Live Interviews from the National Association of Elevator Contractors Expo 2025
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Intro:
In this episode, I sat down with Jonathan Latham, Don Gelestino, Carrie LeFeber, Norm Nelson, Lynndi Tennyson, and Stuart Smith for live interviews at the NAEC Expo 2025. We talked about their experience with the conference, the messages they want to share with the elevator community, the biggest challenges facing the industry today, and lessons they’ve learned along the way. These were just a few of the many great conversations I had at this year’s event.
Summary:
Recorded live at the 2025 NAEC Expo, this episode features a series of insightful interviews with elevator industry professionals discussing key challenges, lessons learned, and advice for those in the elevator trade. Topics include navigating current industry changes, such as tariffs, and reflections on what keeps people passionate about their work.
Transcript:
Jonathan Latham (00:00)
It’s the friendships and the relationships that keep bringing me back over and over again.
Don Gelestino (00:05)
every year that I come, you think you’ve seen everything and then you see something more.
Stuart Smith (00:10)
learning the new stuff. Keeping a pulse on what’s going
Carrie LeFeber (00:12)
it’s exciting to see what everybody brings
Norm Nelson (00:15)
We have so many great partners here,
So we come here to see them, you know connect with friends and connect with people.
Lynndi Tennyson (00:19)
Most of what I do
is done via phone or via Zoom.
there’s something more powerful about when you are able to meet face to face.
Matt Allred (01:15)
Can you give me your name, title, company?
Jonathan Latham
Sure. My name is Jonathan Latham, national account manager with PTL equipment.
Matt Allred
Nice. Jonathan, how long have you been coming to these NAEC Expos and what keeps you coming back?
Jonathan Latham
I started coming to these expos around 2002 perhaps. I keep coming back because…
People in this industry are really a phenomenal group of people. And outside of the business side of things, which is, of course, why we’re all here, right? It’s the friendships and the relationships that keep bringing me back over and over again.
Matt Allred
Nice. A little bit of like a family reunion.
Jonathan Latham
Absolutely. Big family.
Matt Allred
Nice. Yeah, that’s great.
what is the biggest message that you want everyone at the show and anyone who watches this video to know?
Jonathan Latham
so probably twofold right? One would be fixtures made easy.
That’s one of the mottos at PTL equipment. And the second one would be US made, US steel, no tariffs.
Matt Allred
So tell me what is one of the biggest issues facing your segment of the industry right now?
Jonathan Latham
⁓ I think the biggest issue facing our segment of the industry right now, even though
It’s not really affecting PTL directly. It came up at the supplier meeting this morning, would be tariffs. And how…unsettling, It is to try to figure out exactly how we handle that for companies that are dealing with it. And it’s not just when you ship it.
project’s due,
Matt Allred
or when it’s quoted for that matter.
Jonathan Latham
Or when it’s quoted it’s when it lands what’s the landing date and it’s almost like you know we’re not in Reno this year right it’s almost like spinning a roulette wheel right you know what what’s it gonna be like?
Matt Allred
How far off might you be,
I don’t know. I’m not dealing with tariffs, but you quote it in August and then next year in April. How far off could you be if that’s with the tariffs?
Jonathan Latham
So, I’m- I’m not an expert on tariffs. I don’t claim to be an expert on tariffs.
I want to say it’s almost volatile. because, it could be…
You know, 100 % sounds like the end of it, right? It’s going to be 100 % of a tariff.
Matt Allred
Right. Right.
Jonathan Latham
But that’s not the case. it could be 110%. It could be 125%.
Matt Allred
Wow.
Jonathan Latham
And so you could quote it, and a year from now, you ship it, and it lands at the job site. And you have no idea what it’s going to be that day.
Matt Allred
Wow.
Jonathan Latham
So it’s a real big unknown for everyone. Almost a little scary.
Matt Allred
I going to say, yeah. How can you quote in good faith and not know what it’s going to be when it Well if there’s one thing you could improve or change about the industry, what would it be?
Jonathan Latham
So I think in line with the family reunion theme and the friendships and the relationships, it is that just like in a family.
Not everybody always gets along.
Matt Allred
For sure.
