Elevator World

In Memoriam: Antonio García De Alvear by Elevator World

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com

TOAPANTA TAPPED TO LEAD URBAN ELEVATOR’S L.A. OPERATION

Urban Elevator Service Co. President Edward Pleban recently announced that Eddy Toapanta has been hired as vice president/principal in charge of sales for the Los Angeles office. Toapanta has more than 10 years' experience in the elevator industry, including as a branch manager for TK Elevator, based in Burbank, California; a branch and regional sales manager for Amtech Elevator Services, an Otis affiliate serving Southern California; and project manager for the Wilshire Grand for Otis. From Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, Toapanta holds a BS in business administration and management and an MBA with a double emphasis in finance and marketing.

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast is presented by Matot Dumbwaiters and Material Lifts. Visit www.Matot.com to learn more; and Relayr who wants you to say hello to Franz!. Visit www.hellofranz.com to learn more.

TK ELEVATOR’S NEW NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS

News about TK Elevator’s new North American headquarters, the cornerstone of which is an Innovation and Qualification Center, or IQC, that includes the tallest elevator test tower in North America at 420 feet tall. An ELEVATOR WORLD representative was among more than 200 guests who attended the inauguration of the new headquarters at the Battery in Atlanta on Wednesday, February 9. The event was hosted by dignitaries including TK Elevator North America President and CEO Kevin Lavallee, who said, quote, At our new headquarters and one-of-a-kind IQC we will develop new technologies that serve as the foundation of our innovative product portfolio. This will allow us to meet and even exceed evolving customer and market requirements, end quote. Lavallee said the new headquarters and IQC would not have been possible without the hard work of countless TK Elevator employees and partners, and thanked everyone for their contributions.

To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast is presented by Matot Dumbwaiters and Material Lifts. Visit www.Matot.com to learn more

ARCLINE CREATES STANDARD ELEVATOR THROUGH ACQUISITIONS

Standard Elevator, a new company created by growth-oriented private-equity firm Arcline Investment Management, will offer the vertical-transportation (VT) industry a leading choice of elevator components and solutions platforms, Arcline announced in January. Standard was set up through the acquisition of five critical suppliers: Standard Elevator Systems (SES) of Memphis, Tennessee; EMI Porta (EMI) of Arlington Heights, Illinois; ZZIPCO of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey; Texacone of Mesquite, Texas; and Elevator Equipment Co. (EECO) of Los Angeles. These firms have been serving the largest elevator servicers and installers in the U.S. and Canada. The combination of the five companies lays the foundation for Standard to become a VT-integrated, one-stop shop for elevator parts, components and software, Arcline said. Jimmy He, founder of SES, will remain a significant minority shareholder in the combined business. Arcline is a growth-oriented private-equity firm with US$4.4 billion in capital commitments.

Image credit: Courtesy of Hamilton Public Library

To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast is presented by Matot Dumbwaiters and Material Lifts. Visit www.Matot.com to learn more

TKE WINS U.K. PROJECT FOR CLOSE TO 300 UNITS

German-based TK Elevator (TKE) has been selected to build and install nearly 300 lifts and escalators for the four major HS2 stations, Construction Enquirer is among outlets to report. TKE has signed a framework agreement, expected to be worth between GBP207 million (US$283 million) and GBP316 million (US$431 million) depending on the number of lifts and escalators needed. This flexible approach will allow HS2 to vary the number of lifts and escalators in line with station requirements as the designs are finalized. The source reports Birmingham Curzon Street, Interchange, Old Oak Common and the new HS2 platforms at London Euston will need more than 160 lifts and 130 escalators. The framework also includes maintenance for up to 20 years. The longest escalators will be at Old Oak Common in west London, which will take passengers 13.5 m up from the subsurface platforms to concourse level. The new station — where HS2 meets Crossrail services to Heathrow and the West End of London — will boast more than 50 lifts and escalators.

Image credit: Courtesy of Hamilton Public Library

To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast is presented by Matot Dumbwaiters and Material Lifts. Visit www.Matot.com to learn more

IN MEMORIAM: DON RUSSELL FELL

Although his company's products could be found globally and beyond — even in space in the form of FELLFAB® protective coverings for a Canadian-built robotic arm serving the International Space Station — company founder Don Fell "would always ask how our elevator pad sales were going," FELLFAB's Mark Maddalena told Canadian Elevator Contractor Association Executive Director Catharine Bothwell. Fell passed away on January 7 in Hamilton, Canada, at age 86. "As founder he was involved in so many products, from tarps, aircraft and rail seating, military packs and space equipment covers," Maddalena said. But, "the elevator market was one that was close to him." Fell founded the company in Hamilton when he was only 15, initially specializing in tarpaulin repair but growing it into an international concern. He earned a reputation for both working and playing hard, and being a dedicated and productive fund raiser for numerous charities. Fell's survivors include children Pam, Glen and Linda; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. "He was so looking forward to the 70th anniversary of FELLFAB next month, and his family will proudly carry on his legacy," his obituary stated. Donations in Fell's memory to a charitable organization or to the St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton Foundation are appreciated.

