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TEXT:
CINDY KOHTALA
PHOTOS:
KONE
CENTENNIAL
CELEBRATION:
REACHING
NEW HEIGHTS
KONE 100
The same year KONE began its opera-
tions, the International Exposition was
held in Brussels, Belgium, garnering an
amazing 13 million visitors, according
to some estimates. In 2010, Shanghai is
proudly hosting the World Expo, which
will be the largest in Expo history. The
international fair will boast over 200
exhibitors and is expecting over
70 million visitors.
Considering the rate at which na-
tions are urbanizing and numerous
cities are becoming megacities, the
Expo’s theme ‘Better Life, Better City’
is timely, even urgent. Shanghai hopes
the Expo can serve as a kind of labora-
tory for human-centered innovation
and dialogue: a potent, lasting example
of sustainable urban living where pilot
projects and viable ideas can be shared,
spread, reshaped and scaled up. The
Expo’s Urban Best Practices Area, for
example, is an ideal platform for dis-
playing to the world advanced sustain-
able solutions for housing, mobility and
urban planning.
And of course KONE is there, as a
major contributor to numerous pavil-
ions and as a national partner for the
Finnish pavilion. KONE is also pleased
to be able to use the World Expo 2010
as a venue and opportunity to celebrate
its Centennial Anniversary.
Matti Alahuhta
, President & CEO,
KONE Corporation, considers this a
good match. “Following KONE’s suc-
cessful involvement in the 2008 Beijing
Olympics, we are very proud to be
IN 1910, KONE WAS BORN IN A SMALL MACHINE SHOP
IN HELSINKI, FINLAND. ITS EVOLUTION INTO TODAY’S
INCARNATION AS A GLOBAL LEADER IN TECHNOLOGICALLY
ADVANCED ELEVATORS AND ESCALATORS IS EVIDENCE OF THE
COMPANY’S ABILITY TO REMAIN RESILIENT YET RELIABLE. THIS
CENTENNIAL YEAR WILL SEE CELEBRATIONS APLENTY; IN SHANGHAI
AS WELL AS IN 1,000 KONE LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD.