Transforma ve Leaders are Never Dependent on Opportuni es.
From the dizzying heights of New York City's skyline to
the mysterious depths of the sea and the unexplored reaches of outer space, creative solutions are revolutionizing how we explore and traverse the world. From the reliable elevators that make our daily routines easier to bullet trains that transport us swiftly across the country to spacecraft that make the unknown accessible, vertical transportation technology is pushing the boundaries of what's possible.
This ever-evolving technology is making our fabrications a reality, granting us thrilling new opportunities and exciting new adventures.
The world has been bursting at the seams in recent years, leading to the development of some truly excellent solutions for vertical transportation. From high-speed elevators to automated escalators, the way we move has been revolutionized, offering fast and efficient solutions to overcrowding and the potential to make moving from one floor to the next more efficient and sustainable. As these solutions continue to evolve, vertical transportation is becoming an increasingly viable option for tackling overcrowding.
Crowded elevators are a major displeasure. Without timely modernization, resolution of violations, and proper maintenance, you're stuck in an elevator for what feels like an eternity. This not only makes people frustrated, but it can also cost money and valuable time.
That's why elevators must be kept up-to-date, running smoothly, and free from any violations that can impede or stop operation. Insights Success is recognizing this incredible shift and is excited to present Champion Elevator. It seeks out the highest quality solutions to ensure the perfect elevator experience in this ever-changing world.
Have an exceptional read!
The way of business solutions
Editor-in-Chief Merry D'Souza
Managing Editor
Prashik Bombarde
Assisting Editor Shreyasi Shelke
Visualiser David King
Art & Design Head
Co-designer
Art & Design Assistant
Business Development Manager
Rohil Shinganapurkar
Paul Belin
Sonia Raizada
Shruti Tikotkar
Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza
Kelly, David Business Development Executives
Sales
Mark, Alice
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Assistant Technical Head
Prachi Mokashi
Technical Consultants Prashanth, Rajeshwari
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Renuka Kulkarni
SME-SMO Executive Gemson
Research Analyst Eric Smith
Circulation Manager Tanaji Fartade
sales@insightssuccess.com
March, 2023
The primary purpose of any business is to identify,
describe, and analyze any problem that exists in the functioning of society and offer a sure-shot solution to solve it. In this process, it is important to consider all the stakeholders to come up with a comprehensive solution that willbeinclusiveofeveryone.
Providing such comprehensive solutions in the elevator and escalatormaintenance,installation,modernization,andrepair spaceisChampionElevator.Beinganindependentlyowned company,ChampionElevatordiligentlyservesitsclientand believes in seeking new challenges every day to make itself better, achieve higher standards, increase efficiency, and provide its customers with the very best services in the industry
DonaldGelestino,theFounderandPresidentofChampion Elevator,quotes,“Ourcorevaluesareverysimple.Real-time Honest Communication is what Champion is all about for the employees and customers. We are also a people-first and cultural organization that helps each other become the best wecanbe.AtrueTEAMspirit!”
Displaying such proficiency in providing state-of-the-art services to its clients has earned Champion Elevator many awards.ChampionPresidentDonaldGelestinowasawarded a Citation by NYC in recognition as a Leader of Labor in 2019,2020ChampionwontheELLIEawardforbestFamilyownedelevatorcompany,thenagainin2022wonanELLIE for best Elevator Contractor East Coast, and in 2021 Mr. Gelestinopersonallywasawardedthemostprestigiousaward in the elevator industry, The William C. Sturgeon Award presentedbyTheNationalAssociationofElevatorContractors (NAEC).Thecompanyculturetohelpotherscombinedwith rapidorganicgrowthinspiredChampiontoreturn3.4million dollars of PPP funds in 2020 that were not required to be returned! Mr Gelestinostated,“wewouldrathersee34small businesses who were almost bankrupted by the pandemic receive100keach,Championwillsurvivethis.”
