Bialy Retires from Otis, Launches Consultancy

Louis Bialy, P.E., whose name is synonymous with elevator codes and standards, has retired from Otis and launched a consulting business, Louis Bialy & Associates LLC. For the past 33 years, Bialy worked in various capacities for Otis. His retirement was effective December 31. “It has indeed been an honor and a privilege to have been a part of one of the world’s great companies, and I have made many friends over the years who will always be precious to me,” Bialy said. “Otis has played a central role in my life and will always have a special place in my heart.”

Head of Otis Worldwide Codes & Standards for more than 20 years, Bialy started his career there with the founding of Otis Canada’s R&D Department in 1980. In 1984, he transferred to Farmington, Connecticut, where he developed numerous products for electric and hydraulic elevators, as well as specifications for Otis’s Bristol Test Tower in Connecticut. The recipient of many company and industry awards, including being honored as an Otis Fellow in 2006, Bialy holds various patents in the elevator and other industries. His work for Otis encompassed both product-liability defense and developing and implementing codes and standards around the world. He has been a member and leader of key International Standards Organization and American Society of Mechanical Engineers committees.

Prior to coming to Otis, Bialy was chief engineer at Sheldons Engineering and supervisor of Product Engineering at Joy Manufacturing Co., both in Ontario. He also led Engineering, Design and Development for the DeBeers Group in South Africa. He is a registered P.E., and holds an M.Eng from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, and a B.Sc in Engineering from Witwatersrand University in South Africa. He has published numerous articles on engineering issues, and has given many presentations on elevator safety codes and standards – an effort he plans to continue. In fact, he plans to stay very busy in retirement:

“Actually, the word ‘retirement’ isn’t in my vocabulary. My future is merely a change, to some extent, of my time allocation. I plan to spend more time with my wife, Jill, of 45 years, and our children and grandchildren. I hope to visit places that we have not yet been to, such as New Zealand, Morocco, Egypt and the Galapagos Islands. I hope to devote more time to photography and reading. As a final endeavor, I hope to write in both a technical and general capacity. I envisage writing about my life and all the people and events that have shaped my decisions. This will perhaps be an interesting record for future generations.”

Transitions

Fortune Shepler Hires Saling, Modifies Name

Elevator consulting firm Fortune Shepler Saling Inc. (FS2), formerly Fortune Shepler, has announced the addition of John Saling as principal and a name change to reflect the addition. Saling is a 25-year veteran of the industry, previously working as director of Sales for ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s Manhattan office. At FS2, Saling will work with the firm’s New York and international clients to assist with vertical transportation planning. Specializing in design of systems for tall and supertall buildings, FS2 has worked on a range of notable projects around the world, which may be viewed on website: www.fs2ec.com.

New Lerch Bates Senior Project Manager

Lerch Bates Inc. announced that it has promoted Mark Hall to senior project manager, strategic accounts. Hall previously served as a project manager for the company’s Atlanta regional office. Now, he will oversee projects and business relationships with strategically assigned accounts, as well as develop and manage relationships with new strategic-account clients. As project manager for the Atlanta office, Hall conducted maintenance evaluations, modernization services and vertical-transportation analysis and design. He executed business development strategies through prospect identification, cross-selling to existing accounts and networking within national and regional professional associations.

Prior to joining Lerch Bates in 2012, Hall served in various sales and management positions within the vertical-transportation industry. He previously worked as a new equipment sales manager and regional sales manager for Otis and as a senior account representative, then service sales manager for KONE. Hall earned a BS in Political Science from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

Lerch Bates President and CEO Bart Stephan said of him, “[Hall’s] extraordinary career in vertical transportation and his more than 10 years of experience as an authority in elevator systems [make] him an ideal project manager of strategic accounts.”

Renderings Show NYC Residential Tower

In December, renderings of 22 Thames, a 70-story, 841-ft. building planned in New York City (NYC), were released, providing a look at what promises to be one of the tallest residential towers in Lower Manhattan, New York Yimby reported. Designed by Raphael Vinoly, 22 Thames will boast a sleek, glass façade with metal accents, and would be among NYC’s slimmest towers. Being developed jointly by Fisher Brothers and the Witkoff Group, 22 Thames would comprise approximately 400 units, and is slated for completion in spring 2017.

