August 14, 2013
SHANGHAI MITSUBISHI INKS 308-ELEVATOR DEAL
Shanghai Mitsubishi has signed an agreement with Sichuan Fulin Industrial Group Co., Ltd. to provide 308 elevators for 33 buildings in Mianyang, China, through 2016, the Shanghai Elevator Trade Association (SETA) reported. The deal includes six projects covering more than 1 million m2. The agreement, according to SETA, promises to strengthen Shanghai Mitsubishi’s position in Mianyang, and result in better products and services for customers.
PFLOW INDUSTRIES PROMOTES OHLINGER
PFlow Industries, Inc., in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has promoted Kurt Ohlinger to Inside Sales technical specialist, reporting to Inside Sales Director Joe Dziadosz. Ohlinger has worked at PFlow 16 years and has managed the order process for Cartveyor™ shopping-cart conveyors for the last 10. His new role consists of estimating, reviewing specifications and quoting special projects. PFlow manufactures and sells vertical reciprocating conveyors for moving materials in a variety of industries.
NEW IRISH ASSOCIATION SEES GROWTH
The Irish Lift and Escalator Association (ILEA) is a new organization made up of suppliers of passenger and goods/service lifts, stairlifts, residential lifts, lifting platforms, escalators, passenger conveyors, car-transporting lifts and related component parts. One of ILEA’s newest members is KONE, joining the founder members to promote safety and standards in the industry. The group’s next meeting is scheduled for August 29 in Dublin. For more information, contact ILEA at e-mail: info@ilea.ie or website: www.ilea.ie.
August 13, 2013
CANNY TO PROVIDE DELHI SUBWAY ESCALATORS
Canny Elevator has announced it won the bid for the Delhi Subway Project. The work will see Canny install 291 escalators. The Shanghai Elevator Trade Association noted this marks the second time Canny has cooperated with India’s public-transportation authorities. The project includes four subway lines (approximately 119 km long) connecting the main cities. Canny’s work will be performed during 2013-2015 in preparation for the overall project’s completion in 2016.
EKLUND’S REDESIGNATES BRANCHES
Eklund’s has redesignated its regional branch offices to better illustrate a U.S. presence on a national level. “Dallas/Fort Worth or ‘Texas’” is now called “Eklund’s South/Corporate Headquarters & Manufacturing Facility.” “Baltimore/Washington or ‘Maryland’” is now called “Eklund’s Northeast/Manufacturing Facility.” “Las Vegas” has become “Eklund’s West,” “Chicago” is now “Eklund’s Midwest,” and “Houston” was rebranded “Eklund’s Southeast.” According to the company, it is “now positioned to serve clients from coast to coast more efficiently and effectively.”
EXTERIOR OF SHANGHAI TOWER COMPLETED
Shanghai Tower reached a milestone on August 3 when workers hoisted the final beam to the top of the 632-m-tall glass and steel building, marking the completion of the exterior. Installation was accompanied by a flag-waving ceremony. Shanghai Tower was designed by San Francisco-based Gensler and is the second-tallest building in the world, after Burj Khalifa in Dubai at 830 m.
PHILIPPINE COMPANY PLANS PAIR OF LUXURY HIGH RISES
Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. is planning a pair of high-end, 25-story residential towers in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines — central business district. Plans for The Loop include a skywalk joining the north and south towers, a fitness center, adult and children’s pools, lobby, a multipurpose hall, two floors of parking and penthouse sky gardens. Each tower will house 522 studio to three-bedroom units. The Loop joins Vista’s portfolio of more than 20 condominium projects in Manila, Davao City and Cagayan de Oro, all in the Philippines.
August 12, 2013
DELHI GOVERNMENT OK’S DRAFT LIFT/ESCALATOR BILL
The government of Delhi, India, the metropolitan region that includes the national capital, New Delhi, approved the draft Lifts and Escalators Bill 2013 on August 5. Should it gain passage, the bill would mark the first time since the 1939 Bombay Lift Act that lift and escalator law has been updated. The proposed law would regulate escalators (which are not addressed in the Bombay Lift Act), require operators to obtain government licenses and allow the prosecution of owners of malfunctioning lifts in which people are injured.
