'Second Decade' in KONE EcoMod offering announced

Escalator modernization solution continues to evolve to meet the challenges of global urbanization

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Jun 03, 2014, 12:01 ET

LISLE, Ill., June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, launched "The Second Decade" in the offering of its award-winning KONE EcoMod™ escalator modernization solution. Since the release of the inaugural version of the solution in 2003, KONE EcoMod has undergone significant technological advancements and can be found at hundreds of customer locations across the globe.

KONE EcoMod offers an innovative and systematic approach to replacing the entire workings of an escalator, delivering brand new technology without expensive, disruptive truss removal. Installed directly into the existing truss, it can reduce energy consumption by 20 to 40 percent and oil consumption by nearly 95 percent (18 liters vs. 600 liters) over a 10-year span, and offers a 25-30 year lifecycle.

"'The Second Decade' of KONE EcoMod symbolizes our continued commitment to excellence and a forward-thinking approach to developing sustainable solutions that meet the challenges of today while remaining compatible with the anticipated changes of tomorrow," said Larry Wash, KONE EVP and Area Director for the Americas. "As urbanization continues to be a prevalent global theme, the need to modernize aging equipment with the latest technology becomes increasingly important to enable safe and reliable people flow."

KONE has improved upon the initial product during its first decade in existence, including expanding from one to 36 existing escalator models and being compatible with 13 different escalator manufacturers in North America. KONE EcoMod now includes options for escalator-to-building interface – decking to interface with walls or escalator outer cladding – as well as capability to install within autowalks. Additional options to the solution include: LED continuous lighting for handrails and skirts; standby operation; APTA transit/heavy duty escalator capabilities; differential handrail drive system; and PLC (programmable logic controller).

"Since our initial launch of KONE EcoMod, we have remained well-ahead of both population and building trends, and continue to do so now in our 'second decade' to ensure our customers have the latest escalator advancements," said Brent Andrews, KONE's Escalator Offering Manager. "From our learnings and the forecasted trends, this innovative solution will continue to evolve with improved options and capabilities to fit our customers' needs."

KONE has installed more than 600 KONE EcoMod units in North America, with another 600 in other regions across the globe. It has proven to be successful for all market segments, including: Retail, commercial, airports, leisure/entertainment, medical, public transportation, hospitality and education. The solution can be customized to fit all duty segments – low- to high -rise, commercial and heavy duty.

Additional information about KONE EcoMod and escalator modernization can be found at: http://www.kone.us/modernization/solutions/escalator-modernization/ecomod/.

For further information, please contact:

Brent Andrews, Escalator Offering Manager, KONE Inc., tel. +1 309-743-5478

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