At its recent Annual Meeting, the Wire Cable Manufacturers Alliance (WCMA) announced the recipients of the 2025 Distinguished Career Award that will be honored this March at the 39th Annual Awards Dinner and Investiture Ceremony.

The winners are: Bob Allen, engineering manager, James Monroe Wire & Cable; Lenny Argentine, vice president sales & marketing, International Wire; Mike Canterino, vice president engineering, Fluoropolymer Resources; John Gross, publisher, The Copper Journal; Trent Hayes, Engineering Manager, CommScope; Hamid Haophsy, vice president manufacturing, Fisk Alloy Wire; Joe Iamartino, vice president of technology, Marmon Electrical; and David Kiddoo, CEO, IWCS/CCCA.

The Dec. 3 Annual Meeting and Holiday Luncheon saw 120 members and guests meet at the Downtown Hartford Marriott. Keynote Speaker John Traynor, president of Cambridge Trust Wealth Management, shared his thoughts on current economic, political, and manufacturing topics. It was preceded by a Young Professional Panel Session entitled “The Next Generation’s Perspective - How to Succeed in the Wire & Cable Industry.” See p. 54.

WCMA Executive Director Ed Fenton said the organization has continued to do well, allowing it to increased the amount it contributes to more than $21,000 to charity (UCONN Foundation and Toys for Tots) and scholarship programs (WAI, IWCS, and Copper Club) on behalf of the membership. James Monroe Wire & Cable, International Wire, Gem Gravure and Chase Corp. were recognized for their generous donations; Carlie Crawford, director of laboratory services at Marmon Innovation & Technology Group, was presented with the 2024 Young Professionals Award; and Chris Venice, Marmon IEI, was recognized for his services as association president; and Greg Smith, president & CEO of International Wire, was recognized for his service as a Board Director.

The 2025 officers include Shane Berry, Service Wire Co., president; Peter Moran, Marmon IEI, vice president; and. Cheryl Stewart, secretary/treasurer. Ongoing directors include: Alberto Aguilar, president, Carris Reels; Tom Artinian, CEO, TiniFiber; Adam Chase, CEO (retired), Chase Corp.; John Dogazzi, managing director, Sikora International; Sue Welsh, Young Professionals Liaison, president (retired), Rubadue Wire; and new board member, Nate Schilberg, president & CFO of Prime Materials Recovery, Inc.

The 39th annual Awards Dinner and Ceremony will take place on March 29, 2025, in Hartford, Connecticut, at the Downtown Hartford Marriott Hotel. For more information about this event, visit www.wcmainc.org.

 SteelOrbis will hold its annual Rebar & Wire Rod Conference—the only steel-centered event held during the World of Concrete Expo—at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Jan. 20, 2025.

A press release said that the SteelOrbis conference has a new extended program that includes opportunities to network with colleagues, customers, suppliers and steel experts. Attendees can hear insightful views of distinguished speakers from the U.S. long steel industry regarding the main issues and latest trends in the market. The event will also include the presentation of the RWR Lifetime Achievement Award in Long Products.

The program is for steel producers, distributors, fabricators, traders, end-users, plant/equipment companies and logistics companies. The schedule, registration and other details are at www.atevent.steelorbis.com/en/rwr2025/

Italy’s Eurodraw Wire Equipment Srl announced that it has named Omega Americas LLC as its new representative for the North American market.

A press release said that Can Kocabalkanli of Omega America, has a proven track record of delivering exceptional results, and will be the primary contact. “He will assist you with our company for any needs, such as product inquiries, order management, after-sales support, etc.”

Per Eurodraw, the company felt it was important to have localized representation in the United States to better serve customers there that could benefit from its equipment expertise. “We are confident that Can’s expertise and dedication will provide the high level of service and support you have come to expect from our company.”

Kocabalkanli can be contacted at tel. 443-808-9770
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Germany’s Leibinger report that it will expand its local presence for its coding and marking technology in Brazil through key initiatives that include partnerships with established distributors such as Qualijet in the Southeast and Norvac in the Northeast.

A press release said that the company will improve service delivery, product availability, and spare parts and its overall ability.  “By working with established distributors, leveraging a dedicated local team, and housing inventory in-country, Leibinger is enabling businesses to streamline operations, reduce downtime, and stay competitive in Brazil’s dynamic market.”

“Our mission extends beyond mere expansion,” said Cesar Denadai Rugero, Leibinger’s dedicated business development & channel manager for South America. “It’s about shaping a future where every package embodies precision and reliability. We are deeply committed to empowering Brazilian businesses with tailored, world-class solutions that meet their unique needs, while ensuring unparalleled support and service for our customers, both regionally and globally.”

