by AssoAscensori The ANIE (Italian Federation of electrotechnical and electronic companies) Economic Department estimates a total turnover of approximately EUR2.5 billion (US$3.3 billion) at the end of 2012 for the Italian industry of lifts and escalators. In this economic context, only exporting remains the driving force for growth (up 4.9% in 2012). Although more than…
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A modest upswing in tall-building construction is giving the North American elevator industry a sense of optimism. Meanwhile, south of the border, Mexico is gaining a reputation as a viable place to build “up,” as its sometimes violent and corrupt history is being overshadowed by a quickly growing gross domestic product (GDP), burgeoning middle class…
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This article is a follow up to “Articulated Funiculator: The Sky Subway” (ELEVATOR WORLD, August 2013) and the first in the Vision 21 series. …Editor by Fritz King, Mats Lundström, Sirpa Salovaara and Peter Severin The mechanical lift safety was invented by Elisha Graves Otis in 1854, and in 1857 the first passenger elevator was…
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Part one of this article series focused on a recently discovered Houser Elevator Co. horizontal hydraulic elevator engine brought to the attention of ELEVATOR WORLD by Gary Ritch of Syracuse, New York (EW, September 2013). This month’s article will explore the firm responsible for this remarkable elevator. The company’s story, from its creation in 1883…
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Aboard the Mariposa Belle for the fifth time, Canadian and U.S. supporters of the Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation (EESF) cruised on Lake Ontario on July 18. Although rain was predicted, it turned out to be a beautiful evening, and a boat was the best place to be in the midst of Canada’s late July heat…
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IGV Group showed off its new manufacturing process and assets, representing a EUR3.5-million (US$4.6-million) investment, to more than 300 customers, suppliers, members of the press, employees and their families on July 12 in Vignate, Italy, during IGV Open Day. The event included a plant tour and post-tour celebration. IGV Open Day showcased the technology and…
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Family, faith, hard work, innovation and industriousness have always been cornerstones of Schumacher Elevator Co. William Schumacher and his sons, Elmer and Earl, founded Schumacher’s Machine Shop in 1936 in Denver, Iowa (population 1,700), as a farm-equipment repair specialist, designing their first lift for a chicken hatchery and later building lifts for funeral homes. The…
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The Lift Directive has been undergoing a process of revision. From a technical viewpoint, the envisaged changes are minimal. There is currently no news in respect to other relevant European directives that would impact the lift industry. As regards European standards, some new parts of the EN 81 series are on the brink of completion,…
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Your publisher traveled at the end of July making a wide circle in the U.S. and Canada. First was a day in Atlanta with the National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) Education Committee, led by Delaware Elevator’s Dave Smarte. Primarily an update meeting, the committee approved more than 20 new continuing-education programs, either seminar, article-based…
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Organizer VFA-Interlift has set several figures for Interlift 2013, to take place on October 15-18 in Augsburg. First, 48,000m2 of the Augsburg Trade Fair Centre has been reserved for its 504 exhibi-tors. The businesses come from 40 countries, with 71% of those from outside Germany. Italy and China dominate foreign participants, with at least 88…
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