Otis to Deliver, Modernize More Than 1,600 Units

Massive contracts received in India, Asia.

Largest Order in India to Date

Otis has been awarded its largest order in India to date. It will provide Mantri Developers Pvt. Ltd. with more than 1,000 elevators and escalators for residential, commercial and retail projects throughout the country. Otis India President Sebi Joseph said Otis is confident that its vast Indian network, consisting of 80 service centers and locations in 300 cities and towns, will ensure customer satisfaction. As part of the “Make in India” initiative, Otis has expanded its Bengaluru manufacturing facility (ELEVATOR WORLD, June 2015), which is where the units for Mantri will be produced.

Major Chinese Rail Projects

Otis and an Otis joint venture were recently awarded contracts to supply a total of 430 units to new and expanding rail lines across China. Otis Elevator China Co. Ltd. jobs include 129 escalators and 31 elevators for the expansion of Chengdu Metro Line 4 and 63 elevators to Wuhan Metro’s new Line 6. The expansion and new line are set to open in March 2017 and later in 2016, respectively.

Otis joint venture Xizi Otis Elevator Co., Ltd. jobs include 82 elevators and escalators for Chengdu Metro Line 10 and 87 elevators and escalators for the Wuhan Metro Airport Line, both scheduled to go into operation by the end of 2016. Xizi Otis was also hired to supply 38 elevators and escalators to the Guizhou West section of the Shanghai-Kunming Railway.

All the orders include energy-efficient Gen2® elevators and heavy-duty, energy-efficient escalators.

Big Singapore Metro Modernization Contract

Otis Singapore has been hired to modernize 233 escalators at 42 stations within the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) rail network. The US$33.8-million contract will commence in the third quarter of 2016 and entail installation of energy-efficient machines and controllers, which will enable the units to adjust their speed according to traffic and better cater to passengers at different times of the day. The first modernization performed on the North-South and East-West lines, the project is scheduled for completion in 2021.

Last Month to Enter Photo Contest

ELEVATOR WORLD is now accepting entries for its fourth annual “Photos of the Elevator World Contest.” Download the entry form at www.elevatorworld.com/pdf/2016photocontestentry.pdf to begin submission in one of seven categories: “Skylines & Tall Buildings,” “Elevators (Commercial),” “Elevators (Private Residence),” “Escalators/Moving Walkways,” “Inclined Lifts,” “Machines and Components” and the new “Historical/Legacy Equipment” for installations predating 1965. The winners in each category will receive US$250 cash or the equivalent in Elevator World, Inc. educational products or advertising. The deadline for entries is April 29.

Judges will first choose up to 20 finalists from each category, which will be presented online during May. Here, readers will vote to decide the best of the best. Winners and runners-up from each category will be featured in the August issue of EW and highlighted online. EW looks forward to receiving the industry’s best photos and surpassing last year’s successful photo contest with more than 200 submissions from 15 countries.

Personnel Changes

KONE, thyssenkrupp and NAESA promote, add staff.

Ites to Lead New Equipment Business for KONE Americas

Aaron Ites, a 21-year employee of KONE, has been promoted to senior vice president, New Equipment, Americas, succeeding Mikko Korte, who was recently promoted to leader of Global Operations (ELEVATOR WORLD, November 2015). In his new role, Ites is responsible for growing new-construction business in the Americas and becomes a member of both the KONE Americas leadership and Global New Equipment management teams. He is responsible for field operations, R&D and supply across the Americas, with additional oversight in Communications, Major Projects and project-management development. He most recently served as a Business Development leader with KONE, based in Brussels. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Iowa State University.

New Leadership at thyssenkrupp Ascenseurs

Emmanuel Altmayer has been named CEO at thyssenkrupp’s French operation, thyssenkrupp Ascenseurs S.A.S., taking over for Chief Human Resources Officer Benoît Dugenêt, who was filling the position on an interim basis. Altmayer quickly rose through the ranks at Schindler, for which he began working in 1999. He served six years as managing director of Schindler France before becoming CEO of Schindler Asia Pacific. He joined SEVES China as president/CEO in 2008, then founded Altos Consulting in April 2013.

