Eklund’s Appoints Northeast Regional Director

Eklund’s, Inc. has appointed Jason Speicher as Northeast Regional director at the company’s Lanham, Maryland, custom elevator cab manufacturing facility. Speicher is responsible for Eklund’s business operations in the northeast, including overseeing manufacturing, improving processes, staffing and field operations. A veteran of the commercial and residential construction industry, Speicher has held several positions, including director of construction and senior project manager.  Most recently, he owned a carpentry facility in Monkton, Maryland. Speicher is a graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Capital One Expansion Project In Tysons Corner

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in Virginia approved an expansion of Capital One’s corporate headquarters in Tysons Corner. According to The Washington Post, Capital One owns 26 acres in Tysons near the McLean station on Metro’s Silver Line, which is scheduled to open in late 2013. The plan includes 3.1 million sq. ft. of office space, four high-rise residential buildings, a 30,000-sq.-ft. community center, a hotel and 100,000 sq. ft. of restaurants and retail, all of which will surround Capital One’s existing corporate headquarters. The only building expected to be under construction within the next year would be 20 stories of mostly office space.

Elevators For Transbay Tower Project In San Francisco

Transbay Tower, to be built in San Francisco, has two major changes to its design’s top and base. According to curbed.com, the rooftop park planned for the Transbay Terminal (ELEVATOR WORLD, October 2007) will have stronger connections to the base of the tower. The 5.4-acre park will now connect to the street with a diagonal funicular elevator that will rise through 20 redwood trees. The park will also be accessible through the lobby in the tower, where an express elevator will travel to the tower’s fifth floor. Another design change includes an extension to the top of the tower in order to make it taller than any other building in the city at 1,070 ft. With approval of the planning commission, the project could begin construction in late summer 2013.

PFLOW Adds Borden To Operations

Jim Borden has joined Pflow Industries, Inc. as a manufacturing engineer. He will serve as a liaison between the manufacturing and engineering departments to ensure product document accuracy and quality compliance, and report to Tom Sowinski, vice president of Operations. Borden has more than 30 years of manufacturing experience, a bachelor’s degree from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and an MBA. In addition, he is a certified Manufacturing Engineering Technologist and has developed successful ISO 9000 quality-control systems for industries such as metal stamping and injection molding. Borden is a Certified Quality Engineer and recipient of the American Production and Inventory Control Society’s Certification in Production and Inventory Management.

Escalators For Kentucky Convention Center

The Owensboro Convention Center in downtown Owensboro, Kentucky, was reportedly under construction in October. The facility features a 45,000-sq.-ft. exhibition hall and an additional 48,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Anlev Elevator Inc. is to supply six escalators by May 2013 for the facility, scheduled to open in December 2013. The company designs and manufactures escalators, moving walkways and machine-room-less elevators.

High-Rise Project Announced For Houston

In the first quarter of 2013, the Hanover Co. expects to break ground on Hanover Post Oak, its 29-story residential tower in BLVD Place in Houston’s Galleria/Uptown District. The apartments are expected to be available for move in by the third quarter of 2014. BLVD Place is a phased project and will contain retail, office and residential components. Phase I includes retail and office space and was completed in 2009. Phase II will also include retail, office and restaurant space and began in September.

New NAESA Board Of Directors

NAESA International elected its 2012-2013 board of directors at its annual meeting at United in Atlantic City (p.74). Jim Borwey, chief inspector for the State of Iowa, and Dean McLellan, of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority in Ontario, were reelected in AHJ classification. Carl McDilda from Roanoke, Virginia, was reelected in Private Inspector classification, and Jonathan Brooks of North Carolina was reelected in Professional classification.

NAESA’s executive officers were also elected by the board: Bill Snyder, a private inspector from Florida, is the new president; Doug Warne, from the Alberta Elevating Devices & Amusement Rides Safety Association, is vice-president; Brooks is secretary; and Borwey is treasurer. NAESA thanked outgoing president, McLellan, for his four years of service.

Kone To Equip New Nycta Station

In October, KONE announced a contract by EE Cruz and Tully Construction to supply nine heavy-duty transit escalators as part of the New York City Transit Authority’s (NYCTA) Second Avenue subway project. The new subway station at 96th Street and Second Avenue is part of a plan to reduce overcrowding and delays on the Lexington Avenue line and provide better access for residents of the far East Side of Manhattan. An estimated 200,000 passengers will use the station each day. The escalators are specifically designed to meet such heavy use and feature an energy-efficient sleep mode that reduces the escalator’s speed when no passengers are traveling. NYCTA expects completion of the entire project by January 2017.