MAROHN ELEVATOR LANDS 72-UNIT CHINA CONTRACT
Marohn Elevator Co., Ltd., has won a contract to provide 72 elevators and escalators to the Heyday City development in China, according to the Shanghai Elevator Trade Association (SETA). Developed by Liaoning Xinhong Group, Heyday consists of nine buildings, including a high-end hotel, supermarket and business meeting hall representing 240,000 m2 on 57,000 ha. Small-room, machine-room-less and observation elevators, as well as regular and walking escalators, could be part of the project, said SETA, noting that Marohn passed a strict inspection before it was awarded the work.
STANNAH IN U.K. METRO STATIONS
Stannah has installed 15 of the 36 escalators planned for a regeneration project centered around Birmingham New Street Station in the U.K. The partnership of Network Rail, the Birmingham City Council, Advantage West Midlands, Centro and the Department for Transport, along with principal contractor Mace, are working on turning the station into a regional transportation hub with the capacity to service up to 250,000 passengers a day when it opens next year. Also, Stannah installed 14 custom hydraulic lifts at the Reading, U.K., railway station to facilitate the easy movement of people and goods to every platform.
“WINO IN TENINO” RAISES MONEY FOR EESF
The third-annual “Wino in Tenino” was hosted on July 20 at the home of NAESA International Executive Director Dotty Stanlaske and her husband, Bob, in Tenino, Washington. An increase in attendance to more than 40 people helped the event raise US$1,100 (also an increase) for the Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation (EESF). Wine from the local Scatter Creek Winery was served, and proceeds from the bottles sold for guests to take home also contributed to the charity amount. Food was also provided. A guessing contest and silent auction rounded out the activities.
August 9, 2013
INDONESIA LIFT & ELEVATOR EXPO
The Indonesia Lift & Elevator Expo will take place on August 14-16, 2014, at the Jakarta International Expo in Kemayoran, Indonesia. The biennial trade fair will be held in conjunction with the Indonesia Intelligent Building & Automation Expo and Indonesia Building Mechanical Electrical Expo. It aspires to take advantage of an elevator industry seeing rapid growth due to increasing urbanization and the subsequent increase in construction development in the country. For more information or to register, visit website: www.ina-liftelevator.com.
LERCH BATES APPOINTS PROJECT MANAGER
Lerch Bates Inc. announced in July that Tim O’Brien had joined the company as project manager in its Chicago office. In his new role, O’Brien provides technical consulting services to architects, building owners and facility operators on material-handling systems, and collaborates on materials management, elevator and façade-access consulting services. He manages automated logistics solutions for the healthcare industry, as well as for commercial construction projects through the application of various automated material-distribution systems. Prior to joining Lerch Bates, O’Brien served as an application engineer for Swisslog and an estimator and project engineer for Mortenson Construction.
27-STORY OFFICE TOWER PLANNED IN CALGARY
Manulife Real Estate has announced plans for 707 Fifth Street, a 27-story, 564-sq.-ft. office tower in downtown Calgary, Canada. The elliptical-shaped, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP-designed tower is expected to be complete in March 2017. It would join several other newcomers to the Calgary skyline: Brookfield Office Properties’ Brookfield Place Calgary, at 247 m, also to be completed in 2017, and TELUS Communications Co.’s 58-story, TELUS Sky Tower.
SHANGHAI LOGISTIC EXPO TO INCLUDE ELEVATORS
This year’s CeMAT Asia, an international logistic technique and transportation system exhibition, will be the first time the event will have an “elevator area,” according to the Shanghai Elevator Trade Association (SETA). It will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in Shanghai on October 28-31. Hosts Hannover Milan Exhibition (Shanghai) Co,. Ltd and SETA created the elevator area to open the Chinese and greater Asian market to international brands, while providing “a window for China to give the high-quality service,” said SETA. The association also pointed out that with deepening urbanization in China, the demand and number elevators there will continuously increase, especially in residences and burgeoning rail projects.
