CHICAGO, Ill. – November 7, 2007 – Leading elevator and escalator manufacturer KONE Inc. deepened its environmental commitment today by announcing that the company will no longer sell KONE-manufactured hydraulic elevator systems. Announced today at the 2007 U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Greenbuild Expo, KONE’s environmentally friendly EcoSpace ™ Machine Room-Less (MRL) elevator technology is the superior solution for low-rise buildings that have historically been fitted with hydraulic equipment.
“KONE has always been at the forefront of sustainability and technology leadership, and this is another example of our commitment to the environment,” said Vance Tang, President KONE Inc. “As the first elevator and escalator manufacturer to become a member of USGBC, we’re very excited to reinforce our partnership and make such a significant announcement at the Greenbuild 2007 Expo.”
Hydraulic elevators have been one of the primary types of elevators used in low-rise buildings for many years. The hydraulic elevators function as a closed pressurized system, utilizing hundreds of gallons of oil to drive the piston. As systems age, hydraulic elevators can slowly leak oil from the cylinder into the earth, decreasing efficiency and contaminating the surrounding soil. The KONE EcoSpace ™ solution doesn’t use hydraulic oil. Additionally, the systems are up to 60 percent more energy efficient than traditional hydraulic elevators, potentially saving thousands of kilowatt hours per year for single elevators and tens of thousands of kilowatt hours for multiple elevator banks.
KONE EcoSpace is the ideal choice for sustainable new and existing building designs. With continued innovation, the EcoSpace system now allows for the seamless replacement of existing hydraulic elevators with the proven, energy efficient, Machine Room-Less solution. As a full replacement product, EcoSpace aims to re-use the existing building structure, eliminating the need for costly demolition and decreasing waste.
“KONE is committed to leveraging its knowledge and resources to develop innovative products that not only promote green building, but a sustainable world,” said Tang. “As the first elevator company to cease the manufacturing of hydraulic systems for North America, and through our continued investment in sustainable products, we’re taking another step towards reaching that goal.”
For more news or information on EcoSpace or any other KONE product, visit www.kone.com or call 877-276-8691.
About KONE
KONE is one of the world’s leading elevator and escalator companies. It provides its customers with industry-leading elevators and escalators, with innovative solutions for their maintenance and modernization. KONE also provides maintenance of automatic building doors. In 2006, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 3.6 billion and approximately 29,000 employees. Its class B shares are listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange in Helsinki, Finland.
www.kone.com
For further information, please contact:
Vance Tang, President and CEO, KONE Inc., Area Director Americas
tel. 309-743-5410
Minna Mars, SVP, Corporate Communications & IR,
tel. +358 (0)50 384 9440 or +358 (0)204 75 4501