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Morristown, N.J. — Oct. 7, 2015 — Schindler Elevator Corp., North America’s leading escalator supplier, recently observed the 25th anniversary of its Clinton, N.C., escalator manufacturing facility with an employee celebration. With about 150 employees, the facility comprises both a 38,000-square-foot escalator step facility and a 155,000-square-foot escalator assembly plant.
Today, the Schindler 9300 AE and Schindler 9700 heavy-duty transit escalators as well as the Schindler 9500 moving walks are manufactured at the facility for distribution to the North and South American markets. Schindler’s Clinton plant is the largest U.S. escalator factory in terms of annual output and is committed to sustainability by manufacturing energy-saving escalators and moving walks.
Within a short time of the plant's opening in 1990, full production exceeded expectations, thanks largely to highly successful apprenticeship and training programs, as well as outstanding employee performance and commitment to quality and customer service. In 1996, the plant was named one of America’s 10 Best Plants by IndustryWeek magazine.
In 1997, the original plant was expanded by 30,000 square feet to improve productivity and make way for the planned production of Schindler 9500 moving walks, which the facility first shipped in May 2000. A test tower of 5,000 square feet was added in 2000. The current Clinton complex consists of two manufacturing plants: the escalator manufacturing plant and an escalator step facility.
Escalators and moving walks produced in Clinton currently operate throughout North and South America.
Schindler Elevator Corp. was the first elevator and escalator company in North America to achieve an ISO 9001 certification. Since then, Schindler has reinforced its commitment to quality and sustainability through its ISO 9001:2000 for Quality Management certification and ISO 14001:1996 and ISO 14001:2004 certifications and renewals to the Environmental Management System standard.
These certifications confirm the company’s dedication to continual improvement, compliance with legal and other requirements, pollution prevention, fostering of open communication, training of employees, and working with its suppliers to achieve mutually agreeable solutions that limit environmental impact.
“Over the past 25 years, the Clinton plant has emerged from just a vision to the largest escalator-manufacturing facility in North America,” said Chuck Spell, managing director, Clinton. “The consistently high productivity and performance have made a significant contribution to Schindler’s successful leadership position in the escalator marketplace.”
Schindler Elevator Corp. is the North American operation of the Switzerland-based Schindler Group, a leading global mobility provider with about 54,000 employees operating in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.us.schindler.com.
