Following His Passion

Escalator and moving walk modernization continues to inspire Colorado-based TKE Senior Sales Executive Jeffrey Massey. 

Growing up in Southern California (SoCal) with a dad who was a military pilot had Jeffrey Massey dreaming of one day flying F-4B supersonic jet interceptors for the U.S. Navy like his father. Even after he enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC) to study journalism with a focus on public relations (PR), Massey continued to toy with the idea of joining the military. He decided to go into the business world instead, joining a PR agency in Los Angeles following graduation. Rather than being a “hype man,” however, Massey wanted to use his writing skills on proposals he could present to clients. So, in 1995, he began looking for such a job. Several held appeal, including one at Montgomery Elevator Co. (now KONE). Montgomery hired Massey as a sales representative. But, before he could feel fully comfortable in that role, he spent as much time as possible with service and repair mechanics in the field to learn all about vertical-transportation (VT) “from the ground up.” Massey recalls: 

“I worked in various service sales roles for approximately four years. As part of this, I was also able to sell/propose modernization projects and ended up being quite successful at it. Accordingly, management took notice of my ability to secure modernization contracts and promoted me to modernization sales representative/project manager.” 

Thus began Massey’s career in VT. Today, his role is TK Elevator (TKE) senior sales executive/project manager for the Denver International Airport (DIA-DEN). Throughout his years with KONE, he sold and assisted others in selling modernization projects, serving in sales and management roles in SoCal, Las Vegas and Hawaii, among other places. It was during this time Massey began to zero in on the aspect of VT about which he would become most passionate: Escalator and moving walk modernization. “I continued to propose and sell hydraulic and traction elevators throughout my career,” Massey says. “However, the complexity and uniqueness of the escalator and moving walk side of the VT business always piqued my curiosity and interest.” Massey would go on to sell/be involved with more than 125 escalator/moving modernization jobs for KONE, including two large projects worth nearly US$30 million at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, now the Harry Reid International Airport. 

Falling Into the VT Industry With a Relevant Skillset

While Massey admits he somehow “fell” into the VT industry, his background and skills resulted in career success and a job that he still enjoys today. Having a technical bent and studying journalism equipped him with a skillset that bolsters his VT career. He enumerates these skills, including the ability to: 

• Write effective proposals that include relevant details, timelines and client-centered information
• Write/create effective and complete presentations that not only address a client’s or a project’s specific needs, but also include the basis of why his firm/team should be chosen 
• Write customer-response letters and emails that directly address all client issues while properly covering the bases for his company
• Present materials, project details and proposals to virtually any audience in an effective, complete and professional manner
• As a manager, teach aspects of the VT industry to others, including about sales, project management and operations, thereby improving the caliber of future employees/team members
• Create/write various marketing materials to represent my company, including newsletter entries, ELEVATOR WORLD Project of the Year entries, PowerPoint presentations and marketing letters
• Communicate effectively and provide solutions/responses to whatever audience, stakeholder and/or team member with whom he am working 
• Throughout his nearly 30-year VT industry career, Massey has continuously honed his research, communication, diplomacy and technical knowledge skills to successfully realize projects. 

Growing Up in SoCal

Massey said his solid upbringing laid the foundation for moving seamlessly on to college and the world of work “as an actively participating member of society.” His first job was washing dishes at a local Mexican restaurant at the age of 13. He went on to work in the restaurant industry throughout high school, college and beyond, as it provided him with a solid income and enabled him to get to know all different kinds of people, which he notes is also characteristic of the VT industry. “I enjoyed working hard through high school and college,” he says. “I took that hard work ethic into my professional VT career.”

Fast forward, and Massey has instilled that strong work ethic into his three daughters and a son, who is currently an International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) VT apprentice in Fort Worth, Texas. Massey and his wife live in Elizabeth, Colorado, about an hour’s drive south of Denver. With the couple’s youngest daughter in college, they are empty nesters “waiting on grandkids at some point to begin a new phase in life!”  

A Career in the VT Industry?

Massey says he would “definitely” recommend a VT career to high-school graduates and young college students. VT, he observes, is “a solid and reliable profession where someone can advance to virtually any level of an organization.” The industry offers a wealth of choices, including working for a large multinational OEM or an independent company. There are also various departments from which to choose: service, repair, modernization and new installation. The industry provides an individual with great benefits and compensation. “On a personal note, I took the sales/project management path into the VT industry, while my son is following into the industry through the IUEC and its apprenticeship/mechanic program,” Massey says. 

