A Tour of Italy

In this On Camera, ELEVATOR WORLD Europe highlights its visits with elevator companies throughout the country. 

by T.Bruce MacKinnon and Bülent Yılmaz

In early February, before the coronavirus pandemic began affecting life as we know it, Elevator World Inc. President T. Bruce MacKinnon and ELEVATOR WORLD Europe Managing Director Bulent Yılmaz spent nearly a week traveling through Italy, intent on visiting and getting better acquainted with as many Italian elevator companies as they could fit into their schedule. This was done in anticipation of EW Europe’s first Focus on Italy, originally scheduled to run in the March-April issue. This issue was to be printed in Italian and distributed at the Lift Expo Italia event in Milan in May. 

By the end of their five-day road trip, which spanned from Rome to Milan, MacKinnon and Yılmaz had sat down with industry leaders from 16 companies, and heard first-hand accounts of company histories; toured factories and facilities, learning about new products coming to market; and got glimpses into future plans and the market trends, technology and R&D that drive them. The trip had been even more fruitful than expected, and the issue’s focus, it was believed, would shape up nicely. 

However, not long after the trip’s completion, COVID-19 began ravaging Italy, resulting in companies shutting down temporarily or running skeleton crews. Quarantining became the order of the day, and a general uncertainty was pervasive. Lift Expo Italia, like most 2020 events, was delayed, and we delayed EW Europe’s Focus on Italy as a result. Months passed, and we finally learned the event is rescheduled for January 2021. It seemed a long time to wait to Focus on Italy and highlight the companies visited, so we decided to do it now. Thank you to the many Italian companies who took the time to meet with and tell their stories to us.