Elevator World

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

WONG TAKES HR JOB AT GAL, GAL CANADA AND HOLLISTER-WHITNEY

Richard Wong has been named chief human-resources (HR) officer for GAL, GAL Canada and Hollister Whitney, Mark Boelhouwer, president and CEO, announced on December 5. In this role, Wong will be responsible for all aspects of the company's people strategy, Boelhouwer said. Wong has more than 20 years of HR experience in industrial manufacturing and across many Fortune 500 companies. In his prior roles, he has served as regional head of HR for Teva Pharmaceuticals based in New Jersey and director of supply-chain HR for the PepsiCo, Frito-Lay Northeast Region, based in Connecticut. He holds a master’s degree in industrial relations from Wayne State University in Michigan and a bachelor's degree in Business Commerce from the University of Windsor in Canada.

HITACHI ESTABLISHES ELEVATOR UNIT IN SOUTH KOREA

Hitachi Ltd. has opened an elevator unit in South Korea, Pulse reports. The company officially launched Hitachi Elevator Korea during a December 4 ceremony at Lotte Hotel in Seoul. Hitachi has been installing elevators in South Korea since 1968, and in 1984 provided elevators for the country's first high-rise building. A Hitachi official said expectations of rapid growth, partly because of changes in safety regulations, led to the establishment of the Korean subsidiary. Korea is Hitachi's third-biggest elevator market, after China and India.

30-STORY RESIDENTIAL TOWERS FOR CANADIAN PORT CITY

The Canadian port city of Hamilton, historically free of skyscrapers, is set to get a pair of 30-story residential towers, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat reports, citing information from SkyRise Cities. The Labourers' Pension Fund of Central and Eastern Canada is behind the project on the old Kresge's Department Store site at King and Hughson streets. It is set to include 500,000 sq. ft. of residencies atop a five-story podium containing 20,000 sq. ft. of retail. Designed by Graziani & Corazza Architects, the project could start construction by summer 2018.

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

SAUDI ARABIAN COMPANY ENTERING NEW MARKETS

Saudi Arabian holding company Mayar Holding, parent of Gulf Elevators & Escalators Co. (GEEC), is looking to expand beyond the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations into Egypt and Iraq, Thomson Reuters Zawya reported on December 5. Mayar CEO Abdulamajed Alshaikh said the GCC nations — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman — were hit hard by the worldwide decline in oil prices that began in 2014, which is prompting the expansion. GEEC is the exclusive distributor for Japanese elevator brand Fuji in the GCC and other parts of the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

 

ELEVATORS AMONG GROWTH DRIVERS FOR HITACHI IN CHINA

Demand for elevators, along with a strong economy and recovering construction sector, is driving growth for Hitachi in China, the Nikkei Asian Review reports. The company's Chinese sales had been expected to surpass US$8.9 billion through the year ending in March 2018, and reach at least US$9.7 billion by March 2019. Hitachi President Toshiaki Higashihara shared that smart manufacturing and electric vehicles will be among the focuses going forward. Business has been steady, he said, despite concern that the twice-a-decade Communist Party Congress in October 2017 would result in an economic slowdown.

 

WORLD CUP BRINGS ELEVATOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

The Qatar Ministry of Economy and Commerce says the 2022 FIFA World Cup is bringing demand for an estimated 110 elevators at stadiums, The Peninsula reports. The ministry said most of the elevators will be machine-room-less, with speeds of 1.0 to 1.6 mps. They must comply with EN 81-20/-50 and EN 81-70. Some of the lifts must also comply with EN 81-72 requirements for firefighting. The procurement timeline is 2017-2018.

 

TOKYO POSTERS TARGET ESCALATOR CLIMBERS

Posters at Tokyo's Nerima rail station are urging an end to the practice of escalator riders standing to one side to allow others to climb the moving stairs, Sora News 24 reports. The Tokyo Metropolitan Physical Therapy Association and Japan Elevator Association, citing concerns about safety and inefficiency, recently placed posters in Tokyo’s Nerima Station to raise awareness of the benefits of standing on both sides of an escalator. The posters highlight dangers escalator climbers face, as well as the nuisance they create when they hit people they are walking past. They also point to a recent experiment in London that showed escalators transport more people per hour when all riders stand still. Reactions to the posters have been mixed.