August 8, 2013
CTBUH LAUNCHES THAILAND, INDONESIA CHAPTERS
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has opened chapters in both Thailand and Indonesia in an effort to reach out to Southeast Asia and its growing number of tall buildings. In Thailand, the chapter plans to address such conditions as local codes, technical issues, market trends and soil conditions. The Indonesia chapter is to support the numerous 30-to-60-story developments in Jakarta’s Sudirman central business district, as well as the construction of the 111-story, 638-m-tall Signature Tower planned for the city.
SMARTRISE TRAINING CLASS
In early April, Smartrise provided two controller training classes to United Elevator Services at the latter company’s Knoxville, Tennessee, office. Seventeen United Elevator mechanics took advantage of the course, worth 7.5 credit hours in the National Association of Elevator Contractors Certified Elevator Technician (CET®) program. Smartrise provided each pair of students with a functioning controller for hands-on training in installation, service and troubleshooting. This class covered all three Smartrise products: SRA, SRD and SRH control systems.
OTIS CHINA SUBSIDIARY UNVEILS SMALL-MACHINE-ROOM ELEVATOR
Xizi Otis Elevator welcomed hundreds of guests to a June event to debut its GeN®-MR small-machine-room elevators, the Shanghai Elevator Trade Association (SETA) reported. The event, which had the theme “Space Innovation and Future Leading,” was held in Hangzhou, China. The fact that Xizi Otis signed a contract to supply elevators to highly ranked development firm Nimble Group shows confidence in the outlook for GeN®-MR, according to SETA.
PUNE RAILWAY STATION GETTING FOUR NEW ESCALATORS
Pune Railway Station is getting four new escalators, as well as a new, 5,700-m2 parking lot, according to outgoing Division Railway Manager Vishal Agarwaal. The Indian Express reported Agarwaal told members of the media on August 1 that the first escalator will be installed near the main booking counter. Agarwaal also said that a detailed plan for improvements to the Shivajinagar Railway Station will be released soon.
August 7, 2013
MADE TO FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY
The MADE expo (taking place on October 2-5 at the Milan Fairgrounds Rho in Milan, Italy) will provide an overview of the entire vertical-transportation sector and its role in the building construction system. It will also highlight the technological features of the latest groundbreaking systems and their compatibility with even the most disparate architectural contexts. The elevators, escalators and related components area will be located in the “Interiors & Finishings” section of the show. The vertical-transportation industry benefits from a strategic alliance among such Italian elevator-industry associations as ANIE/AssoAscensori (complete elevator systems, escalators, people movers and related component manufacturers), ANACAM (Italian elevator association) and ANICA (Italian elevator components association).
50 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA TOWER TOPS OUT
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has reported that Manhattan, New York’s Foster + Partners-designed tower at 50 United Nations Plaza has topped out, reaching its full 44-story height in less than eight months. The building will feature 88 residences ranging from one-bedroom units to a duplex penthouse measuring nearly 10,000 sq. ft. Under construction since November 2012, the building’s completion is set for the first quarter of 2015.
HONG KONG CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE RATINGS RELEASED
Hong Kong’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Department has released performance results for 9,365 registered lift and escalator contractors from July 2012 to June 2013. The department found that 17 lift contractors and 11 escalator contractors had records that reflect full safety and maintenance compliance, and that six lift contractors and one escalator contractor were issued warnings. One may view full results, warning-letter summaries and equipment-failure records on the department’s website.
PSI TO DISTRIBUTE TRI-TRONICS PRODUCTS
Parts Specialists, Inc. (PSI), of Posen, Illinois, has announced it has signed a deal to stock and distribute Tri-Tronics® elevator door control products. Tri-Tronics is based in Tampa, Florida. “The strategic partnership will allow the elevator industry to obtain these products from an elevator-specific supplier at competitive prices,” PSI General Manager Glenn Duncan said. For more information, visit website: www.partsspecialistsinc.com.
