Otis Worldwide

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Meters (talk | contribs) at 07:26, 23 March 2022 (→‎External links: ELNO). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"OTIS" redirects here. For other uses, see Otis.
Otis Worldwide Corporation
Otis Elevator Company
Company typePublic
IndustryTransport systems
PredecessorUnited Technologies
Founded20 September 1853; 170 years ago (1853-09-20)
(acquired in 1976, spun off in 2020)
FounderElisha Otis
HeadquartersFarmington, Connecticut, U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Judy Marks (President and CEO)
ProductsElevators and escalators
RevenueIncrease US$12.76 billion (2020)[1]
2,033,000,000 United States dollar (2022) Edit this on Wikidata
Increase US$906 million (2020)[1]
Number of employees
69,000 (2020)[1]
Websiteotis.com

Otis Worldwide Corporation (branded as the Otis Elevator Company, its former legal name) is an American company that develops, manufactures and markets elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and related equipment.

Based in Farmington, Connecticut, U.S, Otis is the world's largest manufacturer of vertical transportation systems, principally focusing on elevators, moving walkways, and escalators.[2] The company pioneered the development of the "safety elevator", invented by Elisha Otis in 1852, which used a special mechanism to lock the elevator car in place should the hoisting ropes fail.

The Otis Elevator Company was acquired by United Technologies in 1976, but it was spun off as an independent company 44 years later in April 2020 as Otis Worldwide Corporation.[3][4]

Its slogan is "Made to move you".

History

The booming elevator market

In 1852, Elisha Otis invented the safety elevator, which automatically comes to a halt if the hoisting rope breaks. After a demonstration at the 1853 New York World's Fair, the elevator industry established credibility.[5]

Otis elevator in Glasgow, Scotland, imported from the U.S. in 1856 for Gardner's Warehouse, the oldest cast-iron fronted building in the British Isles.

The Otis Elevator Company was founded in Yonkers, New York, in 1853 by Elisha Otis. When Elisha died in 1861, his sons Charles and Norton formed a partnership and continued the business. During the American Civil War, their elevators were in high demand due to the shipment of war materials. Businesses throughout the United States purchased them. In 1864, with the partnership of J.M. Alvord, the company became known as Otis Brothers & Co.[6] In 1867, Otis opened a factory in Yonkers, New York, the city where the company was founded.[7]

In 1925, the world's first fully automatic elevator, Collective Control, was introduced. In 1931, the company installed the world's first double-deck elevator in New York City.[8]

Otis opened a factory in Bloomington, Indiana, in 1965.[9]

Fayette S. Dunn became president of the company in 1964, succeeding the late Percy Douglas.[10]

1980s changes

Otis was acquired by United Technologies in 1976 and became a wholly owned subsidiary. In 1981, the Yonkers factory closed,[11][12] and was later purchased by Kawasaki for use as a rail car assembly plant.[13] Also in 1981, Otis signed a business agreement with an elevator company in China[14] and Francois Jaulin became president. In 1989 Karl J. Krapek became president of the company[15] and was replaced in 1991 by Jean-Pierre van Rooy.[16]

During the 1980s, Otis developed the Remote Elevator Monitoring (REM) system that collected behavioral data from 300,000 elevators.[17]

Otis has also dabbled in horizontal automated people-mover "shuttle" systems, such as the Otis Hovair. In 1996, Otis formed a joint venture called "Poma-Otis Transportation Systems" with the French company Pomagalski to promote these products. That partnership has since ended.

1990s acquisitions

Otis Elevator Company purchased Evans Lifts in the UK when Evans Lifts Ltd went bankrupt in 1997 during its merge with Express Lift Company with the name ExpressEvans. It was the oldest and largest manufacturer of lift equipment in the UK, and was based in Leicester, England. Otis's Customer Care Centre is still based in the old Evans Lifts building in Leicester. The building has since been extended by Otis. There are some installations of Evans Lifts in use today. Few lifts made by Otis are branded as Evans. Notably, an original Evans Lift is still in the Silver Arcade in Leicester. It formerly transported people to the upper floors. The upper floors are no longer occupied: the lift is no longer used.

In 1997, Steve Page became president of Otis Elevator Co.[18]

In 1999, Otis acquired CemcoLift, Inc, located in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. The operation was later closed in October 2012, with the remaining business being sold to Minnesota Elevator Inc.

