Elevator World

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

LAPSED ELEVATOR INSPECTIONS ACROSS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

An investigation by WPXI Channel 11 in Pittsburgh found hundreds of elevators lacking current inspection certificates across western Pennsylvania. These include heavily used elevators, such as those in county buildings. Inspections are required in Pennsylvania, but inspection stickers are not required to be posted. A state elevator safety spokesman says part of the problem is there are only 25 inspectors for the entire state, while a spokesperson for the Allegheny County Courthouse told the news channel most of its elevators are current on inspections.

NEW ELEVATORS PART OF NYPL MAIN BRANCH RENOVATION

New elevators near the 40th Street entrance to the Beaux Arts Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the main branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL) in New York City, are part of a US$317-million renovation being handled by architects Mecanoo and Beyer Blinder Belle, The Architect’s Newspaper reports. The elevators, some of which will replace underused rooms, promise to provide better traffic flow for visitors and employees. Public hearings about the plan are underway.

MELBOURNE PLANNERS ASKED TO APPROVE SECOND TOWER

Just as work is beginning on a 33-story office tower in the Wesley Place project at 130 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne, Australia, developers are urging planners to support a second stage of the project, Urban Melbourne reports. Charter Hall, the company behind the AUD600-million (US$452.8-million) tower, is asking the city's Future Melbourne (Planning) Committee to give conditional approval for an 80-m-tall tower at 150 Lonsdale Street. Just as the first tower, the second-stage building is being designed by COX Architecture. The 23-story building, which would hold commercial office space, would be built atop part of an existing parking structure that would be partially demolished to accommodate the tower.

QUICK THINKING PREVENTS ESCALATOR INJURIES AT THAI AIRPORT

Staff at the Chiang Mai International Airport in Chiang Mai, Thailand, quickly turned off the motor of an escalator in the domestic-flight area when the bottom of it collapsed on November 18 just as passengers were stepping on, Citylife Chiang Mai reports. A loud noise preceded the collapse, in which the base of the unit broke open. There were no injuries, and an airport official said fixing the escalators is a top priority.

Image Courtesy archpaper.com:

https://archpaper.com/2017/08/nypl-reading-room-landmark/

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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

THYSSENKRUPP’S MULTI MAKES “25 BEST INVENTIONS” LIST

thyssenkrupp's MULTI ropeless and sideways-moving elevator system was named one of TIME magazine's "25 Best Inventions of 2017," a prestigious annual honor that extends from space stations to children's toys. The list identifies the year's inventions with the greatest potential to "make the world better, smarter and/or more enjoyable." In announcing the honor, thyssenkrupp noted that MULTI's cable-free technology requires fewer and smaller shafts than conventional systems and can increase a building's usable area by up to 25%, reduce passenger waiting times, increase transport capacity by up to 50% and utilize up to 60% less peak power than traditional systems.

ESCALATOR REVERSAL IRKS SEOUL SUBWAY RIDERS

Seoul city officials announced on November 17 a plan to reverse the direction of many subway station escalators, increasing the number traveling downward, but the proposal is being met by complaints, The Korea Bizwire reports. Of the system's 156 escalators, 141 currently move upward, but the city — citing design principles meant to improve access for the disabled and elderly — announced the change. Officials reasoned that walking down stairs causes more damage to knee cartilage and ligaments than climbing stairs, which they cited as justification for the change. Some riders, however, weren't buying it. A senior citizens' advocate said older people find climbing stairs to be exhausting, and a men's rights group took issue with the plan because it is also aimed at helping women who are short or who wear heels. The plan will be tested first, at four stations on two of the subway's lines.

JERSEY CITY GETTING FIRST OFFICE TOWER IN DECADES

Jersey City, New Jersey, is set to get its first office tower in decades in the form of Harborside Tower, a 557-ft.-tall, 40-story structure designed by FXFOWLE Architects and being developed by Mack-Cali and SJP Properties at 136 Greene Street, New York YIMBY reports. It will offer 1.2 million sq. ft. of office space, along with a six-story parking garage with 600 spaces and 12,000 sq. ft. of retail on a double-level ground floor. Completion is expected in a few years. SJP's plan also includes renovation of the 69-story Harborside 1 residential development.

