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Wire Journal News

November 2021

11/8/21 Madison, Connecticut, USA. – Looking back, John Accorsi—whose term as WAI Chapter president ends this month—believes that the year nearly completed has been successful. Despite the disruption caused by Covid-19 that prevented its annual dinner from being held at the beginning of the year, he observed that much was accomplished.

The chapter continued its educational mission by hosting a webinar on post-pandemic legal liabilities for employers. The scholarship program remained on track, providing a total of five scholarships to deserving students, with the possibility of adding a sixth next year. The 2021 golf tournament, held in early September, had larger attendance and more company sponsors than in 2020. The chapter also updated its bylaws to make governance clearer for future board members.

“It has been an honor to lead the New England Chapter in 2021, following in the footsteps of many other dedicated volunteers before me,” Accorsi said. He added that hopefully the news and conditions will continue to get better. “With the vaccine rollout now well underway, most members appear comfortable and eager to attend events on a regional level. Our Board of Directors continues to work on enhancing its member benefits and programs and is looking forward to the year ahead.”

The focus is now on the 2022 annual meeting, which is scheduled for Feb. 24 at the Mohegan Sun Casino, where the chapter’s new officers will be announced. The January 2022 issue will have more details.

Published in WAI News

12/6/21 – The Prysmian Group announced that it ranks first with 87 points in the ELQ Electrical Components & Equipments on the Dow Jones Sustainability World index, according to the result of the 2021 annual review conducted by S&P Global CSA.
A press release said that Prysmian is the only pure cable maker included in the sustainability index at global level that covers more than 5,300 companies. “Prysmian Group CEO Valerio Battista said that the designation “recognizes our commitment in constantly improve the sustainability of our operations, supply chain and organization. Sustainability is also integrated as a fundamental part of our business growth strategy. We are strongly committed to support the transition to renewable energy resources as well as to a digitalized and decarbonized world, by making available the most advanced cables and optical fiber technology for power grids and telecom networks.”
Prysmian achieved the best results (100 points) in the following categories: Innovation Management, Environmental Reporting, Social Reporting, Talent Attraction & Retention, Materiality, Risk & Crisis Management and Occupational Health & Safety. Prysmian Group’s targets for reducing emissions was also approved recently by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The company also reported that it has become the first company in the cables sector to join the Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI), a non-profit coalition working to eliminate child labor and poor working conditions in mica supply chains.
A press release said that joining RMI is part of Prysmian’s Social Ambition targets and its commitment to improving the lives of people in the communities and local areas where it operates. “Prysmian Group uses a limited amount of mica in its products, in relation to the sector in which we operate,” said Prysmian Group Chief Operating Officer Massimo Battaini. “Our membership in the Responsible Mica Initiative is a step forward in ensuring the sustainability of our supply chain.”

Published in Press Releases

11/4/21 – This iconic WAI program will be offered on Wednesday, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8. Registration for the event is $145 for WAI members, $175 for the new member special offer and $245 for non-members. For a full description of the presenters, and any updates, go to funwiremfg.heysummit.com.

Published in WAI News

11/4/21 – WAI will stage the booth selection process for Wire Expo 2022 on Dec. 2 at WAI’s headquarters in Madison, Connecticut.

The process, known as the Points Meeting, will see the booths assigned based on the WAI’s established priority point program. Representatives from companies with the highest accumulation of points from past participation will be assigned their exhibit space first.

To take part in the meeting, companies would have had to provide a signed and completed application with 100% payment by Nov. 30. The day after the Points Meeting, space assignments will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We’re expecting a lot of interest,” said WAI Sales Director Bob Xeller. “It’s been a long time since the industry has been able to get together, but we’re moving in that direction now, and I’m sure there are a lot of manufacturers that would like to be able to sit down and talk to suppliers again.”

Published in WAI News

11/4/21 – Martin Thacker, who was the British representative for WAI’s 2020 Clockwinding ceremony, will repeat that remote service at the WAI’s board of directors meeting on Nov. 17. It will be posted later in the month.

Thacker’s grandfather was a wiredrawer in Sheffield, and his father worked for Markham and Company Limited, as did his uncle. He is a Liveryman of the Court of the Worshipful Company of Tinplate Workers Alias Wireworkers in the city of London.

The tradition stems from the grandfather clock that was presented to the Association on behalf of the U.K. wire industry for help during World War II. Each year, a U.K. representative comes to wind the clock.

Published in WAI News

11/4/21 – We take rapid communication for granted with 5G cell phone service and high-speed Internet. But all technological marvels tend to have modest but ambitious beginnings.

