Retiring after 44 years, Andrew Wilson (AW) speaks with your author (KW) about the rewards of the profession and what the future holds.
Most recently a Vancouver, B.C.-based vertical-transportation (VT) consultant for GUNN Consultants, Andrew Wilson worked for companies including Dover Elevators, TK Elevator, Schindler and Fujitec before joining GUNN in 2015. His previous roles were in sales and project management, but it was consulting where he truly felt at home. He has said he wished he had become a consultant 20 years earlier (“Career of Gold,” ELEVATOR WORLD, August 2020). Upon retiring in 2024, Wilson has no regrets as he gazes upon the landmark projects in which he played a role — Vancouver’s Trump International Hotel and Residences and Metrotower1 among them — and looks forward to having the time to travel and brush up on his golf game, among other pursuits.
KW: Would you recommend a career in VT, specifically, VT consulting, to a young person? If so, why?
AW: I would. To any young person looking for a good trade to get into, I highly recommend they join the International Union of Elevator Constructors and learn to be a mechanic. For those not looking for a trade but wanting a career in an interesting, fast-paced field, I would recommend VT sales or consulting. It is an industry that is never going to be made obsolete, and it is never dull. There is always something new that comes up to challenge you. New construction, where I spent most of my career working with the design team on large projects, is interesting and rewarding. I was part of a collaborative team that helped create major projects that we saw through to completion. It’s great to visit those projects and know you played a part in making them successful.
KW: What will you miss most about the VT industry?
AW: Mostly the people — both here at GUNN and our clients and contractors. I’ll also miss dealing with the challenges that come up on projects and knowing that our clients — and even contractors sometimes — look to us to come up with solutions. At GUNN, “solutions” is one of our three core principles, along with “communication” and “commitment.”
It is an industry that is never going to be made obsolete, and it is never dull.
— Andrew Wilson on why he would recommend a VT career to a young person
KW: Why did you decide 2024 was the year to retire?
AW: I had been planning to retire for a few years now, but I enjoy coming into the office and working with the group of young engineers that we have at GUNN. That has kept me feeling young and energized. But, I am turning 70 soon, so I felt it was time to step aside and enjoy myself while I am still able to travel and play sports (golf, tennis and skiing).
KW: Will you stay involved with GUNN or the industry post-retirement?
AW: I have made some good friends at GUNN and plan to stay in touch and send them pictures from around the world as I travel. GUNN client appreciation parties are legendary in Vancouver, and I hope to be invited to them for many years to come.
KW: What have been some of the most transformative VT technologies you witnessed during your career?
AW: I hate to age myself, but I can remember walking into my first high-rise elevator machine rooms and seeing the massive controller cabinets full of clacking relays, the DC gearless machines and motor-generator sets with carbon brushes and the mechanical selectors with direct connections to the elevator cabs. The carbon dust and noise from all the moving parts are a far cry from the new machine rooms of today with computer-driven controllers and AC machines. The rooms are almost silent and spotless.
The advent of destination dispatching has also been one of the most transformative changes in elevators. I recall reading about it for the first time, (Schindler Miconic 10) in the 1990s and wondering if it would ever catch on. Would people feel comfortable riding in elevators that had no buttons? Now, it is the norm for Class A offices.
KW: Please remind me where you call home.
AW: I live in Vancouver, B.C. — a beautiful area. I intend to keep this as my base, but as anyone who has been here in the winter knows, the rain can be a bit much sometimes, so I intend to do a lot of traveling in the winter months and enjoy the Vancouver summers.
It’s great to visit projects and know you played a part in making them successful.
KW: What are your plans post-retirement?
AW: As I said, I intend to travel as much as I can, especially in the winter. My daughter works in England for a major airline, so I am looking forward to taking advantage of the family fare discount. I already have my first trip planned to London to spend Christmas with my daughter.
KW: What books are you reading right now?
AW: Right now I am reading The Colony of Good Hope by Kim Leine. It’s a Danish novel about colonialism in Greenland in the 1800s.
KW: Are there any “bucket list” activities such as major travel you plan to pursue now that work will not get in the way?
AW: I enjoy going to major sporting events. I have been to The Open Championship golf event in Scotland twice and the Wimbledon tennis tournament in England. I would like to go to The Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, as well as the Masters Tournament golf event in Georgia. I also have a list of places to visit around the world and when I am in Vancouver I want to work on my golf game. I enjoy playing tennis, but I do see pickleball in my future!
Get more of Elevator World. Sign up for our free e-newsletter.