21st century

In 2002, Ari Bousbib became president of Otis.[19]

Didier Michaud-Daniel became president of the company in 2008.[20] In 2011, Otis acquired its competitor Marshall Elevator for an undisclosed amount.[21] Beginning in 2011, Otis cut its manufacturing operations in Nogales and supply-chain operations in Tucson, Arizona, as part of a consolidation of manufacturing operations in Florence, South Carolina,[22] where Otis purchased a former Maytag facility on 92 acres.[23] As part of the consolidation, Otis shut down its Bloomington facility in 2012.[24]

In February 2012, Pedro Sainz de Baranda was named president of the company, replacing Michaud-Daniel.[25] In October 2013, Otis won its biggest ever contract to date, to supply 670 elevators and escalators to the Hyderabad Metro.[26] Its second biggest contract had been in 2012, to supply 349 elevators for the Hangzhou metro.[26] In 2015, Otis had to slow its expansion in Asia after orders in the region started to drop.[27]

On October 9, 2017, Judy Marks was named president of Otis Elevator Company, replacing Philippe Delpech.[28] In January 2018, Otis inaugurated the installation of the world's longest double-deck elevator (30 elevators) in the 555-meter Lotte World Tower in Seoul. The "sky shuttle" can take 54 passengers from the 2nd floor to the 121st floor in 1 minute.[8] On November 26, 2018, United Technologies announced it would spin off Otis Elevator into an independent company.[29][30] Its headquarters are to remain in Connecticut.[31] In 2019, Otis geared up its artificial intelligence technology by capitalizing on predictive technologies.[17]

Notable installations

An Otis escalator

Otis has installed elevators in some of the world's most famous structures, including the Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building (modernization partnership signed in 2011[32]), the original World Trade Center, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Petronas Twin Towers, Burj Khalifa, CN Tower, the Winchester Mystery House, the Hotel del Coronado, the Demarest Building (first electric elevator), the Singing Tower at Bok Tower Gardens, and the Skylon Tower.

Incidents & controversies

See also: Otis Elevators Employees Union

In 1992, an Otis trainee died on the job due to orders to violate workplace safety protocols. OEEU organised protests in response, forcing the company to permanently take on 98 temporary workers and to stop their recruitment for permanent jobs. This had been a problem for several years at that point.[33]

In 1998, two Otis workers died on the job in separate incidents in Mumbai. This led to a public discussion about the lack of safety training for contract workers at the company and an investigation by Lokhshahi Hakk Sanghatana, who demanded that company management should be prosecuted for their negligence.[33]

In 2001, due to a dated design flaw, 8-year-old Tucker Smith was crushed to death by an Otis Elevator after becoming trapped in the gap between the outside door and the inside gate.[34]

In February 2007, European Union regulators fined Otis Elevator €225 million (US$295.8 million) for being part of a price-fixing cartel in the Belgian, Dutch, Luxembourg, and German markets. Competitors ThyssenKrupp, Schindler Group, KONE, and Mitsubishi Elevator Europe were also fined for participating in the same cartel.[35]

On July 24, 2009, a group of eight people was trapped for eight hours in an Otis elevator in Toronto. A repair man who tried to fix the elevator fell 10 floors to his death.[36]

On December 14, 2010, an Otis escalator installed in the International Trade station of Shenzhen Metro Line 1 reversed direction without notice, triggering a stampede that injured 25 passengers.[37]

On July 5, 2011, an Otis 513MPE escalator installed at Beijing Subway Line 4 Zoo Station changed direction without notice, causing 30 people to fall. One boy was killed and 27 people injured, prompting China to halt the use of the escalator model. A Beijing official said the 513MPE escalator had "defects in design, manufacturing and maintenance", and that Otis had "unavoidable responsibility for the accident".[38] Shenzhen Metro authorities confirmed that the cause of the accident was also similar to the Shenzhen accident on December 14.[37]

In March 2017, eighteen people suffered injuries at Hong Kong's Langham Place shopping mall when an escalator maintained by Otis reversed direction from up to down.[39][40]