“We are pleased to continue providing our expertise in the mass-transit market and eco-efficient escalator solutions to New York City’s subway system,” said Larry Wash, executive vice president and area director of KONE Americas. “We know our products will continue to provide NYCTA passengers with a reliable, safe and energy-efficient travel experience.”

Alps Wire Rope Announces Personnel Changes

To meet the needs of its continued growth, Alps Wire Rope Corp. has made a few personnel changes. In September, it announced the promotion of Elizabeth Beddow to controller. Beddow has worked with Alps since 2005 and attended Western University of Illinois. Alps also announced the return of Ross Benner as customer-service and purchasing manager. Benner worked with the company from 1988 to 2004 in various departments. In addition, Jeff Pyzyna joined Alps as district sales manager of its Western region. Pyzyna has experience in wire-rope sales and most recently served as a national account manager for a manufacturing company.

Hawaiian Equipment Lacks Inspection

According to the Honolulu Civil Beat, 5,000 elevators, escalators and similar equipment in Hawaii have yet to undergo safety inspections this year. The number makes up more than 70% of the 7,000 such machines the state is supposed to check annually for compliance with safety regulations. According to Bill Kunstman, spokesman for the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the backlog has been building for nearly 20 years: “The last time we were able to stay on top of things and the branch was fully staffed was 1995,” he said. Some elevators have lacked inspections for more than 10 years. However, legislation that took effect in July has appropriated US$1 million for the agency, allowing it to add 10 new positions. Kuntsman hopes the adopted elevator safety code, currently the 1996 version, can soon be updated to the 2010 edition.

Statue Of Liberty Renovation Completed

The Statue of Liberty in New York City was scheduled to reopen in October after being closed for renovations for one year. However, due to Hurricane Sandy, the reopening was postponed indefinitely as of November. The reopening was supposed to mark the statue’s 126th birthday and boast improved accessibility for those with impaired mobility. Among the renovations was the installation of an emergency elevator. The final cost of the project is reportedly to reach US$30 million but will enable an additional 26,000 people to visit the structure each year.

Thyssenkrupp Elevator Receives Sustainability Award

In October, ROUSH® CleanTech, a company dedicated to promoting propane autogas technology, held its 2012 Green Fleet Conference and Expo in Schaumburg, Illinois. At the conference, Green Fleet Magazine recognized several companies from a variety of industries for their efforts to use propane autogas to reduce their carbon footprint. ThyssenKrupp Elevator was among the companies to be awarded with the Sustainability All-Stars award. Tom Armstrong, ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s fleet director, accepted the honor and was acknowledged for the company’s commitment to operate 10% of its vehicles with propane autogas by 2015.

Peelle Personnel Updates

Allyson Young has joined The Peelle Co. as controller. With more than 20 years of progressive experience as a controller in small to medium-sized Canadian manufacturing companies, Young has been a part of senior management teams, leading companies through survival to growth modes. She is considered to have strong knowledge of both accounting and costing systems, having been responsible for financial-statement preparation, budgeting, cash management and costing in manufacturing environments. The certified management accountant has worked in a variety of industries and has a BA in Urban Studies from the University of Toronto.

Michael J. Ryan, Peelle’s vice president of Sales and Marketing, has been appointed as chairman of the American Red Cross in Long Island, New York, for a second term. In addition to this post, Ryan is involved with his local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system, volunteering with a community ambulance, the regional EMS council and as an American Red Cross First Aid and cardiopulmonary-resuscitation instructor trainer.

Kone Spares Promotes Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), the KONE Spares Sales team was “thinking pink,” relating to the important cause it represents. The company encouraged customers to send pictures of team members in their own pink clothing to celebrate the recognition of breast cancer survivors touched by this disease and the race to its cure.

Florida’s “The Building” Completed, Strives For Leed

Located in downtown Coral Gables, Florida, The Building was completed in August and was already 65% leased as of September. The developers of the modern-style commercial building hope to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification. The 58,000-sq.-ft. Class-A office building is the new headquarters for Zubi Advertising, which recently received the City Beautiful Award from the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes architectural and aesthetic achievements.