Share Your Expertise at the Spring Convention in Tampa, FL. Are you ready to share your expertise with the industry? We invite you to volunteer for a speaking opportunity and share your expertise with the industry. Whether you’re a seasoned expert or bringing fresh insights, your voice can make a difference.
To become an industry speaker for future events and help drive the conversation forward. Simply CLICK HERE to fill out the speaker application form.
NAEC Convention & Expo is a must attend for all things Lift! From networking with industry peers across the globe to attending dynamic education sessions, this event has something for everyone. The Expo highlights 230+ exhibiting vendor companies featuring the industry’s newest technology and products.
NAEC Mainline
A quarterly newsletter of the National Association of Elevator Contractors.
President: Amy DiPaolo
Executive Director: Rená Cozart
Be in Mainline. Know of an event or have an article idea?
Submit your photos and submissions to Rená Cozart at rena@naec.org.
NAEC is committed to providing you with the highest level of customer service. We value your time and respect your online privacy. Please take notice that we will communicate important information via e-mail regarding meetings, conventions and services that might be of interest to you and your company.
SAVEthe DATE!
UPCOMING EVENTS
AUGUST 19-20, 2026
CEU Training | Vantage | Bronx, NY
AUGUST 26, 2026
NexGen Virtual Continuing Education
SEPTEMBER 16-17, 2026
Lift & Escalator Symposium 2026 Kettering, U.K.
SEPTEMBER 21-23, 2026
The Elevator Show | Dubai
SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
NAESA Golf Outing Lake Geneva, WI
SEPTEMBER 24-25, 2026
Wisconsin Elevator Symposium Lake Geneva, WI
SEPTEMBER 28-OCTOBER 1, 2026
NAEC Convention & Expo Chicago, IL
OCTOBER 20-22, 2026 | SIEME 2026
December 3-5, 2026
ISEE | Amsterdam
If you have not already registered for the 2026 NAEC Convention & Expo, the time is now! The show is breaking records, with more exhibitor companies than NAEC has ever seen before!
THERE ARE A FEW NEW THINGS HAPPENING FOR 2026:
• The hours of the Expo have changed. As a result of the member post-event surveys, we have modified the Expo show hours.
- Wednesday, Sept 30th 9:30am – 5:00pm
- Thursday, Oct 1st 9:00am – 1:00pm (Show breakdown will begin at 1:01pm)
United In Deed – Monday, Sept 28
Fight 2 Feed give back project for Chicago. (Activity will be held in the Convention Center) Fight2Feed® is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing food waste while fighting hunger in local communities. The organization rescues, prepares, and distributes surplus food and essential goods to individuals and families in need.
• General Business Meeting is Tuesday, Sept 29th at 9:15am We will present the Contractors Choice Awards, swear in the new Board of Directors and Officers and review Association activities for the year.
• Awards Lunch - Thursday, Oct 1st 1:15pm Awards have moved from breakfast to lunch where Booth Awards, the President’s Award and the Sturgeon Award will be presented.
• The first ever Workforce Development Project takes place on the second day of the Expo. The special initiative will host High School Seniors, Vocational Tech and Community College students to tour the show floor. After the tour, there will also be a special Industry Round Table with industry professionals to discuss different career opportunities in the Vertical Transportation industry. Special thanks to Kone Spares for sponsoring this exciting new program.
If you haven’t registered yet,
Remember, you can only access the hotel room block after you have registered. Due to high demand, additional hotels have been added for attendee selection. And watch out for scammers! NAEC does not sell our attendee lists. No one will reach out to you to book a hotel
Soflo Elevators LLC Fort Meyers, FL | sofloelevator.com
SP Elevator (Swaying Pines LLC) Adger, Alabama
ST Engineering, Aethon Pittsburg, PA | aethon.com
Vertical Elevator Mahwah, NJ
Vola Networks San Jose, CA | volanetworks.com
WAGNER Fire Safety, Inc. Buffalo Grove, IL | wagnergroup.com
X-BING
Boca Raton, FL Xbingtechnology.com
We’re excited to welcome the newest members of the NAEC team! Please join us in welcoming Jessica Herring, Andrea Rivas, and Annette Burgess!
Each brings a unique experience, talent, and energy to support our members and strengthen the work we do across the industry. We’re excited to have them on board and look forward to the impact they’ll have. WELCOME TO THE NAEC FAMILY. WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE!
