Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Australia yield big orders.

PT. Berca Schindler Wins 474-Unit Order in Indonesia

PT. Berca Schindler Lifts, a joint venture between Central Cipta Murdaya Group and Jardine Schindler Group, has been awarded a contract to supply 118 Schindler 9300 escalators, 254 9500 moving walks and 102 freight elevators to Transmart Carrefour’s multimall developments across Indonesia. Transmart Carrefour projects will include more than 51 department, grocery and clothing stores, along with entertainment venues, all within individual locations. They will be developed over a two-year timeframe. The company stated:

“Schindler has meticulously planned the installation of our products to meet Transmart Carrefour’s ambitious construction plans. Working closely with Transmart Carrefour, Schindler has designed vertical-transportation solutions for each project that will efficiently and effectively move people and products to ensure the most comfortable experience possible.”

Otis Saudi Arabia: 445 Units for Riyadh Metro

Otis is the latest OEM selected to provide a large number of conveyances for lines 4, 5 and 6 of the Riyadh Metro, one of the world’s biggest construction projects underway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Arabian Business reported. Otis Elevator Co. Saudi Arabia Ltd., a joint venture of Otis and EA Juffali & Brothers of Saudi Arabia, was hired by FAST Consortium (including Samsung and led by Spanish construction group FCC) to supply 256 heavy-duty escalators, 183 elevators and six moving walks for lines four, five and six. The lines include all stations in Riyadh, two train depots and three car-park facilities over 72 km. The machine-room-less elevators by Otis travel at up to 1 mps and include panoramic units.

Otis added that the project “constitutes the backbone of the future public transit system in Riyadh.” With six lines totaling 176 km and 85 metro stations, the network will serve most of the densely populated areas, public facilities, and educational, commercial and medical institutions. It will be connected to King Khalid International Airport and King Abdullah Financial District, in addition to universities and downtown.

Sydney: Alimak Wins Its Largest Contract

Alimak Group will supply the Sydney Harbour Bridge with an order valued at SEK170 million (US$20.7 million). The New South Wales government’s contract is with Australia’s Manntech (a subsidiary of Alimak) for a vertical-access solution based on building maintenance units (BMUs) designed and manufactured at the Manntech factory in Germany. This is the largest order ever awarded to Alimak and covers design, manufacturing, installation and service of two large, motorized, complex gantries spanning the bridge and carrying the BMUs to enable full access to the iconic structure for maintenance purposes. The equipment will be supplied and installed progressively until the end of 2020.

Apex to Modernize 23 Lifts in London

Lift manufacturer Apex Lifts has been awarded a lift modernization project from Lambeth Council to modernize 23 lifts in the London borough. As part of an existing framework agreement with the two companies, the project is part of Lambeth’s wider regeneration work. All the lifts are in residential buildings across three Lambeth Estates. Apex describes the modernizations as “major. . . retaining only the guide rails, brackets and counterweights.” Work was due to commence in January and is expected to last a year.

thyssenkrupp Elevator Orders Highest in Five Years

With demand for new-generation elevators and components growing, thyssenkrupp said in November 2017 that its annual orders were the highest in five years, The New Indian Express reported. The improvement came as the company continued its shift toward technology and away from steelmaking, its traditional core business.

CEO Heinrich Hiesinger has been leading the shift, saying that the “structural problems in the European steel industry have not gone away,” problems that include a flat market and overcapacity. In an effort to wean thyssenkrupp from the steel industry, the company has sold a Brazilian mill and entered into a deal to combine its European steel business with India’s Tata Steel, a joint venture targeted for implementation this year.

Some labor representatives have balked at the deal, which includes 2,000 job cuts, but Hiesinger said all alternatives would involve even greater job cuts.

Lars Foerberg, a founder of major shareholder Cevian, told German newspaper Handelsblatt that while the solution for the steel division was good, thyssenkrupp needed to restructure its other businesses to be more competitive. “There are various options to find the right structure,” he said. “A joint venture, decentralized company structure, spinoff. The main point is that old-style conglomerates don’t work.”

thyssenkrupp is staking its future on elevators, its most profitable unit, and the automotive sector, its biggest customer group. The company’s order intake rose 18% to EUR44.29 billion (US$52.6 billion) in the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2017, while adjusted earnings reached EUR1.91 billion (US$2.27 billion). Operating profit at its elevators unit, which mostly caters to clients in the U.S. and Europe with its Internet-connected elevators, rose 7% to EUR922 million (US$1.1 billion), making it the group’s single biggest profit contributor.