Jonathan Latham
But.
hope that I’ve learned life’s too short to not get along. And it’s never too late, never too late to mend that fence. And fix that relationship. Thank you. So that’s what I would say.
Matt Allred
Beautiful. Love that.
what is one of the biggest lessons you have learned or the best advice you’ve received being in this industry?
Jonathan Latham
So I started working in the industry in ’94. The gentleman that owned the company, Dan Gilbert, was a civil engineer.
And he was a great teacher and a mentor to me. I stayed in touch with him until last four or five years and I just can’t track him down anymore. But he was a very patient man. And he would just…
You know, give me a box of cable and a phone and say, an elevator phone and say, here, go drive to Raleigh, North Carolina and install this in the courthouse. And I’d look at him and I go, Dan, I don’t, I’ve never pulled cable. I’ve never installed an elevator phone. I barely know what one is. And he’d say, you can do it, Jonathan. Just go. And if you have a problem, give me a call.
So, I think that there’s a lot to be said for having faith in and expecting the best out of them. And I don’t think you can go wrong with that.
Matt Allred
It’s beautiful. Beautiful. Thank you. I appreciate you being with me today.
Jonathan Latham
I appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Matt Allred (06:19)
Can you give me your name, title, company?
Don Gelestino
Yeah hi, my name is Don Gelestino, I’m with Champion Elevator in New York
Matt Allred
How many years have you been coming to the NAEC expo?
Don Gelestino
Yeah, so I joined NAEC in 1996 and I probably missed about four expos since.
Matt Allred
What keeps you coming back?
Don Gelestino
Well, the innovativeness of all of the vendors, they put their best products forward and they’re always enhancing their products, making them better. So every year that I come, you think you’ve seen everything and then you see something more. You know, you just have to take that information and adapt it to your company.
Matt Allred
Yeah, What’s the main message
that you want to get out to this audience and anybody that listens to this?
Don Gelestino
I think that the main message would be you have to be part of NAEC It’s a great opportunity to ⁓ network, to come and see new products, to learn more information. The educational seminars are terrific. If you have the opportunity to serve on a board or serve as a committee member, it’s a game changer for your life. You meet a lot of great people personally. So I just think that
it’s all about the NAEC
Matt Allred
Sure, sure. Really a must have if you want to play in this space, you’ve got to be here.
Don Gelestino
Yeah, yeah. It’s definitely a must do, not a want to do. Right,
You’ve gotta do it. It’s the best.
Matt Allred
Awesome. What are some of the biggest issues facing your sector of the industry right now?
Don Gelestino
Yeah, so the biggest issues are 90 % of the time, everything I’ve seen over 30 years, 40 years, manpower and insurance.
⁓ The flavor of the day is tariffs for now, we’re gonna get that we’re get all through that together and it’ll be behind us one day but Manpower and insurance are the big ones
Matt Allred
right awesome So what is the one of the biggest lessons or the best advice you’ve received while working in this industry?
Don Gelestino
So the best advice and the biggest lesson I’ve definitely learned was knowing your overhead Having that in your all your job pricing very important because you may be landing a lot of jobs thinking you’re
Doing something good and you can just be losing money faster because you don’t have the right overhead number So that’s always been a key thing and I always want to pass that information along to anyone I can because it could be a game changer for sure.
Matt Allred
Don, anything else you’d like to share?
Don Gelestino
I would just say that you should be very thankful ⁓ in general if you’re part of the NAEC If you have any extra time to join a committee if you have a little more time join a board and It’ll make your elevator experience a lot better
Matt Allred
Thank you. Appreciate it.
Matt Allred (08:50)
All right, well welcome. Can you give me your name, title, and your company?
Carrie LeFeber
Sure. My name is Carrie LeFeber. I’m the sales and marketing coordinator for Cibes Symmetry.
Matt Allred
Awesome. Awesome. Thank you. So how many years have you been coming to the NAEC Expo and what keeps you coming back?
Carrie LeFeber
This is my second year. I think it’s exciting to see what everybody brings as new innovations and seeing what our dealer partners are bringing to the table as well in their sales.
Matt Allred
What’s the main message that you want everyone at this show to know?