Career Highlights

When it comes to career highlights, Massey takes an overarching approach, stating: 

“Overall, my main career highlight is an ongoing one, in that I am able to work in a dynamic, ever-changing and mostly recession-proof industry where most businesses need or are required to have VT (based on AHJs and relevant authorities). The VT industry has allowed me to grow personally and professionally while using my God-given talents in a productive and effective way and providing an avenue to raise a family and live a comfortable life.” 

Another highlight, he says, is his focus on the escalator/moving walk side of the business. He has become an expert in the niche, working on numerous projects spanning more than 175 units. 

Massey says he values having worked with various individuals over the years who allowed him to “flourish through guidance, mentorship, encouragement, teaching, responsibility and accountability.” Although he appreciates many individuals with whom he has worked, Massey extends special thanks to the following: Jack Tornquist of Lerch Bates; Jeff Schultz, formerly of Montgomery Elevator/KONE and KONE/Lerch Bates; Scott Stratton, formerly of TKE; Steve Vining, formerly of TKE; Charlie Banks of Montgomery/KONE; and Brent Andrews of Montgomery/KONE. “In addition, I have much respect for my current and past teammembers with whom I have interfaced and continue to interface,” Massey adds. 

Throughout his VT career, Massey has found that projects that begin as the most challenging — even frustrating — end up being rewarding learning opportunities. Such projects, he observes, call for critical and creative thinking, hard work and teamwork. “It is those situations I often look back on for perspective when I approach new challenges,” he says. 

The Price/Quality Conundrum

Massey says he is hardly alone in being concerned about the continual drive to lower retail prices for VT service clients. He states: 

“The most challenging aspect of working in the VT industry is the continual, unfortunate dynamic of our collective service clients (and to a certain extent, VT companies through competition) driving the price of regular, systematic servicing of their VT equipment lower and lower to the point that it is often impossible for companies to perform at the highest level possible. I understand that cost structures and budgets are important to every organization, regardless of size and purpose, especially in today’s inflationary economy. However, the continual drive to lower retail pricing paid by our clients is having a negative impact on their VT equipment and puts continual pressure on their servicing/repair companies.”

The consolidation of the industry, with various established VT companies “swallowed up” by private-equity groups, can result in “creating service/repair organizations that challenge the previously noted cost structure in a negative fashion,” Massey says. While competition is an important and necessary aspect of business, essentially lowering costs for the end consumer, the VT industry has the “built-in” burdens of increasing organized labor costs and materials pricing having a negative effect on both the industry and its clients, he says. 

Massey would go on to sell or be involved with more than 125 escalator/moving walk modernization jobs for KONE, including two large projects worth nearly US$30 million. 

Future Industry Improvement Opportunities

While there is opportunity for continued improvement in VT products and services, the industry is growing through digital offerings such as TKE’s MAX Internet of Things predictive-maintenance solution, Massey says. Although concerned about cybersecurity, he sees multiple opportunities, including: 

• Making all digital offerings as “bullet proof” as possible so issues such as denial of service, equipment breakdown and vandalism are minimized
• Developing more “infotainment”-related, potentially income-generating digital offerings 
• Using AI in the communication and operational aspects of VT (think holograms inside or outside of an elevator providing greetings or information)
• Offering realistic and balanced pricing that exceeds expectations and sets companies apart

Current Role in the Airport World

After holding various sales, project management and managerial positions with TKE, Massey is now 100% focused on the care and feeding of all of the VT equipment serving DIA-DEN, which is the seventh airport for which he has worked. Throughout his VT journey, Massey says he “honed the unique and tailored skills necessary for working on these complex projects and providing clients with their desired end results.” At the same time, these successes enable his employer to enjoy a “reasonable and lucrative growth trajectory.” 

With no plans to retire anytime soon, Massey enjoys boating with his wife and family when he’s not at work and appreciating the natural beauty of the state of Colorado. He’s also a “tinkerer” of all things, fixing relatives’ cars and recently installing a 550-ft linear split rail fence on his property. He owns a 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1 that’s approximately 85% restored. “However, with the VT industry as busy as it continues to be, I find it difficult to spend time to complete it!”