Elevator World

Check out the Editor's Overview for the April 2016 issue.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/magazine/training-long-road/

GOLD-CLAD, 66-STORY TOWER PROPOSED FOR SOUTHPORT

A 66-story, reflective gold-clad tower, part of a two-tower development, has been proposed in the emerging central business district of Southport, Australia, brisbanedevelopment.com reports. Named The Au for the atomic symbol for gold on the periodic table, the building would house apartments, along with retail and public areas at ground level. The other tower would stand 15 stories. Together, the structures would house nearly 600 residences. AFD Consortium is the developer, and Cox Rayner is the architect.

CALIFORNIA COUNTY OFFICIALS SPAR OVER IDLE ELEVATOR

An elevator in the Sheriff’s and Public Works building in San Benito County, California, has been out of service for more than a year, and the issue created tension among county supervisors at a March 22 meeting, the Benito Link reports. At issue are details of the maintenance and repair contract between the county and the OEM that handles the work. Despite the fact the county and the OEM failed to agree on the amount of liability each should have, the supervisors signed the contract in order to get the unit up and running again. One supervisor commented the issue “shouldn’t have risen to this level.”

TODDLER MAIMED IN BEIJING ESCALATOR MISHAP

A one-year-old girl lost six of her fingers in an escalator mishap captured on camera at a Beijing mall, various news outlets, including Emirates 24/7, report. It is unclear exactly when the incident occurred, but reports describe it as the latest in a string of such accidents in China. In this case, the toddler ran back onto the escalator after exiting it, then fell and got her fingers stuck. She was accompanied by adults, who were unaware that she had run back to the unit, which had stopped automatically. The child was treated at a hospital.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/march-31-2016/

US$22 BILLION FOR NYC INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has approved US$22 billion in funding for upgrades to area airports, rail, train and bus systems throughout New York City (NYC), Reuters reports. Officials described it as the largest single allocation of funds in the authority's history. On the drawing boards are a new US$15-billion bus terminal in Manhattan, US$4 billion for LaGuardia Airport, US$2.3 billion for Newark Liberty International Airport and US$70 million for what will ultimately be a US$20-billion rail system with a new tunnel under the Hudson River. These plans have been in the works for years, and the release of funding indicates they could could becoming reality soon.

PROPOSAL INCLUDES SAN FRANCISCO’S SECOND TALLEST

Oceanwide Center, a proposed two-tower development at 1st and Mission streets in San Francisco, includes what would be the city's second-tallest building at 910 ft., Curbed San Francisco reports. The plan would total 1.35 million sq. ft. of office and 650,000 sq. ft. of residential space, and seven floors of heavily landscaped public/retail space. City officials are enthusiastic about the highrises, designed by Foster + Partners with landscaping by Gustafson, Guthrie & Nichols. The plan continues to move forward, but no construction dates have been given.

SPAIN TRENDS: EFFICIENT ELEVATORS, GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

Spain, which has Europe’s largest installed base of elevators and escalators, can expect to see the popularity of energy-efficient and electric elevators increase through 2019, along with government initiatives aimed at encouraging energy conservation, according to a report from Technavio. Products such as Otis’ Gen2® elevators and ReGenTM drives lend themselves to these trends, which include the government establishing energy-consumption limits for elevators and requiring regular maintenance to sustain overall unit efficiency.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/march-30-2016/

TURNER TAKES ON GREATER RESPONSIBILITY WITH LERCH BATES

Lerch Bates Inc. has promoted Jim Turner to vice president of Modernization for the Elevator Consulting Group. Turner joined Lerch Bates in 2014 as project manager for the Great Lakes Region, headquartered in Chicago. Described by Lerch Bates President Bart Stephan as a respected leader in the industry who has been instrumental in the company's growth, Turner has more than 24 years of industry experience and will report directly to Stephan.

FRANKFURT FINANCIAL DISTRICT EYED FOR QUARTET OF TOWERS

A quartet of 228-m-tall mixed-use towers is planned by Dutch firm UNStudio in the Financial District of Frankfurt, Germany, designboom reports. The buildings are set to contain approximately 600 apartments, along with retail, hotel and restaurant space. The first building is expected to be delivered in 2020. The edifices will be the tallest residential and office buildings in Frankfurt and are expected to help revitalize the site, the former location of the Deutsche Bank.

NAESA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION PERIOD OPEN

NAESA International is accepting applications until May 31 for its 2016 scholarships from high-school seniors who are the children or grandchildren of active NAESA members in good standing and have applied to at least one college or university. The two U.S. scholarships, named in honor of Floyd J. Rommel, are in the amount of US$3,000 each. The Canadian Region’s two scholarships, named in honor of John Steele, are in the amount of CAD1,000 (US$831) each.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/march-25-2016-2/

EKLUND’S HIRES PROJECT MANAGER

Following the recent hire of two business development representatives, Eklund’s has hired Matt Garner as project manager. Garner’s role is managing cab interior projects from booking to completion. Based in Eklund's corporate office in Southlake, Texas, he will communicate job progress to customers throughout the design, manufacturing and installation process. Prior to joining Eklund's, Garner served a dual position as project manager and estimating manager for a national stone manufacturing company. Eklund's feels his experience with submittals, drawing approvals, procurement, scheduling and coordination makes him ideal for the project manager role.

DAMAC AWARDS DUBAI ELEVATOR MAINTENANCE CONTRACT

Damac Group has awarded a contract to Al-Futtaim Engineering’s elevator division to provide annual maintenance to six high-speed Hitachi elevators in the 310-m-tall, 83-story Ocean Heights Tower in Dubai, Middle East Construction News reports. Ocean Heights is the fifth-tallest luxury residential building in the world and fourth-tallest residential building in Dubai. Headquartered in Dubai, Al-Futtaim Engineering represents major international elevator brands such as Hitachi, Lift Material and BLT Elevators.

BROOKLYN RESIDENTIAL TOWER HAS STACKED DESIGN

New renderings have been released of a 23-story-tall, affordable residential structure at 38 Sixth Avenue at the northeast corner of Dean Street and Sixth Avenue in the Pacific Park development in Brooklyn, New York, New York YIMBY reports. SHoP Architects designed a trio of stacked volumes featuring cladding in shades of orange, gray and gold. The building, the second of what will ultimately be three, will contain approximately 300 apartments and 8,700 sq. ft. of retail. Greenland Forest City Partners is the developer, and construction is expected to be complete in winter 2017.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/march-28-2016/

KONE PROVIDING ELEVATORS FOR AUSTRALIA 108

KONE is providing 13 elevators to the 100-story, 319-m-tall Australia 108 at 70 Southbank Boulevard in Melbourne, which, upon completion, will be the tallest apartment building in the southern hemisphere. The order consists of 10 MiniSpaceTM high-speed elevators with UltraRope® and three MonoSpace® elevators with a maximum travel height of 306.8 m. Neeraj Sharma, executive vice president of KONE, Asia-Pacific, said the order indicates strong interest in KONE's UltraRope hoisting technology.

(image credit David Wallace - http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyonwater54/9756929044/)

WARFIELD & SANFORD HONORED BY WBJ

Warfield & Sanford was among 15 companies honored by the Washington Business Journal (WBJ) during the 2016 Family-Owned Business Awards, held on March 17 at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C. Multigenerational family-owned companies were recognized for overall excellence, innovation, ethics and philanthropy. Founded in 1915, the company is currently led by John Warring, III, who took over from his father, John Warring, Jr., in 2002.

GENESIS PROMOTES COVERT

Genesis Elevator Co., based in Atlanta, has promoted Ryan Covert to director of Residential Service. He is tasked with further developing Genesis' residential-service business and is now a member of the Genesis Leadership Group. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University, and was previously a partner and managing director of True Lacrosse in Chicago, helping grow that enterprise to 22 employees across eight states. Covert played both college and professional lacrosse, and continues his involvement in the sport through coaching. In the elevator industry, he oversaw key accounts in the Atlanta area.

http://elevatorworld.com/industry-news/march-25-2016/

THYSSENKRUPP OPENS SHANGHAI MPF

On March 23, thyssenkrupp was joined by local officials in opening its new, 15,000-m2, 40-m-tall multipurpose facility (MPF) in Shanghai. The company invested nearly US$19 million in the building, which brings team management, product development, manufacturing and training together under one roof and allows visitors to experience thyssenkrupp technology, such as the TWIN elevator system, firsthand. The MPF includes a first-of-its-kind showroom where people get a 360° look at thyssenkrupp’s newest vertical- and horizontal-transportation innovations.

OTIS OUTFITTING SEATTLE “VERTICAL CORPORATE CAMPUS”

Otis has been hired by Schnitzer West LLC to provide 22 units to Madison Centre, a 37-story "vertical campus" taking shape at 910 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle. The 754,000-sq.-ft, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified Madison Centre will include 13 gearless and seven Gen2® elevators and two NCE escalators. The elevators will include the CompassPlusTM destination-management and EMS Panorama® interactive elevator-management systems. Work on the project is set to begin this spring and wrap up in spring 2017.

COURION HIRES GARCIA AS SENIOR SALES CONSULTANT

Courion, based in St. Louis, has hired Niels Garcia as senior sales consultant for modernization and new-equipment sales. He has approximately 10 years of elevator-industry experience, including engineering and sales positions with EV Elevator International and Torin Drive. At Courion, his sales territory consists of the western U.S. states and Mexico.

