How did the Schindler Group become so successful?

 

Today the Schindler Group is one of the top four elevator manufacturers in the world, has over 50,000 employees in over 100 countries. Schindler manufactures, installs and services elevators and escalators. Schindler elevators and escalators move 1 billion people every day but it wasn’t always this way. How did the company get started?

In 1874, twenty years after Elisha Otis was demonstrating his elevator brake at the New York World’s Fair two Swiss gentleman, Robert Schindler and Eduard Villiger founded a general partnership company in Lucerne, Switzerland. The company was called Schindler and Villiger and the company opened a mechanical workshop on an island in the Reuss River in Lucerne, Switzerland. The workshop produced lifting equipment and other machinery.

Few details of the early lives of Schindler and Villiger are known. The Swiss reputation for privacy is well earned. Once the company was established Schindler and Villiger wasted no time in building the business and increasing its scope of activities.

Key Schindler Dates:

 

1878: The first Factory regulations include a 63 ½ hour week, a 14 day notice period, and accident insurance.

1883 Moved to the newly built 300 m^2 plant at Sentimattstrasse in Lucerne. The products are laundry equipment and water driven elevators

1890: Delivery of first Hydraulic freight elevator.

1892: Eduard Villiger leaves the partnership. The company continues under the name of Robert Schindler Machinery Manufacturer. / The first electric elevator with belt drive is built. Schindler's most important customers during its first years were large hotels and production plants, first in Lucerne and later throughout Switzerland.

1894: Introduction of the 59-hour week.

1895: The factory is extended and an iron foundry is added.

1899: Schindler elevators were equipped with worm gears and controlled by a pull rope.

1901: Robert Schindler sold the business to his brother Alfred Schindler, who became the new sole proprietor and changed the firm's name accordingly.

1902: The first electric passenger elevator with automatic push button control is delivered. 

1906:  A new business partner, Fritz Geilfuss, joined the company and it became a partnership, Schindler & Cie.

1906: Schindler opens its first subsidiary in Berlin.

1907: Agency in Lausanne established.

1908: Schindler builds houses for 50 Schindler workers in Littau. Agencies in Zurich and Basel established.

1909: Delivery of first multi speed electric elevator, driven by an Oerlikon two speed motor.  Schindler and Houplin is founded in France.

1910: The first elevator with a single-phase commutator motor is delivered. Agencies in Bern and Argentina established.

1911: – Agencies in Turkey, Algeria, Russia and Italy established.

Why were Schindler successful when many others failed? As this timeline demonstrates international expansion and product innovation laid the foundations for the future success of Schindler. After 1911 Schindler expanded into more European countries and by 1931 had even reached China. In the late 1960s expansion through corporate acquisitions became the preferred strategy and many smaller companies were acquired around the world. This proved to be a very successful strategy that explains their presence in over 100 countries today. 

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Do you have a current or planned project that includes elevators? We would be happy to discuss any such requirements and how we may be able to assist. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

Why was Dunbar and Boardman’s Simon Lancaster in Haiti?

Background

In over 30 years of existence Dunbar and Boardman has worked on projects in many far-flung places around the world.  A good, recent example is a project we  specified and attended commissioning tests for Digicel in Haiti. Digicel are a market-leading mobile phone operator across the Caribbean and although headquartered in Jamaica Digicel are owned by Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien. It is through this Irish connection that we were involved in the project.

What was the project challenge?

Digicel Haiti is housed in a 12-storey office building that is currently undergoing refurbishment. The building had a 3 car Otis Gen2 group with 10 person cars, 800 doors, running at 1.6m/s. These existing lifts are struggling to provide any reasonable lift service to the 1000 people in the building. 

What was the solution?

We wrote the technical specification for two new additional lifts that are now fitted. The 2 new lift shafts have been added to the outside wall of the lift lobby and 2 x Kone monospace lifts installed. These are 21 person @ 2.5m/s with 1100 c/o doors. Simon Lancaster from our Irish office visited to witness test and snag the new installations. To remain cost effective the two sets of lifts will remain working but are to be provided with an 'overlay ' system to give some coordination to lift service.
 

What were the results?

This is very much an ongoing project. The two additional lifts have been installed to a good standard.  An agent company of Kone from the Dominican Republic called Setec installed them. Following Simon’s visit Setec will now make some cosmetic improvements to the Otis lift cars and then fit a Kone overlay system to coordinate the two separate groups of lifts.

Are you currently considering upgrading your vertical transportation to cope with increased daily passengers? We would be happy to discuss with you. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

What should you consider when choosing a car lift? 5 Pointers

Just a few short years ago the general perception of residential car lifts were that they were fantastic devices owned by fictional characters such as Batman and James Bond. In reality both residential and commercial vehicle lifts have been with us for quite some time. Infamously Mitt Romney changed all that in 2012 and threw a spotlight on vehicle lifts when during the American presidential election of 2012 it emerged that he had ordered a car lift for his southern California home.  Car lifts are a smart solution for businesses or individuals that need vertical transportation for vehicles. Do you know what should you consider when choosing a car lift? We have listed 5 pointers below.

1. Dimensions and Weight of Vehicles

It seems obvious but it is important to know the exact dimensions and weight of the vehicles being transported. Any lift chosen will need to have the appropriate load capacity.

2. Dimensions of Lift Car

Similarly the exact dimensions of the lift car will need checked and double –checked: lifting capacity, height and width. Will this lift fit within the property? Does it meet the compulsory legislative requirements of The Lifts Directive, designed in accordance with the EN81/1or EN81/2 standards? Can the vehicle car door be opened?

3. What features are needed for the car lift?

There are a lot of permutations for your car lift; Which power system and door arrangement for should you choose? Do you need all or some of the following: traffic lights at entrance levels, Remote 'key-fob' controls, 'Strip' switch controls to side walls? An oil heater for cold morning starts, Oil cooler allowing increased use, Faster speeds for long travel heights, ventilation for the car and shaft?

However, not all car lifts need to be Hydraulically operated.

4. Reputation of Supplier

There are lots of car lift manufacturers in the marketplace with a wide variety of prices. You will need to do your due diligence before selecting a supplier and without specialist knowledge it can be difficult to properly assess the merits of one supplier against another.  

5. Warranty & Maintenance

What is the full extent of the warranty being provided by the manufacturer? How will the car lift be maintained? These are both essential questions to be answered prior to committing to a car lift solution. You must also consider how often the car lift should be assessed for wear and tear. It is essential that all owners area aware that 6 monthly LOLER inspections being a mandatory requirement.

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. We have extensive experience of projects including car lifts and can help you make the right choice. For one car lift project we made the vertical parting door system automatic and avoided the need for constant pressure controls. This improved the use of the lift. One current project requires delivery lorries and refuse trucks to be taken from the street to an underground loading bay.

Do you have a current or planned project that includes car lifts? We would be happy to discuss any such requirements and how we may be able to assist. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.