Year in Reflection - Colley Elevator Blog - 2025 review

 

Welcome 2026!  This is our 12th year doing the blog; our first post was 2/28/14.  We had a great 2025 at Colley Elevator so this is a quick recap of our year as we move forward to the next.  For me it is a great way to see where we came from and where we want to go. I’m lucky to have such great people around as we enter our 118th year of being an independent elevator contractor.  Thank you to everyone that was part of our 2025 year!

 

Annual reflection – This year we saw our maintenance portfolio grow from 2522 to over 2671 elevators.  Most of our new acquisitions for maintenance customers are 1 or 2 elevator buildings, we had some 6-8 elevator groups come our way as well.  We are primarily using Alpha Elevator for our hydraulic controllers and MCE for our traction elevators.  We have spent the year acquiring more elevator door equipment and having a large stock pile of GAL, Dover, Westinghouse and Otis equipment in house at all times. In total we probably bought 110 door operators, 80+ fixture packages, 60+ power units and a few packages[MEI & Canton].  We purchased 30-40 cylinders from ITI.  We experienced some really challenging shipping issues this year. Colley Cares, our philanthropic outreach, gave out over $12,000 to philanthropic organizations ranging from substance abuse to food depositories.  The Colley team came together to help out Toys for Tots this fall/winter with a truck load of gifts and food to help out those in need. We work with incredible people who made this all happen and our average employment is about 8.9 years[down from 10 years last year because we hired 9 new people in 2025].  I’m proud to work side by side with everyone here and that we have a culture of openness at Colley that helps get everyone done at a high level! Thank you to our coworkers, customers & suppliers for being great!  In 2025 Elevator World let us participate in their Annual Ellie “best in area” contest and we brought home the 2025 Best Contractor of the North[making it our 5th win].

 

Post reflection – Take a look at the great catalog of blog posts in 2025, go back and read some. 

 

1/13/25 – Year in reflection – Colley Elevator blog – 2024 review

 

2/2/25 – Cold weather and elevators – Deep Freeze 2025

 

2/8/25 – Elevator picture Hall of Fame 2025 – Superbowl of Elevators

 

2/22/25 – CAI – Community Association Institute – 43^rd Annual Winer Expo – Elevator

 

3/9/25 – State of Illinois Fire Marshal Elevator Safety Review Board meeting 3/9/25 – Door lock monitoring

 

3/21/25 – End of Life/Obsolete Elevator Equipment – TAC 20/TAC 22

 

3/30/25 – Hydraulic Elevator Modernization – Highland Park, IL

 

4/24/25 – Elevator 101 – CAMICB CEEU Approved Course – Morton Grove, IL

 

5/13/25 – Notice of Obsolescence – Schindler Elevator – HPBNA Push Buttons

 

6/8/25 – Information on State of Illinois Adoption of Elevator code A17.1 2022 – Door Lock Monitoring

 

6/21/25 – Hydraulic elevator modernization – Highwood, IL

 

8/4/25 – Vote Colley Elevator for Elevator Worlds 2025 Best contractor – North

 

8/21/25 – NAEC Elevator convention & exposition – Houston, TX

 

9/15/25 – Elevator 101 – Oak Brook, IL – 10/7/25

 

10/16/25 – One step closer to door lock monitoring in Illinois

 

10/26/25 – NAEC 76^th Elevator Convention – Houston, TX

 

11/18/25 – The Financial Implications of door lock monitoring (DLM)

 

Blog reflection – 17 posts in 2025[that is a lot of words, pictures and time], over 266,000 views, over 627,715 views in the blog’s history.  New posts where down this year because I have 3 active kids and doing sports and camp outs.

 

Most popular blog posts of 2025

 

1.    Elevator independent Service – 1,810 views

 

2.    Elevator disconnect auxiliary contacts – Elevator controller emergency battery lowering – Rescuevator – 1,680 views

 

3.    End of Life/Obsolete Elevator equipment – TAC 20/TAC 22 – 1,240 views

 

4.    Residential Elevator Safety – Have your lift Inspected – 1,140 views

 

5.    Guide for elevator new construction for general contractors and building owners – 983 views

 

6.    End of life/Obsolete elevator equipment – Schindler Elevator – HPBNA push buttons – 860 views

 

7.    End of Life/Obsolete elevator equipment – Dover DMC Elevator – 744 views

 

8.    The financial implications of door lock monitoring – 660 views

 

9.    Schindler 330 inverted piston roped hydraulic elevators MCP update notice – 651 views

 

10. Elevator cable rouge – 624 views

Elevator resolution – This year I would like everyone to not only look at their jobs but look at their coworkers and help, when you help, you learn something new. EXPAND that mind!

