Lerch Bates
| Company type | Employee-owned company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Consulting (building systems) |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Founder | Charles W. Lerch |
| Headquarters | Denver , United States |
Area served | North America, Europe, Middle East, India |
Key people | Vane Q. Bates, Quent Bates |
| Products | Building systems planning and design, assessment, contract administration, specification, bidding assistance, project oversight, testing, training |
Lerch Bates is a global consulting enterprise that specializes in the design and oversight of building systems, operating from 36 offices throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, and India. Established in 1947 initially as an elevator consulting firm, it now supports architects, developers, investors, property owners, and managers to enhance building system design, sustainability measures, and operational efficiency.
Their portfolio of services encompasses planning and design (including CAD), assessment of existing systems, contract administration, specification formulation, assistance with bidding processes, project oversight, testing procedures, and professional training.
Projects
Lerch Bates has played a key role in numerous prominent developments such as:
- Burj Khalifa, Dubai
- Freedom Tower, New York City
- 201 Bishopsgate, London
- Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur
- Taipei 101, Taipei
- Russia Tower, Moscow
- Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong
- Trump International Hotel and Tower, Dubai
- Signature Tower, Nashville
- Moscow City Tower, Moscow
- Marina 101, Dubai
- Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi
- Google Headquarters, Mountain View, California
Company history
The company was founded in 1947 by Charles W. Lerch in Chicago as C. W. Lerch Co, recognized as the pioneer independent elevator consulting firm. Elevator consultancy became the central focus in 1964 when Vane Q. Bates joined the firm full-time. That same year, the headquarters moved to downtown Denver, Colorado. Incorporated as Lerch Bates & Associates in 1974, the firm expanded to 15 offices across North America by the 1980s under Quent Bates' leadership.
International growth began in 1985 with the creation of Lerch Bates Limited in London. In 1990, the company introduced an innovative "Performance Related" maintenance contract model that tied maintenance fees to equipment downtime and traffic performance. By 1994, Lerch Bates adopted an employee ownership model, becoming one of the longest-standing ESOP companies in the United States. A notable achievement occurred in 1998 when Lerch Bates designed the fastest elevators globally for the Taipei Financial Centre / Taipei 101, then holding the title of tallest building worldwide.