For more than two decades, Engr. Dideolu Falobi has led Kresta Laurel Limited with a clear focus on innovation, quality and engineering excellence. From tropicalised elevators and advanced power protection systems to advocating higher maintenance and safety standards, he has remained at the forefront of Nigeria’s vertical transportation industry.

Known for the sale, installation, and maintenance of elevators, escalators, overhead travelling cranes, building façade access equipment, renewable energy systems and industrial UPS, among others, Kresta Laurel Limited has, throughout its 36 years of existence, remained committed to its core values of meeting deadlines and providing quality services to its numerous clients across the country.

With the ingenuity and proactiveness of Engr. Falobi and his team, the company has taken giant strides by diversifying into renewable energy services, UPS systems, and solar power solutions for residences, educational institutions, commercial enterprises, and industries. The company has also developed its own elevator brand, the KLL Elevator. Unlike many elevators in the market, the KLL Elevator is tropicalised and specially designed for the Nigerian and African environments.

KLL Elevators come in two main categories — Premium and Standard. The Premium category features an air-conditioned cabin complete with an Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR), while the Standard category comes without an air-conditioned cabin or AVR. Buyers of both categories, which are products of extensive research backed by the company’s 36 years of industry experience, enjoy a three-year warranty and one year of free maintenance.

Shedding more light on the KLL Elevators and UPS systems, Falobi said: “Most of the elevators in Nigeria are imported from Europe and the United States. They are not tropicalised and are not designed to cope with the erratic power supply in our country. It is because of this that many of them fail within 15 years. In Europe and the United States, where the quality of power supply is stable, temperatures are lower, and dust levels are minimal, these elevators can last for 30 years or more.

“It was with this understanding that we worked with our technical partners to develop the Premium KLL Elevator Series and the transformer-based Laurel UPS System, both specifically designed to address Nigeria’s peculiar operating environment.”

Falobi also revealed that the KLL elevators have facilities for persons with disabilities, including visually impaired users who read Braille.

He said: “We were arguably the first company to introduce UPS technology into elevator systems in Nigeria. About 20 years ago, our research revealed that the greatest challenge facing elevators in Nigeria was poor power quality — over-voltage, under-voltage, poor earthing, phase failure, power surges, frequent outages, and similar issues.

“We therefore concluded that elevators had to be protected against these challenges by integrating UPS systems. More recently, we have gone a step further by protecting the UPS itself because the level of electrical surges experienced today can damage even the UPS. We now protect both the elevator and the UPS. In doing so, we help our clients improve the quality of power supplied to their equipment.”

Prior to becoming the Managing Director of Kresta Laurel Limited, the University of Lagos-trained electrical engineer worked with Edison Group and Partners as a power engineering consultant, where he handled several landmark surveys and designs across Nigeria and The Gambia. During his time at H.F. Schroeder (West Africa) Limited, Lordmart Generators Company, and Emtrac Limited, he gained extensive experience in production management, marketing, installation, and project supervision.

Apart from elevators and escalators, Kresta Laurel Limited also specialises in the supply, installation and maintenance of overhead travelling cranes, gantry cranes and other material-handling equipment used in factories, ports, warehouses, shipyards and manufacturing facilities as well as building facade access equipment, renewable energy systems and UPS.

With its headquarters in Lagos and branch offices and technical service outlets in major cities across Nigeria, Kresta Laurel Limited maintains a strong nationwide technical support network that enables its engineers to respond promptly whenever challenges arise on any of its installations.

According to Falobi: “We do not merely supply equipment. We support consultants with the engineering design of the elevators and other equipment we provide. We also undertake procurement on behalf of our clients, supply the equipment, install it and maintain it throughout its service life. When elevators become old, we modernise them instead of requiring complete replacement. If an elevator is properly maintained, it can last for up to 30 years or even longer.

“However, poor maintenance can reduce its service life to less than 15 years. For the entire life cycle of elevators, escalators, cranes, building façade access equipment and other systems that we install, we remain with our clients throughout. It is truly a lifelong partnership.”

As the first elevator company in Nigeria to attain ISO certification, Kresta Laurel Limited has received numerous awards and recognitions from professional bodies and industry organisations. These include the Africa Elevator Award (2020), awards from the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, among diverse safety awards and many recognitions for engineering excellence and innovation.

Advising young people aspiring to build careers in the elevator and vertical transportation industry, Falobi, who has served as the Managing Director of Kresta Laurel Limited for 21 years, said: “The first thing is to focus on delivering quality products and services while consistently meeting your clients’ specifications. Build your reputation on competence, integrity and professionalism. Never compromise on quality, because your reputation is your greatest asset. Continue to learn, embrace innovation and always strive to add value. Once you establish a reputation for quality and reliability, the industry will reward you with its patronage.”

This article is part of the Guardian’s Special Focus on Exceptional Elevator and Escalator Companies in Nigeria