Qualijet, headquartered in São Paulo, has been distributing Leibinger products for more than 15 years while Norvac is a new partner for the company.

Oman Aluminum Processing Industries SPC (OAPIL)— a subsidiary of Oman Cables Industry SAOG—has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indore Specialty Materials, that will enable it to manufacture high-temperature low-sag (HTLS) conductors.

A press release said that the agreement with Indore Specialty Materials, a subsidiary of India’s Indore Composite, will supply OAPIL with its proprietary EnergyCore composite core, in addition to offering technical support. EnergyCore, an advanced composite material developed by Indore, enhances HTLS conductor performance with superior thermal stability, lightweight properties, and exceptional strength—key qualities that contribute to higher efficiency and reliability in transmission lines. The EnergyCore-based ACER (Aluminum Conductor EnergyCore Reinforced) HTLS conductors will be integral in building a more sustainable power infrastructure for the Middle East and beyond.

This collaboration with Indore Specialty Materials will help us venture into advanced conductor manufacturing, while enabling utilities to enhance power grid capacity, reliability, and resilience,” said OAPIL Chief Strategy Officer Jehan Alagappan. “This investment also helps OAPIL to improve product diversification and create capability to produce high value -added products in Oman. We are happy to partner with Indore Specialty Materials to support energy transition and electrification efforts.”

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) have formed the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience to strengthen the resilience of this vital telecommunication infrastructure.

Per multiple media reports, the Advisory Body will address ways to improve cable resilience by promoting best practices for governments and industry players to ensure the timely deployment and repair of submarine cables, reduce the risks of damage, and enhance the continuity of communications over the cables.

“This body will identify key issues to ensure that submarine cables are built, deployed and maintained with a greater resiliency,” Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) told reporters ahead of the first meeting of the new group. “It’s definitely not just a technical issue, but an issue that can affect our economies and our societies. And however we see that this critical infrastructure is vulnerable to disruptions,” he said.

A follow-up summit is planned in Nigeria in February.

The Thai–Laos Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River that connects Thailand and Laos was envisioned at its opening in 1994 as a blessing for the two neighboring countries in terms of their economies, trade, tourism, investment, cultural exchanges, transportation and logistics. It worked, and to expand capacity, a second Friendship Bridge was opened in 2007, only in recent years the original intent was lost on some users. More specifically, those who chose to use the bridge for other purposes.

Per reports in the Bangkok Post, The Diplomat and Taiger, the 2nd Friendship Bridge hosted a wide range of illegal cables used for various unapproved “uses,” such as cross-border call center scams. National Broadcasting and Telecommunications commissioner Pol. Gen. Nathathorn Prousoontorn said that a total of 16 large-sized, high-speed fiber optic cables were laid across the bridge. “There were two 216-core cables, two 96-core cables and 14 24-core internet cables.”

An inspection found that scam gangs had also installed illegal internet cables several km into Myanmar. “Our sleuths used hi-tech gear to trace these cables, discovering they served a bustling business area in Laos, with the capacity to mislead up to 10,000 users at once,” Prousoontorn said.

A portion of the cables were laid by an authorized company, only that business exceeded their authority. Prousoontorn said that some of the cables were installed by a company the NBTC had licensed to provide telecom service, but only in Thailand. There also appears to have been multiple participants, and some arrests have been made. A joint task force in Tak caught one person who was using a water rocket launcher to extend Internet cables across the border into Myanmar for Chinese clients. The suspect admitted being hired.

“Given the size of the cables, they can transmit signals to four economic towns covering areas of hundreds of kilometres and provide internet services to many scammers who have moved their operations (from Laos) to this area,” Prousoontorn said. “This is our biggest seizure of illegal internet cables. Cutting them has prevented the call center gangs in this area from accessing the internet,” he said.

Assistant National Police Chief, Pol. Lt. Gen. Thatchai Pitaneelaboot said that while rogue cables have surfaced over rivers and borderlands before, never have they been laid so boldly across international bridges.

Penta-Ocean Construction has ordered a cable-laying vessel (CLV) from the PaxOcean Group that will cost an estimated $243 million and be one the largest, most advanced such ships.

A press releases said that Penta-Ocean Construction, a major Japanese construction firm, specializes in marine works and land reclamation. The company said the order reflects its plan to expand beyond offshore wind turbine construction into power cable installation, targeting future offshore wind power projects in Japan’s exclusive economic zone and other regions.

The CLV will be self-propelled and mounted with two 5,000-metric to cable carousels that can provide “safe and efficient cable laying in the open sea” even in severe ocean conditions. It will include a trencher for burying cables and  work class remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The vessel is scheduled to be delivered in February 2028.