On July 9, 2018, a one-year-old Otis escalator at Stockholm City Station changed direction from up to a rapid descent, in what local officials called a "free fall", causing minor injuries.[41] Inspection of the gear boxes of several Otis escalators revealed unexpected rust and heavy wear. This led to the newly built train stations Stockholm City Station and Stockholm Odenplan being temporarily closed on July 13, 2018, for security reasons until the problems were understood and resolved.[42][43]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "United Technologies Annual Report 2019". UTC. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Otis Fact Sheet 2011-2" (PDF). Otis Worldwide. [dead link]
  3. ^ "Otis Common Stock Begins Trading on New York Stock Exchange" (Press release). Otis Worldwide. April 3, 2020. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  4. ^ "United Technologies Board Of Directors Approves Separation Of Carrier And Otis And Declares Spin-Off Distribution Of Carrier And Otis Shares" (Press release). United Technologies Corp. March 11, 2020.
  5. ^ "Elisha Graves Otis". Invent Now. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
  6. ^ Allison, Charles Elmer (1896). This History of Yonkers. New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham. p. 348.
  7. ^ Robbins, Dan (August 19, 2014). "Founded In Yonkers, Otis Elevators Took American Industry To New Heights". Westchester Magazine. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  8. ^ a b "Otis Elevator Korea Awarded Elevator World's New Construction Project of the Year" (Press release). Otis. January 11, 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-11 – via PR Newswire.
  9. ^ "Otis Elevator to close plant in Indiana". New Haven Register. Associated Press. December 7, 2003. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  10. ^ "President Elected For Otis Elevator". The New York Times. October 26, 1964. Retrieved 2009-08-18. Fayette S. Dunn The Otis Elevator Company over the weekend the election of Fayette S. Dunn as president and director, succeeding the late Percy L. Douglas. ...
  11. ^ Feron, James (December 1, 1982). "Otis Elevator to Leave Birthplace". The New York Times.
  12. ^ "Workers at the Otis Elevator Plant, which will shut..." United Press International. June 16, 1983.
  13. ^ Lueck, Thomas J. (April 17, 1987). "In Yonkers, Kawasaki Offers Hope". The New York Times..
  14. ^ "THE REGION; Otis Signs Accord On Chinese Trade". The New York Times. October 9, 1981. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  15. ^ Feder, Barnaby J. (August 28, 1990). "BUSINESS PEOPLE; Head of Otis Elevator To Become Carrier Chief". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  16. ^ Nagy, Barbara A. "President Of Otis Elevator Plans To Retire Next Spring". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  17. ^ a b Davis, Jessica (July 22, 2019). "Going Up? Otis Elevator Hits Digital Transformation Button". InformationWeek. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  18. ^ Remez, Michael; Nagy, Barbara (August 17, 2010). "UTC Taps Otis Exec". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  19. ^ Gershon, Eric (August 17, 2010). "Ari Bousbib Leaving UTC Sept. 1". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  20. ^ Blackwell, Richard (October 23, 2011). "Didier Michaud-Daniel: New heights in the world of elevators". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  21. ^ Spencer, Malia (July 26, 2011). "Pittsburgh's Marshall Elevator acquired by Otis Elevator Co". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  22. ^ "Otis Elevator Co. to curtail Nogales operations". Inside Tucson Business. October 22, 2011.
  23. ^ Lloyd, Joshua (July 10, 2017). "Otis Elevator outgrowing its Florence facility; expansion coming, officials say". The Morning News. Florence, SC.
  24. ^ Rollins, Ernest (September 23, 2017). "Closures manufacturer looking to expand to former Otis Elevator site". The Herald-Times. Bloomington, Indiana.
  25. ^ "United Technologies Corp. Names New President at Otis Elevator Co".
  26. ^ a b "Hyd metro contract is largest for Otis". Business Standard. New Delhi. October 23, 2013. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  27. ^ Wright, Robert (July 21, 2015). "Slowing economy send Otis elevators on the way down in China". Financial Times. London. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  28. ^ Prang, Allison (October 9, 2017). "United Technologies Hires Judy Marks to Lead Otis Elevator Manufacturing Division". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  29. ^ "United Technologies Announces Intention to Separate Into Three Independent Companies; Completes Acquisition of Rockwell Collins" (Press release). United Technologies. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  30. ^ Forbes, Thom. "United Technologies Will Spin Off Otis And Carrier Over 2 Years". MediaPost. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  31. ^ Pazniokas, Mark (June 11, 2019). "UTC consolation: Otis to remain, Pratt to hire 1,000". The Connecticut Mirror. Hartford. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  32. ^ "Empire State Building, Otis Elevator Company To Announce Partnership To Replace And Modernize Landmark's Elevators". WLNY News. July 16, 2011. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  33. ^ a b Lokhshahi Hakk Sanghatana (May 1999). This was no accident - The death of an Otis contract worker and the responsibility of the Otis management (PDF) (Report).
  34. ^ "Houston Press | The Leading Independent News Source in Houston, Texas".
  35. ^ Brand, Constant (February 21, 2007). "Europeans slap $1.3 billion price-fixing fine on 5 elevator makers, including Otis". USA Today.
  36. ^ "Worker Dies & Passengers Trapped For Hours After Elevator Accident At TD Towers". CityNews. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014.
  37. ^ a b "China subway stampede leaves 25 injured". Global Times. Beijing.
  38. ^ "China Halts Use of Otis Escalator Model After Deadly Accident". Bloomberg News. July 8, 2011.
  39. ^ Tsui, Karina; Joseph, Elizabeth (March 27, 2017). "2 mechanics arrested after escalator malfunction". CNN.
  40. ^ "At least 18 hurt in mall escalator accident". KTRK News. March 27, 2017.
  41. ^ Derblom Jobe, Michelle; Axelsdotter Olsson, Karin (July 13, 2018). ""Bara tur" att inte fler skadades när rulltrappan på pendeltågsstationen hamnade i fritt fall" ["Just lucky" that no more were injured when the escalator at the commuter train station ended up in free fall]. SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  42. ^ "Svt Nyheter July 13, 2018". Archived from the original on July 14, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  43. ^ Bjerlöw, Matilda; Sinclair, Sophia (July 13, 2018). ""Alla rasade i fritt fall – nödbroms fungerade inte"" [Everyone collapsed in free fall - the emergency brake did not work]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2021-10-06.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Otis Elevator Company.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Otis_Worldwide&oldid=1078775379"