Image via Pixabay.

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

ONTARIO SAFETY REGULATOR HONORS EHC WITH AWARD

EHC Global, an Oshawa, Canada-based maker of components and integrated solutions for the vertical-transportation industry, has been awarded the 2017 Impact Safety Award from Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). In 2016, EHC launched its NT SafeRailTM escalator handrails, which have permanent, vandalism-resistant messages that encourage safe, responsible escalator use. “EHC’s safety designs and escalator messaging fit nicely with TSSA’s own efforts in addressing safety on escalators,” said Roger Neate, director of Elevating and Amusement Devices for the Ontario safety regulatory agency.

FIVE PEOPLE HURT RIDING FREIGHT ELEVATOR

A freight elevator at a motorcycle dealership in Greater Noida, India, crashed from the third floor, severely injuring five people riding the lift, the Times of India reported on December 1. A salesperson and four customers had gone to the third floor of the showroom to retrieve a two-wheeler. As they were going back down, the lift fell to the first floor. One customer suffered a fractured leg, and another had hand and body injuries. The other three received head injuries and were taken to intensive care at a local hospital. A manager at the dealership said the lift is meant for moving freight only, and a warning sign is posted. He said a preliminary investigation indicated that the lift's rope came loose. A police investigation is ongoing.

UPPER WEST SIDE TOWER DESIGN REVEALED

Architectural firm Snøhetta has released the first renderings of a residential tower being planned for New York City's Upper West Side, The Architect's Newspaper reports. Described as a split, tapering tower, the building will sit at 50 West 66th Street between Lincoln Center and Central Park. At 775 ft. tall, it will stand significantly higher than most of the surrounding buildings, but the architects trimmed the upper floors to minimize its impact on the skyline. The 127-unit building will have a 16th-floor amenity terrace that creates a distinct vision of two volumes. Construction is expected to begin in the first half of 2018.

Image Courtesy archpaper.com via Snøhetta:

https://archpaper.com/2017/11/snohetta-tower-manhattans-upper-west-side/#gallery-0-slide-0

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

VERTICAL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS ANNOUNCES PARTNER APPOINTMENTS

Vertical Systems Analysis (VSA), a New York City-based vertical-transportation consulting and engineering firm, has elevated Executive Vice Presidents Haniel Lora and William Appelbaum to partnership status, company founder and COO Edward Voll announced on December 1, 2017. Lora has been in the elevator industry for nearly 20 years. He manages VSA’s Engineering Department, overseeing all major modernization projects. He also serves as the agency co-director and primary point of contact for several national and regional accounts. Appelbaum, a veteran of more than 25 years in the industry, joined VSA in 2015. He serves as VSA’s manager of Major Accounts and general manager of the Philadelphia office. Voll founded VSA in 1986. In addition to its NYC home office, the company has branches in Philadelphia, Chicago and Miami.

HIGH-RISE PROJECTS TO TRANSFORM CHARLOTTE SKYLINE

A slate of planned high-rise developments is set to transform the Charlotte, North Carolina, skyline, the Charlotte Observer reports. On the list are a 33-story office building being developed by Lincoln Harris and Goldman Sachs in a development called Legacy Union; Tryon Place, a 26-story office building set for construction beginning in early 2018 being developed by Crescent Communities; Uptown 550 on Stonewall, a 22-story luxury apartment tower being developed by Northwood Ravin; a 20-story Intercontinental hotel atop a five-story podium that includes the existing Carolina Theatre; and an as-yet-unnamed 20-story office tower outside the I-277 loop being developed by NAI Southern Real Estate.

DEVELOPERS PLAN OAKLAND’S TALLEST BUILDING

A planned 36-story, mixed-use building will be the tallest in Oakland, California, the Architects Newspaper reports. The building, for 1261 Harrison Street downtown, will stand 440 ft. tall and house 185 apartment units, 12,000 sq. ft. of Class-A office space and 12,000 sq. ft. of commercial space. Developer Pinnacle RED is promoting the tower as Oakland's only mixed-use structure combining commercial functions and affordable housing under one roof. California-based Lowney Architecture is the designer.

