Test tower completion, expansions and partnership

AMEC Thailand Test Tower Now Operational

Mitsubishi Elevator Asia Co. Ltd. (AMEC) has completed its 68.3-m-tall, 287-m2 test tower in Chonburi Province, Thailand, complementing its R&D and production capabilities there (ELEVATOR WORLD, April 2015) to better serve the elevator/escalator market outside Japan. Expected to be operational in June, the Kiang Fah (To the Sky in Thai) tower is constructed of steel, is equivalent to an approximately 15-story building and will be used to develop and evaluate elevator equipment, particularly medium- and high-speed models. The company believes that expanding locally will result in reduced costs and lead times.

KONE Inks Deal With Sri Lankan Distributor

KONE has entered into a distribution agreement with Scan Engineering (Pvt.) Ltd., based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to provide elevators, escalators, maintenance and modernization services throughout Sri Lanka. Amit Gossain, managing director of KONE Elevator India, said growth of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry makes him optimistic, as it will call for better infrastructure and spur the construction industry. Scan has been in business for approximately 10 years, and many of its technicians were trained in places like China, Malaysia and South Korea. Gossain said KONE “sees good potential for our brand in this market, as customers like to have a premium brand such as KONE.”

U.K.’s Rosemor Expands Into China

U.K.-based Rosemor International has partnered with Shanghai EMC to bring its escalator deep-cleaning machine, Rotomac ET15B, to China. It was displayed at the World Elevator & Escalator Expo in Shanghai and is being heavily marketed throughout China. Rosemor explained it had been working on a Chinese partnership for some time prior to joining forces with Shanghai EMC Managing Director Jonathan Zhang. Rosemor observed, “EMC has become one of the most famous cleaning brands in China and is a key player, with its own manufacturing facility, R&D team and sales/technical support center in Shanghai.”

Captivate Adds Ottawa to Rapid Canada Expansion

Captivate, provider of displays in office buildings throughout North America, has expanded into six office buildings in Ottawa, bringing Captivate’s footprint to more than 30 markets, including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Edmonton, Canada. Elevators and lobbies featuring Captivate flat-panel displays in Ottawa now include World Exchange Plaza, Place de Ville Towers, and Jean Edmonds Towers North and South. The company is also expanding in current markets, adding 15 buildings, including Toronto’s EY Tower. Captivate stated its “valuable news and entertainment network brings life to work by connecting upscale tenants to the world outside their office.”

CTBUH Announces Conference, Student Competitions

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) will be holding its 2017 conference in Sydney on October 30-November 3. This year’s topic is “Connecting the City: People, Density & Infrastructure.” CTBUH notes Sydney has a 230-year history in urban development and finds itself at the nexus of much of the current debate about cities: density versus suburbanization, modernity versus historical preservation, infrastructure versus urban life and the high-rise versus the low-rise realms. A call for paper abstracts and sponsors has been initiated. For more information, contact CTBUH at email: info@ctbuh2017.com or website: www.ctbuh2017.com.

CTBUH also announced two student competitions: the 2017 Student Research Competition and International Student Tall Building Design Competition. For the research competition, students working under a professor should submit a research proposal that focuses on “tall building performance.” It is up to the students to define what that means, then outline how their research will address it. The winning proposal will receive a US$20,000 award to fund the research. Entry deadline is June 30.

The design competition asks entrants to propose a project in an actual site, anywhere in the world, that explores the “relationship of placing a tall building in a unique existing urban setting.” Each entry should meet specific criteria. The top five winners will receive cash awards and stipends to attend the aforementioned conference. The registration deadline is July 17, and entries must be submitted by July 24. More information on both contests is available at www.ctbuh.org.