Johnson Lifts

{{Short description|Indian manufacturer of lifts and escalators}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox company | name = Johnson Lifts Private Limited | logo = Johnson Lifts logo.png | logo_size = | logo_upright =  | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | image = | image_size = | image_upright =  | image_alt = | image_caption = | type = Private | industry = | founded = {{Start date and age|1963}}<ref name=":0"/> | founder = K.J. John<ref name=":0"/> | hq_location = 1 East Main Road, Anna Nagar | hq_location_city = Chennai, Tamil Nadu | hq_location_country = India<ref>{{cite web |title=Contact Us |url=https://www.johnsonliftsltd.com/johnson-lifts-customer-care-number/ |website=Johnson Lifts |access-date=24 May 2023}}</ref> | num_locations = | num_locations_year =  | areas_served = South Asia, West Asia and Tanzania | key_people = Yohan K. John (MD)<ref name="thehindu3"/> | products = {{flatlist|Lifts{{•}}Escalators}} | production = | production_year =  | revenue = {{increase}} {{INRConvert|3000|c}}<ref name="thehindu3"/> | revenue_year = FY2019 | owner =  | num_employees = 9,000<ref>{{cite web |url=https://johnsonliftsltd.com/ |title=Johnson Lifts and Escalators |accessdate=2024-06-29 }}</ref> | num_employees_year = FY2024 | subsid = | website = {{URL|https://www.johnsonliftsltd.com/}} }}

'''Johnson Lifts Private Limited''' is an Indian manufacturer of lifts and escalators. Established in 1963, the company is headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Johnson Lifts also sells its products in Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and the United Arab Emirates. Exports accounted for about 6% of the company's revenue in the 2018-19 fiscal year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-01 |title=Johnson Lifts eyes overseas acquisition |url=https://www.asianage.com/business/in-other-news/011119/johnson-lifts-eyes-overseas-acquisition.html |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=The Asian Age}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Mukherjee |first1=Ritwik |date=31 October 2019 |title=Johnson Lifts eyes overseas acquisition |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/business/companies/011119/johnson-lifts-eyes-overseas-acquisition.html |access-date=23 May 2023 |website=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-12-04 |title=Johnson Lifts becomes Rs 2,000 cr company, to open regional hub in Delhi |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/johnson-lifts-becomes-rs-2-000-cr-company-119120401459_1.html |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=Business Standard |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History== Johnson Lifts was founded in Madras, Madras State (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu) by K.J. John in 1963.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=About Johnson Lifts Pvt Ltd |url=https://hostmaster.johnsonliftsltd.com/about-johnson-lifts/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |language=en-US}}</ref> He had been working at Best & Co., a lift manufacturing company in Chennai, when he decided to start his own company. Johnson Lifts started out doing lift maintenance.<ref name="mint" /> The company installed its first lift at the New Woodlands Hotel in Chennai in 1966.<ref name=":0" /> It began manufacturing lifts in 1970.<ref name="mint" /> Johnson Lifts started out with a small manufacturing unit at Vyasarpadi, before moving to a larger facility in Ambattur in 1988.<ref name="thehindu2" /> K.J. John died in 2002.<ref name="mint">{{Cite web |date=2012-08-23 |title=Dreams from the Deccan: Johnson Lifts |url=https://www.livemint.com/Companies/dtCJBuo8CTOLOUwfDinJuN/Dreams-from-the-Deccan-Johnson-Lifts.html |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=mint |language=en}}</ref> He was succeeded as managing director by his son John K. John, popularly known as Jr. John, who had joined the company as a technician in 1978.<ref name="NewAge">{{cite book |last1=Authors |first1=Various |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJt2s0laXssC |title=The New Age Entrepreneurs |date=17 May 2012 |publisher=Random House India |isbn=978-81-8400-120-4 |language=en |chapter=10}}</ref>

Johnson Lifts established a production facility at Poonamallee in 1997.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="thehindu2" /> The facility was more advanced than the previous two units as the company was able to access better technology following economic liberalisation in India in the early 1990s.<ref name="thehindu2" /> Since its founding, Johnson Lifts has faced strong competition from foreign multinational brands. According to Jr. John, the company placed an emphasis on product quality and customer service to compete. He noted, "For example, our unique selling proposition was that we looked into a customer complaint the same day it was received, which was unheard of 30 years ago [the 1980s]."<ref name="NewAge" />

The company initially sold its products in South India and expanded nationwide in 1999, benefiting from rapid urbanisation in India during the 1990s and 2000s.<ref name="NewAge" /> The company established a manufacturing plant in Nagpur, Maharashtra in 2003 to serve West and North India.<ref name="thehindu2" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-12-02 |title=Johnson Lifts upbeat on growth; eyes ₹2,200-crore revenues by 2019 |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/johnson-lifts-upbeat-on-growth-eyes-2200crore-revenues-by-2019/article9407506.ece |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=www.thehindubusinessline.com |language=en}}</ref> Johnson Lifts began expanding overseas in 2006, establishing subsidiaries in Sri Lanka and Nepal.<ref name="NewAge" /> The company sold 5,200 lifts and recorded a revenue of {{INRConvert|419|c|year=2009}} in FY09.<ref name="thehindu3" />

