Lerch Bates has opened a new office in Honolulu, Hawaii, and appointed Ryan See consultant, elevator consulting group, to manage the firm’s operations in the state. The addition of the Honolulu office increases the total number of domestic Lerch Bates offices to 25 and 34 internationally.

See joins the world’s largest and oldest vertical transportation consulting group with more than seven years of extensive elevator industry experience. See is tasked with providing vertical transportation consulting services for design, maintenance and new construction projects throughout Hawaii. He is responsible for vertical transportation system studies, complete administration of design and construction services, design and contract documents, vertical transportation maintenance evaluations and due diligence studies.

Lerch Bates has been a pioneer of the vertical transportation industry in the state for more than 25 years. “Lerch Bates continues to expand its presence in the United States and around the world,” said Lerch Bates President and CEO Bart Stephan. “Ryan has exceptional experience with Hawaii’s vertical transportation industry and he will be a valuable asset as we continue to grow in the state. He has extraordinary knowledge of the local marketplace and we welcome him to our exceptional team of consultants.”

See previously managed modernization and new construction projects for ThyssenKrupp and Otis Elevator Company in both Hawaii and Denver, Colo. His career also included serving as a new installation estimator and quality supervisor during his tenure with Otis. See worked on many landmark projects including Honolulu’s City Financial Tower, Ala Moana Pacific Center and Waihonua at Kewalo, 707 17th Street in Denver and Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from of the University of Washington.

Lerch Bates announced in August that it had been awarded a two-year contract to consult on the modernization of the diverse elevator systems of the largest office complex in Hawaii. The multifaceted vertical transportation renovation project at Pacific Guardian Center (PGC) includes a 10-story 786-stall parking structure, twin 30-story office towers and the celebrated four-story Dillingham Transportation Building. Upgrading PGC’s elevator systems is one of Lerch Bates’ largest projects in the western United States. The program includes replacing Westinghouse Mark V equipment in the two seven-car banks and installing destination based technology.

PGC is an award winning office complex that features more than 630,000 square feet of first-class office and retail space located in the heart of Honolulu’s Central Business District. The mirrored glass towers, named after their respective positions, Mauka (“mountain”) and Makai (“ocean”), are juxtaposed by the Mediterranean Revival/Italian Renaissance style of the the historic Dillingham Transportation Building. The vertical transportation modernization program was designed to meet the expected future demands of the center while maintaining the rich character and environment of the property. The project is expected to begin this fall and be completed in the fall of 2016.

Lerch Bates’ Hawaiian office is located at 307a Kamani St., #3, Honolulu, HI 96813.