Formula Systems Parent Airdri Appoints Wall CEO

Elevator World

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com FORMULA SYSTEMS PARENT AIRDRI APPOINTS WALL CEO Airdri Group, a U.K.-headquartered designer and manufacturer of hand dryers and (under the Formula Systems brand) elevator products, has appointed Tony Wall CEO, effective May 1. Reporting to Airdri President Bruce Philipps and the Airdri board, he will oversee day-to-day operations in Oxford, U.K.; Chicago (Formula Systems); Shanghai; and Guangzhou, China, with a focus on sales growth across key markets and products. Wall comes to Airdri from Ipro Solutions Ltd., manufacturer of a wide range of custom metal, plastic and electronic components with operations in the U.K. and Asia. Before that, he held jobs in various sectors after beginning his professional life as a Royal Air Force engineer officer. NEW VT PART OF HISTORIC LONDON TUBE STATION UPGRADE Transport for London’s (TfL) overhaul of the South Kensington Tube station, one of the oldest and busiest in the London Underground, includes new lifts and escalators to better accommodate passengers, the blog IanVisits reports. The “most urgent” task for TfL is to replace the five outdated escalators from the ticket area to the deep Piccadilly line platforms, scheduled to take place after restored platforms open in 2019. TfL is also building shafts for elevators to a newly reinstated northern platform. Future phases include significant improvements to the surrounding historic area. ESCALATOR SAFETY URGED AFTER CANADA AIRPORT ACCIDENT The mother of a two-year-old boy whose leg was broken in an escalator accident at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on February 16 is calling for greater escalator-safety awareness, while YVR officials investigate and reiterate safety is a top priority, the Calgary Herald reports. Accompanied by his mother and father as the family prepared to fly home to Calgary, the boy’s boot became trapped between the escalator steps and railing about midway down. Bystanders and airport employees helped free the child using a pair of scissors after an onlooker used the emergency-stop button. The mother said her son always steps over the narrow spaces between steps, but “has never heard” of getting stuck between steps and railing. The child is recovering. MULTI-TOWER BROOKLYN PROJECT COMES INTO SHARPER FOCUS Alloy Development’s plan to build 74- and 38-story mixed-use towers, along with two schools, in downtown Brooklyn, New York, has come into sharper focus in response to feedback from more than 100 meetings with community stakeholders, New York YIMBY reports. The most marked change is a redesign of the Phase One 38-story tower, which now has a slimmer profile and includes setbacks and ground-floor masonry along State Street that take inspiration from the historic Williamsburgh Savings Bank. Including both phases, nearly 900 apartments, 200 of which will be “affordable,” will be created. Construction is expected to start next year, with completion of Phase One, which includes the schools, slated for 2022. Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes?Google Play | SoundCloud?Stitcher?TuneIn