AMSTERDAM WTC EXPANSION INCLUDES 80-M-TALL TOWER

Construction is expected to start in April 2018 on an expansion of the World Trade Center (WTC) in Amsterdam's central business district that includes an 80-m-tall, or approximately 24-story, tower, World Architecture News reports. Designed by PLP Architecture, the expansion also includes three new pavilions and will add 32,000 m2 to the WTC's current 115,000. The tower will be on the eastern side of the complex, while the pavilions, separated by glazed atria, will "animate the northern edge" and be used as flexible meeting hubs. The plan was approved in September, and completion is anticipated in 2020.

Image Courtesy thyssenkrupp:

https://multi.thyssenkrupp-elevator.com/assets/pdf/multi_brochure.pdf

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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

TK PARTNERS WITH SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES IN NEW PROGRAM

thyssenkrupp Elevator is collaborating with SOS Children's Villages, the world's largest non-government organization focused on supporting at-risk children, on Project SEED, based on thyssenkrupp's own “seed campus” job-training network. SEED stands for "support, educate, elevate and develop.” In Phase One of Project SEED, 130 youths in India, 60 in Colombia and 100 in Brazil will receive assistance from thyssenkrupp on soft and basic skills job training, career guidance, entrepreneurship and real-world work experience. thyssenkrupp Elevator CEO Andreas Schierenbeck participated in a kickoff workshop in Bogotá, Colombia, on November 15.

 

PLAN FOR HO CHI MINH CITY’S TALLEST ECHOES NATURE

Architect Ole Scheeren has designed a trio of nature-inspired towers for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the tallest of which, Empire 88, will be 88 stories and 333 m, making it the city's tallest, dezeen reports. The three towers making up Empire City will rise from a mountain-shaped podium that mimics Vietnam's rice paddy fields with terraced gardens. Housing apartments and a hotel, Empire 88 will house an elevated garden, and will also boast a public observation deck and top-floor events venue. The shorter two towers will have offices and residences, and there will be retail in the podium. No timeframe was given, but the architect expressed optimism.

 

BRISBANE TOWER BRINGS OUTSIDE IN, CREATES PUBLIC SPACE

Charter Hall Group wants to build the 36-story, 185-m-tall Brisbane Square Tower 2 at 266 George Street in Brisbane, Australia, Brisbane Development reports. Designed by Blight Rayner Architects, it is a "suspended tower" built atop reinforced posts to accommodate and expand the public space below. There would be open, landscaped terraces at five levels, and parks at level 17 and on the rooftop. Brisbane Square Tower 2 is also striving for a 6-star Green Star rating, with features that include a glazed façade, electric centrifugal chillers and lighting that switches off when areas are not in use. If built, it will be the fourth-tallest building in Brisbane.

 

26-, 10-STORY RESIDENTIAL TOWERS PITCHED IN BRISTOL

Bouygues Group's development arm, Linkcity, is proposing to build 26- and 10-story towers containing 375 rental homes on the site of a former ambulance base in Bristol, U.K., Building Design reports. A castle wall once stood on the site, and architect Chapman Taylor stated the development's "strong form" boasts a northern boundary reminiscent of that wall. The towers would be linked by a podium containing a convenience store and leisure facilities. If built, Castle Park View's tallest tower could stand up to 64 stories.

Image Courtesy thyssenkrupp:

http://www.thyssenkrupp-elevator.com/en/press/press-releases-74304.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

EW PROJECT OF THE YEAR WINNERS

ELEVATOR WORLD is pleased to report the winners of the 2018 Project of the Year contest. Winning projects, which will be featured in our January 2018 issue, are: “Lotte World Tower” submitted by Otis Elevator Korea in Elevators, New Construction; “City Centre” submitted by Southeastern Elevator Consulting, LLC in Elevators, Modernization “Athletic Club Museum” submitted by thyssenkrupp Elevator in Escalators, New Construction; “Tower City Station” submitted by KONE in Escalators, Modernization; “Port of Melilla” submitted by thyssenkrupp Elevator in Moving Walks; “Taipa House Museum Pedestrian System” submitted by Suzhou Rhine Lift Manufacture Co., Ltd. in Inclined Elevators; “T Minus 10, 9, 8…. (Aerospace Center for Education)” submitted by A+ Elevators & Lifts in Platform Lifts & Stairway Chairlifts; “Octagonal Clear Acrylic Elevator” submitted by Savaria in Private-Residence Elevators; and “City of Science Valencia” submitted by Alapont Group in Special-Purpose Lifts.

