GVK

Elevator Consulting Services, Inc.

Who We Are

George von Klan

george@gvkecs.com

George von Klan founded GVK-ECS in 2007.  He has 21 years experience in the elevator industry, including 10 years as Vice President with Edgett Williams Consulting Group, where he had full design and project management responsibility for approximately 200 new and existing vertical transportation projects. Prior to that, von Klan worked on the staff of the CEO of Otis Elevator Company, where he was responsible for the world’s largest vertical transportation projects and global product strategies for all building, equipment, and component types. Prior to that, Von Klan was Otis general manager in San Francisco and San Jose, where he supervised all new construction, modernization and service operations. Von Klan helped develop the Otis Maintenance Management System, which is still in use by Otis today. He attended Union College in New York, and received his MBA from Stanford University. Von Klan is recognized as an elevator industry leader in the areas of modernization, destination dispatch, energy savings, and machine room-less elevators. Von Klan has received an award from the San Francisco Mayor’s Office on Disability for working to improve accessibility of destination dispatch elevators. He is a Steering Group member and former Executive Committee member of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat at Illinois Institute of Technology.    

 Kelly Houlihan

kelly@gvkecs.com

Kelly Houlihan joined GVK-ECS as Vice President in 2007. He has 25 years experience in the elevator industry, including 19 years with Otis Elevator Company, where most recently he was Lead Superintendent with responsibility for 30 installation crews and all Otis construction and modernization activity in San Francisco. Houlihan has worked closely with architects, general contractors and subcontractors in areas such as equipment layout, architectural requirements, structural supports, electrical and life safety interfaces, scheduling, and installation processes. While at Otis he was responsible for elevator commissioning to insure that elevators conform with project criteria such as ride quality, while also compiling and reviewing project cost estimates and close-out. Houlihan was also Otis Service Manager in Seattle where he was responsible for all service operations. Prior to that, he was an elevator installer, adjuster and trainer. Houlihan has been certified as a Competent Conveyance Mechanic (State of California), QEI Elevator Inspector, certified welder, and attended Seattle University where he studied Electrical Engineering.