Beingonlysevenandahalf yearsold,ChampionElevatorisa relatively young company Even so, its growth has been substantial in its operational years. Champion Elevator, services over 5,700 elevators in the New York, Hudson Valley, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania areas monthlyand stillhasexpansionplans.
OneoftheuniquesellingpointsofChampionElevatoristhat ithasadistinctiveapproachforeveryclientwithanelevator orescalator.
ONE OF THE UNIQUE SELLING POINTS OF CHAMPION ELEVATOR IS THAT IT HAS A DISTINCTIVE APPROACH FOR EVERY CLIENT WITH AN ELEVATOR OR ESCALATOR.
CHAMPION ONLY INSTALLS NON-PROPRIETARY EQUIPMENT THAT CAN BE SERVICED BY ALL COMPANIES. THIS KEEPS OUR SERVICE GOOD AND OUR PRICES COMPETITIVE.
Thefirststepinthatprocessincludesthecompanysendingin a highly trained surveyor to survey the equipment properly. The following step then is to submit the report and a premaintenance proposal of any deficiencies to ownership. At thisstep,theownerhasthechoicetoeitherhavetheexisting company make the repairs for them or have Champion do them.Iftherepairsarenotmade,chancesaretheequipment will not be much different, and Champion may pass on becomingtheserviceprovider.
In some cases, Champion simply excludes the cited deficiencies, but in most cases, if the owner is not willing to maketheinvestment,Championchoosestowithdrawinstead ofsettlingforasub-standarddevicetobeplacedontooneof its technician’s route. This practice is tried and true, and President Donald Gelestino believes all companies should operatethisway,buthestates,“The company needs to have a very high-level surveyor or group of surveyors to identify deficiencies.”
This approach enables Champion to have rapid organic growth in the market. The company plans on expanding its footprint bypurchasingmoreelevatorcompaniesinthenear future.
Donald A. Gelestino founded Champion Elevator Corp. in 2015. In less than seven years, he has grown the company fromastart-uptooneoftheTri-state’smostreveredvertical transportation brands, servicing more than 5,700 elevators throughout New York, Hudson Valley, New Jersey, Connecticut,andPennsylvania.Theepitomeoftheself-made man, Mr Gelestino took his first industry job straight out of high school in 1986, apprenticing for DECO Elevators. Learningonthejob,hesoonbecameaskilledtechnicianand, shortly after, was promoted to supervisor By 1992, he was elevatedtocompanyengineer.
The following year, armed with confidence, commitment, talent,andknowledge,Gelestinolaunchedhisfirstcompany in1993,Ver-TechElevator,whichquicklybecameoneofthe largest independent elevator companies in the New York metroarea.Followingitsearlysuccesses,hesoldVer-Techto a multinational conglomerate, UnitedTechnologies, in 2010 (whichlatermergedwithRaytheon)andproceededtoexplore new horizons, encompassing everything from a high-tech, luxurycarwashbrandtoSITOCapital,aventurecapitalfirm forstart-upsandvisionaryentrepreneurs,likehimself.
It was also during this period that Mr Gelestino’s many charitableandcivicendeavorswentintofullgear,joiningthe boards of several non-profit organizations and additionally becoming a trustee of Cross County Savings Bank. But the world of vertical transportation continued to beckon, and GelestinostartedChampionElevatorCorp.,whichcurrently hasover320employees–andgrowing!
In addition to being a hands-on CEO running a preeminent brand, Mr Gelestino continues to expand his philanthropic andeducationalcommitments,includingservingontheboard ofSUNYOldWestbury.
His leadership skills have benefited industry trades and also business organizations: He is the former president of the National Association of Elevator Contractors and currently servesasVicePresidentoftheRockvilleCentreChamberof Commerce.InadditiontocreatingtheorganizationElevator ChampionsforCharitiestopromotesafeworkplacesandhelp victims of elevator-related injuries, Gelestino has been honored by such preeminent charities as Friends of Karen, Sharing&Caring,TheMaurerFoundation,BideaweeAnimal Rescue,andNewGround.