JAPANESE DEVELOPER FINDS OPPORTUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA

Japanese developer Mitsubishi Estate has an eye on Australia’s increasingly urbanized population, the Nikkei Asian Review reports. The company recently entered into a joint venture with Lendlease, a local property and construction company, to develop a 44-story, 719-unit residential tower in Melbourne. The construction cost is estimated at JPY34 billion (US$306 million), which will be split between Mitsubishi Estate and Lendlease. The building will have a floor space of about 58,730 m2, with each unit occupying between 50 and 119 m2. The tower will be part of a large-scale development project, Melbourne Quarter, which will include three new office buildings and two other residential buildings. Mitsubishi Estate plans to launch more residential developments in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and other Australian cities.

Image Courtesy asia.nikkei.com:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Trends/Japan-s-condo-developers-spot-opportunities-in-Asia-Pacific-urbanization

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

FIELDBOSS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE GETS MAJOR UPDATE

Rimrock Corp. has unveiled FIELDBOSS Lift 2.5, a major update for its award-winning elevator contractor management solution built for the Microsoft Cloud and within the Microsoft Dynamics platform. FIELDBOSS Lift 2.5 adds more than 100 new functionality and performance improvements. Key enhancements include: configurable violation management; a service task configurator for customized and automated electronic checklists; maintenance contract management, which optimizes maintenance contract creation with automated scheduling and billing; a field request entity that enables technicians to communicate with the office for common situations, such as parts requests; automated time card functionality giving real-time tracking of data and a paperless process for billing and payroll; and enhanced business intelligence dashboards for billing, case management, dispatch and many other functions. More information is available at website.

 

GREEK MANUFACTURER BIOFIAL ENTERS NEW MARKETS

Biofial Hydraulics, manufacturer of components for hydraulic elevators and other equipment, as well as specialty freight and automobile lift systems, has entered new markets in Europe, South America and the Middle East, the company has announced. The maker of hydraulic cylinders, power units and car frames based in Thessaloniki, Greece, has begun distributing its components directly to elevator companies in Lithuania, Peru and Qatar. In addition to components, Biofial markets complete lift solutions: compact cargo lifts, hydraulic automobile platforms and hydraulic scissor platform lifts.

 

BREXIT TO ACCELERATE FRANKFURT'S SKYSCRAPER BOOM

Frankfurt, Germany's financial capital, is set to see a boom in skyscraper construction, thanks to Brexit, the U.K.'s exit from the European Union, Bloomberg reports. Local economists expect at least half of London’s financial jobs will relocate to Frankfurt over the next several years. The population increase, added to the fact that there is little available land for residential construction in Frankfurt, has created upward pressure on home prices, making them high enough to justify the higher cost of high-rise buildings. Eight residential towers have been built in Frankfurt since 2014, and five are currently under construction. Another 15 are in the planning stages, meaning the city could see 20 new high rises by 2022, including the 172-m-tall Grand Tower, currently under construction.

 

MAN HURT IN CONSTRUCTION SITE ELEVATOR SHAFT FALL

A man at a construction site in Greenlane, Auckland, New Zealand, was seriously injured after falling down an elevator shaft, stuff.co.nz reports. Fire crews were dispatched to the scene on November 29 after the 30-year-old man fell 3-5 m down the shaft. Special aerial equipment was used to rescue the man, who was then taken to Auckland City Hospital.

Image: Source: GSP Staedtebau via Bloomberg:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-29/frankfurt-to-get-20-new-residential-towers-brexit-spurs-demand

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

APEX TO MODERNIZE 23 LIFTS IN LONDON

Lift manufacturer Apex Lifts has been awarded a lift modernization project from Lambeth Council to modernize 23 lifts in the London borough. As part of an existing framework agreement with the two companies, the project is part of Lambeth’s wider regeneration work. All the lifts are in residential buildings across three Lambeth Estates. Apex describes the modernizations as "major. . . retaining only the guide rails, brackets and counterweights." Work is to commence in January 2018 and expected to last a year.

