, AD HOC PM IGV Group of Vignate, Italy, recently appointed Sabrina Colla as its new export area manager and ad hoc project manager (PM). Colla will support IGV’s expansion in the U.K., France, Eastern Europe and Russia and ad hoc project development. The latter represents "a new product range designed by renowned architects, where the lift becomes an extremely customizable design object," the company explained. Colla has triple nationality and speaks six languages. After graduating in Economy and International Affairs Management, she started her career in Russia's oil and gas sector. Her career then moved to Italy's elevator industry. Here, she has worked for Sercom Lift Group, Vipal and Omnia Lift, most recently as KONE Global and Switzerland accounts manager. She also served as IGV's export area manager and supported its strategic marketing in 2017-2019.

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com DETAILS ABOUT NYC MIDTOWN EAST “COMMODORE” SUPERTALL Developed by RXR Realty and TF Cornerstone, Project Commodore at 175 Park Avenue in NYC’s Midtown East includes a 1,646-ft-tall, 83-story tower that would become the tallest in the Western Hemisphere by roof height, New York YIMBY reports. Renderings by architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill reveal a façade featuring "an elegant lattice of tubular metal columns that symmetrically converge at the base" and angled setbacks rising to a lattice crown. Planned on the site of the 26-story Grand Hyatt New York, the structure would contain 500 Hyatt hotel rooms on the upper floors, 2.1 million ft2 of office space and 10,000 ft2 of ground- and cellar-level retail. The project also includes major renovations to the underground Grand Central subway station and aboveground public improvements such as a 22,000-ft2 outdoor area, cafés, art inst

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com CTBUH ANNOUNCES BEST TALL BUILDING WINNERS FOR 2021 The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) recently announced the best Tall Building Award of Excellence Winners for 2021. The buildings were evaluated across five height thresholds and three functions — under 100 m, 100-199 m, 200-299 m, 300-399 m and 400 m and above, and office, mixed-use and residential. Additional winners in engineering, construction, interior design, urban habitat and more, will be announced later. The winners now move on to the next stage of the awards program, in which the owners/developers and design/engineering teams compete in the CTBUH 2021 Tall + Urban Conference for best-in-category recognition. Taking place online on May 18-20, the event will conclude with the announcement of the 2021 overall best tall building worldwide. Winners hailed from countries including the U.S., Canada, China,

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com CONSTRUCTION TOPS OUT ON THE SPIRAL IN NYC The 1,031-ft-tall, 66-story The Spiral, under construction at 66 Hudson Boulevard in NYC, has topped out, New York YIMBY reported on January 29. As a group of officials, led by Rob Speyer, president and CEO of developer Tishman Speyer, watched, a green tree was lifted atop a steel beam rising up the building. With a design by Bjarke Ingels Group, the steel-framed structure at Tenth and Eleventh avenues and 34th and 35th streets will provide some 2.8 million ft2 of office space. The six-story base will house a lobby that will have dual entrances on both Hudson Boulevard East and Tenth Avenue and include28-ft-tall ceilings. The base will include some 25,000 ft2 of first-class retail space. Completion is expected in 2022. The project total is listed at about US$3.7 billion. Image credit: by Michael Young for New York YIMBY To read the fu

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com NEIGHBOR APPROVED FOR LONDON’S “WALKIE-TALKIE” TOWER London's Rafael Viñoly-designed, 37-story "Walkie-Talkie" skyscraper at 20 Frenchurch Street will likely be getting a 30-story neighbor, with the City of London Corp. approving Hong Kong developer Tenacity International Group's office tower plan, Bloomberg reports. The source observed it is one of the largest proposed developments in London's financial district since the onset of the pandemic, and noted there are indications that big corporations continue to commit to longterm leases, given a dearth of new office space. Noting that Brexit and the pandemic have created "incredibly difficult conditions," Tenacity CEO Patrick Wong said he believes "London is, and will remain, an attractive city for companies large and small, and their workers." Image credit: by © user: Colin for Wikimedia Commons. To read the full transcript of

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com OTIS ELEVATOR AIRFLOW STUDY: COVID-19 RISK LOW WITH MITIGATION Otis released results of a three-month academic study on how elevator airflow affects potential exposure to COVID-19 on January 27. Led by Dr. Qingyan Chen, the James G. Dwyer professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, the study presented a science-based approach to mitigating exposure in elevators. Findings show the significant amount of air exchange in most elevators, combined with simple mitigation strategies (including all riders wearing surgical-style masks and installation of an air-purification system), puts an elevator ride on the lower end of the exposure spectrum. The study concluded that, when simple mitigation measures are in place, a short elevator ride of 1-2 min represents a very low risk of exposure compared with several everyday activities, such as dining outdo