Mr Gelestino has presented both nationally and internationally The most recent presentation was in Augsburg, Germany, at Interlift in April 2022 Having gathered the knowledge of advanced technologies, safety, equipment, and best practices, Mr. Gelestino teaches and trains his team about valuable tools and shares ideas to help grow the business and foster relationships. The Champion Senior Management team is comprised of like-minded individuals with the same focus and vision! Vice President Joseph Corrado helps create operational KPIs and sees the teamisalwaysrowingtogetherintherightdirection.Robert MastersonChiefTechnicalDevelopmentOfficerexpandsthe companythroughtheimplementationofsystems,processes, and procedures while the CFO Patrick Klosterman handles thefinancialstabilityoftheoperation.
Champion Elevator has always had a heavy emphasis on a client-first approach. The company strictly adheres to this value and takes every action that aligns with this value. Elaborating on the same, Mr. Gelestino says, “The biggest issue facing the elevator industry is always proprietary equipment. Once installed, a building owner is tied to only one vendor The owner or developer who is not educated about this technicality soon becomes aware and realizes they are“trapped.”
REAL-TIME HONEST COMMUNICATION IS WHAT CHAMPION IS ALL ABOUT FOR THE EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS.
Champion only installs non-proprietary equipment that can be serviced by all companies. This keeps our service reliable and our prices competitive.” Many Original Equipment Managers and larger Elevator companies are trying to sell buildingownersandmanagersonremotemonitoringoftheir systems. While this may sound like a logical and good approachitismerelyawayforcompaniestodispatchfewer people to a building and save manpower. Champion has a unique remote monitoring system that offers their clients monitoring of the elevators but with a truly transparent and honestsystemthatisactuallyverypreventiveandproactive!
Repair:Aproductthatismadewithqualityandoffersquality service, repairs are always guaranteed. A good business alwaysoffersitsclientsgoodserviceandisawareofhowto make them happy when they leave. Champion Elevator is aware of the inconvenience and embarrassment caused by malfunctioning elevators for building owners, managers, or engineers.Theresidentsofthebuildinghaveseveralhassles, and the building’s flow is slowed down, which results in losses.Theonlywaytofixthisistodoaspeedy,qualityrepair
When repairs are necessary, Champion Elevator offers assistance. The business organizes and sends out its mobile crewofrepairspecialistsontime.Thecompany’sworkforce can work specialized shifts, supply replacement parts for all elevator brands, and properly notifies building staff when repairsneedtobemade.Bydoingthis,theinconvenienceto theelevatorusersiseffectivelyreduced.
Maintenance: It is a firm belief of Champion Elevator that adequate equipment maintenance procedures are of the utmostsignificance.Thisensuresthatridersreceivesaferand moreeffectiveservicewhilealsosavingbuildingownersand managers money. Peak performance for passengers and significant cost savings for owners and managers are the results of its customized services, which guarantee that the elevators are maintained at peak performance levels while expensive repairs, overtime, and inconveniences related to downtimearekepttoaminimum.
Numerous types of elevators are used in various ways, and Champion Elevator is aware that “ALL ELEVATORSARE NOT CREATED EQUAL.” Some run continuously, while others only do it a few times a year. Every elevator has a unique setting, usage, and maintenance requirements. In order to ensure that all of the mechanical and electrical components receive the required maintenance at the precise
rightmoment,Championcreatesapreventativemaintenance schedulethatisspecificallytailoredtothetype of elevator. The company also serves all independently owned competitors’ non-proprietary equipment. It also provides Standard Maintenance, Maintenance Plus, and Full-Service MaintenanceContractsforTractionandHydraulicElevators whilerespectingclients’requirementsandbudgets.