Recognition of Longtime NAEC Members
NAEC has so many long-term members. Over 200 companies have been NAEC members for 25+ years—with many surpassing the 50+ year mark! We will be recognizing these companies during the upcoming Chicago Convention & Expo.
We also will recognize this commitment through the new NAEC will be providing special Member Digital Badges for those legacy members who have made the Association great. There will be two badges: 25+ & 50+ years.
Be on the lookout, as badges will be sent out digitally to members in the next few weeks. Special thanks to these committed NAEC members for longevity and a commitment to industry excellence.
By uniting members in the lift industry into One voice, One Network and One Community, NAEC is making a real difference for industry contractors and suppliers around the world. To learn more about how to become a member—or how to get more out of your membership, please visit naec.org or contact Paula Sanchez, National Sales Director at 1.800.900.6232 or paula@naec.org
Next Generation: Workforce Development Initiative
One of the most exciting milestones at the 2026 NAEC Convention & Exposition will take place beyond the exhibit floor. Through the collaborative efforts of the Women in Motion Committee, NAEC, Vantage and industry partners, students from schools throughout the Chicago area will participate in the association’s first ever Workforce Development Initiative.
Designed to introduce our next generation to the rewarding careers available within the elevator industry, the program will welcome students to McCormick Place on Thursday, October 1, where they will experience a guided tour of the convention expo floor as well as engage in career roundtable discussions with industry professionals, and enjoy a grab and go lunch before departing.
The initiative provides students with a firsthand look at the innovation, technology, and people that make up our industry. By connecting them directly with manufacturers, contractors, suppliers, and industry leaders, all attendees will gain valuable insight into the wide variety of career paths available from the skilled trades and engineering to sales, operations, project management, and leadership.
This groundbreaking effort would not have been possible without the tremendous support of Freddy Flores of Vantage Elevator Solutions, whose dedication to building relationships with schools throughout the Chicago area has helped bring this vision to life.
“I am very excited to assist in exposing our future generation to the elevator industry! This industry can change the lives of many people!”
– Freddy Flores, Vantage Elevator Solutions
Women in Motion is proud to partner with NAEC in helping strengthen the industry’s future workforce. By investing in today’s students, we are building tomorrow’s leaders and ensuring that the elevator industry continues to grow through opportunity, education, and collaboration.
NAEC Advances Its Commitment to Safety and Education
For the first time ever, NAEC organized and hosted a collaborative Town Hall Meeting on ISO/ASME Convergence with presenters representing NAEC, CECA, IUEC and NEII. Approximately 200 industry members attended the presentation to hear more about ISO convergence and the future of the push for ISO convergence in North America.
TRAINING WORKSHOPS
David Smarte, NAEC’s Global Education & Safety Officer, facilitated 14 workshops this year, educating 295 individuals. NAEC also launched its first-ever CET Exam Prep course in both in-person and virtual formats.
Future training includes the following:
• August 19, 2026 - Key Changes in ASME A17.1-2025 CSA B4425 & Review of the Elevator Industry Field Employee Safety Handbook
Hosted by: Vantage Elevator Solutions, 50 East 153rd Street, Bronx, NY 10451
To register: CLICK HERE
• August 20, 2026 - Key Changes in ASME A17.1-2025 CSA B4425 & Review of the Elevator Industry Field Employee Safety Handbook
Hosted by: Vantage Elevator Solutions, 50 East 153rd Street, Bronx, NY 10451
To register: CLICK HERE
NAEC Safe Workforce Manual
The manual, which was officially debuted by the Education and Safety Committee during the 2026 Spring Conference in Long Beach, is designed specifically for field mechanics. The Safe Work Manual expands on the industry’s Absolutes, with added focus on Fall Protection, Lockout/Tagout, Electrical and Mechanical Stored Energy, and Material Handling. The manual includes several supplemental safety resources are now available, including the Confined Space Declassification Form, JHA/JSA Pre Task Plan, and Safety Bag Contents checklist.
Click the link below to access these materials digitally on the NAEC website. Members are encouraged to print and share these resources with their teams for inclusion in their safety bags.
AI is CHANGING the CONVERSATION. Is your Business Part of It?
As mentioned in Elevator World’s report on the NAEC Spring Education Conference in Long Beach, artificial intelligence was not a side note. Jeff Eaton of Lift Business Advisors, Dan Walsh of Vantage, Brad Hoersten of ElevatorZip, and Jonathan Taub of FieldBoss all referenced AI in their sessions, while reinforcing the importance of business fundamentals.
