The Story Behind the Name
In 1996, our founder entered the elevator industry.
He had a vision - make buying an elevator simple. Home elevators did not exist.
In 2002, the opportunity emerged. The home elevator industry was born.
The simple idea became an industry - and Lift Shop still leads the industry we helped create.
An industry born in 2002.
Since 1856, a home elevator meant a compromise: a commercial lift built for towers, or a mobility device built for stair barriers. Nobody loved either.
In 2002, Australia published AS 1735.18 - the first standard written for a lift in a private home. A category was born, and almost nobody noticed. Cynics said no one would buy an upmarket elevator for their home. They were mostly right - 95% of homes may not.
The rest helped us build an industry. Today the home elevator is one of Australia's most sought-after upgrades - for the price of a swimming pool.
Not yet 25 years old. Created here. Still led from here.
The Home Lift - from phone box to design statement.
Accountant · Manager · Lift Installer · Entrepreneur
"The elevator purchase process was convoluted and messy. We thought it should be simple." - Les
SYDNEY, 1996
Price Waterhouse as graduate accountant after UTS. Operations Manager at Schindler Elevators / Deve in Sydney. Seven years on the tools as a subcontractor installer.
Les Katz saw what clients endured procuring elevators in a complicated, legalistic B2B transaction with consultants everywhere. The costs were fat, and the complexity confusing.
The journey was slow and orderly, it took time. It was a different business model. First installers, then service men, proper and clean processes and records always. A typical accountant. The niche emerged later (2002) and the business re-focused on homes. High end homes were first.
As demand grew, Les adapted, modified and improved the systems and the home elevator range. He opened more showrooms, across Australia and in West Hollywood. He bought more cars and trained more people.
Since 2015 he has held an advisory seat on the ASME A17 committee. He is widely written up in the architectural, elevator and general press as an authority with a deep knowledge of home elevators.
Les Katz - Founder, Lift Shop & Elevator Boutique
Les is recognised as a leading global expert in the niche.
In 2026, Les is 57 - a Gen Xer. He has been in the elevator trade for 30 years. He commenced the succession plan three years ago. Done right, he says, nobody should notice.
He is not retiring: mentoring, staying healthy, and having fun with family - his wife, three kids and Rosie, their King Charles Cavalier.
Family-owned. Vertically integrated. Built to last.
The largest independent elevator company in Australia - only the OEM multinationals are larger. Family-owned, with the second generation holding real decision rights. Lift Shop is a training and safety focused company, that trains and develops the next generation.
Lift Shop employs more than 220 full time staff. Five of our team have been here more than 20 years. Around 50 are in their second decade - some of their children now work here too.
Growth has been managed and controlled, and processes tightened as demand moved from deluxe to mainstream. In 2011, a former Labor Prime Minister and one of Australia's greatest shopping centre developers ordered on the same afternoon. Today, we get more than 100 orders a month.
Lifts have improved, and Lift Shop is now vertically integrated. Our exclusive designs, our elevators. Italian factories manufacturing to our drawings. Our own technicians installing and our own dedicated service teams fully supported.
And sometimes, we say no. After 30 years we know this: satisfaction and safety come before profit - if we cannot guarantee both, we will not take the order.
Thank you for your support over the last 30 years, and for considering us for your next 30 years.
Behind the Promise
No debt. No lender security. Premises owned. Client deposits held securely in cash. A perfect financial record.
When you are buying for the long term, you must trust the supplier is also there for the long term. There are too many horror stories.
Check prospective credentials on the PPSR register and through the credit reporting agencies. Lift Shop is independently rated safer than 99% of Australian businesses.
Choose a gallery below to explore the archive.
It began with one van. The fleet outside our showrooms today started here.
Where it started - one van.
Outside the Sydney showroom.
The Melbourne fleet, Richmond VIC.
The fleet lands in America - Elevator Boutique, Los Angeles.
Drag or swipe to travel through the years.
The lifts that built the industry.
Elfo v1. A hydraulic at 0.30m/s vs the industry norm of 0.20m/s - 50% faster thanks to a two speed pump and control system.
Acorn (UK). A brilliant value stair chair. We introduced it, and then they came to Australia directly.
Acorn (UK). A great slow and cheap solution, that can no longer be supplied by Lift Shop but are apart of our history. 
Freedomlift (China). What we brought to Australia is now sold by others. 
Freedomlift (China). We started the trend. 
Freedomlift (China). The introduction of our In-Cabin Self Rescue. Our competitors freaked out. Our clients loved it. 
Supermec (Italy) - a genuine electric MRL, the first for homes.
Supermec (Italy).
Supermec (Italy) - winner of a Design Ex award for its incredible performance in 2009.
The P2 (Italy) - a 2m lifting platform for the LMA market.
The P1 - a stage lift for those of limited mobility.
