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Welcome    Perched on a hoisting platform high above the crowd at New York’s Crystal Palace, a pragmatic mechanic shocked the crowd when he dramatically cut the only rope suspending the platform on which he was standing. The platform dropped a few inches, but then came to a stop. His revolutionary new safety brake had worked, stopping the platform from crashing to the ground. “All safe, gentlemen!” the man proclaimed.   The man riding the hoist was Elisha Graves Otis, the founder and namesake of our company. With his safety brake, Otis literally started the elevator industry. His invention enabled buildings – and architects’ imaginations – to climb ever skyward, giving a new and bolder shape to the modern urban skyline. Mr. Otis sold his first safe elevators in 1853. Today, more than a century and a half later, Otis still stands as the world’s leading elevator company, with more than 60,000 employees serving customers in nearly every country on earth. Thanks to their dedication, you can ride Otis equipment with confidence, knowing that it represents 150 years of experience in both safety and quality. We have created this website to celebrate our company’s history. Here you will find interesting – and sometimes curious – facts, company pictures, introductions to our employees and retirees, and articles about Otis’ history-making achievements. We hope you will enjoy browsing it. Didier Michaud-Daniel President Otis Elevator Company