World's Leading 'People Flow' Company Hails Region for Embracing Efficiency and Sustainability
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - The world's leading 'people flow' industrial engineering company has praised the Gulf region for supporting leading-edge innovation and sustainability in the construction industry, despite the considerable commercial challenges presented by lightning-fast growth.
Finnish company KONE's cutting-edge expertise has appealed to progressive Gulf companies for its rapid, safe, and highly energy-efficient approach to moving people up and down the region's towering buildings, as well as through its busy airports and shopping malls - criteria much sought after in an increasingly competitive and resource-constrained construction industry.
"Our mindset is that of a challenger. We are all the time intensively looking for opportunities to develop our products, services and processes in order to deliver a better customer and user experience," said Matti Alahuhta, CEO & President, KONE.
Samer Halabi, Managing Director, KONE Middle East, added:
"The Gulf region is hugely exciting for KONE as it is so receptive to innovation and doing things smarter, faster, and yet in an elegant way in a highly multicultural environment. We thrive in this kind of environment because it pushes us to continually adapt and improve."
Over the past decade, KONE has flourished in the region thanks to its technologies finding a perfect fit with trailblazing developments such as Dubai's Princess Tower and Elite Residence, which are the latest beneficiaries of the company's unique approach to getting the job done.
Instead of the clunky inefficiency of exterior hoists, both structures were equipped with a JumpLift, a game-changing, 'self-climbing' elevator that slashes build time and dramatically improves site safety.
The JumpLift uses the building's permanent hoistway for construction-phase use as soon as the first floors have been completed. It is then equipped with a temporary machine room that moves upward ('jumps') in the hoistway as the construction work progresses. When the building structure is finished the changeover to permanent elevator can be made with ease.
KONE Continues its Innovation and Sustainability Leadership in the Gulf
KONE - which was the only company of its kind to make this years' Forbes innovative companies list - is also winning plaudits in the Gulf region for its longstanding commitment to environmental performance, which is a key requirement for companies seeking both corporate social responsibility plus-points and savings on the bottom line.
Between 2008 and 2010, KONE proudly announced that it had reduced the energy consumption of its volume elevators by 50 percent through developing eco-efficient hoisting machines, regenerative drives, LED lights, and standby solutions.
The KONE MonoSpace® is an extraordinary example of company's green credentials. First introduced in 1996, the elevator system eliminates the need for a machine room and consumes 70% less energy than a hydraulic drive and 40% less than a geared traction elevator drive, making it the most eco-efficient and space-efficient solution on the market today.
Other notable KONE differentiators making a mark in the region include its Modular-Based Maintenance, a harmonized process for preventive maintenance of elevators, and an unerring dedication to improving accessibility for user groups such as the young, disabled, and elderly.
In September, KONE reported an order to supply 122 elevators, 60 escalators, and 39 autowalks for the redevelopment of Muscat International Airport's passenger terminal in Oman, which is considered the most valuable infrastructure project in the country's history.
The order includes 70 prestigious KONE MonoSpace® and 52 KONE TranSys™ elevators, as well as 60 KONE TravelMaster™ escalators and 39 KONE TransitMaster™ autowalks.
Altogether this equipment will enhance the People Flow™ experience and ensure smooth and efficient travel for up to 12 million passengers annually.
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Notes for editors
KONE is one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry. The company has been committed to understanding the needs of its customers for the past century, providing industry-leading elevators, escalators and automatic building doors as well as innovative solutions for modernization and maintenance. The company's objective is to offer the best People Flow experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely, comfortably and without delay in an increasingly urbanizing environment. In 2010, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 5 billion and approximately 33,800 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd in Finland.
For more information, please contact:
Neil Jaques
Wallis Marketing Consultants
+971 4 390 1950
neil.jaques@wallis-mc.com
© Press Release 2011