Modernization: Making the ideal selection of equipment, supplier, and installer is essential. Also, when to select the correcttimetomodernizetheelevatorsystemisatoughtask. Iftheequipmentisexcellentinqualityandfittedcorrectly,all passengers will benefit from years of safe and dependable elevator service. By making use of their knowledge, skillful specialists, and cutting-edge modernization processes, Champion helps in achieving the modernization objectives. The company keeps a keen eye on every detail, and also assists in taking serviceability, cost, and aesthetics into account. The modernization project is guided by Champion Elevator,whichcanofferbasiccontrolupdates,aestheticcab and fixture changes, car and hall door packages, or a comprehensivereplacementofalltheelevatorequipment.
Toavoidexpensivedelaysintherenovationoftheelevators, Champion’s skilled management and installation teams collaborateclosely.Theirabilitytosticktostricttimelinesand spending limits consistently impress managers, renters, and building maintenance staff. The projects become successful duetoChampionElevatorspre-planningcoordinationefforts andmorethanthreedecadesofexperienceinmanagement
Violations: Champion Elevator is aware that a prompt, appropriate, and economical remedy is essential if the elevator equipment is found to be in violation of the law for anyreason.Therearenowsteepfinesandpenaltiesleviedby the NYC Department of Buildings for filing Category 1 inspections,Category5inspections,andA.O.C.adjustments beyond the deadline Penalties can sometimes be more expensive than the actual repair The NYC Department of Buildings,Westchester,andLongIslandgovernmentsareall indailytouchwithChampionElevator’sViolationandA.O.C Correction Department. For the benefit of its clients, Champion’s experts can speed up the documentation and preventpenaltieswiththeirexperienceandconnections.
Testing:All elevator types are tested by Champion Elevator inalljurisdictions.Itisanauthorizedinspectioncompanyin NYC. Regular annual Category 1, Category 5, and QEI inspectionsarecarriedoutbyitsskilledemployees.
It has the skills and resources necessary to ensure that the elevators are secure, dependable, and up to code. Additionally, Champion offers all of the expediting and documentation required for the file in accordance with the client’sjurisdiction.
Champion’s inspectors are always properly identified and in uniform They behave professionally and politely when speakingwithvisitorsandemployeesofthebuilding.
ElevatorAdvice
Beingaseasonedleaderintheindustryandalsobeingfamiliar with all the nooks and crannies, Mr Gelestino imparts this valuableadvicetobuddingentrepreneursandenthusiastswho wish to venture into the elevator and escalator service and repair space. “The elevator space is amazing and a great career Mysuggestionistoalwaysbeopenandhonestwithall customers, and always return calls and emails immediately even if you don’t have an answer yet or the answer may not be what the customer wants to hear Also, make big investments in safety equipment, education, and training. This industry is great,butyoumustleadbyasafetyexampletobesuccessful,” concludesDonaldGelestino.
Leaders are never dependent on opportuni es. Instead, they carve out their own unique ways to produce astonishing results. Donald Geles no, Founder and President of Champion Elevator, is a prime example of excellent and visionary leadership. He has proven his skills throughout the course of his work and con nues to excel in the industry. Under his leadership, Champion Elevator has been amongst the fastest-growing elevator companies in the US. Donald believes in keeping real- me transparent communica on with the Champion’s staff and clients, which becomesakeyfactorineasingthetransforma oninanycircumstance.
Donald has a unique leadership styleand believes in hiringgood people and later helping them to learn their roles inside the company Being a great leader, he knows the value of self-mo va on andcrea ngateamofpeoplewhoareself-mo vated.Heisextremelypassionateabout business andaimstoprovidepeoplewiththebestopportuni esintermsofbothserviceandemployment.
Donald has successfully established a strong culture in the company by maintaining open lines of communica on with the employees. He conducts mee ngs every week with every department andconnectswiththemaintenanceteamoncallregularly Hebelievesininclusivityandvisionsto create an environment where every employee knows that they are part of a team and their opinions and sugges ons ma er He ensured that the company maintained a sugges on box whereemployeescouldexpresstheirconcernsandopinions.
He is driving Champion Elevator con nuously toward the height of excellence and makes every efforttomaintainandofferthebestservicestothecustomers.