The first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid in 1858 by the Anglo-American Telegraph Company, which was founded just for this project by businessman Cyrus West Field. The cable connected Newfoundland to Ireland and had a capacity of transmitting a few words per hour. The first official communication was a message in Morse code from Queen Victoria to President James Buchanan. 

The cable broke down a few weeks later, and two more attempts were made to provide a successful, lasting connection, which was achieved in 1866. That’s when the speed improved to 6–8 words per minute. But this “faster” rate came at the high price of $10 per word for a 10-word minimum. $100 back then was about two months’ pay for a skilled laborer. The primary users were entities with big pockets, such as the British and American governments and large corporations.

In 1956, TAT-1, the first transatlantic telephone cable system with a total cable length of 326 nautical miles, had a capacity of 36 telephone channels. The inaugural call linked AT&T and FCC company officials in New York with officials in Ottawa and London. By 1976, cables carried 4,000 telephone channels, and in 1996 the capacity was 2 x 5 Gbit/s. Expanding exponentially, by 2001 the Atlantic VSNL (TGN) had a capacity of 2 x 2,520 Gbit/s.

Those early growth years of technology were essential to being where we are now, and yes, advances come with a heady price, but what we take for granted today would have long been considered totally unimaginable. 

Published in The Basics

11/4/21 – You may recall seeing reports such as the one in the New York Post about irate Tesla owners fuming over rats chomping on the wiring in their $70,000 cars. Owners of Hondas, Toyotas, Hyundais and Kias have also reported chewed wires.

So who is at fault? The topic led to a legal matter, one that has yet to be completely resolved, but it does conjure up a colorful image: a judge in a courtroom with car makers at one table, car owners at the other, and the audience packed with rats with a, “Who, me?” look on their faces. 

A suit was filed against Toyota blamed the auto maker for using wires made with soy-based materials that rodents like to chew on. The plaintiffs claimed that the car maker's choice of materials had created a "defect," while the Toyota countered that it was all about rats being rats, and rats have always like to chew wires.  

In 2018, District Court Judge Andrew Guilford dismissed the case because Toyota’s warranty doesn’t specifically cover wiring damage from rodents. He dismissed claims pressed in 13 states. The plaintiffs appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In August 2020, it found that Guilford misidentified the rats as the problem, when the class action alleged that it was the soybean-based wired coating.

In May 2021, U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney ruled that the court was bound by the Ninth Circuit’s previous findings in the case, which ruled that expressed warranty claims could progress, but California Unfair Competition Law claims remained dismissed. The case continues. From various media reports, it seemed unlikely that the class action lawsuit filed by 21 people car owners would see them recoup their losses even if they prevail.

Throughout the proceedings, the rats have had no comment.

 

Published in The Basics

11/2/21 – Madison, Connecticut, USA The Wire Association International (WAI) reports that its recent Industry 4.0 Conference drew 550 attendees who registered to hear 35 speakers in 28 sessions over the two-day airing October 26-27, 2021.

 

Top billing was shared by two keynote speakers:

  • Award-winning filmmaker Brett Culp who presented “Superhero Leadership: How everyday people can have an extraordinary impact”;  and
  • Kathleen Edge, EVP Operations, Southwire Company LLC who discussed a: “Connected – flexible operating system.”

Conference topics included: Big Data; IoT & Industrial IoT; Process Automation; Smart Factories, Smart Planning, Smart Integration; and Virtual Reality.

 Each 25-minute segment included an opportunity for both a live chat with the speakers and a discussion area designated for more interaction after sessions closed. Registrants are afforded the opportunity to replay sessions for 30 days after the sessions closed.

 “The Industry 4.0 Conference program was just the right amount of theory and practical information on this broad and fast-moving subject,” said WAI’s President Tom Heberling of Southwire Co. LLC. “For those who participated, you truly understand the far-reaching impact of global digitization and the influence on nearly all aspects of our businesses. This is an exciting period for wire and cable manufacturing.”

The production also included the Association’s Annual Meeting over which WAI’s 2021 President Tom Heberling presided to bestow congratulations to award winners. This year’s winners included David Hawker who received The Donnellan Memorial Award; Oriol Guixà, winner of the Mordica Memorial Award; and Bill Jarae who received the President’s Award.

 Sponsors included:

Platinum level: Cerro Wire; Encore Wire Corp.; Gem Gravure Co. Inc.; Insteel Wire Products; James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp.; Lloyd & Bouvier; Prysmian Group;  SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS; Sonoco Reels & Spools; Southwire Co. LLC; and Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp.

