THYSSENKRUPP OPENS ESCALATOR PLANT IN TURKEY
THYSSENKRUPP OPENS ESCALATOR PLANT IN TURKEY
thyssenkrupp has opened its first escalator production plant in Turkey, located in the Dilovasi Organized Industrial Zone in the northern Marmara province of Kocaeli, Daily Sabah reported. Accompanied by a training campus, the EUR200-million (US$237-million) facility will produce 1,200 escalators annually, positioning Turkey as an escalator export hub for the Middle East, Europe and other parts of Turkey. Sporting "Made in Turkey" stamps, the equipment will use 50% locally made parts, increasing to more than 90% in coming years. Arda Ermut, president of the Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey, observed thyssenkrupp's investment is in line with the agency's commitment to "prioritizing strategic sectors that reduce dependency on imports and boost exports."
SCHUMACHER EXPANDING IOWA MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY
Schumacher Elevator Co. has grown by nearly 100 employees and more than tripled sales since consolidating six locations under one roof in Denver, Iowa, in 2000, and is now expanding by 22,600 sq. ft. to accommodate that growth, Cedar Valley Business Monthly reports. Scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2019, the project includes adding 15,400 sq. ft. of manufacturing and 7,200 sq. ft. of office space. Emergent Architects handled the design, which includes updating workspace and layout for better efficiency and collaboration. The manufacturing area is growing by 30%. Production is being partially streamlined by a robotic steel plasma cutter that promises to "improve safety and reduce repetitive-motion injuries." An open house is planned in spring 2019.
FOUR SHORTLISTED TEAMS VIE FOR EIFFEL TOWER OVERHAUL JOB
Four teams are vying to perform a multimillion-dollar overhaul of the Eiffel Tower in Paris that will include its elevators, dezeen reports. Unfolding in advance of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the project — Grand Site Tour Eiffel: discover, approach, visit — asks the shortlisted teams to “rethink access to its lifts and make improvements to the reception and workspaces” of the 324-m-tall tower, visited by six million tourists each year. The teams are led by London-based AL_A, British firm Gustafson Porter + Bowman, French studio KOZ Architects and French landscapers Agence Ter. They will develop their proposals using a 3D model of the Eiffel Tower, and the winner will be announced in early 2019.
INDIAN RAIL STATION ESCALATOR MISHAP RESULTS IN MINOR INJURY
A more than 20-year-old escalator at Dum Dum Junction railway station in suburban Kolkata suddenly reversed direction on May 8, resulting in a 24-year-old man suffering minor injuries to both knees, The Telegraph India reports. He was treated on the scene and released after approximately 1 hr. The escalator was traveling up to the platform when there was a "sudden screech," and it stopped momentarily before reversing direction. Approximately 15 people were onboard, and some were thrown off. The injured man said before he could grab the handrail, he slipped, rolled down a few stairs, and his knees hit the edge of the plate.
51-STORY MIXED-USE TOWER PLANNED IN MIDTOWN ATLANTA
Selig Enterprises plans to build a 51-story building at 1125 Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta containing 271 hotel rooms, 70 condominiums, 200,000 sq. ft. of office space and ground-level retail, Curbed Atlanta reports, citing information from the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Rule Joy Trammel + Rubio has been tapped as architect for the 573-ft.-tall tower, which would be among the tallest in the neighborhood. The news continues Midtown’s six-year hot streak, and comes on the heels of Cousins Properties’ announcement of a 30-story office building nearby.
