IUEC Safety stand down 4/28/20

This is a blog post that stands on its own.  We have a viral outbreak that makes our high risk jobs, even more high risk.  We are very excited to be part of the Elevator Contractors of America and able to support the IUEC in their Safety Stand Down on 4/28/20, this Tuesday.  Be part of it, take a moment to talk to your coworker or call you coworker and engage in remembering someone who passed while working or just talking safety.  We work in an environment where complacency and not doing best practices is taking lives.  Take the extra moment, get the right tool, communicate the process, whatever it takes to make sure that we are doing things as safe as we can to have successful repairs and projects.  Most importantly we want to make sure we each make it home every night.  It is not hard to be safe, but it is difficult to recover.

In a collaborated alliance to focus specific awareness on the extreme hazards associated with the conveyance industry and concerted efforts to make our profession evermore safe for our beloved tradesman and woman across the country, the Elevator Contractors of America (ECA) is pleased to join forces in a unified coalition with the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) in establishing April 28th as the official IUEC Safety Stand Down Day. This date was purposely selected to promote concentrated safety in the workplace as it coincides with the Workers Memorial Day in the United States and the National Day of Mourning recognized by our neighbors across the border in Canada.

We strongly encourage all members to mark this date on your calendars and inspire all collective bargaining field and supervisory personnel to stand in unison as the IUEC General President Frank Christensen delivers a dynamic video memorandum emphasizing the vital importance of workplace safety to the entire union assembly, closely accompanied by recorded phone in safety messages provided by his fellow General Officers.   

Stand Up for Safety by Standing Down with the IUEC on April 28, 2020. Please keep a watchful eye for text message instructions issued by International representatives and/or subscribe to the links below for specific details pertaining to participating times and directions necessary to partake in this show of solidarity in recognition of jobsite safety and special tribute in honor of all fallen colleagues. 

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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.

Elevator freight door manufacturer feature – Peelle Company

Colley Elevator experience with Peelle Company –  Colley Elevator has been working with Peelle Company for a very long time.  Peelle has a long history of making quality freight doors.  Whenever I place an order with Peelle I feel like I am a small part of the rich elevator history that our long time industry giants have created. Colley has worked with Peelle on projects at Oakton Community College, Nestle, BASF, O’Hare Airport, Electromotive, Water Reclamation District of Chicago, Citgo Petroleum, Eastman Kodak chemicals and many other projects on the freight side and have ordered several passenger door packages through them in the last several years. We have an exceptional resource with Brad Hunt who is always willing to help and assist in our projects.  If you don’t know Peelle Company, get to know them!

History

Since 1905, The Peelle Company has been family owned and operated. We are currently on the cusp of entering into an unprecedented 5th Generation of Peelle ownership. Our current manufacturing location is in Canada just outside of Toronto. We have sold blast doors, airplane hangar doors, swing doors, dumbwaiters, and even escalators in the past. Freight and passenger elevator doors are our expertise and that is what we focus on in 2020.

What is the company’s philosophy on the freight elevator market?

It’s simple. We are the freight elevator experts and evangelists! We preach the importance and necessity of freight elevators, and their role in goods transportation. We celebrate the success of the freight market and the success of our competition when they are able to provide the correct solution of a freight elevator versus a service elevator to an end user.

What competitive advantage/strength does your control system have versus the competition?

With only 32 wires, our wireless control system installs in 30% less time than a standard control system. We run anywhere from 10 -15 teams in the Local 1 Market and we have personally realized the time savings by utilizing our wireless system. Our wireless controller offers closed loop, plug and play, self-learning technology, it is machine-room-less with a VVVF drive.

What markets do you service besides freight equipment?

We offer a complete line of passenger elevator entrances and replacement door panels. We are excited to provide the passenger elevator market our top level of service, knowledge and manufacturing capabilities, allowing for a very short lead-time on doors.

What is your controller’s primary platform[PLC, Microprocessor, etc]?

Our Primary control system is our wireless controller (microprocessor based). We still offer our earlier line of PLC controllers, but wireless is standard.

What do you like most about the Chicago market?

I personally used to live in Chicago in the 1980's I’m in love with deep pan pizza, Chicago style hot dogs and I wish I could say the Cubs, but as sad as it is I am a Mets fan. When I am blessed with the opportunity to travel there for business it's like coming home. I only live 700 miles away so if a customer needs an immediate visit, it is just a small plane ride away.

What challenges do you have in the Chicago market?

Obviously, not being able to live in the market is a challenge, but probably the most significant challenge I have is trying to convince some of the more senior field staff of the benefits of our outstanding wireless controller and the tremendous advantage it provides in both installation labor savings and overall door performance. Those that have installed the wireless controller sing its praises.

What are some marquis, challenging or fun projects you have done in the national market and more importantly the Chicago market?

We provided 30 foot wide doors for a customer in Texas. We worked on a job that required a 100,000 Lbs. capacity, providing doors that were able to withstand the extreme load. We were happy to work on one of the largest elevator modernization projects in New York City, the Empire State Building! We are proud of the many doors provided for the Chicago Post Offices as well. And a fun note, Peelle has a freight elevator door installed on every continent!

What is on the horizon for the company?