KIEV ELEVATOR MANUFACTURER PREPARING FOR GROWTH

Kiev, Ukraine-based elevator manufacturer Euroformat LLC plans to add 15,500 m2, bringing its physical size to 28,000 m2 before 2019, at the same time increasing its capacity 1.5 times, to almost 300 elevators per month, or 3,500 per year, the National Industrial Portal reports. Fueled in large part by exports to Poland, the expansion includes new offices, manufacturing shops and technology. Euroformat is staying busy, having recently announced a contract with Polish Railway general contractor PRKil S.A. to provide an undisclosed number of heavy-duty, high-capacity lifts to stations in Krakow, Warsaw, and other locations, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

SKYWALK OUTFITTED WITH VT TO EASE INDIAN TEMPLE TRAFFIC

The Dakshineswar Skywalk between a traffic roundabout and the Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata, India, will be served by vertical-transportation (VT) equipment that includes 12 escalators and four elevators. Designed by New Delhi-based Design Forum International for the West Bengal Government, the skywalk is a "contemporary response to the problems generated over the years," including cars, rickshaws and pedestrians vying for space along the narrow, 400-m-long Rani Rashmoni Road. The road could not be widened due to Indian Railway offices on either side. Incorporating more than 200 shops formerly located along the road, the 380-m-long skywalk provides protection from the weather as all access points are enclosed in glass. It is expected to open by January 2018.

ELEVATOR UPGRADE FOR OHIO GOVERNMENT BUILDING

The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission is administering a US$8.5-million upgrade of 19 elevators at the Verne Riffe State Office Tower in the state capital of Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Business First reports. The 32-story tower at 77 South High Street is nearly 30 years old, and its elevator equipment is original. Work will include new finishes, controls and technology. Columbus-based Altman Co. won the contract, beating four other bidders. The tower houses the Ohio governor and House of Representatives offices, along with the Jo Ann Davidson Theatre.

WINSTON-SALEM BUILDING UPGRADE INCLUDES ARTFUL ELEVATORS

The Winston-Salem Journal Building at 418 North Marshall Street in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is undergoing a US$1.4-million renovation into multitenant space that includes elevator improvements that go beyond the regular, the Winston-Salem Journal reports. Both passenger elevators will have wall panels featuring murals by artist Trena McNabb. When completed, the building, which is owned by Stuart Parks and 418 Marshall Street LLC, will have an additional 112,000 sq. ft. of office space. The Winston-Salem Journal occupies 16,000 sq. ft. on the ground floor. Lambert Architecture + Interiors is handling the work.

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

TSSA AND CECA TOWN HALL MEETING IN TORONTO

The Canadian Elevator Contractors Association (CECA) expects a town hall meeting planned on November 23 with the Technical Standards & Safety Authority (TSSA) to be very well attended, so those planning to attend are asked to confirm with CECA Executive Director Catharine Bothwell at email. The venue is the Holiday Inn Toronto Airport, 970 Dixon Road, Toronto, Ontario M9W1JL. The meeting is set to start at 12:30 p.m. The CECA Central Region is holding its own meeting at 4:30 p.m. there, where a light dinner will be served. Attendees are asked to take note of their license plate numbers for parking.

 

ALIMAK GROUP ELECTS SVENSSON NEW BOARD DIRECTOR

Alimak Group elected Jan Svensson board director at its general meeting on November 1. Svensson fills the position most recently held by Carl Johan Falkenberg of Triton, who stepped down following Triton’s selling its Alimak shares to Investment AB Latour earlier this year. Svensson is a mechanical engineer who holds an MBA. He has substantial international industry experience and is currently CEO of Investment AB Latour and chairman of the board of AB Fagerhult, Nedman Holding AB and Tomra Systems ASA, among others.

 

AUBERGE ON THE PARK IN TORONTO HAS A FRENCH FLAVOR

Marketing materials for the first two 29- and 45-story condominium towers that will be part of the three-building Aberge on the Park at the intersection of Leslie Street and Eglinton Avenue in Toronto show elegant common-area interiors with a decidedly French flavor, Urban Toronto reports. Developer Tridel said the marble and woodgrain accents and plush, oversized seating in the lobby follow a French aesthetic. Designed by Graziani + Corazza with II BY IV designing the amenities, the two towers will be linked by a podium topped by an expansive amenity deck. The development is scheduled for completion in summer 2021.