FAID inspections– We finally have FAID inspections down – now something new

DLM – We have door lock monitoring right around the corner which is going to make the challenges we had with FAID look like a walk in the park.  We will have a challenge with performing the tests and we will have a challenge getting our buildings the right solution in a timely manner.  Bombs Away!

2025 projects/relationships – We have gotten ahead of a lot of our supplier challenges with equipment, which has been great.  We have had a lot of good fortune to work with great people on the supplier side and the customer side and have receive a lot of positive feedback about our teams hard work.  

Competitive market – Since the sale of Suburban Elevator and the challenges with Urban Elevator we have seen a lot of good opportunities for us as an Independent Contractor.  Suburban Elevator and Urban Elevator where the two giants in our market who have receded in 2025.  We have seen the performance of OEMs continue to decline in our market[low to mid rise], we have seen some positive movement from one of the OEMs to improve.

Suppliers – We have had some great suppliers like Innovation, Alpha, MEI and Canton perform great as usual.  We met a new supplier who we didn’t ever really get a chance to get to know, K Tech, they have been a great partner with the visual communication.  Most of the consolidated companies have some great employees but it is hard to operate in an impossible box.  

If anyone is still reading – I ended the year in NYC and saw the Statue of Liberty, what a powerful symbol.  We are a divided country.  I encourage everyone to think for themselves, turn off your news station, put down your social media and think about how you got to where you are.  The United States sure isn't perfect but we all can have a hand in making it better or talking about how it is getting worse. Do something good for someone else, give more than you get and you will get paid back 20 fold.  And get your shingles vaccine.

Thank you for everyone who took the time to read the blog.  Work safe, getting better, do great things and make our industry a better place for everyone.  Much love in 2026.

The Financial Implications Of Door Lock Monitoring (DLM)

We've been talking about the upcoming changes to the elevator safety code for more than a year. Though we're still waiting for the state's official approval of A17.1 2022, we want to remind our customers to be prepared. This applies to our suburban customers - City of Chicago is exempt.

As currently written, the moment Illinois' Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) approves it, elevator contractors and inspectors will need to adhere to it. That means little to no notice once the code is adopted.

We've discussed what this means for existing elevators from an equipment standpoint. The question then becomes what it means from a financial standpoint and, unfortunately there are no good answers. Until DLM has been on the books for a few months and the dust settles, we can only speak generally.

To try to brace for this new code requirement:

If an Elevator Already HAS DLM

Door Lock Monitoring has been a standard part of elevator controllers since approximately 1996 in different iterations. However there is no guarantee that the elevator has the correct version of it. Even elevators permitted under Illinois' current code A17.1 2019 may not meet the 2022 code. A lot will depend on how the State of Illinois decides to interpret the new code.

Regardless of whether the elevator has the specific DLM required, if it has it it needs to be tested. The test will become incorporated into the annual category 1 (CAT1) safety test which means there is an additional item to test. Extra items mean extra time and from our standpoint could mean an additional mechanic. There will undoubtedly be higher inspection fees. Estimates today are between AN ADDITIONAL $750 - $1000 depending on the time and labor needed.

Another potential issue is if the elevator does not meet 2022 and the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) does not allow it to pass inspection, a customer can expect the following:

• A software/board upgrade to enable the specific 2022 code.
• Either a mandate to upgrade immediately since the car will fail its CAT1 test or a three year grace period similar to elevators that do not have DLM.

If an Elevator DOES NOT HAVE DLM

If your elevator's controller was built before 2000, it almost certainly DOES NOT have DLM. If it was built between 2000 and 2008 it is questionable. As written, these elevators will have until January 1, 2029 to become compliant. There is NO GRANDFATHERING of DLM so expect a costly solution with a fair amount of downtime.

