Elevator World

OTIS PROVIDING 48 ELEVATORS TO XIAMEN ITFC

Otis China is providing 48 elevators to the 137-m-tall Xiamen International Trade Financial Center (ITFC) in Xiamen, China. The order consists of 14 Skyrise®, 18 Gen2® and 16 Sky® elevators. Skyrise provides a rise of up to 600 m in single-, double- and “super double-deck” (accommodating floor height differences of up to 2 m) configurations. Otis Elevator (China) Investment Co. Ltd. President Tony Black observed that Gen2 and Skyrise create excess energy that is fed back into the grid as they descend, and help meet China’s growing demand for sustainable products. Xiamen ITFC is scheduled for completion later this year.

HOTEL/CASINO WITH RETAIL ON JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA

Lotte Tour Development Co. and the Greenland Group plan to build a hotel with a casino and retail on Jeju Island, South Korea, Joongang Daily reports. They plan to start construction in May and finish the project, featuring a pair of towers standing 38 stories, in March 2019. Approximately US$601.1 million is being invested. The buildings will be the tallest on Jeju Island and house more than 1,620 hotel rooms. China State Construction Engineering Corp. was selected as the main builder.

FOUR SEASONS ON DRAWING BOARD IN MINNEAPOLIS

With design guidance from Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, United Properties (UP) of Bloomington, Minnesota, hopes to build a 34-story building with 300 hotel rooms and approximately 160 residences in the Nicollet Hotel Block in downtown Minneapolis, the Star Tribune reports. UP hopes to start construction in fall 2017 and complete the project within approximately three years. The building would stand 530 ft., including a spire. Elness Swenson Graham Architects designed the plan.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/april-14-2016/

APEX WINS MAJOR REPAIR/MAINTENANCE CONTRACT

The Borough of Camden in London has awarded a five-year repair and maintenance contract to Apex Lifts for lifts in its 33,000 homes across the borough. In addition to planned repair and maintenance, the contract includes emergency calls, routine health and safety inspections and replacement parts -- including the manufacture of parts no longer in stock -- for approximately 500 units across the region. Apex is taking on employees of Camden's previous provider to perform the work.

110-M-TALL HOTEL PLANNED IN KUWAIT

A 110-m-tall hotel with 31 floors above ground is being planned in the Governorate of Hawally, Kuwait, World Architecture News reports. Tamouh National General Trading & Contracting called on SSH, a veteran of hotel construction in the Middle East and North Africa, to design and plan the project, which would be built on 6,494 m2 of property within close proximity of Gulf Road. No timeframe was given.

ECNY SPRING DINNER DANCE

The Elevator Conference of New York (ECNY) has announced details for its Annual Spring Dinner Dance. It will take place on May 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Villa Barone Manor in Bronx, New York. The cost remains unchanged at US$130 per person. To register, contact Bobby “Dee” DeFrancesco at phone: (718) 706-8600 or fax: (718) 706-8665.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/april-13-2016/

KONE ACQUIRES LAS VEGAS SERVICE/REPAIR BUSINESS

KONE announced on April 1 it has acquired the service and repair business of Suburban Elevator Co. of Las Vegas, which operates throughout the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area. Executive Vice President for KONE Americas Larry Wash stated the acquisition adds depth and talent to KONE's service and repair business in Las Vegas, a key market for the company.

CAMBODIAN PLAN INCLUDES PAIR OF 133-STORY TOWERS

An ambitious multitower scheme in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, includes a pair of 133-story, 500-m-tall mixed-use buildings together known as Thai Boon Roong Twin Tower World Trade Centre, Global Construction Review reports. Ground has already been broken on the project, set to also have four residential buildings of 59-65 stories and an 11-story podium. Controversial business mogul Teng Boonma is the owner, and a joint venture of Thai Boon Roong Group and Sun Kian Ip Group of Macau is the developer. Architect Tous Saphoeun estimated the pair of towers to be finished in approximately three years.

