By Kim Yoo-chul
Staff Reporter
OTIS Elevator, a unit of United Technologies, has revised upward its yearly target for the local market as its South Korean branch has been signing more contracts to provide high-speed and energy-efficient elevators for larger intelligent buildings.
``We are positive about raising this year’s market share target to 60 percent from the current 40 percent, given more orders from bigger local builders,’’ Yvonne Shin, a spokeswoman of the company’s regional office, said Thursday, adding that all of the elevators will have the latest ReGen drives. The drive reduces energy consumption by up to 75 percent.
OTIS Elevator has been engaging in talks with some 10 local builders to supply Skyway double-deck elevators with speeds of up to 7 meters per second and Elevonic high-speed gearless elevators traveling up to 8 meters per second.
``The deals are estimated at over 150 billion won,’’ Shin said.
On a question over specific plans to maintain its current leadership in the local market, Shin said her company is now looking at an EMS Panorama system, a Web-based application which makes it possible for building staff members to monitor, control and manage a full range of operational functions.
OTIS Elevator is expected to post 1 trillion in sales in South Korea this year.