At DC Elevator, we serve our customers in all matters of vertical transportation. Please find a list of the most commonly used elevator types in the link navigation.

The history of elevators is also the history of humankind taking command of vertical transportation. Before the Iron Age, at the banks of the river Nile, ancient architects used beams, ropes, and ladders to transport large stone blocks to construct buildings like the pyramids. The Romans, for example, used complex hoist constructions to raise pillars and obelisks.

Ancient Hoist (Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae)

The Industrial Age propelled the development of the elements of elevator technology forward – the industrial application of the steam engine, new methods to construct and design hoistways, and a vertical expansion of buildings in metropolitan areas all contributed to the larger scale use of elevator technology. With a steady demand in the United States, caused by growth and expansion of urban New York and Chicago cityscapes, engineers in England, Germany, and France developed integral elements of elevator technology.

The American elevator companies harnessed this technology in larger scale and served an ever-increasing demand. Buildings like the Woolworth Building and the Empire State Building in New York were and are witnesses to the importance of elevator technology in our economy, our way of life, and the pursuit of superlatives. You can argue that the elevator was and is part of the foundation that makes the American Dream possible.

New York City Skyline

For forty years, we have provided our customers with individual solutions to specific challenges. Pending the needs of the building, building code requirements, and challenges of the building itself, we help them choose the right elevator type and model. The projects we have encountered over the years are as unique and distinctive as our customers.

Often, customers ask us about the difference between an elevator and a lift. Generally speaking, the main difference between a lift and an elevator is the way they operate: Once a control button is pressed, the elevator performs automatic; in a lift, the user needs to maintain constant pressure on the lift controls to operate it.

Most elevator passengers are familiar with automatic operation — they just press the button, and the elevator moves to the designated level or landing while they wait – or check their text messages. In a lift, they press and hold the button until the lift platform has reached the desired destination. To learn more about lifts, please visit our lifts page.