Otis Elevator Company is the world’s largest manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products, including elevators, escalators and moving walkways.OTIS HISTORYElisha Graves Otis founded the company in 1853, after he invented a safety mechanism for a lifting platform. In 1854, he demonstrated his automatic safety elevator at the Crystal Palace, the main exhibition hall of America’s first world’s fair. This invention launched the elevator era.“Think globally, act locally.” This phrase, though the brainchild of the worldwide environmental movement, is a perfect fit for Otis. After 160 years, Otis is United Technologies’ most global operation, with more than 60,000 employees serving customers in nearly every country on earth. From humble beginnings in Yonkers, New York, to the worldwide industry leader it is today, Otis’ long history is a testament to safety, service and performance.PRODUCT & SERVICESMoving people safely is what we do best. As the largest manufacturer and service provider of elevators, escalators and moving walkways, Otis is recognized worldwide for its innovation -- helping people travel up, down and from place to place, conveniently and safely. Today, Otis has one of the best safety records in the vertical transportation industry. We work constantly to improve the safety of existing products and develop safer technologies for new products. Otis emphasizes a corporate policy of “safety first” and implements standardized procedures to ensure that every installation and service task is performed the safest way, every time.ElevatorsBuildings keep rising…so we rise to the challenge.As building technology changes and progresses, our elevator technology does the same. Otis has a long history of meeting new challenges with ongoing innovation. While there is a wide range of elevators to fit every need, they fall under three basic types: gearless traction, geared traction and machine-roomless.Escalators and Moving WalkwaysMore than 100 years later, “moving stairs” still give people a convenient lift.Otis wrote history with the introduction of the escalator in 1899. Today, we continue to improve the product through ongoing innovation. Similarly, Otis’ moving walkways offer safety, reliability and efficiency for both commercial and public applications.ServicesService comes first at Otis.To us, that means developing new products that meet our customers’ needs and challenges; providing reliable maintenance; and modernizing systems to keep pace with a building’s changing face and function. In all areas of service, Otis is committed to inspiring total customer confidence.Because each customer defines service differently, our approach to satisfying customer needs is both broad-based and personalized. With the world’s largest network of branch offices and service centers, our staff provides service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This global network ensures rapid response and minimal downtime.