From residential and office buildings to the underground metro system, a group of unsung heroes works tirelessly to ensure that elevators and escalators function without fail, keeping Stockholm’s city life running smoothly. One of these key players is Stefan Wallin, KONE’s service operations manager for metro and escalators in Sweden. With over 50 years of experience, Stefan has maintained the "lifelines" of a city that never stands still. He has worked from the early mechanical days to today’s sophisticated digital networks.
When we meet with Stefan at his Årsta office, he has just a few months left before retiring from the career he began as a 16-year-old. His father encouraged him to apply to KONE’s vocational school in 1974. After two years as a trainee, Stefan began maintaining older elevators. Since then, he has held various positions, including service technician, supervisor, production manager, and oversight of Gothenburg’s service and modernization business. Eventually, he became responsible for escalators across Sweden.
The evolving role of service technicians
Reflecting on his 50-year career, Stefan describes how the profession has evolved dramatically.
“Back in the day, people were much more isolated,” he recalls. “There were no mobile phones or help desks. You usually had to figure things out on your own. Nowadays, you can just grab your smartphone and solve problems using wiring diagrams or order spare parts. It was much more ‘learning by doing’ back then.”
Looking ahead, Stefan predicts that the role of the service technician will become more specialized. When he first started, the "greasers" swept up dirt from the elevator shafts, applied lubricant, and moved on. “Their knowledge of elevators wasn’t particularly deep,” Stefan says.
“Then there were the troubleshooters – they were like gods who knew it all. The next level for service technicians is to become experts in modern technology.”
Stefan comments that this shift is already a reality in many places as more service technicians use Internet of Things, IoT, data analytics, and smart systems to monitor elevators and escalators remotely.
Developing underground Stockholm
With Stockholm’s population projected to grow from today’s 2.4 million by 7 percent – adding a total of 177,000 people by 2040, according to Statistics Sweden – there is a pressing need to improve the flow of people through the city. This includes managing how people move around the city and through stations using technology such as AI and digital twins replicating the real-world metro station in a digital format.
Stefan highlights the future Sofia metro station on Södermalm, which will be located 100 meters below ground – one of the world’s deepest underground stations – when it opens to the public in 2030. Eight large, high-speed elevators equipped by KONE will transport commuters to and from the platforms in about 30 seconds. Once completed the station will offer Stockholmers a faster, more convenient way to move around the city.
“More digitized stations will require technicians to take on the role of programmers, maintaining elevators by using their laptops rather than screws and nuts,” Stefan explains, adding that AI is being used at stations to help control passenger flows and measure capacity.
A guarded secret
Neven Jugo, KONE’s maintenance operations manager who will take over when Stefan retires, acknowledges that the next generation of service technicians will need to adapt to new technologies while learning from the past.
“Stefan has a lot of knowledge and stories to share,” Neven says. “He was one of the first people I met in the office, and he was always very welcoming and warm. He taught me about the importance of engaging with staff, customers, and the job itself, but also about focusing on results.”
As Stefan looks back on 50 years in the industry, one of his fondest memories comes from his time maintaining elevators for a cruise ship company that operated between Sweden and Finland. He shares a secret he’s kept all these years:
“We received a work order from the company, but it seemed odd – they could have fixed it themselves,” he says. “When my colleague and I boarded, the captain and chief electrician greeted us and said, ’Guys, you’ve always helped us, and now it’s our turn to give back. This trip, you’ll be staying in one of our luxury cabins and have dinner with us.’ They paid KONE for our time, but we didn’t have to lift a finger. It was an incredible experience, and that memory will always stay with me.”
As Stefan retires at the end of 2024, he will be remembered by colleagues and customers. His legacy as the “elevator and escalator guru” lives on as we continue shaping the future of Stockholm with several projects underway. In the coming years, tens of KONE elevators and escalators will be installed for several new stations in the blue and yellow lines of the ongoing extension of the Stockholm metro by Region Stockholm. These metro lines will offer faster and more convenient options for travel for the people of Stockholm.