It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Mississauga-based company has grown to have a strong global presence in only 15 years.

by Anupa Simon

MAD stands for “Mainline And DMG,” a partnership that started between the Italian fixtures manufacturer DMG SpA and Mississaugabased Mainline Elevators more than 15 years ago. In that time, the company has developed an expanded product line, with many digital solutions. It prides itself on constant evolution and design.

Partnerships

In 2019, MAD Elevator Inc. partnered with ECR – Elevator Cab Renovations to expand its elevator interior product offering. ECR is a 32-year-old Ottawa-based cab manufacturer with an established product. ECR’s digital design tools, tied to its quick-quoting system, give customers the opportunity to customize and preview their interiors. MAD also prides itself on bridging the gap between safety, necessity and good design and offers its own online elevator designer (config.madelevator.com).

MAD is one of Canada’s largest elevator fixture manufacturers and among North America’s few one-stop upgrade locations for elevator interiors and fixtures. Its most recent partnership is with Vantage Elevator Solutions, in which Vantage is now the exclusive source for MAD fixtures to the independent market (ELEVATOR WORLD, July 2020).

New Realities, New Solutions

With the evolving realities around the COVID-19 pandemic, elevators’ commonly touched surfaces and tight spaces have required the industry to come up with new solutions. The good news is that, throughout this time, the elevator industry was seen as an essential business, and as such, was able to stay operational to innovate new answers to fit the changing needs of public health and elevator passenger interfacing. One solution MAD developed is its patent-pending Toe-To-Go foot-activated elevator call button (EW, July 2020). MAD’s self-cleaning untreated copper button is a quicker-fix solution. Only the pressel needs replacing, while the contact and wiring remain unchanged.

Another important area is passenger safety, which has become an increasing concern as the new ASME A17.1/CSA B44 code has been enacted for in-car emergency communication (EW, April 2020) to help keep passengers safe. MAD’s response to this industrywide issue is the MosaicONE Video & Messaging System, which it developed to meet and surpass the latest elevator security code changes for in-car monitoring. With its closed firewall and fully encrypted communications, the system has a “100% Security” rating from both Qualys SSL Labs and SecurityScorecard.

Upcoming Innovations

MAD’s app to allow passengers to call the elevator and select their floor with their smartphones is being tested now for a release soon. This is another economical retrofit. The user downloads the free app, which connects via Bluetooth to the controller when they get to a hall station or inside the elevator. This provides access for floor selection.

From air purifiers to voice-recognized activation, there are many technologies emerging in the industry to address the changing needs of elevator interfaces. Holographic push buttons, which MAD is testing, is a new technology emerging in the market. However, the company thinks the future is in touchless buttons. It adapted one of its push buttons to include a sensor, while retaining the mechanical activation. If a passenger places a finger near it, the activation replicates that of a push button.

MAD Employees

MAD believes the key to the success of its employees is autonomy, empowerment and trust. The hardworking, passionate, and eccentric characters who are a part of it make for a unique and amazing work environment.