Riding the Ups and Downs

KONE New Jersey and NYC Sales Manager, Service & Solutions Vanessa Kline (VK) talks to your author (KW) about her career and the local VT market. 

When people ask Vanessa Kline how she got into the vertical-transportation (VT) industry, she likes to joke that she’s been doing this since she was in diapers. Surrounded by elevator mechanics her entire life, Kline’s father was a mechanic, vice president, supervisor and now consultant for various elevator companies. He is currently employed by Hackensack, New Jersey-based CBA Elevator Consultants. Kline has a twin brother, Nick Gruszka, who is a repair mechanic for Nouveau Elevator, her uncle Paul is a KONE mechanic and she married KONE modernization mechanic Eric Kline. Vanessa Kline says:

“It’s in my blood. I remember my father taking me to NYC when I was a little girl for ‘Take your daughter to work day.’ The buildings looked so big then; now, not so much. Although most people in my position would have always known they would be going into the field, that was not my end goal during college. I was convinced I’d graduate Monmouth University and become an editor in chief of a fashion magazine and live a glamourous lifestyle.”

After earning a degree in communications and marketing, Kline rented a house on Ocean Avenue in Belmar, New Jersey, and got a job as a wedding planner assistant. She quit after a month, and begged her father to get her on with what was then ThyssenKrupp Elevator “for what I thought would only be a year until I got my dream job.” Turns out, almost 18 years later, this is the job she was born to do. She has not regretted it once.

Kline is from Bergen County, New Jersey, but moved to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, after she got married. “Turns out, the taxes are a lot less and the drive home over the Delaware River  from Manhattan or New Jersey is a lot more relaxing than the traffic up north,” she says. Bucks County is a quick drive to Interstate 78, and Kline can arrive at her New Jersey office in less than an hour. Depending on traffic, it’s not that much farther to NYC. “It’s the best of both worlds,” she says. 

Kline has always been in sales. She started at TK Elevator (TKE) in the Atlantic City, New Jersey/King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, office, working there for a few years before transferring to Manhattan. When she left TKE to join KONE, she was a sales representative with a territory consisting of the Bronx and Westchester County. After getting married, she took over the New Jersey territory, as the drive was a lot easier. After almost nine years as a KONE service sales consultant, Kline interviewed for the role of New Jersey sales manager. The COVID-19 pandemic happened very shortly afterward, and KONE’s plans to hire a New York sales manager were put on hold. As a result, Kline wound up handling both offices until recently when, after having her second child, it made sense to spend more time in New Jersey and focus on building that sales team.

She currently oversees a sales team of three reps who focus on driving both the service and repair business. As a major account manager, Kline handles work for both Newark Liberty International Airport, Terminal A, and NYC Health + Hospitals, comprising more than 500 VT units. “I enjoy having the opportunity to sell and manage existing accounts on top of managing and growing my sales team because I still get to be in the weeds,” Kline says. “I’m constantly learning, which ultimately only helps my team.” Kline took the time to speak with your author about regional VT market trends and business outlook. 

KW: You have been in the VT industry in the New York/New Jersey area since 2007. How healthy is the industry now compared to then, and what are the main business drivers?

VK: In my eyes, the business has changed a few times over the years since 2007. In 2007 when I first started, it seemed easier to sell the OEM companies and was less about the independents. The TKE name, for me, “sold itself” in the territory in which I was working, which was Ocean and Monmouth counties, New Jersey. When I moved into NYC for KONE, I still felt that the KONE name sold itself. However, it was the first time I was bidding work against the independents. Price was a driving factor and the independents were doing a good job. Fast forward to 2018 when NYC code changes were going into effect and repair and modernization business was really picking up with the need to get door-lock monitoring (DLM) completed before hefty fines kick in. Then, finally, COVID. Between not having facetime with customers, working remotely and spending being down, the landscape changed drastically for our industry. Back in 2007, the technology to allow independents to work on OEM equipment wasn’t there like it is today.

KW: What are the main roadblocks to growth for the VT industry in New York and New Jersey right now? Are you confident they can be overcome?

VK: I think one of the main roadblocks to growth in the VT industry now, besides the competition of the independents and the pricing factor, is really ourselves. Before COVID, you could knock on doors and get to the right person who could make the decision to sign the contract with you, or at least someone who could get you in front of that person. Buildings are empty and, unless you are communicating daily with your clients and your team, losing out on work is a lot more likely. I think this could be overcome simply by going back to basics: Phone calls, face-to-face rather than zoom, not letting days go by before responding . . . It’s so easy to send a text, yes . . . but the relationship building is lacking. After COVID, the market contracted, and people became more cost-cautious. While that is slowly changing, the work-from-home trend and vacant commercial space has kept customers cautious about spending.

KW: Which parts of New Jersey are seeing the most robust new construction and modernization activity right now and what are the drivers?

VK: While a lot of people are moving outside of Manhattan right now, they still want to enjoy the view, so cities from the competing skyline continue to drive new-build and modernization projects.

KW: What are a few of the primary differences between real estate in New Jersey and New York and how do they drive demand for VT?

VK: In New Jersey’s case, you are going to continue to see from a residential standpoint that people want to get that urban lifestyle but with a suburban undertone. In NYC, there’s an uptick of older buildings that are being updated. The rehabilitation of existing infrastructure in the public sector is seeing more funding going into those buildings, allowing VT to be on top of the list of where people want to invest money.

KW: Which VT offerings (products and services) are most in demand in New York and New Jersey right now and why (upcoming code changes, government initiatives)?

VK: Upcoming code requirements regarding single plunger brakes, escalator skirt deflectors and the lingering DLM are driving business. I also believe that technology, ease of use and passenger-friendly applications that interface with elevators, such as remote monitoring and online data portals, give people the convenience they crave.

KW: What is a recent (New York or New Jersey) project in which you were involved of which you are particularly proud? 

VK: Over the course of my career, I’ve had the pleasure of being directly involved with landmark buildings such as the Empire State Building and the flagship Macy’s Herald Square department store. I’ve also built an incredible relationship with the team at NYC Health + Hospitals Corp. The most recent project I’ve been directly involved in managing is the maintenance contract for the New Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport. I feel like when you can build the types of relationships with a customer that compel them to break their warranty maintenance service to pay you to provide equivalent service, it speaks to not only the service you deliver, but how you deliver it.

KW: What is your outlook for the VT business in the NY/NJ area over the next five years?

VK: I try not to think too far ahead, as it keeps me focused and allows me to adapt quickly and ride the “ups and downs” as they happen in real time.