During the 1990s, most of the company's sales were to residential apartments. The growth in commercial real estate development and public infrastructure projects during the 2000s spurred the company to expand into the escalator market. These properties typically required escalators in addition to lifts, and many developers preferred to award contracts to a single supplier for both lifts and escalators, making it difficult for Johnson Lifts to compete.<ref name="NewAge" /> The company established a joint venture with Chinese escalator manufacturer SJEC Corporation in 2009 to sell light duty commercial escalators.<ref name = "thehindu">{{Cite web |date=2017-05-31 |title=Johnson Lifts launches heavy duty escalator unit |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/johnson-lifts-launches-heavy-duty-escalator-unit/article64306969.ece |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=www.thehindubusinessline.com |language=en}}</ref> The escalators were initially manufactured by SJEC and sold by Johnson Lifts.<ref name="NewAge" /> The consortium won a {{INRConvert|198|c|year=2011}} contract to supply 122 lifts and 296 escalators for Phase I of the Chennai Metro in February 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-02-02 |title=Johnson Lifts bags Rs 198 cr order from Chennai Metro |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/johnson-lifts-bags-rs-198-cr-order-from-chennai-metro-111020200077_1.html |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=www.business-standard.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-02-02 |title=Metro Rail awards contract for lifts |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/metro-rail-awards-contract-for-lifts/articleshow/7407942.cms |access-date=2023-05-23 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> It has also won contracts for the Delhi Metro, Bangalore Metro and other metro rail projects in India.<ref name="NewAge" />

Johnson Lifts invested {{INRConvert|100|c|year=2012}} to open a heavy duty escalator manufacturing facility at Oragadam, near Chennai, in May 2012. It is the first escalator manufacturing facility in India. The factory was established with technology transfer from SJEC.<ref name = "thehindu"/> Johnson Lifts now manufactures all its escalators at the Oragadam plant and the partnership with SJEC only involves sharing technical know-how.<ref name="NewAge" /> Johnson Lifts established a joint venture with Japanese company Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation (a subsidiary of Toshiba) called Toshiba Johnson Elevators (India) Pvt. Ltd. on 27 October 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TOSHIBA sharing equity with Johnson Lifts in India |url=https://www.toshiba-elevator.co.jp/elv/infoeng/newsrelease/2012/20121027.html |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-02-24 |title='We have successfully secured over 700 units in India' |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/we-have-successfully-secured-over-700-units-in-india/articleshow/51117274.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-05-23 |issn=0013-0389}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2012-10-28 |title=Toshiba partners with Johnson Lifts in India |url=https://www.constructionweekonline.in/business/toshiba-partners-with-johnson-lifts-in-india |access-date=23 May 2023 |website=Construction Week}}</ref> Johnson Lifts stated that it entered into the partnership as it lacked the technology to produce high-speed lifts. The company holds a 49% stake in the joint venture, with Toshiba holding the remaining 51% stake.<ref name="thehindu2" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-10-28 |title=Toshiba, partner to 'lift' focus on India |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/toshiba-partner-to-lift-focus-on-india/article20520528.ece |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=www.thehindubusinessline.com |language=en}}</ref>

Johnson Lifts was the top lift supplier in each of the South Indian states, and had a 20% market share nationwide by 2012.<ref name="NewAge" /> The company produced about 7,000 lifts annually as of August 2012.<ref name="mint" /> In the 2015-16 fiscal year, the company sold 9,500 lifts, recorded revenue of {{INRConvert|1200|c|year=2016}}<ref name="thehindu3" /> and had 6,000 employees.<ref name="thehindu2" /> Johnson Lifts held an 18% and 36% market share in the Indian lift and escalator markets respectively as of January 2017.<ref name="thehindu2">{{Cite news |date=2017-01-25 |title=Johnson Lifts targets 20% share |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/Johnson-Lifts-targets-20-share/article17093698.ece |access-date=2023-05-23 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The company sold over 10,000 lifts and recorded revenue of around {{INRConvert|2000|c|year=2009}} in FY19.<ref name="thehindu3">{{Cite web |date=2019-09-25 |title=Johnson Lifts aims high with new capacity & strong orders |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/johnson-lifts-aims-high-with-new-capacity-strong-orders/article29510630.ece |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=www.thehindubusinessline.com |language=en}}</ref>

Johnson Lifts invested {{INRConvert|125|c|year=2012}} to open a new production facility at Sengadu, Tamil Nadu in September 2019, with a capacity to produce 6,000 lifts a year. The company now has a total production capacity of 18,000 lifts a year. The company also announced that it had invested {{INRConvert|13|c|year=2012}} to add a second production line at its Oragadam plant. The expansion increases the plant's escalator production capacity by 500 units a year, giving it a total capacity to produce 1,100 escalators annually.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-09-25 |title=Johnson Lifts sets up ₹125 crore unit |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/johnson-lifts-sets-up-125-cr-unit/article29511928.ece |access-date=2023-05-23 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

On 21 September 2022, the company launched an internet of things-based wireless device named WATCH (Wireless Assessment to Troubleshoot Channelize & Host). WATCH enables real-time monitoring of the lift's performance, including sending out alerts when a passenger is trapped inside.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-09-21 |title=Johnson lifts launches an IoT based technological feature in its lifts named "WATCH" |url=https://theprint.in/ani-press-releases/johnson-lifts-launches-an-iot-based-technological-feature-in-its-lifts-named-watch/1137423/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Johnson Lifts launches IoT based feature named "Watch" in its lifts |url=https://www.constructionweekonline.in/transportation/johnson-lifts-launches-iot-based-feature-named-watch-in-its-lifts |website=Construction Week |access-date=23 May 2023 |date=22 September 2022}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Elevator manufacturers Category:Companies based in Chennai Category:Indian companies established in 1963 Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1963