We the People

This month, we celebrate the people of the industry, along with the purposes and places in which they gathered. This is our second annual People Issue, and the response was very widespread — in the U.S., it went from New York to Texas and Virginia to Minnesota. Internationally, we had responses from as close as our Canadian neighbors and as far away as Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and Saudi Arabia. The nominated were consultants, CEOs, presidents, digital directors, project managers, construction foremen, inventors and founders. Above all, many of these people of the industry were mentors. Kaija Wilkinson, who wrote the introduction, noted that “30 people barely scratch the surface of the brilliant, dedicated characters that populate our industry.” So, if your special person is not in this group, get ready to nominate them next year.

Our industry gathered, as it often does in the spring, in New York, Florida and Istanbul. There were overlapping events in the latter — both exhibitions: one focusing on components and the other on larger systems. Each bolstered attendance at the other. Eurasia Asansör Fair was the smaller of the two events but not by much. It had 160 exhibitors and more than 30,000 visitors. Ali Bulut, chief executive and president of CNR Holding, said it is impressive to see Turkish companies competitive after 20 years, whereas Western companies have had 100 years. The second event, Asansör Istanbul, held its 16th iteration. It had 288 exhibits and more than 28,000 visitors seeking to see complete systems. International attendance at both events was similar.

In the U.S., the 20th annual Elevator Conference of New York Supplier Showcase drew an amazing crowd of visitors seeking to strengthen business ties at the event in the Bronx. One attendee compared it to a very efficient one-day sales trip. There was lots of love for the food and Mongrain’s hand-rolled cigars, but Nidec’s 3D hologram stole the show, with many gathering around it. Several days later, the National Association of Elevator Contractors held its 2019 Educational Conference. With nearly 250 in attendance, members enjoyed several days of great education broken up by some great golfing. This was the first conference with new Executive Director Alesa McArthur in charge.

Our focus this month is on Lubricants, and the single entry is exceptional. In CSI for Hydraulics by Mark Kreitzburg and Doug Muennich, the authors do a forensic analysis to uncover elevator failure caused by oils.

One of the best Continuing Education articles in recent months is Elevator Motor and VFD Diagnosis by David Herres. The one-contact-hour article is very hands-on. The mechanic reading it finds the instruments needed and instructions for diagnosing causes of elevator motor problems.

Stuart Weinstein, an attorney specializing in personal injury, writes about the Potential Pitfalls in Public Procurement, or, what to watch for when dealing with the government. A new author, Tricia Derwinski, a technical fellow at Otis, details the Safety Chain and its growth from 1854 in a beautifully illustrated article. She also explains a recent accident and all the false reporting around it.

As Kaija would say, “I’ve just scratched the surface” of this magazine. I hope you will partake of the whole thing and enjoy!