As we've mentioned before, there are only two options if the elevator does not have door lock monitoring:

1. Replace the elevator controller – Replacing the elevator controller and door operator will ensure the elevator has door lock monitoring and is the most reliable way to complete the requirement. This is also the most expensive way to get DLM because it will trigger other code requirements on the elevator and with the building.

Expense – High
Reliability and chances of compliance - High

2. Install an auxiliary DLM panel on an existing controller– This is the quickest and least expensive option, though we don't recommend it for older elevator controllers and door operators. Older equipment may become less reliable as they may not be able to support the new systems. Also wiring the new door lock system to an elevator that has had several wiring changes over the years, and may not have them documented correctly, could be challenging. Some may be impossible to have a door lock monitoring system added and will require a full mod.

Expense – Lower

Reliability and chances of compliance - Lower

Next Steps?

For now, we don't expect the code to be adopted until early in the coming year so we've been placed in a holding pattern until then. Once it's passed, we anticipate confusion in the first few months as we get feedback from inspectors and AHJ's regarding their interpretations of the new rules. 

In the meantime, feel free to contact us with your questions and concerns. We will continue to do our best to get out in front of this and provide our customers with the most timely and accurate information possible.

NAEC 76th Elevator Convention - Houston, TX

 

I had the opportunity to attend the National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC’s) 76th annual convention September 17th to 18th. It was great to get back and see some old friends, meet new friends, sit through education, be involved with talking points and walk around and visit about 300 different vendors. With Illinois adopting the 2022 code, it was of particular interest to know what is on the horizon and how our vendors can support us.

What did I get out of it? On a regular basis I’m asked what I get out of going to the convention or other NAEC events. I had a list of items from our office to look into since you can talk face to face with industry suppliers. Meeting people face to face is different than trading emails or even phone calls. Challenges that occur over the year can be discussed and resolved in a matter of minutes. The networking is wonderful, seeing friendly faces and talking to people that you email on a regular basis cannot be beat. What I get the most out of is seeing my peers from independent contractors and seeing what is going on in their area and what they are doing and what challenges they are facing.

9/17/25 – Wednesday – I caught an early flight in and ran over to catch the IUEC presentation of some code updates for 2022.  My goal was to get around the whole convention and see all of the booths.  I had to run quick.  But!  I found a lot of cool stuff!

[Show floor with my favorite Laura photobombing]

[More show floor]

[IUEC code update]

[IUEC code update]

[Adams DLM solution]

[Argus DLM solution]

[Friends at CJA]

[We won another Ellie - Thanks Elevator World!]

[New EMS Freight controller]

[Didn't know these guys existed - good connection]

[New GAL controller]

[Hyperion solution to Westinghouse single brake]

[Just cool!]

[New MEI controller]

[Thanks for having me at the party!]

[How Texas is this?]

[Thank you sponsors!]

9/18/25  – Thursday – I went to the awards breakfast and it was packed! I ran through the rest of the floor which I did not get to the day before I flew out.

 

[Packed awards breakfast!]

[ECI Boards]

[WE needed a pit flood solution - ECI]

[ECI relay tester - we bought one]

[Our friends at Innovation]

[Met our new KTech friends]

[F5 will be obsolete - replaced with F6 soon]

[VC traction controller - color coded - if you're not color blind]

[I still don't like IOT]

[Safety gear]

[Canton - how cool is this?]

[Cool to see someone else is pressure testing]

[Imperial - Congrats on the Ellie!]

[Goodbye Texas]

Why you should go – If you're in the elevator industry, this is THE show to attend where you can meet the best in the business, exchange ideas, get challenged, and come back to your company with new ideas, see new products and be a better elevator person.

2026 Convention – Chicago, IL - Yes its coming to our home.  Gary Who?

2027 Convention – St. Louis, MO – Hey! Gary got one too! 

If you have any questions or would like additional information feel free to contact me at CraigZ@colleyelevator.com or 630-766-7230 ext. 107.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.

One Step Closer To Door Lock Monitoring In Illinois

The Elevator Safety Review board met today at the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 2 Headquarters in Chicago Ridge. Though the A17.1 2022 code has not been approved yet by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR), the board is proactively addressing concerns that the new code will create once adopted.

Many of the items discussed at the meeting were procedural and dealt with changes to elevator inspection forms. Some questions and comments addressed specific language and how it would be  interpreted once the code becomes the law of the land.