Mixed-Use Tower Called “Game Changer” for Philadelphia

A 47-story, mixed-use tower planned in downtown Philadelphia is being described by architect Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates as a “game changer” for the city that promises to spark further development, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. At 562 ft., the SLS Tower would become the tallest residential building in Pennsylvania upon completion. Construction is expected to start in fall 2014 and take approximately two years. SLS Tower will house an SLS Hotel and retail, with the upper floors devoted to condominium units.

The National Elevator Industry, Inc. Launches New Website

The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII ®) has launched a redesigned website, www.neii.org. The site boasts a mobile-ready, contemporary new look and offers improved navigation. Its newsletters, fact sheets and white papers are geared toward the building/transportation industry, as well as the riding public. The site also offers integrated social-media links for easy access to NEII’s Twitter newsfeed and members-only LinkedIn group. Site content covers elevator/escalator safety, industry innovations, sustainability, and codes and standards. “This new website reflects the professional and dynamic image of our industry and makes it easier than ever for our members, the media and the riding public to find the in-depth, focused content they’ve come to expect from NEII,” stated NEII Managing Director Edward Donoghue. NEII aims to redesign the website’s member area this year. 

Lerch Bates Approved to Perform Inspections in Arizona

Lerch Bates Inc. has been licensed by the state of Arizona to perform elevator and escalator inspections, the Denver-based company announced in December 2013. Legislation passed by Arizona in 2010 paved the way for private companies to capture part of the market by allowing owners and operators of vertical-transportation systems to hire inspectors approved by the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health. There are more than 30,000 elevators in Arizona, Lerch Bates noted. “More and more states are allowing the private sector to perform initial and annual inspections of vertical transportation systems, and we are leading the way in gaining approval in those states,” said Jeff Marsh, vice president of Business Development and Marketing. Lerch Bates said it is in the process of becoming licensed in Mississippi, which recently passed a law requiring regular inspections (ELEVATOR WORLD, January 2014).

New Gefran Drives Offered

Gefran and Sprecher + Schuh have partnered to offer Gefran’s ADL300 Elevator Drive Series traction-elevator drive intended for modernizations of such units as machine-room-less elevators. Applications include induction or permanent-magnet motors, with and without gear reducers. The ADL300 series’ GF _eXpress programming software facilitates a smooth transition from going up to down and stopping utilizing a double-S-curve method. The ADL300 series complies with international standards and approvals, in addition to ASME A17.5 and CSA B44.1.

DAY Elevator Opens West Hempstead, New York, showroom

DAY Elevator and Lift Inc. has opened a showroom at its West Hempstead, New York, location. Geared toward demonstrating to prospective clients in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut what DAY has to offer, the facility showcases an array of products. Displays include six running stair lifts, a replica backyard deck with stair lift, four elevator cabs showing available finishes and ceiling options and a ramp leading to a fully functional elevator where clients may view the machine room’s layout. Located at 50 Hempstead Gardens Drive, the showroom is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

New Dates, Venue for 2014 CECA Convention

The Canadian Elevator Contractors Association (CECA) has announced new dates and a new host hotel for its 2014 convention, in light of the original hotel, Loews Hôtel Le Concorde, announcing its closure. The new dates are May 12-16, and the new host hotel is Hilton Quebec. Larger than the original venue and providing more room for booths, the Quebec City Convention Centre, which is across the street from the Hilton, will house exhibits.

Schindler to Provide 72 Units for Honolulu Transit

Schindler has been hired to provide 49 custom machine-room-less elevators and 23 transit escalators to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation system, slated for completion in 2019. Representing Hawaii’s first fixed-rail public-transportation system, the 20-mi. network encompasses 21 stations. The first phase is scheduled to be finished in 2017. Schindler expects to start delivering units in 2015.

Cloud-Based Networking App Launched

TigerTracks Development, LLC, a cloud-based networking company based in Chicago, has partnered with air-compressor manufacturer Sullivan-Palatek, Inc. to create a co-branded web app that helps equipment service companies, including elevator contractors, manage and share maintenance records with equipment owners. The service will supply dealers with subscriptions to a version of the TigerTracks platform so dealer employees in the field and office can efficiently manage and share service records, warranty claims and preventative-maintenance records with equipment owners such as metal-fabrication shops. In this case, equipment owners will receive a subscription and be able to manage any Sullivan-Palatek products in their facilities for free. Equipment owners will also be able to service and support other heavy equipment critical to the operation of their company for a subscription fee. TigerTracks is led by a team of former equipment-industry personnel with more than 50 years of experience in heavy-equipment design and maintenance.