Supermec V3 (Italy) - now faster at 0.50m/s for private homes. 60% faster than the competition.
Flush phones included. Corded phones are an essential safety item. Cheap plastic suited the industry, it didn't suit us. 20 plastic phones = 1 flush mount phone. Your home should not be cheap either.
ElfoLift.
P4 (Italy). A lower cost screw drive but the hold to run and slow speed meant it was not continued.
ElfoLift 2.
Freedom Lit - External Lift Install.
ElfoLift.
Supermec (Italy).
Q1 (UK) - The first beautiful looking through floor lift in Australia. 
Q1 (UK). A stock lift for those with limited space - a clever through floor design. 
Q1 (UK). Previous product sold by Lift Shop but discontinued in 2024, to focus on luxury products.
Current A, C & E Series.Drag or swipe to travel through the years.
Twenty years of home shows and design expos - explaining a category nobody had heard of.
"Wow - they're selling phone boxes." The Home Show years.
Design Expo.
Design Expo.
Designex.
Design Expo.
Designex.
Designex.
ARC, Sydney.
Specifix, Brisbane.
Specifix.
Sydney Home Show - just before Covid.
ARC.
ARC - Melbourne.
ARC - Sydney.
ARC - Sydney.Drag or swipe to travel through the years.
From one room in Sydney to six showrooms across two continents.
Sydney, NSW - the original showroom.
Sydney, NSW.
Melbourne, VIC - opening day.
Melbourne, VIC.
Melbourne, VIC - the shopfront.
Brisbane, QLD.
Brisbane, QLD.
Brisbane, QLD.Drag or swipe to travel through the years.
Five of our team have been here more than twenty years. Some of their children now work here too.
Christmas. Two of the people here are still with us.
The team.
At the Design Awards.
The team.
Christmas.
In the showroom.
Family day.
Building a shaft on site.
A family business - the second generation at work.Drag or swipe to travel through the years.
Recognition from the industry, and from the people who set the benchmark.
Les collects the award.
BRW Fast 100 awards night.
Best New Product Building Technologies Winner 2010 & 2011.
Elon Musk Orders Our Lift.Thirty years of coverage, from the trade press to the national mastheads. Les is named in almost every story.
BRW - "Elevated to New Heights". Read the article →
The West Australian - "Modern way to lift your home".
Elevator World.Who you choose to buy a home elevator from matters. You are entering a long-term relationship with the company behind it.
At Lift Shop, that means the backing of a company with over three decades of proven experience. From your first plans through to installation and ongoing servicing, our team is built to support clients for years to come - giving you confidence not just in the lift itself, but in the team standing behind it.
Lift Shop was established in 1996 and has installed over 12,000 residential lifts across Australia. We have grown from a single office to six offices across Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra) plus one in Los Angeles. Our longevity and scale reflect the trust that Australian families have placed in us over three decades.
Yes. Lift Shop holds lift contractor licences in every Australian state and territory. We are fully licensed and compliant with all relevant work health and safety legislation. Our lifts are engineered to meet and exceed Australian Standard AS1735.18 (passenger lifts for private residences) and related parts of AS1735.
ICSR (In-Cabin Self-Rescue) is fundamentally different from simple battery backup lowering. Battery backup lowering passively lowers the cabin to the nearest floor if power fails. ICSR gives you active control — you can press buttons inside the cabin to move the lift to the nearest floor yourself. You are not waiting for an automatic system; you are in control.
Every Lift Shop lift includes an industry-leading 8-year warranty as standard — covering 8 years or 80,000 trips, whichever comes first, provided the lift is serviced by Lift Shop technicians at least twice per year. It is included because our lifts use higher-quality components and are built for long-term reliability. Applies to new lift sales from 1 July 2025, metropolitan areas; terms and conditions apply.
Yes. We install and service home lifts across Australia, we have six office locations (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra) that cover all major population centres, and we dispatch technicians to regional and remote areas as well.
After 30 years, we know this: your satisfaction and safety come before profit. With demand high and skilled labour tight, we limit new orders to protect the quality of every installation and service visit. We don't chase volume — we pursue excellence. If we cannot guarantee your satisfaction — whether through financial risk, unrealistic timelines, safety negligence, or a mismatch between your needs and our lifts — we will say no. That is how everyone wins, with satisfaction, safety and trust intact.
Lift Shop is family-owned and Australian. Founded by Les Katz in 1996, it is the largest independent elevator company in Australia, with the second generation of the family already holding real decision rights. Nothing is licensed, nothing is franchised, and no showroom carries anyone else's name.
A home lift can be an attractive feature to potential buyers, particularly families with ageing relatives or people with mobility challenges. However, the exact impact on resale value depends on many factors: the local market, the buyer profile, the lift quality, and the home's other features. A well-maintained lift from a reputable supplier is an asset; a poorly maintained lift may concern buyers.