Most of those discussions centered on Door Lock Monitoring (DLM). For Colley customers, this means the following:

What is Door Lock Monitoring?  It is a system that prevents an elevator from moving unless its doors are fully closed and locked. It monitors the position of an elevator’s car doors and prevents automatic operation if any door issues are detected, such as with the door's wiring, locks, contacts or the system being on bypass mode. 

How will Door Lock Monitoring be tested? That is the million dollar question at the moment, though it will become part of the annual category 1 (CAT1) no load safety test. 

All elevators will be required to have testing guidelines onsite which is not a problem for new elevators, but older ones may lack the documentation.

Industry-wide it will likely mean higher fees from both the elevator inspection companies as well as labor costs. Most in the industry seem to agree that 2 mechanics will be needed for door lock monitoring inspections and those inspections may take an additional hour. For reference, CAT1 tests on hydraulic elevators usually only require 1 mechanic and 1 hour to perform.

Some older elevators, especially those with controllers pre-2000 won't even have the door lock monitoring feature. Those elevators will need modernizations.

Will Door Lock Monitoring be required on my elevator/conveyance?  All freight and passenger elevators that have power operated doors which are mechanically coupled to landing doors will need this feature. If a door can be pulled closed, for example on freight elevators, it does not need door lock monitoring as the doors cannot close on their own.

Door Lock Monitoring will have no grandfathering in this code edition - all elevators that require door lock monitoring MUST HAVE IT. Tentatively the grace period for those without is January 1, 2029.

If you have any questions or would like additional information please contact us.

Elevator 101 - Oak Brook, IL - 10/7/25

Calling all property managers.  Colley Elevator is offering continuing education credit to learn about elevators.   You can learn about one of the biggest head aches buildings have and fulfill your CEU requirement.

Join us Tuesday, October 7th at 11:00am for Elevator 101. In this lunch and learn workshop, we'll be discussing:

•    DOOR LOCK MONITORING 

•    Types of elevators

•    Governing codes & certification requirements

•    Common elevator violations

•    Fireman's service exercise & hoist way access

•    Testing requirements

•    Obsolete equipment

•    Maintenance agreements

•    Modernization projects

Elevator 101 is approved by CAM & Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB) to fulfill continuing education requirements for the CMCA® certification. This course is approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit.

Lunch will be provided.

Pinstripes

7 Oakbrook Center

Oak Brook, IL 60523

TUESDAY OCTOBER 7TH 2025

11:00 am

 

RSVP to Cathy@colleyelevator.com – Space is limited.

 

If you have any questions or would like additional information feel free to contact me at CraigZ@colleyelevator.com or 630-766-7230 ext. 107.

NAEC Elevator convention & exposition - Houston, TX

 

We are about 3 weeks away!  This is a great place to see new products, get some continuing education, meet new people see old friends and talk elevators.  Colley Elevator has been a participating member of the NAEC since the 1950s.

 

 

2025 CONVENTION & Expo – Houston, TX

September 15 - 18, 2025

 

Monday, September 15

7:00am - 2:30pm

Golf Tournament (8am Shotgun Start)

7:30am - 5:30pm

Registration Open

8:00am - 5:00pm

Exhibitor Move-In

3:00pm - 5:00pm

United In Deed

5:30pm - 6:30pm

First Time Attendee Reception

6:30pm - 8:30pm

Welcome Dinner Reception

 

 

Tuesday, September 16

7:00am - 5:30pm

Registration Open

7:45am - 9:00am

Opening Breakfast

8:00am - 5:00pm

Exhibitor Move-In

9:15am - 10:15am

General Business Session (NAEC Members Only)

10:30am - 11:30am

Contractor Member Session (NAEC Contractor Members Only)

10:30am - 11:30am

Supplier Member Session (NAEC Supplier Members Only)

10:30am - 11:30am

Associate Member Session (NAEC Associate Members Only)

11:30am - 1:00pm

Accessibility & Residential Open Committee Meeting

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Education Session: From Reactive to Proactive: How IoT Data is Transforming Elevator Service Delivery & Creating New Sources of Revenue

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Education Session: Elevator Industry Safety Codes: Everything You Want to Know, 2025 Edition

2:15pm - 3:15pm

Education Session: Elevator Maintenance Reimagined: Implementing Task-Based Preventative Maintenance Strategies leveraging IoT for enhanced equipment care, sales opportunities, and The Customer Experience!

