Custom Elevators

Passenger elevators are fully functioning virtually indistinguishable in appearance and operation from conventional passenger elevators. All elevators are designed to comply with applicable ADA requirements. Please note that these are not Limited Use/Limited Application (LU/LA) elevators.

 The patented Gillespie Shallow Pit Safety System creates the required safe refuge space beneath the elevator for maintenance and inspection personnel. This protected refuge area is achieved through electrically operated safety bumpers designed to support the full weight of the elevator. The bumpers are positioned above the pit floor, providing the required safe working space while significantly reducing pit depth. Because these installations use an alternative safety system, a code variance is typically required.

 Gillespie can design and manufacture shallow pit elevators in virtually any size or capacity, with multiple stops and door openings. Configurations are available for a wide range of applications, including hospital gurney service. If you would like examples of elevators with different sizes, capacities, plan view configurations, please contact us.

 Using our Limited Overhead Safety System, we also design elevators for projects with restricted overhead clearance. We supply a fully functioning elevators with as little as 10’ of overhead, i.e., distance from the uppermost floor to lowest obstruction in the hoistway.

 For projects with both shallow pit and limited overhead constraints, Gillespie combines these patented technologies into a single elevator system, providing a practical solution for even the most challenging installation conditions.

Freight elevators are fully functioning and virtually indistinguishable in appearance and operation from conventional freight elevators.

 The patented Gillespie Shallow Pit Safety System creates the required safe refuge space beneath the elevator for maintenance and inspection personnel. This protected refuge area is achieved through electrically operated safety bumpers designed to support the full weight of the elevator. The bumpers are positioned above the pit floor, providing the required safe working space while significantly reducing pit depth. Because these installations use an alternative safety system, a code variance is typically required.

 Gillespie can design and manufacture shallow pit elevators in virtually any size or capacity, with multiple stops and door openings. Configurations are available for a wide range of applications, including hospital gurney service. If you would like examples of elevators with different sizes, capacities, plan view configurations, please contact us.

 Using our Limited Overhead Safety System, we also design elevators for projects with restricted overhead clearance. We supply fully functioning elevators with as little as 10’ of overhead, i.e., distance from the uppermost floor to lowest obstruction in the hoistway.

 For projects with both shallow pit and limited overhead constraints, Gillespie combines these patented technologies into a single elevator system, providing a practical solution for even the most challenging installation conditions.

As the nation’s largest manufacturer of custom sidewalk elevators, Gillespie offers three standard models (hydraulic and winding drum), each designed with a sidewalk door featuring an integrated drainage system, durable all-metal construction, basement doors with electromechanical interlocks, and a choice of wall-mounted or pendant-style constant-pressure controls.

Gillespie sidewalk elevators are primarily designed for service applications, including the movement of freight, inventory, dumpsters, and other materials between below-grade areas and street level or from grade level to truck height, where they can serve as efficient dock lifts. For applications requiring multiple below-grade stops, our sidewalk elevators can also be configured as freight elevators with rider capability.

Gillespie offers both standard and custom manlifts in a wide range of capacities, materials, and sizes to support a variety of applications. Our two primary models are designed to accommodate diverse operational requirements, including low- to high-rise installations, low- to high-speed operation, designated landing locations, and open-shaft configurations.

Gillespie does not mass-produce residential elevators. Instead, we design and manufacture each elevator to meet your specific vision, requirements, and expectations. From the architectural design of the cab and hoistway to the selection of premium materials, every detail can be customized. With options ranging from a variety of metals to exotic woods, virtually any design concept can be brought to life with a custom residential elevator from Gillespie.

 Popular custom designs include birdcage-style elevators and panoramic models, but the possibilities are nearly limitless. Gillespie works closely with each client to transform unique ideas into a fully realized elevator solution.

Gillespie provides a complete range of rooftop and helipad elevators, including fully operational passenger elevators and gurney-compliant models specifically engineered for hospital helipad applications.

 Every elevator is custom designed and manufactured to meet the specific needs of each project. With the ability to accommodate a wide range of sizes, capacities, multiple stops, and door configurations, Gillespie delivers solutions tailored to the unique requirements of your application.

Shipboard elevators are specialized marine transport systems designed to move passengers and crew between multiple decks aboard a vessel.

 Unlike land-based elevators, marine elevators are engineered to withstand the unique challenges of the maritime environment, including dynamic wave loads, vessel movement, rolling, and twisting forces. Their rugged construction provides reliable vertical transportation for personnel across cruise ships, ferries, and large commercial vessels.

In our experience, most LU/LA elevators available on the market are not robust enough to withstand the level of use they ultimately receive. Although they are intended for limited use, they are often operated far more frequently than originally anticipated.

 We manufacture fully code-compliant LU/LA elevator. While these come at a higher cost than a pre-engineered, off-the-shelf unit, these elevators perform like a conventional passenger elevator, requires fewer repairs, and provides a significantly longer service life.

 LU/LA elevators are also limited in size and performance. Many jurisdictions recognize a 51 in. × 51 in. car as the largest commonly available accessible LU/LA configuration. The maximum rated capacity is 1,400 lbs., maximum travel is 25 ft, and maximum speed is 30 ft/min. Projects requiring larger cars, greater capacities, or more than 25 ft of travel generally fall under the requirements for a conventional passenger elevator.

 If your project exceeds these LU/LA limitations but has restricted pit depth or overhead clearance, Gillespie's patented Shallow Pit Safety System allows for a pit as shallow as 8 inches. We also offer a Limited Overhead Safety System that enables the installation of a passenger elevator with as little as 10 ft of overhead clearance. These systems allow us to design passenger elevators in virtually any car size or capacity while accommodating challenging building conditions. Installations using these systems require approval through a code variance.

 Where space constraints are less restrictive, we can design and manufacture a passenger elevator requiring only a 32-inch-deep pit and 10 ft 9 in. of overhead clearance. This design provides the code-required bottom-of-car and top-of-car refuge spaces and therefore does not require a variance.

 Please contact us with your project requirements so we can evaluate your application and recommend the most effective and cost-efficient solution. Our goal is to provide an elevator that not only meets code but also delivers the long-term reliability, performance, and service life your project requires.