DeWitt's Victory Lifts to expand into new territory

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Mar 16, 2007 by Acton, Ryann

DeWITT - Victory Lifts, Inc. started with a Central New York office in 1999, and then added a Rochester office in 2003 that covers Western New York.

Now, the company plans to open two more offices in the state within the next two years to expand into new territory, says Steven Metras, president and sole owner. He declined to disclose the locations, saying only that they will be in New York markets not currently served by the DeWitt and Rochester offices.

Victory Lifts sells and installs wheelchair lifts, residential elevators, and stairchairs to residential, commercial, and church customers. A stairchair can be installed in three hours for less than $5,000, Metras says. Residential elevators, which are designed to look like a closet, cost between $15,000 and $20,000, he adds.

The company also works with local architectural firms such as King & King Architects, LLP and Ashley McGraw Architects, P.C. to help design buildings - making them more accessible through the use of its products.

Victory Lifts helps design buildings that allow the elderly or disabled to use the same entrances as everyone else, Metras explains. Buildings that require the elderly or disabled to use a separate entrance can be difficult to maneuver, he adds.

The company mainly serves one-time customers, making it a challenge to market without repeat customers, he says. Victory Lifts markets through presentations to architectural firms and organizations such as New York State Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, Arise, and Enable about accessibility issues. Victory Lifts generated $2 million in annual revenue in 2006, Metras says.

Victory Lifts employs three at its 1,500-square-foot office in Rochester and seven at its 5,000-square-foot office at 26 Corporate Circle in the town of DeWitt.

Metras signed a multi-year lease with Corporate Drive East, LLC. Metras relocated his firm to the DeWitt office from his Cicero home in 2006.

Metras founded Victory Lifts in 1999 after Thyssen Elevator Company acquired Dover Elevator Company. Metras worked in sales and service for Dover Elevator.

Metras tries to run Victory as environmentally friendly as possible, which makes the company stand out from its competition, he says. Competition includes Mohawk Lifts in Utica and Penn York Medical in Binghamton, he says.

Instead of using hydraulic fluid on its residential elevators, Metras uses vegetable oil or peanut oil. He contends the oils are safer for the environment than hydraulic fluid. The company also uses rechargeable batteries to power the stairchairs - instead of plugging the unit into an outlet. This not only saves energy, but also allows the customer to use the stairchair in a power outage, he explains.

In the future, Metras says he wants the residential elevator to become the latest luxury item in homes. The aging population will increase the number of residential elevators in homes, he says. With new marketing and design efforts, Metras wants to make them more accessible for people to purchase.