Gold level: Carris Reels Inc.; and Continuus-Properzi SpA

Silver level: AIM; Niehoff Endex North America; RichardsApex Inc.; and SIKORA International Corp.
Bronze level: Champlain Cable Corp.; Enkotec Co. Inc.; and Fort Wayne Wire Die.

 The Wire Asociation International is a not-for-profit association with 1,800 individual members in 50 countries. The association serves the educational needs of the wire and cable manufacturing industry through a variety of products and services. WAI manages the Interwire Trade Exposition and the WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo and publishes the Wire Journal International and the Wire Journal International Reference Guide.

Media Contacts: Janice E. Swindells, Director Marketing & Corporate Communications, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tel.: 001-203-453-2777
x. 117; Steven J. Fetteroll, Executive Director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tel.: 001-203-453-1777.                                                                             
                                                                                                            

Published in Press Releases

12/6/21 - New hires, promotions and obituaries

Southwire announced personnel changes to align its strategic plan. Effective Jan. 1, 2022, Norman Adkins will be president of wire and cable, and company COO. He will lead Southwire’s wire and cable commercial teams and oversee all of Southwire’s wire and cable operations and supply chain management, including metals. Since joining the company in 1998, he has led teams across the organization in both the commercial and manufacturing space including international, energy, OEM, electrical distribution and retail, among others. Brandon Moss will be president of tools, components and assembled solutions. In this role, he will continue to lead commercial and operations teams within TCAS and will focus on how Southwire is developing solutions to support accelerated growth of this business. He joined Southwire in 2007, and was integral in the launch of the company’s tools business and its subsequent growth into components, assembled solutions and other adjacencies. Within Adkins’ team, Kathleen Edge will continue to lead Southwire’s wire and cable operations teams. Charlie Murrah will expand his role within the team to now serve as executive vice president, chief supply chain officer. He will lead supply chain efforts for the entire company, including metals. Based in Carrollton, Georgia, USA, Southwire Company LLC is one of North America’s largest wire and cable producers.

T.J. O’Connell was named director of contractor solutions for Cerrowire. He has nearly 36 years of experience in electrical manufacturing, distribution and as a manufacturer’s representative with a primary focus on the commercial, industrial and utility markets. He most recently was vice president of sales and marketing for the U.S. energy division of Nexans, where he started in 2018. Prior to that he had worked for Graybar, the Yanow Companies and WESCO Distribution. He was cited for his enthusiasm, winning 13 industry awards over the past 26 years. Part of the Marmon Group and based in Hartselle, Alabama, Cerrowire manufactures copper wire in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana and Utah.

Metalube Ltd. reported two hires for its technology center. Samuel Adamson was named development chemist, responsible for production queries, sourcing raw materials and the creation of technical datasheets and product specifications. He previously worked for five years for Lankem, where he specialized in the development of surfactant-based products. He holds a degree in chemistry from Bangor University. Lily Smith is an R&D technician. She worked for more than two years as senior laboratory technician at Hall Analytical. She holds a B.S. degree in chemistry from Manchester Metropolitan University. Based in Irlam, Manchester, U.K., Metalube is a global lubricant specialist.

J. Andrew Gehrisch was named president of Marlin Thermocouple Wire, Inc. He joined the company in 2015 as general manager and has extensive experience with ERP system implementations, MRP and inventory. He previously worked for about four years each as president of Nano Lube Corporation and as operations manager for Pelican Wire. He also was owner of Miniature Cable Systems from 2005 to 2007. Based in Westlake, Ohio, Marlin Thermocouple Wire, Inc. provides thermocouple wire, cable and thermocouple connector products.

Davis-Standard has promoted Gianzo Mastrangelo to aftermarket regional manager for the Northeast U.S. and Canada. He has 33 years of experience, having held multiple leadership roles at Brampton Engineering, which was acquired by Davis-Standard in 2018, as well as at General Motors of Canada, CFM and Fenwick Automotive. He holds an MBA degree from Niagara University, a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Ottawa, and a B.S. degree in biology from Western University. Based in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, Davis-Standard’s product lines include extrusion technology for wire and cable.

Adam Sleboda has been named a senior development engineer at SACO AEI Polymers. He most recently worked for the Prysmian Group for four years as a material lab chemist and an R&D engineer. Prior to that, he was an R&D materials engineer for five years at Champlain Cable Corporation. He holds a B.S. degree in chemistry from King’s College. Based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, SACO AEI Polymers supplies thermoplastic and thermoset compounds, additives and masterbatches.

