Elevators are crucial elements in the efficient operation of buildings, ensuring the comfort of their occupants. Providing the most convenient way of inter-building connections and vertical transportation systems, the elevator industry grows with novel approaches and better services. Professional Elevators led by its Executive Director, Sujay Sudarshan, is one such company with inventive approaches that is constantly thriving with the addition of new verticals. The company has been instrumental in introducing the MRL (Machine Room Less) and LMR (Lift Motor Room) verticals for elevators which has set a benchmark in the lift industry.
A Fine Establishment
Sujay’s father started as an elevator technician in one of the largest companies in the world back at that time. After a vast experience of 16 years, he decided to start his own venture and that’s how Professional Elevators was born in 1999.
Watching his father establish a small venture and grow it into a successful business motivated Sujay to enter this field and in 2014, he joined the company. Being at the helm, he has been constantly working on scaling the company with novel approaches. A work enthusiast and passionate leader, Sujay holds a mission to make the company become an industry leader by achieving the highest market share in the hydraulic and traction elevator industry.
Customers->Safety->Quality
The guiding philosophy of Professional Elevators revolves around keeping customer satisfaction on top of everything. Apart from that, the company also always considers safety as the most important aspect of all of its products and never compromises on safety. In addition to customer satisfaction and safety measures, the company has maintained the quality of its products and services for the last two and a half decades—the main reason why customers are satisfied.
Refashioning: Survival of the Fittest!
Now a world where expansion is inevitable and advancements are part and parcel of growth, adapting and improvising are very important. Organizations ought to keep their eyes and ears open to their clients and their requirements. In the case of Professional Elevators, introducing touchless elevators during the period of COVID-19 was adapting to that scenario, that was a need of the hour and that was a huge success for the company.
A Passionate Leader
The secret to a company’s success is good leadership and it is all about making the lives of your team members or workers better, standing by their side all the time. Sujay is an enthusiast whose leadership skills have not only uplifted Professional Elevators but also his employees. Elaborating on his leadership ways, he says, “I am someone who will never take no for an answer. I will want to get the job done. And I am not somebody who will sit behind in the office in an AC cabin and instruct people. I am somebody who goes to the sites. I do my regular site visits regardless of timings.”
Happily, this approach by Sujay motivates the company’s installation team as inspite of the barrage of managers above them, the Head of the company visits the sites. When it comes to the Service Department or the Sales Department, he always encourages them to do things independently, gives them responsibility and empowers them by building confidence in them.
Green Ways
Social Responsibility and a sustainable future are the two important aspects towards the environment and being a leader in the industry, Professional Eleavors has also taken vital initiatives. The company has moved towards using energy-efficient motors (green motors). These have contributed to reducing the carbon footprint of the elevator and the company plans to focus on the same and improve the current efficiency ratings in the next 5 to 6 years.
Landmark Project of Professional Elevators
‘Impossible is just a word, it cannot be an emotion that demotivates you.’ Such a motivating thought inspired the team of Professional Elevators to complete one of the key projects that the company executed—Apollo Hospitals in Chennai, the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre. It is the largest cancer hospital in all of Asia where the company completed almost three elevators with a carrying capacity of 3,000 kgs and a landing of 10 or 11 stops in less than 25 days.
The company achieved what was believed to be impossible and this remarkable success was a result of the cumulative efforts of expert leaders and a brilliant team despite numerous odds. “That also changed how our company was looked at in the industry and also by the customers. We adhered to very strict timelines and we were able to manufacture and deliver the product in time. Though the project was implemented about five years ago, the elevators are perfectly fine and working appropriately,” adds Sujay.
Conquering the Digital Game
Professional Elevators has always been on top of the technology game and with its engineering marvels, it has created innovations in the lifts and elevator field. Thriving in the digital age of today, the company has been successful in incorporating internet and cloud technology with elevator functions. These advanced technologies enable the team at Professional Elevators to monitor the performance of elevators sitting in the office. As the elevators are primarily connected to the cloud, in case of any emergency or malfunction, the experts are already at the elevator to rectify it, even before a customer comes to know about it.
Empowering the Expert Team
The workforce is the cornerstone of any company and it is very important to have an extremely motivated and skilful team. Regardless of the company status, what matters is the expert and motivated employees that build strong foundations of organizations. Professional Elevators arranges regular training for its employees and keeps them motivated with various team-building activities. Moreover, the company empowers its employees by giving them a certain level of autonomy to make their own decisions and to proceed.
Staying Around the Clock!
Challenges are the gifts that force us into finding new gravity and overcoming them makes the business meaningful and successful. Professional Elevators also faced adversities during COVID-19. However, it was the efforts of its team that led the company towards success. So this is not based on a project where you know we came on top of the adversity. The technical team at Professional Elevators was ready to work to help people living in apartments in case of breakdowns of elevators or malfunction of elevators. “We were always there around the clock working even during COVID. Not a single member of my staff denied to work and was scared of the pandemic. For people on upper floors to utilize the elevators properly, they should be in perfect working condition and we focused on that,” adds Sujay.
Additionally, to avoid conflict, the company arranged emergency passes for the entire company from the government to assist people who are in need of elevator repair or malfunction including attending emergency calls. With its effective efforts, Professional Elevators managed to go the extra mile and helped other elevator companies with their elevator services and breakdowns.
Advice to Aspirants
In his advice to aspirants who wish to be an entrepreneur, Sujay says, “It’s more of, not an advice, but more of giving them an idea as to how the life of an entrepreneur is. It’s not a bed of roses. Every single day you have a new challenge, or rather every single hour you’ll be facing new challenges. For that, you will have to be on top of the pressure game. You will have to learn to deal with it.”
Sujay adds that it is very difficult to address the challenges in the beginning and furthers with an illustration of his journey which started a decade ago. “Ten years ago when I joined the company, I always thought it was going to be a piece of cake and life is going to be very easy, but it definitely isn’t.
Being an entrepreneur, you also have the responsibility of ensuring that you keep the families of everybody working for you, under you, or with you, also safe. If you fail, there are so many families that might fail because of you. For that, you always have that sense of responsibility also and be ready to handle all of these pressures in life. And only if you can handle it, you can get into the world of entrepreneurship,” adds Sujay.
Future Plans
A distinguished company like Professional Elevators holds a great future. It adheres to its vision of contributing towards nation-building. Extending this thought for a nationwide approach, the company also aims to play a role in building India with a superior urban landscape. Sujay expresses enthusiastically that the company wishes to contribute towards making tall buildings more efficient, vertical transportation more efficient and become one of the largest companies in the world.