“Big Company Resources, Small Company Feel”

Dura-Lift marks 25 years of serving diverse VT customers in New York and New Jersey.

The hustle and bustle in New York and New Jersey never cease. Whether at work or at play, at home or at an event, people in these areas are all about energy. Every day in the heart of Manhattan, businesspeople and guests at several Hilton hotels take the elevator to their respective floors. Meanwhile, over in Union City, New Jersey, local students visit the different floors throughout the buildings on several university campuses to pore through books and research databases as they gather information for school projects. These completely different buildings share one commonality: Dura-Lift Elevator services their elevators.

Since its founding in 1997, Dura-Lift continues to be a reliable source for elevator maintenance and installation throughout New York and New Jersey. The company believes its strong foundation and growth are due to providing quality work, having fast response times and the flexibility to service multiple building styles with the same promise of quality and personalized service. “Our staff is professional, knowledgeable and friendly,” observes Dura-Lift President Paul Scherzer. “Our customers like the idea that the owner will get on the phone to speak to them, if needed.” This, he says, is why customers keep coming back.

Based in Sayreville, New Jersey, Dura-Lift handles both basic elevator repairs and complex elevator modernizations. Its clients have included Madison Square Garden, United Airlines, ShopRite supermarkets, the Social Security Administration, Con Edison (Consolidated Edison, Inc.), Brooks Brothers and the aforementioned Hilton hotels, among others. Scherzer says the company’s 45 employees are proud of servicing accounts for such prestigious clients, many of which have stayed customers and referred the company to others.

Striving to approach every customer the same way, regardless of building, location or project, Dura-Lift says its approach to business is embodied in its motto: “Contact Dura-Lift — Survey Your Maintenance Needs — Get Back to Business.” This approach not only keeps current customers happy, but turns them into advocates, Scherzer says. This is evident in Dura-Lift’s success in generating referrals. Scherzer says:

“We have a large referral base and return rate. We pride ourselves on retention of customers. Our goal is to have our new construction customers become maintenance customers, and we’ve been extremely successful in doing so. They are pleased with the outcome of their projects and stay with us for years.”

Dura-Lift aims to deliver strong workmanship, maintain a meticulous vigilance for safety, and — no less important — transparency. With regular maintenance on all jobs performed by professionals who are Certified Elevator Technicians (CET®), Dura-Lift is equipped to handle a range of work.

The company has developed ways to stay mobile and adaptive. To that end, it keeps a fleet of fully stocked, GPS-enabled trucks running throughout the New York and New Jersey areas, as well as a full parts inventory and machine shop to fabricate custom replacement components. These technical capabilities allow Dura-Lift to complete installations and maintenance of every vertical-transportation (VT) system in its service area. Specialties include:

• Design and planning
• New construction/installation
• Full or partial modernization with customized scheduling
• Custom cabs and fixtures
• Fully pre-wired systems
• Machine-room-less (MRL) in-line systems
• MRL front-and-side and front-and-rear systems
• Hydraulic, geared and gearless systems
• Machine room renovation and maintenance
• 24/7 emergency response services
• Code-compliance services
• Testing and violation abatement services

Throughout the last 25 years, a multitude of changes in technology and the VT industry itself have forced service companies to pivot to new practices and policies. Dura-Lift is no exception. It provides continuing education for staff and offers the most-current training and certifications. “Technology has changed everything,” Scherzer says. “Controllers have become more computerized and less mechanical, as one example. Technicians need to be updated on the new technologies more frequently as things evolve.”

While this commitment to staying current enables technical flexibility and the resources to create custom solutions for customers, Dura-Lift also places additional emphasis on the No. 1 priority in elevator operation: safety. Scherzer observes:

“Safety has also changed over time. We are a more safety-conscious society, and this includes more safety devices and regulations for elevators. This is why we’ve developed our own in-house testing and violations department that works hand-in-hand with all governing agencies and tracks all required testing in our equipment database.”

Dura-Lift takes what Scherzer describes as “a no-nonsense approach” to regular maintenance plans, testing and compliance, as well as emergency dispatching. The company programs emergency phones in each elevator to directly alert the dispatching center to the address and provide precise elevator locations. This helps ensure swift action in emergencies. 

Our goal is to have our new construction customers become maintenance customers, and we’ve been extremely successful in doing so.

— Dura-Lift President Paul Scherzer

As for what the future for Dura-Lift holds, one adage remains true: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Considering all the changes in how the world functions in the wake of COVID-19, plus emerging technologies and new best practices always in development, Dura-Lift aims to stick to being a local business that provides quality service and makes doing business easy for customers of all sizes. “Consistent pricing, quality equipment, competent workmanship and honesty are what set us apart,” says Scherzer. “Empowered by our partnership with American Elevator Group, we have big company resources with a small company feel.”