Andrew Depue is the new sales manager, wire and cable, for Nylene. He started as a regional sales manager for Joe Tools before moving on to Southwire, where he held process engineer/process support management positions prior to his promotion to operations manager. He holds a degree in economics from The University of Georgia. Based in Arnprior Ontario, Canada, Nylene supplies polyamide (nylon) polymers, co-polymers, and polymer compounds.

Automatic Spring Products Corp. (ASPC) has added the duties of company president to its CFO, Scott Zylstra. The change was made to allow long-time president and CEO Steve Moreland to focus exclusively on the strategic future of the company. Zylstra brought more than two decades of leadership in finance and manufacturing to ASPC when he joined in 2019 as CFO. Based in Grand Haven, Michigan, American Spring Products manufactures compression, extension and torsion springs as well as other products

Obituaries
The International Wire Manufacturers Association (IWMA) announced that Paul Graham Warbrick, one of its founding members, died Oct. 21, 2021, from a long-standing illness, at age 81.
Warbrick, who lived in Stockton Heath, was among the first group of British wire and cable company bosses who got together to form the IWMA just over 50 years ago. He had wanted to be a farmer, but when his father died in 1957, at age 41, he became head of Warbrick Engineering Specialties at age 17. Per his LinkedIn profile, at the time of his father’s death, Paul was a student apprentice at BICC Cables, having formerly been a student at Ellesmere College. He then left BICC to join the family business, attending two technical colleges in 1957 to 1959. He learned the field and became a shrewd businessman, bringing in cable industry electronic equipment maker HW Electronics in 1965, then adding Larmuth Engineering, Knutsford, Cheshire, and Dean Bros. reels in Nottingham. In 1988, Larmuth and Dean Brothers were sold to the Pentre Group, and he was a shareholder, and group sales and marketing director through the late 1990s.
Warbrick traveled extensively to find new business, as well as support IWMA, especially in its early years. His love of sports led him to create the IWMA golf tournament and the Warbrick golf trophy. In 2019, his son, Simon, took over the running of the central family wire and cable agency business, which continues as Warbrick International. Other survivors include a daughter, Caroline, four grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

Douglas J. Milheim, the founder of Accurate Wire in Branford, Connecticut, died after a brief illness on Tuesday Oct. 26, 2021 at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
A resident of Guilford, Connecticut, he was a U. S. Navy veteran of the Korean War. He worked for Bethlehem Steel company in Pennsylvania before becoming the chief engineer at Durable Wire. In 1988, he and Matthew B. Smith opened Accurate Wire, a manufacturer of square and round wire. He ran the business until he retired, and sold the company in 2016. He was predeceased by his wife, Margaret Royka Milheim. He is survived by his daughter, Leslie Consolo; two grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Gilberto “Gilly” C. Jasso, who worked in sales for AW Machinery, a manufacturer and integrator of machinery and control systems, died from a heart attack at age 56. The Texas resident was born in Mexico to Gregorio M. and Beatriz (Chapa) Jasso.
Jasso is survived by his wife of 34 years: Maria C. Jasso; daughters: Anjelica Nicole Martinez, Jennifer Alexandra Jasso and Erika Jeanette Jasso; parents Gregorio and Beatriz Jasso; a brother, Gregorio Jasso; a sister, Aracely Jasso Moreno; and one grandchild, seven nephews and one niece.

Published in People

11/5/21 – JDR Cable Systems (JDR), a global subsea cable and umbilical supplier and servicer that is part of the TFK Group, plans to open a new state-of-the-art, 69,000-sq-m subsea cable manufacturing facility in Cambois, near Blyth, Northumberland.

A press release said that JDR has confirmed its intention to go ahead with the project, subject to final agreements, with construction expected to begin in 2022 ahead of a 2024 opening, creating 170 local jobs on completion and safe-guarding 270 jobs at JDR’s existing facilities.

The initial project investment is estimated at £130 million, which will be partially funded by a grant from the BEIS Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Support (OWMIS) scheme. JDR and TFK plan to raise the remaining funding with support expected from financial institutions and U.K. Export Finance.

The new facility is the first stage of JDR’s plans to expand its product portfolio to support the growing global renewable energy market, adding high voltage export and long length array cables to its existing capacity and product capabilities. Further stages of the development could result in over 400 staff working at the site, with supplied products complementing JDR’s existing capacity provided by the company’s U.K. manufacturing centers in Hartlepool and Littleport. When complete, the facility will include a new catenary continuous vulcanization (CCV) line, making it the only facility in the U.K. capable of full start-to-finish manufacturing of high-voltage subsea cables for offshore wind farms to support the growing global renewable energy market.






Published in Industry News
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