Carrie LeFeber
⁓ that’s a hard one. I guess that we offer a lot of accessibility innovations. So a lot of things that can help people move around in their home and kind of age in place a little better.
Matt Allred
Nice, nice quality of living. Yes. Sounds great.
What is one of the biggest issues facing your sector of the industry right now?
Carrie LeFeber
So we deal with a lot of older homes. So with us, we have to be a little more cognizant of ceiling heights and having room to make things accessible. So those through the floor lifts are kind of and stair lifts are kind of our bread and butter as it were.
Matt Allred
OK, gotcha. If there is one thing that you can improve or change
the industry, what would it be?
Carrie LeFeber
Just bringing more knowledge and making more people aware that it’s an option rather than moving into like a ranch style home or downsizing when they can stay in the home they’ve loved for over 30 years.
Matt Allred
Awesome. Yeah, give grandma and grandpa some options they maybe didn’t know they had.
Carrie LeFeber
Exactly.
Matt Allred
Okay. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned or best advice you’ve received while working in the vertical transportation industry?
Carrie LeFeber
I think for me, I came from the hospitality industry so that teamwork really translated really well and you know, just getting to know your team, getting to know how to work together as a whole is huge.
Matt Allred
Awesome. Thank you, Carrie.
Carrie LeFeber
You’re welcome.
Matt Allred
Appreciate you being with me today.
Carrie LeFeber
Thanks. Have a good one.
Matt Allred
Yeah, you too.
Matt Allred (11:10)
Can you give me your name, title, company?
Norm Nelson
Yeah, I’m Norm Nelson, CEO of Kings III
Matt Allred
Awesome. Norm, thank you. How long have you been coming to the NAEC Expo?
Norm Nelson
This is my fourth year. Yeah.
Matt Allred
Awesome. What is it that keeps you coming back?
Norm Nelson
We have so many great partners here, the elevator companies that we work with on the emergency communications side of the elevator system.
So we come here to see them, you know connect with friends and connect with people.
Matt Allred
Awesome. What’s the biggest message that you like to get out to everybody that’s here at the show?
Norm Nelson
Two things probably. One, we really want to help on the emergency communication side. That’s often a challenge for lot of elevator contractors. It’s our area of expertise. So we want to be able to help with that. And also add to that like we just want to help the industry. We want to be part of it and contribute by being good people, good partners, and yeah, just help everybody grow.
Matt Allred
Awesome. What would you say is one of the biggest issues
facing your sector of the industry today?
Norm Nelson
Definitely in our case it’s the changing code around the emergency communication system, adding video. That’s a big challenge for everybody. Getting video out of a moving cab is not technologically simple. And there’s a lot of steps in the process from the fixture companies to the companies that make the video management systems to companies like us that can help install it, monitor it, dispatch. A lot of moving parts and it’s a new part of the code so it’s a learning process for everybody.
Matt Allred
Yeah, I can only imagine, I mean you’ve got new stuff but you got retrofits.
and you got old elevators, like how do you do that?
Norm Nelson
Yeah, doing all that and trying to keep the focus on the people that are riding in the elevator. That’s who we want to take care of when there’s an issue. ⁓ But everybody’s great to work with. We love how far we’ve come in the past couple years in that area. We’ve got more work to do, but we’re doing it together.
Matt Allred
Awesome, awesome. So last question, what’s some of the best advice or one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned that you like to pass on?
Norm Nelson
I feel like there’s so many that others have taught me.
that it’s not about you.
That’s probably be the one. It’s like we all work for a company and we’re all trying to do the right thing for our company, our owners, our shareholders. But if we try and just be the only ones that win, it’s usually not the best outcome. So it’s not about you, it’s about the group. I don’t think anybody here does what they do completely in a vacuum. We all have suppliers, partners, vendors, customers that we work with. So putting them first is usually the way to long term success.
Matt Allred
Absolutely, I love that, thank you. And win-win is something I truly see here in this space, right?
That you cannot succeed alone and the more people you help succeed, more likely you are to succeed yourself.
Norm Nelson
Yeah, yeah
Matt Allred
Awesome. Anything else you’d like to share?
Norm Nelson
No, thanks for having us. This is super cool.
Matt Allred
Thank you. This is fun. I appreciate it.
