Putting a Spotlight on Spain

Just a few weeks ago, Elevator World Inc. held its Annual General Board meeting. We were joined online by our friends Achim Hütter of VFA in Germany; Suleyman Özcan of Liftinstituut B.V. in Dubai and Bulent Yılmaz, who is managing director of our office in Türkiye. We were exceedingly lucky that two of our directors, Massimo Bezzi and Robert Schaeffer, were able to join us in person and spend several days filling us in on their activities. Bezzi, in particular, was eager to chat with us about the European market and this issue spotlighting Spain. His association, the European Federation for Elevator Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EFESME), is particularly concerned with “SMEs” (small and middle-sized enterprises), and Spain has many of these kinds of companies. Indeed, 96% of all elevator companies in Spain have fewer than 250 employees.

The Spanish market has more than one million elevators in operation and 440 companies that employ 22,500 people, so local business is important. However, the country is third in the world in volume of vertical-transportation (VT) industry exports, exceeded only by China and Italy. When we began to explore the Focus on Spain, we realized anew that this was an industry to contend with as the articles poured in. Explore with us in seven articles:

Fermator Factory Returns to Service by Bulent Yılmaz. Our managing director visits the Fermator plant that has recently reopened after a roof collapse from heavy snows.

An Extrasensory Experience by Olga Quintanilla Marful. The port of Mahón is considered one of the largest natural ports in the world. Schindler installed a large glass lift (also on the cover) to make the trip from the town above to the port below a beautiful ride.

“The Immediate Future of the Elevator” by Olga Quintanilla Marful. FEEDA, the Spanish elevator business federation, met in Madrid late last year to discuss the certification of technicians and regulations (of ITC) on safety of users.

Smooth Sailing. Orona, headquartered in Spain, is Europe’s fifth-largest VT player. It reported growth in 2021 at the Annual Partners meeting, while also pledging to cut total emissions in half by 2030.

Cooperative Innovation for Energy Efficiency, Digitalization and Predictive Maintenance by Dr. Pilar Molina Gaudo. Companies in the Spanish non-profit association AECAE formed a consortium to study energy efficiency, as well as digitalization and predictive maintenance.

Shopping Solutions. The Vialia Vigo Shopping Centre in Vigo, Spain, is very high tech and especially adapted for accessibility. It faces an estuary and integrates bus and train service with TKE’s 13 lifts and 14 escalators.

A Virtuous Circle by Elettra Bilibio. FEPYMA, a Spanish association of SMEs, and EFESME are working together to bring the Spanish companies closer to the European sphere.

There are also several important events covered in this issue: 39th Heilbronn Lift Days: The Sustainable Elevator by Undine Stricker-Berghoff; and the Asansor Istanbul, in Finally Made It by Bulent Yılmaz, which was the first international in-person trade fair in three years.

There are many more items and articles of interest for our European readers. We hope that you will enjoy!