800-FT.-TALL RESIDENTIAL TOWER TOPS OUT IN NYC’S MIDTOWN

A 63-story, 800-ft.-tall residential tower designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli (ELENET 674) has topped out at 138 East 50th Street in New York City’s (NYC) Midtown East, New York YIMBY reports. Ceruzzi Properties is the developer and SLCE is the architect of record. Once completed, likely by the end of 2018, the building will contain 124 condominiums and 4,588 sq. ft. of retail space within 253,222 sq. ft. Thanks to surrounding density and the building’s slender, terracotta-and-glass design, it will have minimal impact on the local skyline.

THYSSENKRUPP ORDERS HIGHEST IN FIVE YEARS

With demand for new-generation elevators and components growing, thyssenkrupp says its annual orders are the highest in five years, The New Indian Express reported. The improvement comes as the company shifts toward technology and away from steelmaking, its traditional core business. For the fiscal year that ended September 30, operating profit at the elevator unit — which caters mostly to clients in the U.S. and Europe with its Internet-connected elevators — rose 7%, to EUR922 million (US$1.1 billion), making it the company’s most-profitable division. thyssenkrupp is also emphasizing its automotive components division, which accounts for its largest customer base.

WOMAN PLUNGES TO HER DEATH IN ELEVATOR SHAFT IN INDIA

A 58-year-old grandmother visiting family in Pune, India, died after a fall in an elevator shaft, the Pune Mirror reports. The woman, her daughter-in-law and one-year-old grandson were in Pune on October 23 and called an elevator in a Shree Sai Society building. When the doors opened, the victim did not notice the car was not there and stepped into the shaft, plunging from the seventh floor to her death. Family members are accusing the building owners of negligence, but the owners said the elevator was regularly maintained and in working order. An investigation is ongoing.

Image Courtesy newyorkyimby.com via Tectonic:

https://newyorkyimby.com/2017/11/pelli-clarke-pelli-designed-138-east-50th-street-tops-out-at-800-midtown-east.html

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

MAGNETEK HIRES BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS

Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based Magnetek has announced two managerial hires. First, Jeffrey Johnson joined the company as a Business Development manager for its AC Elevator Drives business. Johnson is responsible for managing AC elevator, escalator and related drive sales throughout North America and has experience in AC drives, DC drives, industrial control technology and sales from Rockwell Automation and Holt Electric. The drive designer and manufacturer also tapped Andrew (Andy) Hawkinson as an OEM Business Development manager for its Elevator Drives business. Hawkinson is responsible for managing elevator-drive sales to major elevator OEMs throughout the U.S. and brings experience developing customer-focused solutions to the company from CaptiveAire.

 

INDIAN ELEVATOR INDUSTRY SEEING SLOW RECOVERY

Sebi Joseph, president of Otis India, says the country's vertical-transportation industry has yet to recover from the government's demonitization moves of 2016 but said the sector could see improvement in the second quarter, thanks to improving demand, The New Indian Express reported. Joseph said that before demonitization, in which certain bank notes were declared invalid in a crackdown on illegal activity and terrorism, the elevator industry was growing 6-7% per year. Afterward, he said, growth was basically flat. He told the source, however, that with a quickening pace of urbanization — 40% of the population is expected to be in cities by 2030 — the elevator industry is poised to thrive.

 

ELEVCON REGISTRATION OPEN

The International Association of Elevator Engineers (IAEE) has announced an end to its call for papers and the opening of early registration for Elevcon 2018. The congress and exhibition will be held at Hotel Sofitel in Berlin on May 22-24, 2018. Early registration includes discounts and is available until February 2018. For more information visit website or email.

 

IN MEMORIAM: CHARLES L. “CHARLIE” COURTNEY

Charles L. "Charlie" Courtney, known fondly as "Grandpa Charlie" of C.E. Electronics, Inc., passed away at his home in Ohio on November 20, 2017, at the age of 97. A World War II veteran, Courtney was a regular attendee of Canadian Elevator Contractors Association (CECA) conventions and could always be counted on to tell a good story, according to CECA Executive Director Catharine Bothwell. He was an accomplished trumpet player and high-ranking Mason. He is survived by sons, Larry, Terry and Garry; six grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. A memorial had been planned in Montpelier, Ohio. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Visiting Angels.

