High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Otis Elevator Company is the world`s largest manufacturer of vertical transportation systems today, principally focusing on elevators and escalators. Founded in Yonkers, New York, USA in 1853 by Elisha Otis, the company pioneered the development of the safety elevator, invented by Otis in 1852, which used a special mechanism to lock the elevator car in place should the hoisting ropes fail.