Altmayer holds a degree in Engineering from the École centrale de Lyon and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He joins Dugenêt, Chief Financial Officer Vincent Le Goff and Chief Operating Officer Stéfan Savary on the thysssenkrupp Ascenseurs board of directors.

NAESA Personnel Update

Following its hiring of Bob Shepherd as its executive director (EW, February 2016), NAESA International has announced the addition of Robert S. Caporale and the promotion of Emerald McGehee. Caporale is the editor of the organization’s monthly newsletter, Progress, and is editor emeritus and former longtime editor and associate editor of EW. His 50-plus years in the elevator industry include 27 years at Jaros Baum & Bolles and stints at DTM Inc. and Syska Hennessy. He can be contacted at caporaleb@aol.com.

McGehee has been promoted to the position of assistant executive director. She has been with NAESA since 2010. During her time with the organization, she advanced to the position of certification program administrator and worked to assist NAESA in obtaining American National Standards Institute certification of the NAESA QEI program. In her new position, she will assist Shepherd with the duties required to run NAESA and its QEI certification program. She can be contacted at emerald@naesai.org.

Ice District Setting Edmonton Construction on Fire

Construction is booming in downtown Edmonton, Canada, thanks to the new Rogers Centre stadium being built for the Edmonton Oilers National Hockey League team and the Ice District, the massive, mixed-use development taking shape around it, the Edmonton Sun reported. The first phase includes the 27-story City Tower, an office building that already has anchor tenants; the 62-story Stantec Tower, which will be the tallest building west of Toronto; a 25-story Marriott hotel with 30 floors of residences above; and a casino and Cineplex movie complex. The stadium and casino are scheduled to be complete in September, with the buildings in Phase I coming online by 2019. Oilers Entertainment Group and Oilers owner Daryl Katz are behind the multibillion-dollar development and say there will be additional phases.

62-Story Residential Skyscraper Planned in Melbourne

Altus Development has been given approval to build a 193-m-tall, 62-story residential tower in the Southbank part of Melbourne, Australia, The Urban Developer reported. The skinny, glassy structure, designed by Moull Murray Architects, will house a mix of serviced apartments up to the 18th floor, private one- and two-bedroom apartments above that and three-bedroom penthouses on the uppermost 12 floors. No construction timeframe was given.

CECA Scholarship Fund Established

The Canadian Elevator Contractors Association (CECA) has announced the establishment of a scholarship fund. Two CAD2,500 (US$1,848) scholarships will be available to students attending an educational institute in Canada. One will be awarded to a student pursuing a career in the elevator industry and the other to a student pursuing a career in any field. The scholarships will be available to any child, stepchild or grandchild of a CECA member in good standing who intends to further his or her postsecondary studies in 2016-2017. The deadline to apply is June 30. For more information, contact CECA Executive Director Catharine Bothwell at office@ceca-acea.org.

30 FOBs with Elevators in Hyderabad Planned

Thirty foot overbridges (FOBs) with two elevators each are planned throughout Hyderabad, India, by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corp. (GHMC), The New Indian Express reported. The project will be done in a public/private partnership format and emphasize ecofriendly construction, such as solar panels. The elevators will have a capacity of 15 passengers each and travel approximately 6 m between road and FOB. In February, the GHMC had issued requests for proposals, so construction should be imminent.

Business Happenings

Expansion, acquisition, merger and special events around the world

Orona Expands European Footprint

Orona has expanded its European footprint with the acquisition of EST Ascenseurs of France and Heis 1 Group of Norway. Orona describes EST as “the undisputed leader of the lift sector in the French region of Alsace,” with more than 2,000 maintenance contracts and more than US$7.8 million in annual revenue. Heis 1 Group has been Orona’s distributor for 14 years and has locations in six Norwegian cities. Orona’s French presence now consists of eight companies generating nearly US$100 million in revenue and employing more than 450 people. Its Norwegian presence now consists of eight companies and a workforce of almost 80.