34-STORY CONDO TOWER IN HELL’S KITCHEN

Sumaida + Khurana and LENY hope to break ground by the end of 2016 on a 34-story, 444-ft.-tall condominium tower at 611 West 56th Street in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, the former location of the Gristedes grocery store chain headquarters, New York YIMBY reports. The development is set to include 140,982 sq. ft. of residential space and 9,800 sq. ft. of retail at the ground and cellar levels. Álvaro Siza of Portugal designed the structure for architect of record SLCE. Demolition permits for existing structures are pending approval, and developers hope to complete the project in 2019.

OTIS CHINA GOING PAPERLESS WITH OES

On the heels of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) publishing "Guidelines for Encouraging Use of Paperless Elevator Maintenance Records" in February, Otis China is rolling out the Otis Eagle Service (OES) paperless maintenance reporting system, starting in Tianjin. In support of the new AQSIQ guidelines, OES will be introduced in other major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou. Otis observes OES promises to enhance efficiency and transparency in maintenance reporting.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/april-12-2016/

INDIAN, CHINESE ASSOCIATIONS PLAN GLOBAL COOPERATION

The Delhi Elevator Association (DEA), a nongovernment, nonprofit elevator-industry association, organized a networking forum for its members and the Shanghai Elevator Trade Association. The March 16 meeting took place at The Lalit hotel in Andheri East, Mumbai, and marked the first meeting of the organizations. It introduced the concept of an "Association of Associations" for creating a combined platform for the mutual benefit of members of both groups. The DEA is registered under the Societies Registration Act and represents elevator companies in the Delhi National Capital Region. It reports a spurt in urbanization prompted the increase in vertical housing in the country that is bolstering the Indian elevator industry.

BRUGG PROMOTES DREPS TO QUALITY LEADERSHIP ROLE

Brugg Wire Rope has promoted Patrick Dreps to vice president of Quality Management. In this role, he is responsible for implementing lean manufacturing at Brugg's production plant in Rome, Georgia. He reports directly to President and General Manager Joseph Thompson. Dreps has worked in diverse industries and has managed facilities' technical operations, products, manufacturing and engineering. Brugg observed that in his new role, Dreps “will be instrumental in the company’s efforts to become the top quality producer of elevator ropes.”

WEE 2016 COMING NEXT MONTH

The World Elevator & Escalator Expo (WEE) 2016 will be held on May 10-13 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. The event will have total exhibition space reaching 135,000 m2, doubling the size of the last edition in Guangzhou, China, and more than 1,000 exhibitors. Organizer China Elevator Association expects the number of visitors to triple. According to a report by China’s national elevator safety authority, the number of elevator installations has reached 4,259,600, and the year-on-year growth rate 18.3%. The incremental number of installations in 2015 was 661,100, with year-on-year growth exceeding 10%. Exported complete elevator and escalator systems in 2015 was more than 74,000 units with annual growth of 7%.

KONE SUPPLYING CHINESE METROS

KONE has been awarded a pair of contracts to supply 117 and 82 units to Line 1 of the Lanzhou Metro and the extension of Line 5 of the Shanghai metro, respectively. For the Lanzhou project, which includes 20 underground stations covering 26 km, KONE is suppling 117 TravelMasterTM escalators. For the Shanghai project, an extension that includes nine new stations (four of which are underground), KONE is supplying 69 TravelMaster escalators and 24 MonoSpace® elevators. The Lanzhou Line is scheduled for completion in 2017 and the Shanghai Line 5 extension by the end of 2017.

NEW LIFT DIRECTIVE GOING INTO EFFECT IN EUROPE

On April 20, the new Lift Directive goes into effect in every European member state, Liftinstituut announced. In contrast to the new EN 81-20 and -50 standards, there is no transition period. The changes within the directive are mainly legal and establish general terms and conditions regarding accreditation, more stringent market surveillance and conformity procedures. EC certificates remain valid as long as the certified products and technology remain unchanged. Liftinstituut has created a checklist to help those affected assess their compliance.

32-STORY HOTEL PLANNED IN NYC’S GARMENT DISTRICT

Cornell and Chetrit Group have filed applications to build a 32-story, 300-room hotel at 243-255 West 34th Street in the Garment District of New York City (NYC), New York YIMBY reports. With Stonehill & Taylor as the architect of record, the structure would have retail, guest amenities and hotel offices on the lower floors, with rooms starting on the ninth floor. Demolition of some existing onsite structures is underway.

