Star Elevator Wins 2026 Ellie Award for Best Contractor, West
Back-to-back wins and our third recognition from Elevator World
We are proud to announce that Star Elevator has been named Best Contractor, West at the 2026 Ellie Awards, presented by Elevator World at the National Association of Elevator Contractors Convention and Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.
Rick Neiva accepted the trophy on behalf of the entire Star Elevator team at the NAEC ceremony.
Three Ellies. One Standard.
Star Elevator’s first Elevator World recognition came in 2017, when our modernization of the Metropolis Trust Building at 625 Market Street in San Francisco was named Elevator World Project of the Year. The project involved untangling a 100-year-old gearless basement traction system in a Category 1 Historic Landmark with no loading dock, no blueprints, and some of the most complex roping configurations our team had ever seen. The result was a fully modernized overhead system, improved safety and reliability, and a 45-50% reduction in annual power consumption.
That project set a standard. In 2025, the industry recognized it again, naming Star Elevator Best Contractor, West. This year in Chicago, we won it a second consecutive time.
What the Ellies Are
The Ellies are the elevator industry’s most community-driven awards program. Nominees are put forward by customers, industry peers, and community members, and winners are determined entirely by public vote. There are no judges and no panels. Receiving this award means the people we serve and the community we are part of chose Star Elevator. That is what makes it meaningful.
What This Means to Our Team
This award belongs to the mechanics who bring expertise and care to every job, to the teams who navigate complex modernization projects, compliance timelines, and round-the-clock service demands, and to the leadership that holds the standard day after day.
And to everyone who took the time to vote, our customers, suppliers, industry colleagues, and the broader vertical transportation community, thank you. You have our full commitment to keep earning this.
About the Ellies
The Ellies Awards Program, presented annually by Elevator World magazine, recognizes North American elevator and escalator businesses that go above and beyond for their customers, employees, communities, and the industry as a whole. Winners are selected by public vote and presented at the NAEC Annual Convention and Exposition.
