KONE's Atlanta Airport Modernization Recognized as an Elevator World 2014 "Project of the Year"

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Feb 12, 2014, 09:00 ET

LISLE, Ill., Feb. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- KONE, a leading provider of elevator and escalator equipment and services, recently won top honors in Elevator World magazine's annual "Project of the Year" contest for its modernization of 16 escalators and 2 moving walkways at the world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA).

This year, KONE was recognized for the first time in the "Moving Walks" category, representing its eighth "Project of the Year" win since 2005 and a breakthrough milestone for its EcoMod solution.

For more than a decade, Elevator World has recognized projects that highlight innovative design, special applications or unique problem-solving solutions in vertical, horizontal or inclined transportation. In order to be selected as a winner, each project is reviewed by a distinguished panel of industry specialists and judged on innovation, originality and creativity, as well as installation methods and techniques.

In January 2013, KONE, which has served the unique needs of HJAIA since 1979, won its fourth contract to upgrade the airport with its KONE EcoMod™ solution on an additional 29 escalators and moving walks. This technology allowed KONE to fully replace escalators and moving walkways without disruptive and expensive truss removal, allowing the airport to install the latest, heavy-duty, energy-efficient technology quickly and without major disruption to its customers. Installation of the escalators and moving walkways began in May 2009 and is expected to continue through February 2016.

"We are very proud to be recognized once again by this industry-leading publication," said Larry Wash, EVP and Area Director for KONE Americas. "This award demonstrates our steadfast commitment to quality and innovation."

This honor is one of several awards that KONE received in the past year. For instance, in November, the KONE TransitMaster™ won an Architectural Products Product Innovation Award for its eco-efficient and safe design, and in August, KONE ranked No. 37 out of 100 on Forbes' "World's Most Innovative Companies" list.

For further information, please contact:

Kellie Lindquist, Marketing Manager, KONE Inc., tel. +1 630 955 4202

About KONE
KONE is one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry. KONE's objective is to offer the best People Flow® experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely, comfortably and without waiting in buildings in an increasingly urbanizing environment. KONE provides industry-leading elevators, escalators, automatic building doors and integrated solutions to enhance the People Flow in and between buildings. KONE's services cover the entire lifetime of a building, from the design phase to maintenance, repairs and modernization solutions. In 2013, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 6.9 billion, and at the end of the year over 43,000 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd in Finland.

www.kone.us

SOURCE KONE