The 14,000-dwt cable layer was designed by Norwegian firm Salt Ship Design. PaxOcean Group, based in Singapore, will build the ship at its Batam yard. “The cable layer is capable of laying and burying not only cables for bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines but also for floating-type offshore wind turbines, as well as submarine direct current power transmission cables,” Penta-Ocean said.

Per Penta-Ocean, the cable layer will be 50/50 owned by a company subsidiary and Fuyo General Lease Co, while the trencher and work class ROV will be 65/35 owned by a company subsidiary and Kojimagumi Co. Japanese ocean dredger company Kojimagumi will handle the vessel’s operational management.

Citing harsh market conditions, South Korea’s POSCO closed its No. 1 wire rod plant at Pohang Steelworks, where it had been in operation for 45 years and nine months.

Per a report in BusinessKorea, the Nov. 19 decision stemmed from a prolonged global oversupply of steel and a resulting decline in the profitability of steel products. The plant, which began operations on Feb. 28, 1979, has produced a cumulative total of 28 million tons of wire rod products over its lifespan.

The closure, the article said, marks the second shutdown for POSCO in 2024, following the closure of the No. 1 Steelmaking Plant in July. The company said that related to continued global oversupply of steel, the influx of low-priced steel products from overseas, and the aging of the facilities. It noted that  in 2023, global wire rod plants had a production capacity of approximately 200 million tons, but actual demand was only 90 million tons. China, with a production capacity of 140 million tons, began exporting wire rods at low prices to neighboring countries due to a sluggish domestic construction market, leading to a steady decline in global wire rod prices. This oversupply and price decline have significantly impacted the profitability of wire rod production, prompting POSCO to reassess its operations.

The No. 1 Wire Rod Plant had a significant role in POSCO’s history, producing wire rods used as materials for nails, screws and high-strength tire reinforcements for automobiles. POSCO plans to shift the production of high-strength tire cord and welding rod for ships and automobiles, previously manufactured at the No. 1 Wire Rod Plant, to the No. 2 to No. 4 Wire Rod Plants. Employees who worked at the No. 1 Wire Rod Plant were to be reassigned to other departments within the company.

Looking forward, POSCO aims to reduce the proportion of low-priced products and focus its production capacity on high-value-added products such as high-strength bolts for automobiles (CHQ), spring steel, and bearing steel. This strategic shift is intended to improve profitability and competitiveness in the global steel market. POSCO’s future plans to restructure its wire rod production and sales strategy indicate the company’s efforts to adapt to changing market conditions and maintain its competitive edge.

Of note, POSCO opened a wire rod processing plant in the U.S. in 2017, with annual production capacity of 25,000 tons. POSCO invested $20.9 million, which at the time represented POSCO’s second largest overseas wire rod processing center, next to its center in Mexico.

Prysmian reports that it has signed a Framework Agreement with Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE), the French TSO, for the engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (“EPCI”) of submarine power cable links.

A press release said that the links will connect two offshore wind farms to the French transmission grid, specifically the “Fos Project” and the “Narbonnaise Project”, covering both submarine and land parts (including also landfall works). The projects are subject to call off by RTE and finalization of the terms of the relevant EPCI contracts, which are expected to occur during the period 2026-2027. Delivery and commissioning is set for 2031-2032. These two EPCI contracts are altogether estimated at a potential value of approximately €700 million.

Each single project will consist of three High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) 225 kV three-core export cables with XLPE insulation, all equipped with synthetic armor. The approximately 400 km of land cables will be produced locally, in Gron, France, while the approximately 240 km of submarine cables will be manufactured at Prysmian’s centre of excellence in Arco Felice, Italy, and Pikkala, Finland, for a grand total of approx. 640 km of cables (land and submarine). Installation operation will be carried out using one of Prysmian’s proprietary advanced cable-laying vessels.

The Fos Project will be located on the coast of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and will require some 300 km of cables (land and submarine), while the Narbonnaise Project, located on the coast of Occitanie will require about 340 km of cables (land and submarine), providing individually a potential capacity of 750 MW.

The projects were described as having strategic importance for RTE’s long-term plan power grid plans. Prysmian has a strong relationship with RTE from previous projects such as the France-Spain (Bay of Biscay), France – UK (IFA2) and Italy-France (Piedmont-Savoy) interconnections. “The development of offshore wind in France confirms Prysmian’s leadership in the sector, following the completed projects for submarine power cables in other offshore wind farms such as Fécamp, Calvados and Saint Nazaire and ongoing projects as Noirmoutier.”