Pickerings Lifts is a British elevator manufacturer, based in Stockton-On-Tees in the North East of England. It is the largest independent elevator manufacturer in the country, as well as one of the oldest elevator companies in the UK.
History
Pickering Lifts was founded in 1854 by Jonathan Pickerings and at that time they manufactured pullley, chain hoists and hand-powered hoists. At that time the company was originally known to just Pickerings. In 1896, the company made operatorless (automatic push buttons) elevators for low rise buildings.
Pickerings founded the National Association of Lift Makers (NALM) in 1932, which was the predecessor of the Lift & Escalator Industry Association (LEIA). In possibly the 1950s, Pickerings invented the first machine room less elevator, the Pickerings Econolift. It also might have been the first elevator in the UK with no inner doors. Possibly in the mid-1970s, the Pickerings Econolift was discontinued.
It is unusual in that it is one of the UK's major elevator companies that has managed to avoid being taken over by one of the "Big Four" (Otis, Schindler, Kone & ThyssenKrupp), and has remained independent for all of its history. In 2008, Pickerings started selling escalators and in 2011 the company was renamed to Pickerings Lifts.
Notable past elevator models
- Econolift (machine room less elevator)
- Euromatic (mini machine room? elevator)
Elevator fixtures
Notable installations in the United Kingdom
- Vauxhall Station (Platforms 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8), London
- Vernon Building, High Wycombe
- Travelodge, Milk Market, Newcastle
- Bargate Shopping Mall, Southampton
- Dartford Railway Station, Kent
- Brencon House, Maidstone
- Royal Star Shopping Centre, Maidstone
- Aston Railway Station (Platform 1), Birmingham
- Snow Hill Railway Station (Tram Platform), Birmingham
- New Victoria Theater, Woking
- Whole Foods Market, Kensington
- Castle Lane Shopping Mall, Stockton
- Holiday Inn Express, Glouchester
- Angle Centre Shopping Mall, Islington
- Cherry Orchard ApartHotel, Port Erin, Isle of Man
Gallery
Trivia
- Pickerings Lifts also distributes MP (Mac Puarsa) elevators in the United Kingdom and installs them under their brand name.
- It is also a distributor of Aritco platform and home lifts, BKG dumbwaiters and service elevators, and possibly BLT escalators in the UK.