“AI is not just a technology issue. It is a business issue, a workforce issue, a sales issue, a customer service issue and, increasingly, a communications issue.”
What’s Changing and What Isn’t
For independent elevator contractors and suppliers, the question is not whether AI will replace relationships, experience or trust. It will not. This industry still runs on performance, reputation, response time, safety and confidence. The more pressing question is whether companies are communicating those strengths clearly enough in a world where customers, employees, partners and search tools are gathering information in new ways.
Touchpoint Marketing
For years, many companies viewed marketing mainly through the lens of a website. A professional site was important, and it still is. But a website alone is no longer enough. Your market now experiences y our company through various touchpoints: social media, email newsletters, trade events, advertising, brochures, case studies, proposal documents, association publications, booth graphics, sales presentations, recruitment materials, videos, online directories and daily conversations with your team. The same is increasingly true for prospective employees, who often form opinions about a company long before they submit an application.
AI has not made these channels less important. Instead, it has made them more connected and more visible. Information that once lived in separate places is increasingly being aggregated, compared and surfaced together. Customers may encounter
your company through multiple channels long before making direct contact. A building owner may see your company on LinkedIn, remember your booth at an NAEC event, read an article you contributed to an industry publication, then review your proposal. An AI tool may pull from your online content to decide whetheryour company is relevant to a specific question.
In other words, your marketing is no longer one thing. It is the total impression your business leaves across every place people encounter it.
New Technology, Age-old Challenges
While AI is new, the underlying challenge is not; businesses that don’t explain themselves clearly have always been at a disadvantage. Making broad claims without backing them up has always led to a lack of trust. Phrases like “We are the leading supplier” or “we provide the best service” don’t mean much on their own. Customers have always wanted evidence. AI simply makes the absence of that evidence more obvious.
This doesn’t mean every NAEC member needs to become an AI expert. What it does mean is that you should ask yourself whether your message is clear, current, consistent and supported by proof. If the information about your company is thin, outdated, inconsistent or too generic, your business story may be incomplete - or maybe not told at all.
continued on next page…
The Five Communication Lenses
The companies that benefit most may not be those using the most advanced technology. They may be the ones that explain themselves best.
A practical starting point is to review your business through five communication lenses:
5 Communication Lenses
VISIBILITY
Are you showing up where your audience is paying attention?
Your website matters, but so do social media, trade publications, events, advertising, email campaigns and sales materials.
CONSISTENCY
Does your company sound like the same company everywhere?
All of your communications should tell a connected story. Consistency builds recognition and trust.
CREDIBILITY
Are you proving your expertise, or simply claiming it?
Show your experience with case studies, project photos, team profiles, testimonials, safety milestones and industry involvement.
THE GOAL
USEFULNESS
Are you answering the questions customers actually ask?
Provide content that helps customers make informed decisions before the conversation begins.
READINESS
Are your internal tools keeping up with your external message?
Align proposals, sales materials, onboarding, recruiting and customer communications with the message you want to deliver.
Make your message visible, consistent, credible, useful and ready so people and Al systems understand your value and choose to engage.
This is the new communications environment. It is broader than websites, bigger than search rankings and more strategic than posting occasionally on social media. AI may change how information is found, how customers compare options and how companies organize and deliver their message. But it will not change the need for trust.
The opportunity for NAEC members is to make sure that trust is visible, credible, consistent and supported by evidence - wherever the next conversation begins.
click to learn more
About the Author: John Curzon is a brand architect and marketing strategist, specializing in the vertical-transportation sector. Based in the U.K., he advises businesses across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific on brand positioning, market entry and growth strategy. He is an active member of the National Association of Elevator Contractors, and a recognized keynote speaker.
About Curzon Creative: Curzon Creative specializes in the world of elevator business marketing, deploying impactful brands, communications and engagement. Its mission is to add tangible value to organizations that are looking to grow in size, reach and influence. By placing marketing at the heart of a business, Curzon Creative can help fast-track a solid, dependable brand & consistent, effective communications. Discover more at curzoncreative.com.
elevaTOURS
Andrew Reams is an extraordinary individual living with autism. His lifelong interest in elevators has grown into a widely recognized platform for education, community building, and autism awareness.
From an early age, elevators captured his attention and sparked a curiosity that would later shape much of his personal and professional journey. Although he faced significant challenges growing up, he found encouragement through supportive educational environments and went on to graduate from Murray State University with a degree in Organizational Communication. His career path has included roles in retail management, trucking, and the railroad industry, where he currently works as a locomotive engineer.