Image: Construction Week:

http://www.constructionweekonline.in/sebi-joseph-to-lead-otis-india/

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

FOB-ESCALATOR HYBRIDS A FIRST IN SUBURBAN MUMBAI

Mumbai Railway Vikas Corp. plans to build more than 50 foot overbridges (FOBs) with escalators and lifts in their midsections to prevent people from trespassing on tracks in suburban Mumbai, mid-day.com reports. Part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project III, the FOBs will be the first of their kind, described as a "novel approach" to keeping people from jumping over tracks and walls. Railway officials have identified locations along Central and Western Railway's Main and Harbour lines, and are in talks with officials in Thane, Navi, Mumbai and Kalyan to determine where the FOB-escalator hybrids will be built.

TRIBUNAL DE PARIS, EUROPE’S LARGEST LAW BUILDING, COMPLETE

Work is complete on Tribunal de Paris, a 160-m-tall structure designed by Renzo Piano on the northern edge of Paris that is the largest law building in Europe, various news outlets, including ArchDaily, report. It features four stacked volumes in a double-skin façade with a vertical "dorsal fin" on either side housing panoramic elevators. Developed under a public-private partnership, the new building brings regional, police, public prosecution and district courts together under one roof. Its environmentally friendly design includes rooftop terraces for approximately 500 trees, loads of natural light and a rainwater-collection system.

IN MEMORIAM: JULIA ROMAN

Julia Roman, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) first female escalator mechanic, passed away on November 16 at the age of 43 from complications of giving birth to twins, various news outlets, including CBS New York, report. Coming to the field from the Nontraditional Employment for Women organization, Roman was an electromechanical maintenance technician for the MTA for the past 15 years. She lived in Dumont, New Jersey. Survivors include her husband, Victor; five-year-old daughter, Victoria, and twins, Isabella and Grace. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Victor with expenses.

ARCHI-TREAD EXPANDING, RELOCATING NORTHEAST OPERATIONS

In response to demand for its Sillskin® patented line of elevator-sill solutions, Archi-Tread® Inc. has purchased a new, 4,000-sq.-ft. building and is relocating its Northeast manufacturing operations to Boonton, New Jersey. Now entering its fourth year in business, Archi-Tread has expanded operations nationally and into Canada, with regional offices in New York; the Washington, D.C., metro area; Florida; California; and Toronto.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA’S BROADBEACH RESIDENCES COMPLETE

Avanti Broadbeach Residences, a 108-m-tall, 35-story structure on Australia’s Gold Coast within walking distance of the beach, new light rail and various entertainment venues, is complete, The Urban Developer reports. Being operated by Thailand-based Minor Hotels, it was developed by Anthony Moreton Group and Pryde Group and designed by DBI Design. Multiplex was the general contractor of the tower, which is being praised for stimulating the local economy ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, an international, multi-sport event.

Image Courtesy archdaily.com:

https://www.archdaily.com/884074/paris-courthouse-renzo-piano-building-workshop

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

EXCAVATION BEGINS FOR NYC SUPERTALL 50 HUDSON YARDS

Demolition and excavation are underway at the southwest corner of 34th Street and 10th Avenue in Hudson Yards on New York City’s (NYC) far West Side to make way for the 985-ft.-tall 50 Hudson Yards, New York YIMBY reports. Designed by Foster + Partners, the office tower resembles an obelisk and will cut a striking figure on the growing skyline. Mitsui Fudosan acquired a majority stake from Related in September, and a 2022 completion looks feasible as BlackRock has already committed to 850,000 of its 2.9 million sq. ft.

OVERLOADED ELEVATOR RESULTS IN INJURIES IN INDIA

Eight people rode an elevator designed to carry a maximum of five on November 17 in Bhubaneswar, India, resulting in the lift plunging from the fifth to ground floors and seriously injuring two of the passengers, The New Indian Express reports. They suffered leg injuries, including a broken leg, while six others escaped with minor injuries. The elevator's emergency-braking system stopped the elevator from hitting the ground and saved lives, according to the property manager. The incident occurred at approximately 10 p.m. at a residential building in the Hanspal neighborhood, and some of the passengers appeared to be inebriated.