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com CECA POSTPONES HALIFAX EVENT; LOOKS TO MONTREAL IN 2022 The Canadian Elevator Contractors Association (CECA) has postponed its 2021 Halifax convention to June 2023. The CECA Board of Directors said the decision, announced in January, was based on Nova Scotia COVID-19 regulations regarding in-person meetings and a mandated two-week quarantine for anyone entering the province, continued closure of the U.S.-Canada border, fewer flights to and from Nova Scotia, company travel restrictions and hesitancy to resume air travel, the increase in COVID-19 numbers in Canada and delay in vaccine rollout and availability. In lieu of the Halifax convention, CECA said it is planning regional meetings with more travel options "to offer our members a chance to get together and experience that cozy Canadian feeling — should regulations allow." The association plans its next full convention in June 2

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com REBUILT, MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR NYC BUS TERMINAL PLANNED The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey aims to rebuild its 70-year-old bus terminal at 625 Eighth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, a project that will cost billions and unfold through 2030, ABC 7 was among outlets to report in January. Supported by both New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, the plan involves getting rid of the terminal's "aging tile floors, creaky escalators and creepy corridors" and replacing them with state-of-the-art facilities spread over 1 million ft2, with features such as new storage and staging areas for an all-electric bus fleet. Also on the drawing board are four commercial towers of unspecified height and more than three acres of public green space. Expanded in 1981, the terminal has become the world's busiest. Image credit: photo by Hudconja for Wikipedia To read the ful

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com KONE EXECUTIVE BOARD CHANGES, NEW MD IN WESTERN EUROPE KONE recently announced changes on its executive board and a new managing director (MD) of Belgium and Luxembourg. Johannes Frände was appointed executive vice president (EVP), general counsel and a member of the executive board. Based in Espoo, Finland, Frände reports directly to KONE President and CEO Henrik Ehrnrooth. He succeeds Klaus Cawén, who is focusing on non-executive duties after nearly 40 years of service. Cawén will support Frände in the transition through March and will continue as an executive advisor through April 1. The acquisitions team that currently reports to Cawén will transfer to the finance team, reporting to EVP and Chief Financial Officer Ilkka Hara. Thomas Hinnerskov has been appointed EVP for South Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), starting April 1. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, Hinnerskov

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com BLAIN HYDRAULICS OPENS SHANGHAI LOCATION Blain Hydraulics GmbH has opened a location in Shanghai in an effort to expand its footprint in China, the company announced. The move came within five years of the German supplier expanding in India, Turkey, Brazil and the U.S. Marking 50 years in business in 2021, Blain aims "to expand further and tap the hydraulic elevator segment in China and East Asia, facilitating the availability of products, spare parts, technical support and hydraulic elevator planning and consulting services to OEMs and other lift companies locally." The new location is in Suite 12C, Huibao Plaza, Hunan Road, 2633 Pudong, Shanghai 201315 and can be reached at phone: 86 21 6803 6528. Image credit: courtesy of Blain Hydraulics To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │ Google Play | SoundClou

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com THYSSENKRUPP MAINTAINING UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE VT SYSTEM thyssenkrupp Elevator is providing maintenance, including predictive maintenance, for the vertical-transportation (VT) system at the University of Seville in southern Spain, the OEM announced on January 19. The contract covers 161 passenger elevators, 22 small freight elevators, eight platform lifts and 22 chairlifts. The company credits its cloud-based, digital solution MAX with helping secure the contract, which has been in place since June 2020. The university's maintenance department praised MAX for enabling constant monitoring, and predicting and preventing breakdowns. According to thyssenkrupp Elevator, the university "combines future-oriented technology like [MAX] with tradition and architectural highlights like the university's main building," known as the Old Tobacco Factory and dating to the 1700s. Image credit:

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com FERMATOR PLANT COLLAPSES FROM SNOW; PRODUCTION SHIFTS Fermator's 14,000-m2 Doors Movement Technology plant in Falset, Spain, collapsed as a result of heavy snowfall earlier this month, prompting production to shift to the Tecnolama S.A. plant in Reus, Spain, Fermator Group Sales Manager Eduard Amigó said. Fortunately, he added, there were no injuries among the plant’s 120 employees. The company plans to reconstruct the destroyed Falset factory, and production will remain in Reus until it reopens in approximately eight months. Describing the Falset facility as one of Fermator's biggest factories in western Europe, Amigó said the company thanks all who reached out with "countless expressions of solidarity, support and affection from all over the world." Image credit: courtesy of Fermator To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR (INDIA)’S MEHAN AWARDED Manish Mehan, CEO and managing director, thyssenkrupp Elevator (India), was presented with the Master Entrepreneur Award in the "Engineering Industry" category at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards 2020. Given "for his remarkable contribution to the growth of thyssenkrupp Elevator in India, while also fulfilling his social responsibilities," the company said, Mehan was credited for restructuring the business by introducing organizational changes, leadership changes and strengthening of its branches. He steered such strategic initiatives as “Elevate India,” focusing on spares, segment-specific business growth, process improvement through digitalization and automation. He has also increased focus on in-house R&D and spearheaded the company's digitization drive. Image credit: courtesy of Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards To read the full