SCHINDLER SELLS JAPAN OPERATIONS TO OTIS

Schindler has agreed to sell its Japan operations to Otis, citing Schindler's "historically small overall market share (approximately 1%)" in Japan and withdrawal from the new-installation elevator market there 10 years ago. The company observed it has “found a strong and reputable owner for its business in Japan with local employees retained as part of the new ownership structure.” Schindler adds it will “remain in Japan to meet its legal and societal obligations with respect to ongoing legal cases, and will take all necessary actions until these are resolved."

GROENWOLDT PROMOTED BY LERCH BATES IN CHICAGO

Derek Groenwoldt has been promoted by Lerch Bates Inc. from project to regional manager in the Chicago office of its Elevator Consulting Group. Groenwoldt joined the company in 2012 and has more than 13 years of industry experience. Vice President of the Northeast Area Eric Rupe, to whom Groenwoldt will report, said Groenwoldt has played a prominent role in the modernization market in Chicago and has been instrumental in regional growth. In Groenwoldt's new role, he oversees new construction, modernization and maintenance management.

FIREFIGHTER RECOVERING AFTER ELEVATOR SHAFT FALL

A Chicago firefighter was recovering in a local hospital on April 2 after falling two stories down an elevator shaft in an apartment building where he and fellow firefighters responded to an April 1 fire in which a resident died, the Chicago Tribune reports. With visibility low due to smoke, the firefighter, who is in 40s, apparently thought the elevator door was the door to an apartment or closet, opened it, and fell. The elevator had failed at least two inspections and was out of service. After the April 1 accident, the Chicago Department of Buildings ordered the owner to install plywood over the elevator door to block access.

BROOKLYN COMPANY ACQUIRED BY LIFTCORE OF GERMANY

U-Tek Elevator, Inc., founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 2011, has been acquired by LiFTCORE GmbH of Germany. U-Tek has 26 employees and is focused on the sales, installation and maintenance of traction elevators throughout the New York City area. Andreas Hoennige, CEO of LiFTCORE, tells ELEVATOR WORLD U-Tek will retain its name for the time being but transition to LiFTCORE. The plan is to move U-Tek to larger premises within one year, Hoennige says.

MCGRATH JOINS MCDONOUGH ELEVATORS

Patrick McGrath has joined McDonough Elevators as Eastern Regional Sales manager. McGrath will be based in McDonough's Baltimore office and focus on construction-hoist rental sales in the eastern U.S., as well as the Atlanta area. He has more than six years of industrial-equipment sales experience, and McDonough observed that his "personality and experience are assets that will complement and enhance the company's ability to meet the needs of our customers."

IN MEMORIAM: RICHARD P. DANIEL

Richard P. Daniel, of Norridge, Illinois, passed away on March 29 at the age of 85. A 66-year employee of C.J. Anderson & Co., Daniel began his career in the elevator industry in 1950. Joining C.J. Anderson's mechanical engineering department, Daniel created thousands of drawings for the company, many of which are still on file. Daniel helped the company grow, moving beyond mechanical engineering to positions such as sales and engraving for the company’s signature line of fixtures. He is survived by numerous relatives, friends and colleagues.

KONE OPENS SHOWROOM/TRAINING CENTER IN JAKARTA

KONE has opened its People Flow Intelligence and Training Center in Jakarta, Indonesia. The intelligence center is the first of its kind in Asia, and the training center is the second. The facility includes an interactive showroom where customers can experience KONE solutions firsthand. The training center houses computer rooms and equipment simulators that facilitate hand-on learning about installation, maintenance, testing, commissioning and dismantling. KONE aims to train up to 150 employees at the center in 2016 to support its growing workload in Indonesia.

NASHVILLE TOWER WOULD BE AMONG CITY’S TALLEST

Developers are proposing a US$325-million development that includes a 40-story hotel/condominium tower, the Nashville Business Journal reports. If built, it would be among the tallest buildings in Nashville, Tennessee, which is undergoing a construction boom. Including a slightly shorter tower housing a 250-room hotel, approximately 420 residences and ground-level retail and restaurants, the development was designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz of Chicago and is being backed by Northern Capital Investments and The Congress Group. It is located at 151 First Avenue South in an area known as South of Broadway, or SoBro.