TRIO OF RESIDENTIAL TOWERS FOR HO CHI MINH CITY

CapitaLand of Singapore plans to build a trio of 24-story towers containing approximately 870 apartments, as well as lower-level retail, on 1.5 ha in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the Saigoneer reports. The latest development, CapitaLand's ninth in the city, is in District 4 and follows in the footsteps of a "record-breaking year of home sales" for CapitaLand in Vietnam. CapitaLand is also making commercial inroads in Vietnam, in 2017 purchasing its first grade-A office tower in Ho Chi Minh City's central business district. Vietnam is CapitaLand's third-largest market behind Singapore and Malaysia.

CALTRAIN ELEVATOR STATUS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

The status of the seven elevators that serve Caltrain, the California commuter rail service for the San Francisco peninsula and Santa Clara Valley, is now available online, the Mountain View Patch reports. Caltrain officials launched the new webpage to let riders know which elevators are out of service. On November 11, all were listed as operational. Riders who see broken elevators are asked to call Caltrain customer service at (800) 660-4287.

Image Courtesy hagenscutt via newyorkyimby.com:

https://newyorkyimby.com/2017/11/excavation-begins-for-supertall-50-hudson-yards-demolition-of-old-coach-hq-nears-finish-line.html

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

AVIRE EXPANDS PRODUCT RANGE WITH MICROKEY ACQUISITION

Avire has acquired SETCO S.A., a Barcelona-based company that specializes in emergency telephones, GSM wireless transmission and monitoring systems for elevators under the Microkey brand. Avire Managing Director Rob Lewis said the move adds R&D resources that will lead to new products and technologies. Avire observed “the combination of machine-to-machine and cloud technologies is beneficial to Avire customers, allowing lift controllers to provide status information and to be remotely updated and maintained. As Microkey has predominantly been focused on the Iberian peninsula, this acquisition offers exciting new growth opportunities via Avire's global sales and support channels."

 

PLAN WOULD REPLACE HOTEL IN LONDON BOROUGH

If architects SimpsonHaugh's plans come to fruition, a landmark hotel in the London Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea would be demolished to make way for a new project that would include a hotel, residences and a publicly accessible "garden square," BD Online reports. Property owner Queensgate Investments and developer Rockwell engaged SimpsonHaugh to design a replacement for a 28-story, early 1970s hotel designed by Richard Seifert. The existing structure is deemed outdated, costly to maintain and offers little capacity for upgrading, the developers said. The new building would have a stepped design of seven, 18 and 28 stories but would house only 756 rooms — 150 fewer than the current Kensington Forum Hotel. It would, however, add 178 residential units. The borough is expected to rule on the plan by 2019.

 

FATAL ELEVATOR MISHAP INVESTIGATED IN SOUTH KOREA

Police in South Korea are investing a November 18 mishap in which a mechanic died as a result of becoming stuck between an elevator car and shaft, The Korea Herald reports. The incident occurred at approximately 6 p.m. at a shopping mall in Seongnam. The 44-year-old mechanic was working alongside four others, but returned to the jobsite after they left to attend to unfinished work.

 

DEFECTIVE PARTS DELAY STM ESCALATOR REPAIR WORK

Defective replacement parts are delaying Montreal’s multimillion-dollar Société de transport de Montréal (STM) project to replace 24 escalators (ELENET 646) and repair 39 by 2020, DeathRattleSports.com reports. Repair work has been suspended indefinitely, with escalators at the Édouard-Monpetit, Jean-Talon, Saint-Michel and Côte-des-Neiges stations on the Blue Line out as of November 2017. Escalators at Édouard-Monpetit and Jean-Talon had been out since July 2016. At least one escalator at each affected station has been kept up and running, and STM is trying to work the situation out with the manufacturer.

 

EW OFFICES TO CLOSE FOR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

The offices of ELEVATOR WORLD will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 23-24, for the Thanksgiving holiday. The offices will open for normal business hours again on Monday, November 27.

Image courtesy of BD Online:

https://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/simpsonhaugh-plans-redevelopment-of-seifert-landmark/5090647.article

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