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Who founded an elevator company in 1853?

Author

William Jenkins

Updated on January 09, 2026

Elisha Graves Otis
The OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY can trace its origins to 1853, when Elisha Graves Otis introduced the first safety passenger elevator at the Crystal Palace Convention in New York City. His invention impressed spectators at the convention, and the first passenger elevator was installed in New York City in 1856.

Which company invented elevator?

the Otis Elevator Company
Elisha Graves Otis (August 3, 1811 – April 8, 1861) was an American industrialist, founder of the Otis Elevator Company, and inventor of a safety device that prevents elevators from falling if the hoisting cable fails….Elisha Otis.

Elisha Graves Otis
Engineering career
ProjectsElevators

Who invented the elevator in 1850?

Graves Otis
… Graves Otis developed the first safe steam-powered roped elevators with toothed guide rails and catches in the late 1850s.

Who is the owner of Otis elevator?

United Technologies
Otis was acquired by United Technologies in 1976 and became a wholly owned subsidiary.

Who is the biggest elevator company?

OTIS The Otis Elevator Company
1 – OTIS. The Otis Elevator Company is an American company (owned by United Technologies) that develops, manufactures and markets elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and related equipment. Based in Farmington, Connecticut, Otis is the world’s largest manufacturer of vertical transportation systems.

Who is the CEO of Otis?

Judy Marks –
Judy Marks – President & CEO, Otis Worldwide Corporation – Otis Elevator Co.

Which motor is used in elevator?

Conventionally, there are, in general, three types of motors used in elevator systems: AC, DC and a hybrid between the two. The AC-2 motor is a primitive motor drive popular at least half a century ago for low-speed elevators. It is usually coupled with a worm gear to reduce speed and increase driving torque.

What was the first escalator in the world?

Revolving Stairs
In 1859, Nathan Ames of the state of Michigan in the United States invented something he called Revolving Stairs, enshrined in history as US patent number 25,076, and generally acknowledged as the world’s first escalator.

How much did the first elevator cost?

Otis set up business in Yonkers, New York, an emerging industry town about 15 miles north of Times Square. He sold only three elevators in 1853 — for $300 each — and none in the first few months of the following year.

Who was the founder of the Elevator Company?

Elevator Brakes. In 1852, Otis moved to Yonkers, New York to work for the bedstead firm of Maize & Burns. It was the owner of the company, Josiah Maize, that inspired Otis to start designing elevators.

Who is the owner of the Otis Elevator Company?

Otis Elevator Company is the leading manufacturer of elevator and escalator systems. The company was founded in Yonkers, New York, United States in 1853 by Elisha Graves Otis.

Who are the largest elevator manufacturers in Japan?

The next major Japanese company after Mitsubishi for elevator manufacturing is Fujitec. Founded in the year 1948 in Osaka, Japan, the company was quick to open new branches in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, USA, and finally India. Fujitec is the parent company whose major revenue earnings come from the elevator manufacturing unit.

Where did Otis Tingley invent the first elevator?

Begins Inventing. In 1845, Otis moved to Albany, New York after marrying his second wife, Elizabeth A. Boyd. Otis found a job as a master mechanic for Otis Tingley & Company making bedsteads. It was here that Otis first began inventing.