KONE and Triton make big changes in Texas and Colorado.

KONE Acquires Denver Service and Repair Business

KONE has acquired the service and repair arm of Elevators Unlimited in Denver, adding “depth and talent to KONE’s service, repair and modernization business in the Denver area,” according to KONE. Welcoming Elevators Unlimited customers, Larry Wash, executive vice president of KONE Americas, described the move as part of KONE’s strategy to expand its presence in key U.S. markets.

Triton Expands Products, Footprint

Lancaster, Texas-based Triton Consolidated, Inc. has bought Triton Elevator, historically a diversified elevator parts and accessory company specializing in cabs and accessories. Now, the elevator company will expand into the manufacturing of residential elevators and general service equipment for the aviation industry. To this end, the now-parent company has entered into an agreement to purchase a 19,400-sq.-ft. industrial manufacturing/office facility in Duncanville, Texas. The agreement includes a provision to lease the property as management completes financing arrangements with Triton’s banking institution.

According to Paul O. Williams, chairman of the board of Triton Consolidated, in reference to the company purchase:
“This acquisition has launched the company into a major recruiting effort to expand the breadth and depth of our management team, board of directors and advisory board. Because of the additional planned expansion, we are also currently considering new opportunities for increased access to both debt and equity capital to help facilitate this growth.”

Derald Armstrong, Triton Elevator chief operating officer, added:

“The acquisition of Triton Elevator will allow us the opportunity to move rapidly into the residential elevator and component manufacturing arena that shows a consistent void in the marketplace on a national level.”

Concerning the new facility, Perry Jasin, Triton Consolidated CEO, remarked:

“We have recently finalized the process to secure a larger facility for the manufacturing of our product lines. The layout of the manufacturing facility provides an outstanding floor plan for the production and assembly lines for both the larger and smaller production units, while allowing both lines to be supported by shared assets to ensure efficiency. This facility’s existing floor plan will not require an extensive reconfiguration, which will allow for a speedy ramp up for fulfilling our customers’ needs.”

KONE Debuts New Texas Facility

On June 20, KONE moved its Texas operations into the new AllenPlace facility in Allen, Texas (ELEVATOR WORLD, August 2014). Aimed at supporting KONE Americas with the introduction of the MonoSpace® machine-room-less elevator to the market, AllenPlace includes R&D, engineering, light manufacturing and a 128-ft.-tall test tower with six shafts. It encompasses 173,952 sq. ft. and will house 80 employees, who relocated from KONE’s previous location in Allen. KONE Senior Vice President Jussi Oijala, who will serve as site leader, stated:

“We’re extremely proud to be growing our R&D, along with manufacturing capabilities, in Allen. The additional office space and improved testing facilities will accelerate our growth and deliver innovative People Flow® solutions to our customers.”