Worldwide news from Serapid, Biofial and Wittur

Serapid Opens Asian Subsidiary in Singapore

Serapid Group, headquartered in France, has opened Serapid Singapore Pte. Ltd. due to an increasing volume of work in the Asian region. A management team is in place that consists of Managing Director Robert Degenkolb, who has 30 years’ experience with rigging company J.R. Clancy and has lived in Singapore since 2011; Technical Manager Ivan Seigneur, who transferred from France; and China Sales Manager Yu Rong Chen. Serapid’s Vice President of Business Development Iain Forbester stated:

“The opening of the new company in Singapore and its initial resourcing reflects Serapid’s commitment to the region and the desire to provide better service and support. This is the flrst step toward establishing a much stronger regional presence.”

Biofial Enters French, Venezuelan Markets

Thessaloniki, Greece-based Biofial Hydraulics has officially entered the Venezuelan market with the shipment of its first orders to the country. For France, while its products have been distributed there for several years, it now exports them directly to the state. “After evaluating some important business contacts, we have established several important collaborations, and we are at the moment producing a specialized product for luxurious apartment complexes in France,” Biofial added. The company also said expanding its reach to most countries worldwide and having its products exported directly from its factory to customers around the globe have been its long-term goals for the last 20 years.

Canadian Pension Fund Buys Stake in Wittur

Wittur announced on December 28, 2018, that Public Sector Pension (PSP) Investment Board, a Canadian pension fund, had entered into a private agreement with Wittur owner Bain Capital Private Equity to acquire a 32% stake in the German elevator- components supplier, Reuters reported. PSP Investment intends to “closely cooperate with Bain, as a sponsor and partner, to help Wittur’s international expansion.” The source observed Bain attracted interest in Wittur from several private-equity groups in October 2018 ahead of an expected sale. Wittur gained a “more balanced geographic footprint” promising to enable growth as a result of its merger with Sematic Elevator Products several years ago (ELEVATOR WORLD, October 2015).

CECA Presents Fourth Annual Scholarships

The Canadian Elevator Contractors Association (CECA) has announced its fourth-annual scholarships. There will be four CAD 2,500 (US$1,844) scholarships potentially awarded this year — two toward the pursuit of a career in the elevator industry and two toward a career in any field. The scholarships are available to the children, stepchildren and/or grandchildren of CECA members in good standing who intend to further their post-secondary educations in 2019-2020 at a recognized learning institution in Canada. The CECA scholarship application information sheet is available at ceca-acea.org under the “ABOUT” section in “BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP.” Applications must be received at office@ceca-acea.org by June 28. Questions may also be directed to the office.

GLE E xpo to Highlight African VT Market

The African market will take center stage when the Global Lift & Escalator (GLE) Expo debuts at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 27-29, organizer Virgo Communications and Exhibition Pvt. Ltd. has announced. The continent’s infrastructure market is expected to reach US$24.3 billion by 2020, and Virgo noted the demand for high-quality retail, housing, office and industrial space continues to outstrip supply. In response, African leaders have made infrastructure growth a pillar of their development strategies.

GLE Expo 2019 Africa will present a platform for elevator, escalator, components and accessories manufacturers to showcase their products and technologies as they look to take advantage of Africa’s fast-growing economies, rapid urbanization and expanding population. Property investors and corporate occupiers have already begun making huge investments in the infrastructure market of the continent, the organizer said, adding that participants will have the opportunity to explore Africa’s market potential, engage with prospective buyers, widen knowledge, network with regional players and expand businesses to this continent.

Virgo has already secured the participation of several industry leaders, such as Schindler and South African Elevator Co. (SAEC), and the China Elevator Association has reserved a large pavilion for its member companies.

“Virgo’s vision is to create a unique and ideal platform for the global players from the elevator and escalator industry to explore every potential market in the world,” said Virgo Director Anitha Raghunath. “Thus, after successful shows in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the expo has been introduced in the African market.”

Virgo Communications has been in the exhibition industry for more than 14 years, organizing numerous vertical- transportation expos and technical forums. Along with Elevator World, Inc., Virgo co-publishes ELEVATOR WORLD India. For more details, visit gleexpo.com.