KONE expands Phl office

MANILA, Philippines - KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, has relocated its Philippine office to accommodate its expanding operations and better support its growing customer base.

“This expansion allows us to meet strong growth in the Philippines. It will enable us to respond to the demands of existing and new customers and continue providing them with a high standard of service,” said Gerard van Dijk, president for KONE’s Philippines operations, KPI Elevators Inc.

KPI Elevators, wholly owned by Finland’s KONE Corp., is now situated at BDO Equitable Tower, in the Makati central business district. The new address puts KONE in close proximity to many of its customers and at a central location in relation to other key business and commercial areas such as Pasig, Pasay and Muntinlupa. KPI Elevators currently employs 137 personnel. An additional 51 local employees have been recruited to facilitate the company’s ongoing expansion.

Innovative solutions such as elevators with best-in-class energy efficiency have made KONE an industry forerunner for several decades. KONE People Flow Intelligence solutions like the destination operating panel aid the development of smarter cities and buildings by providing convenient and effortless user experience and enhancing security. Several major real estate developments in the Philippines feature KONE solutions.

In December 2013, Rockwell Land Corp. awarded KONE a contract to supply People Flow solutions for the Lopez Tower and Museum. The installation of KONE’s energy efficient elevator design will assist the new complex in its pursuit of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. In addition, the Lopez Tower will be provided with KONE’s latest People Flow innovations like Remote Call™ (personalized elevator call trough end user’s smart phone) and Hybrid Destination Control (KONE’s most advanced elevator destination control system).

The Lopez Tower and Museum will be the very first in Philippines to benefit from KONE’s pioneering hybrid destination control system. The system will be integrated with the building’s access control system and the security turnstiles in the lobby. When going through the turnstile, the end users will be automatically assigned to an elevator, with the pre-programmed users’ destination floor ready-to-go.

In 2013, KONE also won an order to supply 126 elevators and 36 escalators to the Manila Bay Resorts complex, the largest integrated resort and casino in the country, due to be completed in 2015. The order is the largest elevator contract awarded in Philippines to date. It includes a three-year maintenance contract.

KONE has operated in the Philippines since 1975, when it established a joint venture with a local elevator company, which it acquired fully in 1995. Today, KONE is one of the fastest growing elevator and escalator companies in the Philippines.