Reams’ fascination with elevators began in childhood during a visit to the Famous-Barr Department Store at West County Mall in Des Peres, Missouri. The experience of stepping into what felt like a moving room and emerging on a different floor made a lasting impression. From that point forward, elevators became more than a passing interest; they became a source of curiosity, comfort, and inspiration. His interest in documenting elevators began after seeing a photograph of the glass elevators at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia. Years later, a trip to Atlanta gave him the opportunity to visit the hotel and record his first elevator video. That early
experience became an important milestone, combining his interest in elevators with a growing enthusiasm for video production.
In 2007, Reams uploaded elevator videos to YouTube, including footage from the Marriott Marquis. What began as a small personal project soon attracted viewers who shared his enthusiasm. As comments and subscribers grew, he discovered a broader community of elevator enthusiasts, many of whom also connected with his openness about autism. Over time, his channel became a well-known destination for elevator videos, technical demonstrations, and autism awareness.
The success of his online presence eventually led to the creation of the elevaTOURS International Elevator Museum in Roanoke, Virginia. Reams began collecting elevator parts while attending Murray State University, and the collection expanded through purchases, donations, and support from elevator technicians, manufacturers, and followers. Today, the museum includes more than 1,000 pieces and welcomes visitors from around the world. It is especially meaningful for families and young people with autism who see in Reams’ work an example of how a focused
ALLIANCE ELEVATOR SOLUTIONS
Innovation & A CustomerFirst Approach
Since its founding in 2012 by Managing Partner Travis Hall and his partners, Alliance Elevator Solutions (AES) has been driven by a simple mission: provide building owners and elevator contractors with a better alternative. Unlike many companies that have changed hands over the years, AES remains privately owned by its original ownership group, preserving the entrepreneurial spirit, accountability, and customer-first philosophy that have guided the company from the beginning.
What began as a vision to serve the needs of the independent elevator contractor has evolved into one of North America’s leading providers of non-proprietary elevator solutions. Over the past fourteen years, AES has engineered and shipped thousands of new construction and modernization elevator packages, helping contractors, building owners, and multinational organizations successfully execute projects of every size and complexity.
Rooted in the new construction market, AES has built a reputation for solving some of the industry’s most challenging modernization projects. The company’s experienced team understands that every building presents unique challenges, and their ability to engineer practical, non-proprietary solutions has made AES a trusted resource throughout the industry.
Supporting that expertise is a comprehensive infrastructure designed to help customers succeed. AES combines in-house engineering, dedicated project management, instant online pricing tools, and more than 85,000 square feet of warehousing and logistics capabilities to deliver a seamless experience from proposal through final delivery.
and building owners access to advanced technology without sacrificing serviceability, flexibility, or choice.
Yet ask AES customers what makes the company different, and many will point to something far less tangible: the people. The AES team is passionate about the elevator industry and genuinely loves what they do. Their enthusiasm for the craft, commitment to customer success, and willingness to go the extra mile can be felt in every interaction. Whether supporting a complex modernization, a new construction project, or a national portfolio strategy, the team approaches every opportunity with the same mindset—be responsive, be accountable, and always put the customer first.
That commitment has earned the trust of customers across North America and created relationships that extend far beyond a single project. It reflects the philosophy on which AES was founded: focus on the needs of the building owner through the eyes of the independent elevator contractor.
Today, AES continues to invest in people, technology, and processes that simplify the elevator experience. Alliance Elevator Solutions is more than an elevator packaging company, it is atrusted partner dedicated to advancing the independent elevator industry while delivering innovative, non-proprietary solutions that elevate expectations throughout the vertical transportation market click to learn more
interest can become a source of purpose and connection.
Through perseverance, and creativity, Reams’ has turned a lifelong passion into something that educates and inspires others. In addition to his railroad career, he has built a museum, developed a substantial online following, and become one of the most recognized elevator enthusiasts on YouTube, with 160,000+ followers.
Looking ahead, Reams hopes to continue building relationships within the elevator industry, touring unique elevator systems and machine rooms, and expanding the reach of both his YouTube channel and the museum. He is also seeking opportunities to travel, document elevators around the world, and preserve historic elevator fixtures for future generations.
Through elevaTOURS, his mission is to elevate autism awareness one lift at a time while using elevators as a way to educate, connect, and inspire.
More information about his work, contact elevatorvideos@gmail.com or by searching for “dieselducy” on YouTube and other social media platforms.
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