Page 21 - NewsLester Issue 02

RETAIL
ESCALATOR MODERNISATION IN OXFORD CIRCUS DURING LOCKDOWN
With the pandemic causing retailers to close their doors to the public across the UK, there is a window of access for store owners to undertake refurbishment without further impacting on sales.
In larger stores, where high volumes of shoppers move between floors, typical of
those found in city centre high streets, escalators are often found within a
few meters of a store’s entrance. A good example of a retailer undertaking refurbishment work during lockdown,
is that of a premium footwear brand with a flagship store in London’s Oxford Circus. The retailer has two escalators
both requiring refurbishment. The specialist escalator company who won the refurbishment contract was Berkshire based, Go Escalators.
With the hope of lockdown being
lifted during February or March 2021, the retailer wanted the escalator refurbishment to be fully completed and tested in anticipation of returning to some degree of trading.
Due to time constraints with this refurbishment, Lester Controls helped with an accelerated build of the two ALMEGA II escalator controllers which have now been delivered to site, allowing Go Escalators to complete their work as agreed with the retailer.
GENERAL
CONSULT LIFTS
In the first full year since the opening in 2020 of the new Lester Controls’ Glasgow facilities, we have developed much closer working relationships with our Scottish customer base.
Not only did we get closer to our lift customers, but now with increased site support, we meet many of our customers’ customers. With this additional site activity, Scott Williamson our Regional Business Development Manager, decided to initiate a charity raffle and invite
our Scottish customers to participate. The customer wining the raffle would choose a Scottish based charity for the donation. Customers were asked to financially contribute via the purchase of raffle tickets generating over £500, with Lester Controls also adding a contribution, bringing the total donation to £1,254.38.
The winning raffle ticket holder was Consult Lifts, based in Paisley and operating across Scotland. Consult Lifts are an independent Lift and Escalator business with strong local community relationships, hence their choice of St. Vincent’s Hospice.
St. Vincent’s Hospice in Howwood, Renfrewshire provides palliative care to those living with cancer and other life limiting illnesses. Their services are provided completely free of charge to patients and their families.
Both Philip Reilly, Consult Lifts Business Development Manager and Scott Williamson had many conversations about St. Vincent’s and the dedication of the staff at all levels to those patients in the hospice and to their families.
Due to the social distancing requirements placed on care homes and hospices,
the decision was made for the donation to be made electronically. However, to thank Consult Lifts for their participation and choice of this worthy charity, Scott took advantage of a socially distanced meeting at our Glasgow facilities to present Philip Reilly with the cheque for St. Vincent’s Hospice.
NEWSLESTER Issue 2 :: Page 21