IN MEMORIAM: ETTA FROHLINGER

Etta Frohlinger passed away on January 7 at the age of 89. She was well-known in the industry from her active involvement with the National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) at many of its conventions, beginning with the inaugural event at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City in the early 1960s. She and her husband, Gene, were NAEC convention hosts in 1985, when the then-largest iteration was held at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. She also chaired the association's Ladies Program in the mid 1980s. She worked with Gene at Able Elevator from 1944 until 1978. She also helped organize the long-running, extant annual "Pop" Frohlinger/Joe Marchese Annual Memorial Invitational Outing for 43 years. She is survived by children, Joel and Linda; three grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/april-5-2016/

NEW CEO NAMED AS WITTUR/SEMATIC DEAL CLOSES

The Wittur Group has announced Patrik Wohlhauser as its new CEO upon closing its merger with Sematic on April 1. Wohlhauser was formerly chief operating officer at Evonik Industries AG. Frank Schulkes, former chief financial officer (CFO) and executive vice president of GE Healthcare, was previously named Wittur CFO. The news comes after Walter Rohregger resigned as CEO and Daniel Wiest resigned as CFO. Michael Siefke, chairman of Wittur Group's Supervisory Board, said since Wohlhauer comes from outside the elevator industry, he “will add a fresh pair of eyes and strive to implement innovate best practices which go beyond our sector."

NYCHA MAKING CHANGES FOLLOWING INVESTIGATION

The elevator division of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is making changes after the city’s Department of Investigation found the division failed to properly respond to malfunctions among its 3,300 elevators, The New York Times reports. The investigation comes in the wake of an 84-year-old man succumbing to injuries he sustained in a malfunctioning elevator in a Bronx apartment complex in December. NYCHA says it is following the department’s recommendations, including disciplining 10 employees, making sure brake monitors are operational and establishing new codes that prioritize elevator problems.

29-STORY RESIDENTIAL TOWER PROPOSED IN TORONTO

A 29-story building with approximately 520 residences and ground-level retail is proposed along a stretch of Yonge Street in Toronto, Urban Toronto reports. Replacing a row of single-story properties, the plan includes an adjacent two-story Mitsubishi car dealership and four levels of underground parking. Quadrangle Architects designed a structure with an L-shaped, eight-10-story base topped by a tower rising approximately 92 m from the ground. No construction timeframe was given.

IN MEMORIAM: ALEX STRYCHALUK

Alex Strychaluk passed away on February 3. Strychaluk's career began with Otis in Paris in 1959 before moving to Canada, where he worked for KJA Consultants as one of the firm's first employees. Thereafter, he worked with Roelofson Elevator, Montgomery and KONE, from which he retired as manager of Mechanical Engineering in 1994. He founded Mainline Industries Corp. with his sons, Eric and Carl, in 1987. He worked at Mainline until the family founded MAD Elevator Fixtures in 2004 with partners the Emiliani family of DMG SpA in Rome. In addition to his sons, Strychaluk is survived by his wife of 56 years, Nounia "Nina"; sister, Marie; brother, Paul; daughter, Sandra; five grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Memorial donations to St. Joseph's Health Care Centre in Toronto would be appreciated.

MANILA DEVELOPMENT INCLUDES SOARING RESIDENTIAL TOWERS

Sixty-four and 62-story residential towers, The Royalton and The Imperium, respectively, are being built in the Pasig area of metropolitan Manila, the Philippines, Skyrise Cities reports. Scheduled to be complete in 2018, they are part of Ortigas & Co.'s Capitol Commons, a mixed-use development on 10 ha that will include a shopping mall, entertainment venues, offices and green space. The 230-m-tall Royalton boasts curved balconies and views of the Pasig River and Sierra Madre mountain range. The development is set to have five towers in all.

FLORIDA RESIDENTIAL HIGH RISE MOVING FORWARD

Seaglass at Bonita Bay, a 26-story residential building in the Bonita Bay community of Bonita Springs, Florida, is moving forward with sales in excess of US$90 million and construction poised to start, Naples Daily News reports. The Ronto Group is the developer of the project, set to include 120 units, a private beach, five golf courses and a tennis complex, among other amenities.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/april-1-2016/