A Couple of Visits in Chicago

An unique elevator experience in Germany

Having a full day in Chicago before the Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation fundraiser cruise, I decided to visit some local clients. My first stop was a visit with Glenn Duncan of Parts Specialists, Inc. (PSI), an elevator and escalator replacement parts supplier located in southwest Chicago. It reminded me of our offices at Elevator World, Inc. – very much a part of the residential suburb. Duncan said his business is good in the Midwest – a lot of code work, modernizations and repairs, but not a lot of new construction because of so many empty buildings. Every nook and cranny in the building was crammed full of supplies. Duncan’s father was a locksmith, so a company specialty is having a key to every elevator. Also, the small staff was very much a family group.

Duncan took me across town for a quick meeting with Tom Sybert at C.J. Anderson & Co. My job there was to talk Sybert into working with ELEVATOR WORLD on a profile of his company, which is more than 100 years old, and of himself as the “mouth” of the Elevator Radio Show and new president of the Chicago Elevator Association. He gave me the nickle tour of the shop, followed by lunch, and agreed to the plan. More on Sybert and the long-lasting family company will be forthcoming in a future issue. As Sybert drove me back to the hotel, we saw several cranes in the skyline – a welcome sight.