Great Lakes Elevator ADDS Account Manager

Great Lakes Elevator Service, Inc. of Park Ridge, Illinois, has added Kira Netzke as an account manager. Her primary responsibility will be expanding the company’s maintenance client base in the Chicago area. Prior to Great Lakes, Netzke worked with Occupational Safety Alliance, where she conducted OSHA/safety audits.

Thyssenkrupp Elevator Announces Leed Professional Milestone

ThyssenKrupp Elevator has announced it has more than 100 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) accredited professionals across various lines of business and roles within the organization (ELEVATOR WORLD, April 2013). LEED Green Associates are able to guide customers through the LEED Rating System and green building process.

According to Brad Nemeth, director of sustainability for ThyssenKrupp Elevator:

“At ThyssenKrupp Elevator, we strive to create a culture that fosters greener solutions for every aspect of our business, from daily operations to the materials we use in our products. The LEED system provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.”

Pflow Announces Director Of Inside Sales, Field Technician

PFlow Industries recently promoted Joe Dziadosz to director of Inside Sales. He joined the company in June 2012 as a project estimator and will continue in the role but take on added responsibilities in quoting and order review processes. Dziadosz is a veteran of the materials-handling industry and, prior to PFlow, worked at Rite-Hite Corp. and held positions in regional sales and sales management. “I enjoy the daily opportunity to learn about the varied applications for our products, understand the customers’ needs and discover how we can best apply our custom vertical-reciprocating conveyor solutions to their unique situations,” Dziadosz said of the new position.

PFlow has also added Fred Freeman as a field service technician. He will be trained on all equipment, supervise on-site installations and troubleshoot maintenance issues, both in house and in the field. Freeman has 27 years of experience in the industrial construction industry. He became familiar with PFlow lifts while working with an independent electrical contractor. Freeman also has experience working with a range of lifting equipment, conveyors, robotics and paper-handling machines.

Schindler Expands Bim Product

Schindler has expanded its Building Information Management (BIM) software offering by providing more detailed models for elevator and escalator planning. The new parametric models offer increased flexibility to compare capacities, and door-opening and travel options when designing a building. The detailed models can help identify conflicts earlier in the design process and highlight limitations to prevent incompatible product usage. In addition, seismic requirements have been built into the new models.

BIM enables users to create 3D “to-scale” elevator and escalators models that can be viewed from any angle, helping to identify any issues with the interface to the building or its systems. Schindler offers BIM models for the following products on its website (www.us.schindler.com):

• Schindler 330A hydraulic elevator for low-rise buildings
• Schindler 3300 machine-room-less (MRL) traction elevator for low- to mid-rise buildings
• Schindler 400AE MRL traction elevator for mid-rise buildings

Three-dimensional models for the Schindler 7000 custom elevator for high-rise buildings, Schindler 9300AE escalator for commercial applications and Schindler 9700 escalator for transit applications can also be produced with assistance from a company representative.

Lerch Bates Renovates Hotel Equipment

Hilton Worldwide, Inc. has chosen Lerch Bates Inc. to provide elevator and escalator maintenance management for its Hilton portfolio in the U.S. The custom program is intended to support and improve the ongoing maintenance and repair of Hilton’s 4,300-plus elevators and escalators in more than 1,400 hotels across the country. Lerch Bates will provide Hilton on-site surveys and equipment analysis, maintenance audits of the systems, compilation of statistical-analysis reports, reviews of maintenance findings and development strategies for the systems.

The firm was also awarded a contract to modernize the elevator systems in Chicago’s The Drake Hotel. The company will perform elevator-equipment surveys, code-compliance reviews, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliance consulting, bidding assistance and construction services for the building’s five main guest elevators, originally installed in 1920, and four service elevators.

Designed by architect Benjamin Marshall, The Drake Hotel features 535 guestrooms on 10 floors, including 55 executive guestrooms, 73 individually decorated suites and a five-room presidential suite. The Drake is known for being the first hotel in Chicago to provide air-conditioning and color TV in every guestroom. Modernization of its elevators is expected to be complete in late 2014.