2:15pm - 3:15pm

Education Session: AI in the Elevator Industry

3:15pm - 4:30pm

Education Session: Women in Motion: The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace

3:30pm - 4:30pm

Education Session: Tuckman’s Model & Team Development

3:30pm - 4:30pm

Education Session: Making an MCP, Elements Code Compliance

5:00pm - 6:30pm

AEMA Meeting

 

 

Wednesday, September 17

7:00am - 5:30pm

Registration Open

7:00am - 8:00am

Women in Motion Networking Breakfast

9:30am - 5:00pm

Exhibits Open

10:00am - 11:00am

Education Session: The Impact of Consolidation and Globalization on The U.S.A. Market

10:00am - 11:00am

Education Session: Educate Your Technicians with Code Knowledge to Make Them Your Best Salespeople While Making Elevator Equipment Safer

11:15am - 12:15pm

Education Session: Elevating Safety: Culture, Code, Collaboration and Best Practices in the Elevator Industry

11:15am - 12:15pm

Education Session: From Risk to Readiness: Navigating Code Shifts for Elevator Communications

1:15pm - 2:15pm

Education Session: Safety & Code Compliance when Installing Elevator Cab Shells & Interiors

1:15pm - 2:15pm

Education Session: Residential Winding Drum Gearbox Life and Safety

2:30pm - 3:30pm

Education Session: Safety on the Job for Field & Sales Team Members

2:30pm - 3:30pm

Education Session: In-House vs. Outsourcing: Strategic Decisions for Manufacturers and Mid-to-Large Businesses

4:00pm - 5:00pm

Elevator World's Ellie Awards

4:00pm - 5:00pm

Education Session: Safety Absolute #4: Lockout/Tagout & Controlled Circuitry

5:00pm - 6:30pm

After Lift Reception

7:00pm - 8:30pm

Elevator and Escalator Safety Foundation (EESF) Reception

8:30pm - 10:30pm

NexGen Reception

 

 

Thursday, September 18

7:30am - 3:00pm

Registration Open

7:45am - 9:15am

Awards Breakfast

9:30am - 3:00pm

Exhibits Open

10:00am - 11:00am

Education Session: Turkish Elevator Industry

10:00am - 11:00am

Education Session: Diving Into the 2025 Field Safety Handbook - Jeopardy Edition

11:30am - 12:30pm

Education Session: The World of a VRC and going deeper and looking at the steel!

11:30am - 12:30pm

Education Session: Understanding Automatic Door Operation in Residential Elevators

12:00pm - 1:30pm

NexGen Keynote Luncheon (by invitation)

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Education Session: Modern drive concepts in the elevator - Interaction of components and digitalization

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Education Session: Ensuring Safe Communication in Elevators

3:01pm - 9:00pm

Exhibitor Move-Out

7:00pm - 9:30pm

Dregs Party

 

For industry newbies to our experienced professional this is a great place to learn and network. 

For more information - https://www.naecconvention.com/

A big thanks to the NAEC for all of the hard work putting the show on, we appreciate it and you do not get enough thanks!

If you have any questions or would like additional information feel free to contact me at CraigZ@colleyelevator.com or 630-766-7230 ext. 107.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.

Vote Colley Elevator for Elevator Worlds 2025 Best Contractor – North

 

Colley Elevator is excited to announce we have been nominated for Elevator Worlds 2025 Best Contractor – North award once again.  We brought the Ellie home in 2019. 2020, 2022 & 2024.   We would like to keep the Ellie back to the Chicagoland area so please place your vote for Colley Elevator.  You can vote once a day from each device you have. 

Voting takes place 8/1/25 to 8/11/25

https://elevatorworld.com/contests/the-ellies/the-ellies-2025-voting

For those at Colley Elevator who work tirelessly to be a different elevator company and do great things for our customers, let us know you support us fighting the good fight!

Thank you Elevator World for having this contest and letting us give it a go for the 2025 year.  It is a lot of fun to participate! 

If you have any questions or would like additional information feel free to contact me

at CraigZ@colleyelevator.com or 630-766-7230 ext. 107.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.