About Us

Richard C. Blaska
Founder & Co-Owner

Rich Blaska started in the elevator industry in 1984 as an estimator & regional coordinator with U.S. Elevator Corp. (USEC) at their factory in Spring Valley, CA.  He served as Assistant Manager Distributor Operations before relocating to the SF Bay Area for new product sales and then as Manager of Modernization & Repair.  Blaska relocated to Honolulu, HI for USEC as Branch Manager and then returned to the mainland as a Modernization Sales Manager in Sacramento, CA.  He returned once again to the San Francisco Bay Area as USEC's Construction Manager.  He also championed new products sales as a top grosser in the US for four years.

Blaska left USEC, which had become ThyssenKrupp Elevator and now TK Elevator, when he formed RCB Elevator Consulting, LLC in 1999.  Over the years as he engineered solutions that enabled his clients to solve problems caused by building, seismic and code requirements, Blaska realized the elevator industry needed unique products to meet specific needs in both new construction and modernizations.  Thus Smart Elevator Tech, LLC was born. Its #1 product the Retracta Ladder® was awarded a patent in December 2014. 

As a loyal Wisconsinite, Blaska is proud that Smart Elevator Tech, LLC manufactures all of its products in that state. 
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Margaret P. Lourenço
​​President & Majority Owner

Margaret Lourenço joined the elevator industry in 2015 and has been running Smart Elevator Tech, LLC since 2016. Lourenço joined the elevator industry after a career as a Levi Strauss & Co. executive leading various functions including operations, supply planning, finance, and strategy. Positions held include Vice President Global Supply Chain, Vice President Corporate Strategy, Director of Information Technology Finance and Planning, and Director of Dockers® Operations and Dockers® Finance and Planning. "While these are different industries and the scale is also different, the fundamentals of customer service, quality and responsiveness are the same,” Lourenço comments.
 
In recent years, due to her knowledge of pit ladder code requirements, her CET/ NAESA/ NAEC education sessions, and the number of ladders she sells, Lourenço has become known as The Ladder Lady.  She figures she may as well embrace the nickname! www.theladderlady.com  

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​Memberships & Sponsorships

Smart Elevator Tech, LLC has gained a reputation for the excellence of its product quality and customer service.  In-stock standard products, product customization, and product education are all key parts of its offerings.  All of its products are manufactured in Wisconsin, and it is headquartered in Northern California.
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Smart Elevator Tech, LLC is an active member or patron of the following organizations:
     Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation (EESF)
     NAESA International
     National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC)
     International Association of Elevator Consultants (IAEC)
     Canadian Elevator Contractors Association (CECA-ACEA)
     Elevator Conference of New York (ECNY)
     Elevator U
     


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​​A Women-Owned Small Business Concern

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