 

33-STORY MIXED-USE TOWER SET TO RISE IN L.A.’S KOREATOWN

Koreatown in Los Angeles continues its hot streak with plans for the 33-story Wilshire Gate, set to include a 200-room hotel, 250 condominiums, and restaurant and retail space, The Architect's Newspaper reports. Jia Long USA is the developer, with Archeon Group as executive architect and Pei Cobb Freed as design architect. Its rather conventional design features a solar-glass and composite aluminum-paneled tower atop a podium. Seven parking levels containing approximately 280 spaces will sit above two floors of retail. Hotel floors will be above parking and condominiums, including some for "very low income residents" on the highest levels.

 

TRIO OF OFFICE BUILDINGS FOR WEST LONDON

A trio of mostly office buildings designed by Allies & Morrison (A&M) ranging from four to 21 stories recently got the greenlight, Building Design reports. Being developed by Stanhope, Mitsui Fudosan and AIMCo., the buildings are planned on 7 ha in White City Place, part of the larger redevelopment of White City, in west London. Together, the buildings will offer more than 100,000 m2 of office space, and the 21- and a 12-story building will have ground-level retail and restaurants. The buildings will join six additional White City Place buildings built for the British Broadcasting Corp. before it relocated much of its staff to elsewhere in the U.K. 

Image Courtesy Los Angeles Department of City Planning via Architect’s Newspaper:

https://archpaper.com/2017/11/pei-cobb-freed-tower-los-angeles-koreatown/#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

HYDE NAMES APEX PREFERRED BIDDER

Apex Lifts was named a preferred bidder on The Hyde Group’s framework for "General Passenger Lifts Refurbishment (Lot 1)." Apex will be on the framework for four years, with opportunities for mini-tenders for planned work programs, which will be based on the age, condition and availability of spare parts for passenger lifts, with the potential to tender for emergency lift modernization or replacement works. Apex said it has more opportunities to expand its experience within the housing sector and further enhance its project portfolio with Hyde, which is responsible for more than 350 passenger lifts. It expects work across southeast England and London.

OUT ESCALATORS AT INDIAN RAIL STATION CAUSE FRUSTRATION

Two escalators serving four platforms at the railway station in Visakhapatnam, India, have been out of service for at least six months, frustrating commuters, The Times of India reports. The escalators were shut down in June so a new foot overbridge (FOB) could be constructed. Stating the escalators are expected to be back in service by May 2018, a railway official said building the FOB is taking longer than usual due to heavy rock at the foundation. Another official said Indian Railways hopes to build an additional two escalators at the station.

MARKET REPORTS LOOK AT INDUSTRY TRENDS THROUGH 2022

A pair of market reports now available offer insights into current trends in the elevator industry and what these trends portend through 2022. The first report, "Global and Chinese Express Elevator Market, 2012-2022 Market Research Report," provides an in-depth study on the global express elevator market, with a focus on major markets in North America, the European Union and Asia-Pacific region, according to technopow.com. The report gives a basic overview of the market, then goes into detail on major market players, including company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value and market share. The second report, "Global Market Study Elevator and Escalator Market 2017-2022," takes a deep look at the "crucial factors of the elevator and escalator market" based on several criteria, according to Silver Pinyon Journal. These criteria include "present industry situations, market demands, business strategies adopted by elevator and escalator market players and their growth scenario."

ESCALATOR WORK PART OF MADRID METRO CONTRACTS

The Madrid metro recently announced the awarding of EUR238.5 million (US$278.25 million) to three unnamed maintenance contractors, Global Rail News reports. While most of the money will be spent on cleaning stations over the course of the next four years, EUR13 million (US$15.2 million) for escalator maintenance over the same period is included. Work, including step-chain replacement, will take place on 634 of the network’s 1,700 escalators. More than 2.2 million people use the metro daily.

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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

THYSSENKRUPP’S SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS RECOGNIZED

thyssenkrupp Elevator was presented with the Top Products for 2018 award by BuildingGreen, Inc., at BuildingGreen's “Top 10 Products for LEED v4 and Beyond” session in Boston on November 9. The award annually recognizes the "most exciting new innovations and biggest breakthroughs in health and environment performance across all major building product sectors and LEED categories." Recognized for being the first elevator company to retrofit an elevator to achieve net-zero energy, publish an Environmental Product Declaration and meet or exceed the most stringent industry standards, thyssenkrupp is the first elevator company to receive the honor.