I would be remiss if I did not mention our current global situation due to the Covid-19 virus. This has really forced us as well as every company worldwide to take stock and reassess their place in the global market. Looking to our immediate future, we face new challenges for promoting business.  We take these challenges and turn them into opportunities. These new opportunities for communication and support will solidify our place as the number one choice for elevator entrances and related equipment.  

Anything additional that makes your company unique, fun facts, etc.

The level of expertise we offer is vast, while we have many new faces at Peelle, we also have many older faces. I myself have been with The Peelle Company for more than 30 years and I am not the only one, people love to work here, and it shows in the quality products we produce and the outstanding customer service we provide.  

I would like to thank Brad Hunt and the Peelle Company for taking the time to answer my questions!

Hey! Sign up for our mailing list!  We are doing emails once a month.

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.

Elevator picture Hall of Fame 2020 – 1st 4 months

We get to review a lot of pictures of elevators when we go survey them for sales, shut downs or engineering.  Here are a few gems that we pulled out of the vault.

I dumped you for a reason, but I forgot, now I remember – The first picture is from a building that went through a lot with a company who could have done a better job.  If you want to know, ask me and I’ll tell the whole story.  Anyway.  About 10 years after we did some work at the building and they recently called us back and we found this.  Surprisingly they had a bad traveling cable 2 days before we started on the new PM agreement.  “The water wasn’t there during my last PM”, dry rot on a new traveling cable doesn’t happen in 30 days…  Good news, the building signed back up, we replaced the traveling cable and the elevator is ACES now. 

I would like some answers! – This is from a building that has been though a lot with a different vendor.  We came in, cleaned all the cars, reduced shut downs but… The Village is still very interested in any elevator issue based on the past.  Each time an elevator shuts down we need to notify the Village on the resolution.   No elevator company could have prevented this one.  Yes, that is a shoe mark on the car door.  Nothing like a snap kick to shut the elevator down.

Something is better than nothing, but… Where did it go – I don’t see too many of these around. I applaud the effort, but where is the old one?

We go every month – This is from a building that has “monthly service” with an elevator maintenance company.   The building ownership did not like our price to clean the pit, sounds like the building owner and the elevator company are a match made in heaven.

You come here often? – I found this little guy in a disconnect during a visit to engineer a project.  He never got to tell his family about his adventures trying to get in the elevator machine room.  Should be a Pixar movie.

Hey! Sign up for our mailing list!  We are doing emails once a month.

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.

Colley Elevator – Covid 19 fundraiser

Colley Elevator is getting in the game to help our communities and health care workers.  We will be fundraising for the Northern Illinois Food Bank, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Loyola Health Care workers and Elmhurst, IL Health Care workers. 

Food – We have a lot of people that are out of work – 10 million signed up for unemployment in the last two weeks.

Northern Illinois Food Bank 

Great Chicago Food Depository

Health care workers – These are the front line people helping battle this devastating virus.  We can help feed them during their shifts.

Loyola - Maywood, IL 

Elmhurst Hospital - Elmhurst, IL

For any donation of $10.00 of more we will send you a Colley Elevator hand sanitizer and match your donation.  We have $2,500.00 in matching funds.  The $2,500.00 would come from Colley Elevator's managing partner, Craig Zomchek.  We will also subsidize all credit card fees associated with the Gofund me site.

Your $10.00 donation gets matched and will equal $20.00.  Your $50.00 donation gets matched and will equal $100.00.  Each day Colley will match the day’s donation and send funds out to the 4 areas we are supporting.

After you donate send your contact information to Covidsupport@colleyelevator.com so we can send out the hand sanitizer.

Remember each donation is matched [up to a total of $2,500.00] and you will get you a Colley Elevator hand sanitizer while supplies last.

Click below to donate


https://www.gofundme.com/f/colley-elevator-covid-19

4/6/20 update - Match of $1035.00 + the initial $100.00 makes $1,135.00 from CZ to match all donations.   Total 4/5-4/6 draw is $2,170.00 which equals $542.50 to each of the 4 causes to be donated tonight.  Lets fill up the bucket and give some more to those who are in need and those helping save lives!   Thank you to everyone who donated so far!

4/7/20 update - Donations of $1,445.00 today and match of $1,445.00 from brings us to a total donation of $2,890.00 today and a total of $5,060.00 distributed to the four causes.  Thank you so much to everyone who donated!  The matching portion is completed!  Feel free to donate more and I will make sure it gets to the correct place.  I am honored to be surrounded by so many great people!

4/9 update - An additional 750.00 has been distributed between Greater Chicago Food Bank and Northern Illinois Food Bank tonight.  6.7 million more people applied for unemployment this week.  Thank you for your donations!!

4/13 update - An additional $300.00 has been distributed between Elmhurst Hopsital, IL and Loyola Hospital - Maywood, IL. Total donations = $5,910.00! Thank you!!!

*Jeff Jeager's $500.00 donation was on behalf of Motion Control Engineering!  Thank you for being good friends of Colley Elevator for over 30 years!

Give back to those who are less fortunate and those who are putting their life on the line to save our loved ones.

Hope, support & prevail

Craig Zomchek
Colley Elevator