Thyssenrkupp Elevator Selects Ecova For Energy Management

ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas has chosen Ecova in Spokane, Washington, to assist it with the energy management of its 135 U.S. locations. Ecova will help ThyssenKrupp Elevator monitor, understand and reduce energy consumption and spending, while building a foundation for additional improvements. “Our vision is to develop innovative products and services that create sustainable infrastructures that promote the efficient use of resources,” Vice President of Sustainability at ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas Brad Nemeth said.

Maxton Cet Training In New Jersey

On March 5-6, Maxton Manufacturing Co. provided two Certified Elevator Technician (CET®) training sessions with Maxton valves at Jersey Elevator Co. Inc. in Aberdeen, New Jersey. In total, 32 elevator mechanics and helpers attended the trainings for continuing-education credits (4.0 credit hours) through the CET program. Each session was made up of classroom instruction, a question-and-answer session, and practical application through valve adjustment and troubleshooting with the Maxton TA4M training unit.

Dennis Lotter, Jersey Elevator Co. maintenance supervisor, commented:

“What a great class! I would recommend it to anyone who wants to make sure their technicians are top notch. I have never had so many of my guys thank me for setting up a training program. They really have a better understanding of hydraulic systems.”

Garaventa Opens Office In Alabama

Garaventa Lift USA has announced the opening of a new office in Prattville, Alabama, including a training center and shop. Among those joining Alabama Branch Manager Michael Crumpton for the ribbon-cutting ceremony were representatives from the Prattville Chamber of Commerce, staff from other branches of Garaventa’s North American operations and Vince Sciamanna, director of Business Development for Garaventa. Prattville Mayor Bill Gillespie, Jr. also made an appearance to show his support.

Schindler Appoints President

Schindler has appointed Greg Ergenbright as president of its U.S. Operations. Most recently vice president for the company’s East Area, Ergenbright joined Schindler from Norment Security Group, where he served as president/CEO. Prior to this position, he worked for Otis for 15 years in positions of increasing responsibility, leading to a region general manager position. Ergenbright earned his MBA from Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and his bachelor’s degree of Business Administration from Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia.

Lerch Bates Consults For Dia Expansion

Lerch Bates Inc. has been selected to provide elevator, escalator and façade access consulting on the South Terminal Redevelopment Program at Denver International Airport (DIA). The US$500-million project calls for 18 elevators and 18 escalators and features a 519-room hotel and conference center. Expected to create nearly 1,000 jobs, including 600 to 700 construction and design jobs, the work includes a modern design for the new Westin hotel and conference center, outdoor public plaza and train station to complement the existing Jeppesen Terminal.

“Elevators are among the most utilized assets in a building,” said Jeff Marsh, Lerch Bates’ director of business development. “The South Terminal Redevelopment Program will complete the initial vision of DIA, and we are honored to be a part of such an important project.”

Gensler is the lead architect on the project. DIA reports 186 firms working on the overall program, 88% of which are locally owned. The under-construction 22.8-mi. Regional Transportation District East Rail Line will connect the new commuter rail station with downtown Denver. Ground was broken on the project in fall 2011. Construction is to be completed in 2015, with the new rail station to open in 2016.

Adams Relocates To Downtown Chicago

Adams Elevator Equipment Co. has relocated its sales and service team to downtown Chicago at 100 South Wacker Drive, Suite 1575, Chicago, Illinois 60606-4013. The move to downtown follows 20 years at its former suburban Chicago location. “We’re excited for a refreshing change of scenery in the middle of a thriving vertical-transportation market, and we’re committed to maintaining the service customers have come to expect from us,” remarked Rick Stumpf, general manager of Adams.

The company’s toll-free number, (800) 929-9247, remains the same, but individual direct-dial phone numbers have changed. The main office phone number is (312) 610-8500, and the International Department direct dial number is (312) 348-6161. Fax lines for parts sales and the main office are (312) 348-6162 and (312) 348-6163, respectively.