Norm Nelson
Thanks, man.
Matt Allred (13:47)
So can you give me your name, title, and company?
Lynndi Tennyson
So I’m Lynndi Tennyson. I am the inside sales manager for Phoenix Modular Elevator.
Matt Allred
Awesome. Lynndi, how long have you been coming to the NAEC Expo?
Lynndi Tennyson
I would say off and on since I joined PME in 2016. So this is probably my fourth or fifth NAEC.
Matt Allred
Right. And what keeps you coming back?
Lynndi Tennyson
For me, it is getting to meet my installers and our contractors in
person. Most of what I do or how I build relationships is done via phone or via Zoom. And yes, that can be great. That was wonderful during COVID. But there’s something more powerful about when you are able to meet face to face. I think it solidifies things and I just like to get to know people on a better level.
Matt Allred
Awesome. What’s the main message that you would like everyone at this conference to know and anyone that listens to this recording?
Lynndi Tennyson
I think the number one thing I would like them to know is that modular construction is not new. Modular elevators are not new. I know they might be new to some people listening to this or you know it can be scary, change is scary. But modular elevators have been around since 1995. They were actually invented in Mount Vernon, Illinois which is where we still do business. The original name was Infinite Access. And in 2009 our current owner, Allison, bought those assets and started the company up again. We even still have original employees that were Infinite Access. So we’re not new. We are building higher. We are experiencing a lot of growth. And we’re solving very real problems within the elevator industry. There’s a niche for us. And it’s an exciting time to be part of the elevator world.
Matt Allred
Absolutely, absolutely. What is one of the biggest issues facing your sector of the industry today?
Lynndi Tennyson
I would say one of the biggest issues is just the connotation of the word modular. It’s…
When you think of modular, you think of the 1960s trailers. And yes, those were cheap and they served a purpose, but they weren’t exactly quality. And so our use of the word modular then that automatically equates to cheap, ineffective in other people’s minds. And so I would rather call it just offsite construction, not modular construction. And I think that offsite construction actually
Provide so many benefits because you have so much better quality control. We are using the exact same industry standard non-proprietary parts that any other elevator contractor does and can maintain. You’re not sacrificing safety or quality. Our elevators are built to very high standards. We welcome third party inspections if needed.
build to seismic and hurricane zones. So it doesn’t have to mean cheap, it just means offsite.
Matt Allred
Awesome, awesome. what’s the biggest lesson that you’ve learned or some of the best advice you’ve received working in the vertical
transportation industry?
Lynndi Tennyson
So I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that elevators are not easy.
When I came onto Phoenix in 2016, that was our motto, we make elevators easy. And within about two years, I quickly realized that we can’t deliver on that promise. You can’t have a motto or a tagline that you can’t deliver for your customers. And I’m not saying that we don’t simplify it, we make elevators easier. But that’s not a great motto, we make elevators easier. So we switched that around.
want to highlight how we do make it easier. We have a very extensive project management system where we try to highlight and we try to meet with the subs, with the contractor, with anybody involved, anybody who wants to sit in a meeting with us, where we explain exactly what we’re doing every step of the way. We explain exactly what is going to happen on site. We tell you exactly when we’re going to be there and we try to hold
to our timelines so that the elevator is not the thing delaying your project. Because elevators get a bad name and they don’t have to.
Matt Allred
Beautiful.
Matt Allred (18:32)
Can you give me your name, title, company?
Stuart Smith
Yeah, my name’s Stuart Smith. My job is business development at Fairway Elevator in Atlanta, Georgia. Been in the elevator trade, gosh, coming up on 25 years. So started right out of graduation 2000, Kone Elevator Company.
Matt Allred
Cool. How long have you been coming to these expos?
Stuart Smith
Off and on since 2005.
last five years I’ve been doing pretty regular educational conference in the NAEC show but off and on since 2005.
Matt Allred
What keeps you coming back?
Stuart Smith
I think it’s important to keep a pulse on what’s going on with the latest and greatest stuff is what’s new on the market right now if you’re not starting to you know learn about AI you’re gonna get left behind. That’s the next best thing. So learning the new stuff. Keeping a pulse on what’s going on.