IEE EXPO SOLD

Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt. Ltd., the Indian subsidiary of global trade fair organizer Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, has acquired the International Elevator and Escalator (IEE) Expo from Virgo Communications and Exhibitions. The acquisition further broadens Messe Frankfurt's participation in the building-technology sector, marking the 20th event the Indian subsidiary organizes. The IEE Expo is considered by Messe Frankfurt and Virgo as the fourth-largest elevator and escalator fair in the world and is to continue to facilitate business and networking as a niche brand in the company's Technology and Production segment. Both the organizers are to continue to work together closely to enhance the exhibition experience and ensure a seamless transition for its next iteration, to take place in 2018.

OTIS TO OUTFIT MELBOURNE’S TALLEST RESIDENTIAL TOWER

Otis Australia has been hired to provide 22 units to Aurora Melbourne Central, which will be the tallest residential tower in downtown Melbourne, Australia, when completed at 270 m. The order consists of four Elevonic®, five SkyriseTM and 11 Gen2® Premier elevators and two heavy-duty escalators. Three of the Gen2 units will be equipped with the CompassPlusTM destination-management system. The developer is UEM Sunrise of Malaysia, and the architect is Elenberg Fraser. Probuild is performing construction.

SUPERTALL RESIDENTIAL TOWER IN NYC’S FINANCIAL DISTRICT

Plans for a 91-story, 275-unit supertall residential tower at 125 Greenwich Street in the Financial District of New York City (NYC) are moving forward, New York YIMBY reports. Developers have secured US$175 million in financing and started foundation work on the tower, designed by Rafael Viñoly and featuring landscaped cutaways and a crown that will bring it to a yet-unknown height. The highest occupied floor would be 990 ft. above the ground. The team behind the project consists of Michael Shvo, Vector Group, New Valley and Bizzi & Partners Development.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/march-23-2016/

COLUMBIA ADDS NEW POSITIONS IN EXPANSION

Columbia Elevator Products Co. Inc. has announced that, as part of its ongoing expansion, it has added three further areas of responsibility and positions. Lawrence Moreno, who will be based in Columbia’s Winfield, Kansas, facility, is assuming the position of quality manager, in addition to the responsibility for overseeing safety issues. Tom Hannah, operating from Columbia’s Miami location, assumes the title of engineering sales, and Greg Mullin, also in Florida, assumes the title of estimating/sales. Hannah and Mullin have been with the company since 2015 and have more than 40 and 20 years of experience in the elevator industry, respectively.

JAPANESE OEMs LOOK BEYOND CHINA FOR PROFITS

Japanese OEMs, such as Mitsubishi Electric, Hitachi, Toshiba Elevator and Fujitec, are increasing their presence in Asian markets outside of China as growth in the world's largest elevator market contracts, Nikkei Asian Review reports. India is a particular focus, with Mitsubishi Electric planning to add five business and four maintenance offices, and more than double employment in India to 2,200 by 2020. Toshiba Elevator plans to focus on units for low- and mid-rise buildings in India, increasing annual capacity at its Malaysian facility by 25% to 2,000 by 2018 to support anticipated growth.

LIFT AND ESCALATOR SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION OPEN

Registration is now open for the 6th Symposium on Lift and Escalator Technologies, set for September 21-22 at Highgate House in Northampton, U.K. Those who register before June 30 will receive an early booking discount of GBP30 (US$43). Further discounts are available to members of the event’s supporting organizations: the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, University of Northampton, Lift and Escalator Industry Association and Institution of Engineering and Technology. For more information or to register, visit website.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/march-22-2016/

KONE TO MODERNIZE ELEVATOR SYSTEM IN MELBOURNE TOWER

KONE has been selected by GPT Group to modernize 25 elevators and install a destination-control system in the 211-m-tall, 51-story office building, Melbourne Central Tower, in Melbourne, Australia’s Central Business District (CBD). Work is scheduled to begin in June and wrap up in mid 2018. The upgrades promise to increase the system's handling capacity and enhance efficiency through installation of new hoisting machines and regenerative drives. The improvements will also improve the 65,000-m2 property's green credentials.

RESIDENTIAL TOWER TOPS OUT ON WILLIAMSBURG WATERFRONT

A 40-story, 398-ft.-tall tower containing approximately 550 apartments at 2 North 6th Street on the Williamsburg, New York, waterfront across from Manhattan topped out on March 16, New York YIMBY reports. It is the fourth and final tower being developed by Douglaston Development at the location along the East River. Designed by Stephen B. Jacobs Group, the building has more than 500,000 sq. ft. of residential space and includes amenities, parking and retail. Together, the four buildings house approximately 2,000 apartments.

CEA NIGHT AT THE RACES FUNDRAISER COMING UP

Information about the Night at the Races scholarship fundraiser organized by the Chicago Elevator Association (CEA) appearing previously was incorrect. The second annual Night at the Races CEA scholarship fundraiser is planned at Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero, Illinois, on May 19 at 6 p.m. The cost is US$65 per person, and sponsorships of various levels are available. All proceeds go toward providing further-education funds for any high-school senior son, daughter, stepchild or grandchild of CEA members in good standing. Visit cea-online.org for further information.

http://elevatorworld.com/industry-news/march-21-2016/