Reaching New Heights: How Potomac Elevator Co. Is Pushing The Elevator Industry Higher

Whether they are in an office, apartment building, hotel or just about any other commercial building, people expect elevators to work safely and seamlessly. But they don't always.

To keep these essential machines running, regular maintenance and, when needed, repairs and upgrades are required. A key component to ensuring an elevator runs consistently and smoothly is clear communication between the elevator servicer and the building owner or property manager. 

Daily on-site property management used to be the industry norm, but in the Washington, D.C., area, more property managers are working remotely and managing more buildings at once, Potomac Elevator Co. President Brian Cooper said. This has accentuated the need for quality maintenance services and continuous communication.

“Everybody wants to know what's happening in real time to the greatest extent possible,” Cooper said. “We need to tailor our service and maintenance product to that need for communication in a proactive manner.”

Instead of communication being an “ad hoc experience” of calling in only when an elevator needs servicing or repairs, Cooper said providing the customer with continuous information so that any potential issues can be identified in real time sets the right expectations from the start.

“Potomac's automated system can also track all incoming service calls,” Cooper said. “We have schedules and plans for each day for each technician. We combine both the expertise and the communication in a way that makes elevators accessible and understandable.”

To ensure there is no communication breakdown, the Potomac team has created an orientation program that it walks through with each of its customers, eliminating any confusion or missteps before they happen, said Laurence Gensler, Potomac’s head of service.

The orientation program works like a meet and greet, Gensler said, where the client is introduced to its assigned Potomac team members. The client is also given the necessary contact information and briefed on the services Potomac will be providing and what the client will be responsible for. 

“This meeting allows us to know their internal processes, so that way we can integrate our services seamlessly,” Gensler said. “It makes the entire partnership much easier, and it’s more personal.”

When the firm started in 2005, Cooper said it served all aspects of the elevator market in the Washington area, from installing elevators in newly constructed buildings to maintenance and servicing. In 2017, however, the firm shifted its approach, allocating the bulk of its resources to customers with existing service agreements.

“That's where we thought that the value that we added to the marketplace was, and it’s really paid dividends,” Cooper said. “It was hard at first because it was a reduction in revenue, but we really were able to turn it around, and we were able to grow beyond anything that we were doing before in a more controlled manner.”

The elevator maintenance and repair market, like many other service sectors, is constantly changing. In addition to quickly evolving technological innovations, the industry’s strict compliance codes and legalities can get complex, said Garrett Dick, Potomac’s head of sales. 

Keeping up with the market is no easy feat and requires partnering with a vendor who knows the ins and outs of the region. This is where Potomac, as a locally based, independent elevator company, has an edge, he said. 

“People know us,” Dick said. “They know what we can do. We know the customer base. We know what's going on within different jurisdictions. Other companies that have been bought recently don't have the same feel because their corporate offices are further away.”

Private equity firms are starting to step in to the elevator business, acquiring independent, local firms in the D.C. area, Cooper said. He has also noticed an influx of elevator companies from other regions of the country moving in to the DMV. 

“It's not the old world anymore of having four major manufacturers, and then you've got local service companies,” Cooper said. “One of the things that's different about Potomac is that we are a homegrown service provider. We don't work in other markets and have great local relationships and resources.”

As the firm celebrates its 20th anniversary, its focus remains on servicing and modernizing elevators in the DMV. Cooper said the keys to growing Potomac’s position in the market are to leverage and improve the internal systems in place to track and provide information to customers as quickly and accurately as possible.

“Our goal is to make every customer a customer for the next 20 years,” Cooper said. “We take a long-term view of every situation in order to provide the most valuable and cost-effective elevator service available.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Studio B and Potomac Elevator Co. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

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