Matt Allred
Awesome. What’s the biggest message that you have to to share with everybody who’s here at the expo?
Stuart Smith
Okay so figure out who to talk to, for one thing. Two, figure out where you can get non-proprietary equipment. That’s the biggest thing right now. I think the whole industry’s completely upside down right now. Stuck with the majors because of the proprietary thing. Owners are absolutely handcuffed. They can’t go anywhere. They’re super frustrated. They’re paying five times the market price because it’s not non-proprietary. And the industry doesn’t understand that. So we got to figure out as open-air subcontractors, how do we help aid that? How do we help our owners, our customers, get non-proprietary stuff? Because they don’t even know I’m talking about. I have to educate them. That’s what it’s all about.
Matt Allred
Right, awesome,
one of the biggest issues facing your segment of the industry right now?
Stuart Smith
so we do quite a few new commercial installations to the tune of about four to five a month I would say. And I would say the biggest challenge I have is you’ve got these multinationals out there, that are able to just absolutely drop the bottom out of the price and come in at like ridiculously low prices, it’s very hard to compete with. And then kind of what I touched on earlier Matt educate our customers on the importance of proprietary versus not proprietary.
Getting them to understand why that’s so important, why that matters to them, and why that might be worth the 5 % premium over what the multinational has charged for the new install. So too many customers focus too much on what that sticker price is on a new elevator install. Without consideration for how much they’re going to pay over the lifetime of that elevator, that might be 40, 50 years as you know, right? How much are repairs going to cost? What happens if they have to replace this board that they can only source from one supplier? So trying to get them to understand that and why that might be worth a couple thousand dollars more for a two-stop hydro, than saving…
$2,000 on this price, and it might turn into $15,000 over course of 20 years.
Matt Allred
It’s a little bit like investing in the future. Maybe you pay a little bit more for your vehicle, whatever it is, but it’s going to last you longer, or whatever the case may be.
Stuart Smith
Sure. And if you buy it from this dealership or that dealership, this guy may or may not give you better service, right? What if they never pick up the phone? What if they’re never available? What if they don’t honor that warranty that they promised you from day one? So the whole value chain is what I try to educate my customers on.
Matt Allred
Yeah, thank you. That’s beautiful. What would you say is one of the best pieces of advice?
or one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned that you’d like to share?
Stuart Smith
Yeah, that’s a great question, Matt. So when I first started in the trade when I was a kid, I wanted to be a mechanic, and that’s all I wanted to be. And I loved working with my hands. And when they started talking to me about going into sales, or operations management, or maybe finance, or marketing, or all these other endeavors, I was very myopic in my view. I wanted to stay a mechanic. wanted to be a mechanic. And then when I finally said, you know what, what’s the harm? Let me give it a try. And I learned how to do all these different things. It made me so much better well-rounded and now today I can look back over my career 25 years ago and I know a little bit about finance. I know about marketing. I know how to install an elevator and can speak to that service, the whole gamut. So I would encourage any young person that wants to be in the elevator trade just to get well rounded. Allow themselves to go into an area of the business that they might not be passionate about, just to learn it. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to be handcuffed to that role for the rest of your career, right? In fact, if you’re good at what you do, you’re only going to stay there for a short period of time as you know because you’re going to move up, you’re going to get opportunities, you’re going to get
chances to work in this side of the business or otherwise. yeah, there’s some folks that I know that have never done anything other than accounting or never done anything other than sales and they’re they’re handcuffed. They’re stuck. yeah.
Matt Allred
Well, and obviously you’re in this role because you do understand all the other aspects, right?
Stuart Smith
I would say that after a certain point in time, I said, look, I can do this too. Why do I have to work for someone else? I’ve learned how to do these things, right? So my team and I, said,
We can do this without having to work for this company or that company this company, right? So it just opens up the horizons
Matt Allred
Awesome. Anything else you’d like to share?
Stuart Smith
Hey, love the NAEC show. Love what the NAEC show is about. ⁓ Education. You can never stop learning. Don’t ever stop learning. Don’t ever get complacent. Don’t ever sit back on your heels.
Matt Allred
Awesome. Thank you. Appreciate you being here.
Stuart Smith
Thank you.