August 6, 2013
CALGARY TO GET TELUS SKY TOWER
TELUS, one of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies, is set to begin construction on a 58-story tower in Calgary’s downtown core. The TELUS Sky tower, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, will incorporate office, retail and 341 residential rental suites. The 750,000-sq. ft. building is expected to be completed by fall 2017 at an estimated US$400 million, according to The Calgary Herald. TELUS Sky will be neighbor to The Bow, Calgary’s tallest building and the 2013 Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Best Tall Building Americas award winner.
SETA LAUNCHES ONLINE ELEVATOR NETWORK
The Shanghai Elevator Trade Association (SETA) has announced its partnership with elevator companies to launch an online information-sharing network that explores such issues as government oversight, maintenance feasibility and repair response times. The network brings together elevator companies, quality-control professionals, components providers, property managers, association members and developers “for the sake of exchanging information and data” to promote safety and proper oversight, according to SETA, which reports that representatives of more than 1,000 elevators are participating so far.
MCDONOUGH ELEVATOR ACQUIRES HOIST-CO
Houston-based McDonough Elevator Sales & Rentals, a division of McDonough Corp. that specializes in the industrial rack-and-pinion elevator market, has announced its acquisition of Hoist-Co, Inc., based in Baldwin City, Kansas. McDonough said it plans to retain management, staff and existing contracts of the family-founded company, described by McDonough Elevator President Joe Galatas as “the go-to provider for a wide range of industrial elevator solutions” in the U.S. Midwest. Operations will remain in Baldwin City.
ELEVATOR RIDERS RIDING CLUB PLANS NAEC POKER RUN
The Elevator Riders Riding Club is planning a poker run at the 2013 National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) Expo in Tampa, Florida, September 25-26, to benefit the Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation. The event will take place on the exhibit floor, and the entry fee is US$25 per hand. Multiple five-card hands may be played at once, with the highest hand winning 50% of the pot. For more information, visit website: www.elevatorriders.com.
August 5, 2013
SCHINDLER OFFERING AIA-APPROVED ELEVATOR COURSES
Schindler has announced it is offering six courses that will help architects complete the 18 credit hours required to remain active members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The courses, according to Schindler, “provide architects, designers and builders information about the latest developments in elevators, escalators and other vertical-transportation technology and sustainable design.” AIA members can earn 1, 1.25 or 1.5 Learning Credit Units. For more information, contact Schindler at phone: (877) 696-8382 or website: www.us.schindler.com. Information about the Schindler-sponsored 1-credit course may be found at the Architectural Record’s Continuing Education Center at website: continuingeducation.construction.com.
ALABAMA CASINO-HOTEL PROJECT ENTERS HOME STRETCH
Construction on the Poarch Band of Creek Indians’ US$246-million Wind Creek Wetumpka hotel and casino in Wetumpka, Alabama, is nearing completion and expected to fully open in early 2014, the Montgomery Advertiser reports. The 20-story hotel has about 285 rooms and suites, and the project – taking shape adjacent to the current Wind Creek Wetumpka – includes more than tripling the size of the parking deck, from 500 to 2,500 spaces. General contractor Flintco, LLC tapped Otis as elevator contractor.
KUALA LUMPUR FOCUSES ON VANDALISM PREVENTION, SAFETY
Kuala Lumpur officials are getting tough on vandalism and taking a closer look at elevator safety as they move to replace 90 old public-housing lifts at a cost of MYR31.5 million (US$9.91 million) by 2019, the NewStraitsTimes reports. The city is placing 250 officers to keep watch over the 523 lifts at the 86 People’s Housing Project. It has also assembled a task force to determine the cause of a July 17 accident that killed a grade-school student when he was critically injured while trying to exit. Mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib said the elevator in question had recently passed an inspection.