Image credit: Courtesy of Hamilton Public Library

To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com

KONE TO PROVIDE 22 UNITS FOR SIGNIA BY HILTON ATLANTA

KONE has won an order to provide 16 elevators and six escalators to the Signia by Hilton Hotel Atlanta, connected to the Georgia World Congress Center and overlooking the Mercedes-Benz Stadium sports and entertainment complex, the OEM announced on January 5. In addition to 15 passenger, one service elevator and six escalators, KONE solutions include Destination to improve efficiency and the E-LinkTM remote-monitoring system. Owned by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority and managed by Hilton Management Services, the 37-story tower will feature 975 hotel rooms, 75,000 ft2 of meeting space, a bar, a restaurant and wellness facilities. Boston-based Drew Co. is the developer, Gensler is the architect and a joint venture between Skanska and SG Contracting is the general contractor. Completion is anticipated in late 2023.

Image credit: Courtesy of Hilton

To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com

OTIS GEN360 PLATFORM FOR THREE MAJOR PROJECTS IN FRANCE

Otis recently announced that its Gen360 platform, currently available in Europe, will equip three elevator systems it is providing at major architectural sites in France: The Aquatics Center in Saint-Denis, The Athletes' Village in Saint-Open-sur-Seine and the new campus of the EM Lyon Business School in Lyon. At The Aquatics Center, designed by VenhoevenCS and Ateliers 2/3/4/ for the sports competitions planned in Paris in 2024, Otis will install five elevators, including the Gen360 platform, to provide access to the top floor of the building. Otis observed the architects favored Gen360's design because it allows maintenance to be performed from within the car and negates the need for any roof protrusion that would interfere with the structure's architectural lines. The center will be built by a consortium led by Bouygues Batiment Il-de-France. It will be converted for future mixed-use purposes after the sports events. Located in the Paris area, The Athletes’ Village will also be built for the sports competitions. It is designed to accommodate more than 14,000 athletes and staff. Otis was chosen by Riffage Construction to equip all the apartment buildings in the Village sector E, which represents a total of 38 Gen360 units. For this project, sustainability was a significant factor. Six of the 10 units Otis is providing at the new campus of the EM Lyon Business School, slated to open in 2024, will be Gen360. The client chose Gen360 for its design flexibility that allows for low overhead, no roof protrusion and enhanced connectivity. Located in the center of Lyon in the Gerland neighborhood, the 30,000-m2 campus project is being led by PCA-Stream and the Altarea Group through its Cogedim brand.

Image credit: courtesy © Otis/Arnaud Ferrier

To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com

KONE REPORT TELLS STORY OF PEOPLE FLOW DURING COVID-19

KONE has analyzed data from its global elevator portfolio to tell the story of the flow of people in cities around the world over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release. The data collected covers the period from before the first lockdowns confined most populations to their homes to the present day, and provides an original data set for illustrating the return of people to workplaces, educational institutions, hotels and within residential buildings.

The report includes the following highlights:

- In the top 10 European cities, the average number of elevator journeys plummeted 80% between February and April 2020. The return to office buildings in Paris, Munich, Helsinki, Berlin, Milan and Hamburg has remained at 60% of pre-pandemic levels since the start of this year, but data show that the return to the office slowed in November with the discovery of a new coronavirus variant in the second half of the month.

- Data for hotel elevators tells the dramatic story of the pandemic. From a monthly peak of over 22,000 starts per hotel elevator in September 2019, this number plummeted almost 90% to around 2,500 starts per hotel elevator by April 2020. Although the monthly number of average journeys in European cities recovered in October 2021, the numbers fell again in November.

- The global picture shows national differences when it comes to the return to the office. Since January 2021, a more nuanced picture has emerged from KONE's elevator data for office buildings, which reflects different COVID-19 strategies in individual countries.

Image credit: courtesy of Financial Times Commercial Department.

To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast is sponsored by Relayr who wants you to say hello to Franz!. Visit www.hellofranz.com to learn more

HYBRID IZMIR ELEVATOR SYMPOSIUM WAS HELD

The 10th Elevator Symposium, organized by the Izmir branches on behalf of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) Chamber of Mechanical Engineers and TMMOB Chamber of Electrical Engineers, was held at İzmir MMO Tepekule Congress and Exhibition Center in Turkey on November 18-20. The three-day event, which was also live-streamed by Zoom and YouTube, hosted seven sessions and two panels. The event, where the papers and presentations were live-streamed and the opening session and panels were held in-person, has been supported by many institutions and companies. At the opening ceremony, MMO Chairman Melih Yalçın, EMO Izmir Branch Chairman Şebnem Seçkin Uğurlu, Aegean Elevator and Escalator Industrialists Association (EAYSAD) President Mert Öğüşlü, Turkey Elevator Industrialists Federation (TASFED) Deputy Chairman Cem Bozdağ, MMO President Yunus Yener and EMO President Bülent Pala made speeches. You may find and watch all of the presentations of the symposium at MMO’s web site.

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To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news

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