LISLE, Ill., June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — KONE has acquired the business operations of Response Elevator Company, an independent elevator service company in Cleveland, Ohio. This allows KONE to strengthen its team and capabilities in the Cleveland market.

Response Elevator and KONE will combine their business operations under the KONE name during the next few months. “We are excited about gaining great new customers and employees in the Cleveland market,” says Vance Tang, KONE EVP and Area Director for the Americas.

Response Elevator Company is privately owned and is focused on elevator maintenance and repairs. It has earned a reputation in the Cleveland market for consistently delivering great customer service.

Under the leadership of Steve Filus, Response has grown its elevator maintenance business by delivering reliable customer service. “The combined Response – KONE teams welcome the opportunity to continue offering outstanding service to Response and KONE customers. We also offer a warm welcome to the new team members from Response Elevator joining KONE through this acquisition,” Tang concludes.

About KONE

KONE is one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry. The company has been committed to understanding the needs of its customers for the past century, providing industry-leading elevators, escalators and automatic building doors as well as innovative solutions for modernization and maintenance. The company’s objective is to offer the best people flow experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely, comfortably and without waiting in buildings in an increasingly urbanizing environment. In 2010, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 5 billion and approximately 33,800 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd in Finland.

www.kone.com

SOURCE KONE Inc.