For Vincent Russo, an elevator is rarely just a way to get from one floor to another. After nearly two decades in the industry, the President of Forest Hill-based Elevator Works has seen the equipment become a source of independence for older adults, a solution for families navigating disabilities, and, in some cases, an important part of helping someone return home after life changes unexpectedly.
“Selling home elevators is a blend of code knowledge, construction knowledge, compassion, empathy, and family therapy,” Russo said.
Russo entered the elevator business at 22, selling elevators in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. At the time, he thought it sounded like an interesting path and an opportunity to learn something new. Two years later, he moved to Maryland to continue his career, and what began as a job eventually became the foundation for his own company.
Russo founded Elevator Works after recognizing what he saw as a gap in an industry that had become increasingly transactional. He wanted to build a company around communication, accountability, customer satisfaction, and an experience centered on the people being served. Today, Elevator Works serves homeowners, builders, architects, and commercial clients throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, all from its Forest Hill headquarters.
His background in both construction and elevators has been essential. Every elevator is subject to comprehensive inspections, and builders and architects often rely on Russo’s expertise early in the process, when decisions can affect the design and construction of an entire project.
However, knowing codes and construction is only part of the job. Russo’s customers have included athletes and celebrities, injured veterans, older adults, children with disabilities, and more. Within the same meeting, he might advise an architect on code requirements while making sure elevator controls will be accessible to shorter family members.
“This is why I love selling residential elevators,” he said. “We get to peek into the lives of so many different people and in many cases provide real solutions to tough problems.” One of those families has remained particularly memorable.
Russo was contacted after a commercial pilot and retired military officer contracted a severe bacterial infection while traveling overseas. The previously fit and active veteran fell into a coma that would last nearly four months, but his wife began preparing their home for his return just weeks after he became ill.
“Her entire world had changed overnight, yet she never left his side and never stopped believing he was coming home,” Russo said.
While spending her days at the hospital, she trusted Elevator Works with full access to the couple’s home. Russo’s team worked with friends and neighbors to ensure an elevator would be ready when her husband returned.
“When he finally returned home, he was awake but unable to speak and had very limited movement,” Russo said. “Two years later, he walks with a walker, jokes around, and has regained so much of the life he once had. He still uses his elevator every day.”
The experience underscored for Russo how personal his work can become. “I’ll never forget her strength and devotion, or his determination to fight his way back,” he said. “That project reminded me that what we install is sometimes much more than an elevator -- it can be part of bringing someone home and giving a family their life back.”
Bringing Elevator Works to Forest Hill has provided an opportunity to introduce more Harford County residents to residential elevators, which he said were once often perceived locally as a luxury or even a fantasy rather than a potential accessibility solution. For some homeowners, they can offer another option for remaining in familiar surroundings as they age.
“Being able to help our neighbors remain safely and comfortably in the homes they love as they age is incredibly rewarding to me and my family,” he said. “It makes being part of this community much more meaningful.”
Russo’s business is grounded in building trust, which he recognizes as being particularly important when customers are inviting employees into their homes and depending upon them for equipment directly connected to mobility and safety. Elevator Works uses its own employees rather than subcontractors or temporary labor, and Russo emphasizes professionalism, cleanliness, friendliness, and respect for customers and their homes.
“We constantly remind our employees that when they put on that uniform, they represent something bigger than themselves,” he said. “They represent Elevator Works, and ultimately, our brand is defined by the community we serve and what people say about us when we leave their home.”
As the company continues to grow, Russo hopes its involvement in Harford County will grow with it. Elevator Works has supported local events and industry organizations, but he has his sights set on finding additional ways the company can use its particular expertise to assist local families and individuals with accessibility needs. “Harford County has been very supportive of our business, and I believe there is a responsibility that comes with that,” he said.
For Russo, that support is among many reasons for gratitude. Not only is he incredibly thankful for customers who trust his team with their homes, safety, and families, but also for his employees who left established jobs to take a chance on his company. He is also grateful for his family, who have weathered the long nights and sacrifices that accompany building a business, and especially his wife, who encouraged him to move forward with his entrepreneurial goals. “After hearing me talk about starting this company for years, she finally said, ‘Stop talking about it and just do it already,’” Russo said. “That kind of support is worth a lifetime of gratitude.”
For all the serious ways elevators can change lives for people, Russo has also learned that accessibility needs come on four legs. Five times during his career, he has been hired to add an elevator to a home for the sole purpose of helping an aging dog get upstairs to bed.
“I am not sure what your definition of success is,” Russo said, “but a private doggie elevator might be somewhere on my list.”