WORK BEGINS ON MEXICO CITY’S TALLEST RESIDENTIAL TOWER

Construction has begun on Bora Residential Tower, which the late architect Zaha Hadid said will be the tallest residential tower in Mexico City, dezeen reports. Hadid designed the structure, which features a base that tapers inward, with Patrik Schumacher, who now runs London-based Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). Its tallest portion will rise 50 stories, and it will include 200 apartments of varying sizes to appeal to an array of buyers such as families, young professionals and retirees. The tower is in the Santa Fe business district, home to tech companies including Apple and Amazon, and was designed to withstand high-magnitude earthquake tremors.

MILWAUKEE BANK HEADQUARTERS BREAKS GROUND

The Architect’s Newspaper recently reported that work has begun on the BMO Harris Bank Tower, a 25-story, 360,000-sq-ft. building for downtown Milwaukee. Designed by local architect Kahler Slater on the site of a parking garage in the heart of the historic financial district in Market Square, it will have floor-to-ceiling windows and column-free corners on every floor, and parking facilities inside a 10-story podium. Completion remains on schedule for 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

“NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE SKY” BY UNSTUDIO IN LONDON

The developer of a 31-story development at 257 City Road near Shoreditch in London, described by architect UNStudio as "neighborhoods in the sky," has sold nearly all 190 apartments within its 22,000 m2, dezeen reports. Canaletto Tower apartments are grouped in vertical clusters by bands on the structure's aluminum-and-concrete façade. The luxury development boasts a communal terrace and residents' lounge, a swimming pool, spa treatment rooms, a gym and a cinema. On the 24th floor, a portion of the building is cut away to create a tapered pinnacle, and a restaurant is planned in a glass-fronted section facing City Road.

 

UNATTENDED CHILD HAS SCARY ESCALATOR ENCOUNTER

A video posted on Facebook shows an unsupervised girl suddenly being pulled up the outside of a mall escalator after putting her hand on the moving handrail, Malaysian Digest reports. The video, which the source described as appearing to be from a closed-circuit TV recording, shows the child standing next to the escalator for about a minute, then putting her hand on the rail, which appears to pull her up, causing a look of panic on her face. A woman seen running up the steps to help falls, but a man behind her is able to grab the girl and pull her to safety before she hits a barrier at the upper landing. The video was posted to a page linked to a Malaysian political party, but there is no information about where or when the incident occurred.

 

PLANS FOR STRUCTURE IN NYC’S HUDSON YARDS EXPAND

Big changes are planned at 441 Ninth Avenue in New York City’s (NYC) Hudson Yards, where work is set to start in January 2018, New York YIMBY reports. The Cove Property Group and Baupost Group have added 17 stories to the top of an existing 1960s-era building. While the lower portion exemplifies the "intimidating personality" of that era's architecture, the upper portion will reflect modern design with thinly framed glass. Cove received a US$479-million loan for construction, which is expected to be complete before summer 2019. Leasing for the lower eight floors is expected to begin by the end of 2018.

 

EW FOCUSES ON INNOVATIONS, MACHINES AND DRIVES

ELEVATOR WORLD’s January 2018 issue will focus on Technical & Engineering Innovations, including roping systems, high-speed elevator systems, space and efficiency innovations, and motors. The deadline for submissions is November 15. For February 2018, the focus will be Machines and Drives. Its submissions deadline is December 15. To participate or for more information, contact the EW Editorial Department at phone: (251) 479-4514, ext. 30 or [email protected]. To advertise, contact ext. 38 or [email protected].

Image courtesy of dezeen:

https://www.dezeen.com/2017/11/03/unstudio-creates-neighbourhoods-in-the-sky-at-canaletto-tower-in-london/

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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

PT. BERCA SCHINDLER WINS 474-UNIT ORDER IN INDONESIA

PT. Berca Schindler Lifts, a joint venture between Central Cipta Murdaya Group and Jardine Schindler Group, has been awarded a contract to supply 118 Schindler 9300 escalators, 254 9500 moving walks and 102 freight elevators to Transmart Carrefour's multimall developments across Indonesia. Transmart Carrefour projects will include more than 51 department, grocery and clothing stores, along with entertainment venues, all in one location. They will be developed over a two-year timeframe. Schindler says it worked closely with the customer to meet its ambitious construction schedule and design solutions tailored to each project.

 

UPCOMING CEA MEETING DETAILS

The Chicago Elevator Association (CEA) has announced a location change for its Christmas party. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Harry Carray’s in Lombard Illinois. Those interested in attending should RSVP by December 5 email. Regular meetings in the first quarter of 2018 will be taking place on January 4, February 1, and March 1 at The Clubhouse at 298 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, Illinois. Dinners begin at 6:30 p.m. Guest speakers from Magnetek, Lamb Little and Helios, respectively, are scheduled.