Canadian Consultancies Join Forces

KJA Consultants, Inc., headquartered in Toronto, has acquired Ayling Consulting Services Inc. (ACSI) of Mississauga, Ontario, unifying two major players in the industry. Among ACSI employees joining KJA’s staff are founder Cliff Ayling, a licensed elevating devices mechanic and registered elevating devices contractor who has many years of experience and holds numerous positions on public safety committees and Ian Hambly, also a licensed elevating devices mechanic and registered elevating devices contractor who held leadership positions with many major companies before joining ACSI in 2008. Led by President Mark Davies and Chief Operating Officer Rob Isabelle, KJA was founded in 1965 by Keith Jenkins, has six offices in Canada and handles projects all over the world. Due to the acquisition, KJA now has approximately 85 employees. Cliff Ayling stated:

“We are excited to make this transition to continue to serve our clients from a larger, national platform headquartered in Toronto. Our staff members Brian Hillier, Forest Delyzer and Dan Hron will join the KJA teams in Toronto and Ottawa to become part of an elevator-consulting powerhouse across Canada. We look forward to increased depth of resources as  we continue to provide excellent service and advice for existing and new clients.”

thyssenkrupp Test Tower Pendulum Unveiled

thyssenkrupp has installed a 240-T. pendulum/linear motor system in its test tower in Rottweil, Germany, that offsets the movements of the tower and simulates natural conditions to provide realistic elevator tests. The system was designed by GERB Schwingungsisolierungen GmbH and features electromagnetic linear motors — the same technology employed by thyssenkrupp’s MULTI — holding the pendulum. thyssenkrupp notes the device “is the first in the world to combine active and passive movement.”

The Rottweil tower can sway in certain weather conditions due to its slender design, and the new system has a damper that offsets these movements so visitors to the tower’s viewing platform will not feel movement. The system can artificially induce realistic vibrations in the tower, which thyssenkrupp calls a “game changer” in the world of elevator testing. thyssenkrupp elaborates:

“Following the installation of the damper, the vibrations of the tower are now being recorded and analyzed to allow precision control of the artificial vibrations. The force and timing of the artificial vibrations are computer controlled to ensure the giant pendulum swings in a controlled way and is tuned to the building’s movements. The system also contains damping elements, known as VISCO dampers, which dissipate the energy of the moving pendulum. As a result, movements of the tower have been reduced from up to 76 to 15 cm.”

thyssenkrupp Elevator Korea Hosts Event

The thyssenkrupp Elevator plant in Cheonan, South Korea, was the setting for an event on February 2 that featured a speech by thyssenkrupp AG CEO Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger titled “Transform to Innovate — Innovate to Transform.” The event was presented in cooperation with the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) and welcomed guests that included His Excellency Rolf Mafael, German ambassador to Korea, and Barbara Zollmann, secretary general and executive director of KGCCI. Wayne Park, CEO of thyssenkrupp Elevator Korea, was on hand to lead Hiesinger and fellow officials on a tour of the factory, which produces sustainable products geared toward South Korea’s growing urban population.

Hiesinger spoke about how thyssenkrupp has evolved into one of the “50 Smartest Companies of 2015,” according to the MIT Technology Review. thyssenkrupp has invested approximately US$15 million into new technologies in Korea in the past five years, strengthening a business relationship that is more than 100 years old. Hiesinger opined:

“I am pleased to be here in Korea as we undergo a dynamic transformation, both as a global industrial group and as a company in a thriving, digitized economy such as this. For us, Korea is a benchmark for leading innovation in the region. To bring advanced capabilities to address infrastructure and urban mobility needs in the country, we are combining our engineering experience from across the globe with the strength of the domestic innovation landscape. We will continue to develop the future, together.”

Ottawa, Toronto Consultancies Merge

Canadian elevator consultancies Seaway Elevator Consultants of Ottawa and Solucore of Toronto have merged, the Ottawa Business Journal reported. Seaway will become the Ottawa regional office of Solucore, with Seaway President Ian Richardson stepping into the Solucore regional vice president role. Solucore’s Director of Development Ray Eleid called the deal a “win-win” for both companies and for their clients, with Seaway gaining access to Solucore’s information technology and, in turn, the ability to provide better customer service.

