What KP Elevator Consulting does

KP Elevator Consulting is a specialized vertical transportation advisory firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area, providing consulting services for elevator and escalator systems. The firm was founded in 2020 as a California LLC Partnership and operates with a small team of 1-10 employees centered on two principals: Owner/Consultant Kelly Houlihan, a second-generation elevator professional with 30+ years of industry experience including 19 years at Otis Elevator, and Vice President Kurt Schieszer, who brings 8+ years of experience from KONE across new construction, service account management, and modernization sales. Houlihan holds QEI certification, and both principals have technical, engineering, and construction backgrounds that allow them to act as a credible counterparty to OEM elevator contractors.

The firm's service portfolio is organized around four categories: Modernization Services (full-lifecycle consulting from specification design through RFP management, contract negotiation, submittal review, project management, and punchlist audit), New Construction Services (owner's representation including traffic analysis, design assistance, product selection, and cab interior design), Maintenance Services (contract auditing, equipment audits, RFP management, and invoice review), and Additional Consulting Services covering expert witness, due diligence, insurance claim review, installation observation, bid evaluation, and QEI inspections. The technology footprint is entirely human-service-based with no proprietary software product; KP does not maintain a mobile app, API, or SDK, and its competitive position rests on the personal expertise of its principals rather than on any platform or model.

KP serves three primary customer segments in a horizontal segmentation approach: property managers and building owners (such as Trinity Properties and First Service Residential), architects and developers needing elevator specification and MEP documentation, and elevator contractors seeking technical oversight and quality assurance. Customer evidence includes named enterprise engagements with the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco, Trinity Properties, and First Service Residential. The go-to-market is sales-led and direct, with personalized consulting engagements that begin with a discovery conversation and culminate in a tailored proposal; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with billing on multi-year contracts typical for modernization programs. The firm serves clients along the U.S. West Coast and internationally from its Bay Area office. On April 2, 2025, KP was acquired by DeSimone Consulting Engineering, a New York-headquartered engineering firm founded in 1969, and now operates under the DeSimone banner within DeSimone's existing San Francisco office.

Name

KP Elevator Consulting

Legal name

KP Elevator Consulting

Website

https://kp.consulting

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KP Elevator Consulting is a San Francisco Bay Area-based vertical transportation advisory firm specializing in elevator and escalator consulting for property managers, architects, developers, and contractors, founded in 2020 and acquired by DeSimone Consulting Engineering in April 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Elevator and Vertical Transportation Consulting

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Elevator Modernization & Retrofit (Controllers, Drives, Door Systems) (BPABAIAE)

Keywords

• Elevator consulting services
• Vertical transportation consulting
• Elevator modernization consulting
• Elevator maintenance auditing
• QEI elevator inspection

Headquarters

HQ city

California City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for elevator modernization, new construction, maintenance, and specialized services including expert witness, due diligence, and code compliance review.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

KP Elevator Consulting provides specialized consulting services for elevator and escalator systems across the full project lifecycle. Core offerings include Modernization Services (specification design, RFP management, contract negotiation, submittal review, and project management), New Construction Services (owner's representation, traffic analysis, design assistance, and cab interior design), and Maintenance Services (contract auditing, equipment audits, RFP management, and invoice review). Additional offerings cover expert witness, due diligence, insurance claim review, code compliance, and QEI inspections.

Product overview

KP Elevator Consulting is a specialized vertical transportation consulting firm offering a unified suite of advisory services rather than a software platform. The core portfolio consists of Modernization Services (full-lifecycle elevator modernization consulting), New Construction Services (owner's representation for new builds), and Maintenance Services (contract auditing and improvement). These are complemented by Additional Consulting Services including expert witness, due diligence, insurance claim review, code compliance, and QEI inspections. The company operates as a consulting practice, not a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Modernization Services End-to-end consulting for elevator modernization projects, from conception to completion, including specification design, RFP management, contract review and negotiation, submittal review, project management, and detailed punchlist audit. Intended for property owners, managers, and developers undertaking modernization initiatives.
• New Construction Services Owner's representative services for new elevator construction, including traffic study and analysis, elevator design assistance and product selection, and elevator cab interior design from schematic design through project handover. Targeted at architects and developers planning new building projects.
• Maintenance Services Maintenance contract auditing and improvement services including maintenance and equipment audits, contract review, maintenance RFP management, and proposal and invoice review to identify deficiencies and ensure quality maintenance. Targeted at property owners and managers seeking to optimize existing maintenance arrangements.
• Additional Consulting Services Bundled specialized advisory services including Expert Witness, Due Diligence, Insurance Claim Review, Cab Interior Upgrades, Installation Observation, Bid Evaluation and Negotiation, Corporate Contract Management, Contract Template, Code Compliance and Review, and QEI Inspections. Used by property owners, managers, attorneys, contractors, and developers needing targeted elevator expertise on an as-needed basis.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DeSimone Consulting EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2025DeSimone Consulting Engineering acquired KP Elevator Consulting on April 2, 2025, as part of their ongoing strategy to broaden their multi-service platform with specialized vertical transportation expertise. KP now operates under the DeSimone banner, merging with their existing San Francisco office. DeSimone was founded in New York City in 1969 and provides structural engineering, façade design consulting, integrated design and project delivery, and construction consulting services worldwide.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Direct peers

• Lerch Bates: Long-established (founded 1951) elevator and building envelope consulting firm providing owner's representation, vertical transportation consulting, and façade services. Now part of AECOM. Most direct comparable to KP in terms of service portfolio and customer segments.
• Edgett Williams Consulting Group: California-based elevator and vertical transportation consulting firm offering modernization, maintenance audit, due diligence, and code consulting. Direct overlap with KP in geography (West Coast) and scope of services.
• Van Deusen & Associates: Independent elevator consulting firm historically focused on vertical transportation advisory for building owners and managers. Competes for the same elevator consulting mandates as KP across modernization and maintenance reviews.
• Vertical Transportation Excellence (VTE): Independent vertical transportation consulting practice serving property managers and developers with modernization, new construction, and audit work — directly comparable scope to KP Elevator Consulting.

Broad incumbents

• Otis Worldwide: World's largest elevator OEM and service provider; bundles advisory-like consulting with its maintenance and modernization contracts, providing a one-stop alternative for property owners evaluating KP's services. Kelly Houlihan's former employer.
• KONE: Major global elevator OEM and service operator with sizable modernization and consulting-adjacent offerings. VP Kurt Schieszer's former employer; competes for the same end customers in service contracts and modernizations.
• Schindler: Global elevator and escalator OEM with broad modernization, service, and maintenance offerings; competes with independent elevator consultants by bundling advisory work into long-term service agreements.
• TK Elevator: Major elevator and escalator OEM offering new installation, modernization, and service contracts that frequently include consulting-like oversight, providing a bundled alternative to using an independent firm like KP.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm that acquired Lerch Bates in 2023, giving it an in-house vertical transportation consulting arm. Direct competitor at the platform level now that KP sits within DeSimone's competing multi-service engineering platform.
• WSP: Global professional services firm with building engineering practices that include elevator / vertical transportation advisory for large commercial and infrastructure clients — a scaled incumbent against which the DeSimone + KP platform now competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KP Elevator Consulting