 

IN MEMORIAM: DAVID AHERN: David Scott Ahern of Merrimack, New Hampshire, passed away on September 19, 2017, surrounded by family, at the age of 50. Ahern worked for more than 30 years as an elevator mechanic. After graduating from Lowell Vocational Technical School in 1986, he worked at his father’s company, Ahern Elevator, then Burlington Elevator and, finally, Stanley Elevator, where he made several lifelong friendships. Ahern is survived by his wife of 22 years, Linda; daughter, Rebecca; stepdaughter, Toni Mignosa; stepson, Paul Olin; sister, Kathleen Batcheller; mother, Lynda Parisi; father, Frederick, Jr.; stepsister KariShane Zimmerman; and several cousins. The family requested that contributions in his honor be made to the National Parkinson’s Disease Association New Hampshire Chapter.

 

QUARTET OF TOWERS PROPOSED ACROSS RIVER FROM MANHATTAN: If developer Edward Elanjian of Denver-based EnviroFinance Group can overcome local opposition, four residential towers ranging from 595 to 714 ft., or approximately 55 and 65 stories, respectively, will be built in Edgewater, New Jersey, on a narrow strip of land near the riverfront at 615 River Road, New York YIMBY reports. The plan includes a 50-ft. podium with a rooftop garden and other amenities. No completion date or architect has been confirmed, but increased ferry accessibility to Manhattan, along with rapid growth in Jersey City and Manhattan’s Midtown West, bodes well for the project.

Image courtesy of Schindler:

https://www.schindler.com/hk/internet/en/about-us/Media/news/2017/PT.-Berca-Schindler-Lifts-Awarded-Transmart-Carrefour-Expansion-Projects.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

KONE TEAMING WITH STARTUP FOR INTERCONNECTIVITY

KONE is partnering with Estonian startup Indoor Ninja, a developer of cloud-based visitor-management services, to improve and automate check-in for office building visitors. When entering a lobby, a visitor is prompted to look at a tablet that lists all the companies and employees in the building. The visitor selects the desired host, who receives a video call on his or her smartphone, which allows the host to identify the visitor. Then, the host can send an elevator to pick the guest up from the lobby. Office occupants can also use the associated app to call elevators in advance for themselves. Retrofitting the system to older buildings with KONE elevators is also possible. The solution is still being tested in Finland, the Baltics, the U.K. and Israel.

 

NEW PRESIDENT FOR EMR AS IT CELEBRATES 90 YEARS

Caroline Kauffman-Kirschnick has been appointed president of Electric Motor Repair Co. (EMR), which performs emergency service and planned maintenance in several industries, including the elevator sector. Kauffman-Kirschnick will replace her father, Roger Kauffman. She began her career at EMR working summers during her junior high and high school years. Her full-time career at EMR began in October 2003, when she began in accounts receivable before moving into human resources. Five years later, she moved to a role in operations, followed by sales. Then, she transferred to EMR’s Delaware branch, where she served as assistant branch manager before being promoted to operations manager. Three years later, she returned to Baltimore as the operations manager at EMR’s headquarters. Her most recent promotion was in June 2015, to general manager overseeing all branches and service areas.

 

BOY’S FINGERS REATTACHED AFTER DUBAI ELEVATOR MISHAP

The fingers of a boy's right hand were reattached at a local hospital after being severed in an elevator mishap in Dubai, the Khaleej Times reported on November 6. The boy, a resident of a Gulf Cooperation Council country, was rescued by the Dubai Police within minutes of the incident, said to have happened as a result of his playing. A Dubai Police official said personnel are available 24/7 to respond to such incidents, and that the police rescued 157 women and children trapped in cars, elevators and restrooms from January to mid September.

 

NORTHAMPTON SYMPOSIUM: FIRST CALL FOR PAPERS

The ninth edition of the Symposium on Lift and Escalator Technologies has been announced for September 19-20, 2018, in Northampton, U.K. The first call for abstracts of peer-reviewed papers to be presented at the event was recently issued. Speakers will include industry experts, academics and postgraduate students. The deadline for abstract submission for the May 15, 2018, eighth Symposium on Lift and Escalator Technologies in Hong Kong is November 30, with notifications of acceptance to be sent by the end of the year.

Image: Alamy Image:

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/dubai/dubai-police-rescue-boy-whose-fingers-got-severed-in-lift-

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