Navigating Elevator Complexities?
Let us be your expert guide.
Navigating Elevator Complexities?
Let us be your expert guide.
Elevator Consulting Experts
What we do
For building owners and facility managers, managing elevator systems can be a demanding task. Duncan Elevator Solutions provides the specialized expertise you need, offering clear guidance and practical solutions for everything from large-scale modernizations and portfolio consolidation to meticulous maintenance audits. We ensure your vertical transportation assets perform optimally, protecting your investment and tenants.
Services
At Duncan Elevator Solutions, we provide specialized vertical transportation consulting designed to optimize performance, enhance safety, and drive significant cost savings for building owners and property managers. Our comprehensive services ensure your elevator and escalator assets are managed effectively throughout their lifecycle.
Elevator & Escalator Portfolio Optimization
We specialize in streamlining and enhancing the management of your entire vertical transportation portfolio, particularly for owners with multiple properties. Our systematic approach leads to standardized maintenance, improved reliability, and substantial cost reductions.
- Maintenance Portfolio Consolidation: We gather existing contract data, develop comprehensive maintenance specifications (RFP creation, bid analysis, recommendations), and manage seamless transitions between vendors to create unified, high-performing programs across all your facilities.
- Ongoing Portfolio Management: Beyond consolidation, we provide continuous support, including monitoring "out of scope" invoices (callbacks/repairs), ensuring contract compliance through follow-up inspections, and offering expert technical advice to your building management personnel.
Modernization & New Construction Oversight
Ensure your modernization and new elevator/escalator construction projects are executed flawlessly, on time, and within budget.
- Project Analysis & Planning: From detailed traffic studies to comprehensive project analysis, we provide the insights needed for successful vertical transportation upgrades.
- Technical Specifications & Management: We develop precise technical specifications and offer expert project management from planning to completion, ensuring quality and adherence to design.
Pre-Acquisition & Due Diligence
Make informed investment decisions with our thorough vertical transportation analysis for potential building purchases.
- Comprehensive Due Diligence: We conduct in-depth pre-contract reviews of elevator and escalator systems.
- Budgeting & Upgrade Estimates: Our team provides accurate estimations for necessary upgrades, modernizations post-acquisition, and realistic ongoing maintenance budgets.
Expert Audits & Legal Support
Leverage our deep industry knowledge for crucial evaluations and legal matters.
- On-Site Maintenance Audits: Our QEI (Qualified Elevator Inspector) certified professionals conduct detailed audits to assess maintenance quality and contract compliance, identifying areas for improvement and savings.
- Expert Witness Services: We provide clear, authoritative expert witness assistance for legal cases involving elevator and escalator maintenance disputes, faulty installations/modernizations, or alleged personal injury/wrongful death claims.
Who we are
Duncan Elevator Solutions - President
Robert ‘Chip’ Duncan started his carrier in the elevator business in 1979 working in the summers while attending Southern Illinois University in various elevator field related positions including manufacturing, field operations and relocating the Sears Tower service operation.
After obtaining his Bachelor of Science with a Mechanical Engineering degree at Southern Illinois University in 1985, Chip joined Westinghouse as an Elevator Sales Engineer and Project Manager in New Orleans, LA where he was a project manager on multiple elevator projects. With Schindler’s acquisition of Westinghouse in 1989, Chip was relocated to Raleigh, NC where he opened theRaleigh office as the area manager and later promoted to Branch Manager. During his ten years as the Branch Manager, Chip was Branch of the Year for 3 years and a top five office for customer satisfaction all ten years.
With 20 years of industry experience in different positions Chip joined Greg Davis and Associates in 2004 as Vice President and serviced his customers by managing special projects and running multiple large elevator modernization projects. In addition to continuing Elevator & Escalator training he has been a Qualified Elevator Inspector since 2004 (QEI # 3089). Chip Duncan is also a member of NAESA International (National Authorities Elevator Safety Association).
In 2012 Chip took over as the President and CEO of Duncan Elevator Solutions (DES) which his father started in 2006. Chip is actively involved with elevator modernizations, maintenance evaluations and due diligence reviews for customers such as Highwood’s Properties, Dilweg, Healthpeak, HCA, CBRE and others. As of 2022 the Duncan family has been in the elevator business for 100 years. In 2022 Chip joined forces and teamed up with Todd Whiteheart who started Whiteheart Elevator Solutions (WES). Todd has partnered with DES to learn our processes and assist with our Modernization projects and elevator consulting business.
Who we are
Whiteheart Elevator Solutions - President
Todd began his career in the elevator industry in 1986 as a helper in service and repair. Being paired with some of the best mechanics in the industry Todd quickly excelled into positions of added responsibility. Todd went on to complete 5 years of the National Elevator Industry Educational Program and passed his mechanics exam in 1992. He attended East Coast Polytechnic Institute in Raleigh, NC where he graduated with a degree in Computer Science.
Todd has 35 years experience in the vertical transportation industry and has a firm grasp on the elevator business from the ground up. Todd is well rounded in all facets of the elevator industry. His experience as a lead field mechanic, superintendent, service - sales leader and district manager spans across many brands of manufactures elevator and escalator equipment. This experience
includes maintaining, repairing, new installation, modernization, field labor management, parts management, project management, contract negotiation, specification development and district management of a multi-million-dollar district.
Additionally, as a District Manager he led one of the most successful offices in the Nation. He and his team were highly focused on rider and employee safety, customer satisfaction and delivering professional quality results for their customers. In 2022 Todd started Whiteheart Elevator Solutions (WES) and has teamed up with Chip Duncan of Duncan Elevator Solutions (DES). DES and WES will work together as a team, using their combined 75 years of elevator industry experience to meet the consulting needs of existing and new customers..