Catching Up With The Peelle Co.

This lastest on the manufacturer’s nearly 100-year-old Canadian operations in this Company Spotlight

Established in New York in the late 1880s, The Peelle Co. was incorporated in New York in 1905 and Canada in 1926. Today, 80% of the company’s workforce is in Canada, where Peelle manufactures and manages its domestic and export sales from its Brampton, Ontario, head office. U.S. employees make up the North American sales team and construction management, as well as the New York and New Jersey International Union of Elevator Constructors Local One and 580 field teams.

Over the past 119 years, Peelle has intentionally developed its company culture, instilling the value of providing products and services that live up to its reputation and legacy. Vice President of Business Development Michael J. Ryan said that providing adequate training for both office and manufacturing staff, allowing a hybrid office environment and promoting and transferring from within the company have been key to Peelle’s success in retaining team members.

Peelle has evolved into an international manufacturer with representatives in multiple countries, including France, Singapore, the U.K., the U.A.E. and Germany. Ryan said that major North American cities, including NYC, Chicago, Toronto and Vancouver, as well as “some standouts in the South,” like Miami, remain busy. In Canada, Peelle’s top-seller is its traditional vertical-slide freight elevator door, for which it is best known, along with car gates and car enclosures for both new construction and modernization opportunities.

With its Canada-based R&D team, Peelle continues to investigate potential updates to its current product line. “These improvements could be as simple as a rail bolt to improve the installation process to a replacement door control system,” said Ryan. “At the moment, we’re rolling out a wireless controller ‘bridge’ that connects Peelle’s wireless controller with an elevator controller not modified for the system.” The company has also developed its own passenger entrances and replacement panels line to address customer requests. Peelle is primarily a manufacturer, however, it has installed or assisted in the installation of its products around the world.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, new construction projects were placed on hold, but Peelle’s modernization and repair business was essentially unaffected. Peelle’s hybrid office structure and focus on social media and digital marketing came about during this time and have remained. Ryan said post-pandemic business has been steady.

Peelle puts forth various philanthropic efforts and has sustained a high level of involvement in elevator industry associations. “We attend, educate, support and have participation in the leadership team of most elevator trade groups, as well as local elevator groups,” Ryan said. “We are present at every show and event. They are all important, and each has its own unique culture and needs.” Ryan, who spent eight years on the Canadian Elevator Contractors Association (CECA) Board of Directors, noted that staying connected in this way takes a great deal of resources, but it’s worth it to be able to address each constituency’s needs.

Looking to the future, Peelle’s strategic goals are driven by the needs of its customers and aligning these needs with its core competencies. Ryan said the company plans to have its regional managers support elevator contractors in North America with job site surveys, training and project management to ensure their success in the local market. “We have always enjoyed our participation in the Canadian market, and we’ve been at it for almost a century,” Ryan said. “Canada is a beautiful and vibrant country with friendly people, and I’m honored to have experienced it.”

About The Peelle Co.

The Peelle Co. is known for premium, quality design and manufacture of special lift entrance doors. The company prides itself on manufacturing quality products that stand the test of time. An international provider of horizontal and vertical sliding doors for commercial and industrial applications, Peelle has maintained its approach toward the traditional engineering requirements that are necessary for heavy-usage environments.