Tallest French Tower Outside of Paris Opens

Office tenants have moved in to France’s new tallest building outside Paris, the 202-m-tall, 39-story Tour Incity in Lyon, Skyrise Cities reported. Designed by Valode & Pistre Architects, the building has an energy-efficient glass façade that helps regulate lighting and temperature. The building has a 50-ft. spire and rises above the 165-m-tall Part-Dieu Tower, which formerly dominated the Lyon skyline.

thyssenkrupp tells ELEVATOR WORLD it supplied four TWIN systems (two cabs traveling independently, one above the other in the same shaft), serving 37 floors and with a speed of 4-5 mps; a “half” TWIN that could be updated with another cabin at a later date; five additional elevators; and two escalators for the project.

Government Action

Subsidization in China; legislation called for in Caymans.

Beijing Elevator Replacement to be Subsidized

The government in Beijing has set aside money for the repair or replacement of outdated elevators with undetermined ownership, Big News Network reported. Approximately 26% of Beijing’s more than 192,000 elevators are older than 10 years and at risk of malfunctioning, and approximately 94,000 of the units are in residential buildings. According to the Beijing Municipal Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision, at least 3,956 elevators were determined to be high risk in 2015. That year, the government set aside US$3.5 million, which it used to replace 60 elevators, and has set aside slightly more than US$3 million for that purpose in 2016.

Lawmaker: Cayman Islands Need Elevator Safety Laws

As high-rise buildings multiply in the Cayman Islands, the need for elevator safety laws has intensified, according to one lawmaker there, The Cayman Reporter said. There are currently no laws regarding elevator installation or maintenance in the islands, and this could become a public-safety issue, said Member of the Legislative Assembly Ezzard Miller, who planned to ask fellow lawmakers to write such legislation. Among buildings going up is the 12-story Kimpton Seafire Resort, scheduled to open in November.

French, Indian Team Building Mumbai Residential Skyscrapers

Oberoi Realty of Mumbai has hired a joint venture made up of subsidiaries of Bouygues Construction S.A. of Paris to build four luxury condominium towers next to Sanjay Gandhi National Park in the Mulund District of Mumbai, Global Construction Review reported. The towers will be in pairs: The 59-story, 201-m-tall Enigma towers and the 56-story, 192-m-tall Eternia towers. Together, the four towers will have more than 1,800 residences plus parking, and boast views of the northeast part of the city. Construction is expected to start in May and be finished by 2020.

 V on Shenton to Distinguish Singapore CBD

V (five) on Shenton is set to distinguish Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD) with a striking 53-story residential tower and matching 23-story office tower on the site of the former United Industrial Corp. building, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat reported. The residential building will stand out, featuring sky lobbies and a sky garden boasting 360° views of Singapore, while the office building has a height more in line with its neighbors. Designed by UN Studio, both buildings are framed by chamfers that light up at night and hexagonal panels designed to conserve energy. Projected completion is in 2017.

KONE

Ship contract won in Germany; award received.

Contract to Outfit Cruise Ship

KONE has been awarded a contract by Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, to outfit a new Norwegian Cruise Lines Breakaway-Plus class ship with 32 elevators and two escalators. The elevators will feature KONE’s Monospace® and MiniSpaceTM technology. Meyer Werft is scheduled to deliver the 4,000-passenger cruise ship in 2018. With the order, KONE strengthens an already-strong relationship with the cruise-ship industry.

Polaris Honored by Trade Magazine

KONE’s destination-management system PolarisTM has been honored with a 2016 Readers’ Choice Award by Facility Executive magazine in the Elevators category. Comparing a typical elevator system to riding a train where every passenger is forced to make every stop, Facility Executive said Polaris makes a system “more like a limousine ride that takes you swiftly and comfortably to where you want to go.” Polaris can improve the look and feel of office, hotel and business facilities, the magazine observed.