Southwire celebrated the grand opening of its Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Customer Service Center (CSC)—located in  an area called AllianceTexas—with some 150 Southwire team members, leaders, community partners and guests gathered on August 22 to cut the ribbon on the company’s newest and largest distribution center.

A press release said that the nearly 1.2 million-sq-ft facility will distribute products for the full suite of Southwire solutions, including business segments such as commercial, residential, utility, industrial and Electrical Products & Engineered Solutions (EP&ES). The Southwire DFW CSC, which is expected to employ 250 team members, offers modernized storage solutions and automated material handling.

The ribbon cutting event featured remarks from Southwire leadership, as well as Ross Perot, Jr., Chairman of Hillwood, the developer behind AllianceTexas, a lunch celebration and tours of the facility.

Per reports, AllianceTexas—a Hillwood development—consists of 27,000 acres and is anchored by the world’s first dedicated industrial airport, Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport. It is home to 560 companies that have created more than 66,000 direct jobs.

Southwire announced that it will close its facilities in Santa Fe Springs, Rancho Cucamonga, and Livermore, California as well as reduce some staff as the company continues to realign itself.

A press release said operations will cease at the Livermore and Santa Fe Springs facilities on Oct. 1, 2024, and at the Rancho Cucamonga facility on Nov. 1, 2024. Operations from each of the impacted facilities will be relocated to other existing Southwire locations.

Since 2005, Southwire’s Rancho Cucamonga Customer Service Center (CSC) has served as the company’s primary location for supporting Infrastructure products and Electrical Products and Engineered Solutions (EP&ES) on the west coast. In 2020, Southwire acquired Construction Electrical Products (CEP) and the Livermore facility, further contributing to its EP&ES growth. The company’s Santa Fe Springs facility has primarily supported EP&ES for the west coast since 2019.

“As we work toward improving our customer experience, we must optimize our distribution and manufacturing networks to attain best in class customer service,” said Aaron Asher, Southwire’s senior vice president of Customer Experience. “By leveraging our geographic locations and taking full advantage of our existing network of facilities, we will be positioned to more readily and effectively meet our customers’ needs throughout North America.”

In addition to these facility closures and updates, Southwire has responded to the shifting market conditions by reducing the number of sales and support roles that support the EP&ES business. Impacted persons will be able to apply for open positions within the business.

“The decision to close these facilities, as well as to adjust our staffing in EP&ES, was not made lightly, and it is not a reflection of our team members,” said Peter Lugo, senior vice president of EP&ES. “We would like to thank these team members for their years of service, and we will ensure that those impacted by this decision are treated with dignity and respect throughout the transition.” 

Southwire announced that it will expand the company’s Cofer Technology Center in Carrollton, Georgia

A press release said the expansion will add approximately 50,000 sq ft to Southwire’s footprint and include a manufacturing line for production of R&D wire samples. The facility will have a focus on engineering with sustainable components, such as creating cable with recyclable plastic insulation materials.

“I am thrilled to share this announcement of Southwire’s investment in the R&D space,” said Southwire COO Norman Adkins, who described it as promising time for both the industry and Southwire. “The facility represents our progress as a company as we drive forward into the next chapter of electrical innovation.” 

The new facility has been engineered with the qualifications for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification in mind. LEED, which is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is a widely respected recognition of sustainable design and energy conservation in buildings.

“Our industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by a global focus on sustainability, renewables, electric vehicles and grid transformation, just to name a few,” said Axel Schlumberger, senior vice president of research and development. “The expansion of our R&D facilities will enable that growth in strategic growth market verticals and accelerate innovation and the development of new solutions for our core and emerging markets.” 

The expansion should be completed by the end of 2024, with the facility fully functional by the end of 2025.

Southwire reports that the company has made an investment in HData, a software company that automates regulatory data analysis.

A press release said that HData, based in Birmingham, Alabama, digitizes regulated energy industry data by automating access to critical analytics for electric, oil and gas companies and their regulators. “Our investment in HData gives us a valuable partnership in the rapidly developing world of AI for business intelligence,” said Charles Hume, managing director of Southwire Technology Ventures. “As a leading supplier to the utility industry, we are excited about the insights that our partnership with HData will provide into the industry.”

As a part of this investment, Southwire will join HData’s Advisory Board, represented by Donna Ward, gaining further insights into the utility industry. HData’s proprietary software can scan and extract insights from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) reports, turning multi-thousand-page PDFs into actionable charts, comparisons and insights.

HData joins a portfolio of investments managed by the Southwire Technology Ventures team. This team collaborates with pioneering startups to build the future of smart power within the realms of smart buildings, electric mobility and the grid of the future.

A press release said that it was scheduled to close the Chinse plant on Dec. 29, 2023, in Langfang, China, that became part of Southwire in 2016 following the company’s acquisition of Sumner. The location produced various lifts, jack stands, welding tools and more allowing Southwire to expand its tools and equipment business. That production will be relocated to third-party manufacturers.

The second plant, in Crestview, Florida, will close this year on Feb. 2. The business, previously known as American Elite Molding and acquired in 2020, produces nylon cable ties. That production will be relocated to Southwire’s facility in San Pedro Sula, Honduras to enable the organization to simplify and streamline similar manufacturing.

Southwire announced that it is partnering with READY Robotics, a pioneer in cutting-edge automation solutions, to deploy automation at five of the company’s facilities.

A press release said that Southwire will use the technology at two Georgia sites: its Retail East Customer Service Center (CSC) in Villa Rica and the utility products plant in Carrollton; its plants in Hawesville, Kentucky, and Florence, Alabama; and its Bremen campus in Bremen, Indiana.

“Partnering with READY Robotics provides us with an opportunity to leverage their expertise, as we continue to deploy cutting-edge technology within our operations,” said Alex Thomas, chief engineer at Southwire. “Continuous improvement is critical to assuring that we safely service our customers, and this partnership helps us accelerate those efforts by using smart solutions that fit nicely with our history as an innovation leader in the industry.”

Supporting the company's intent to be a leader in sustainability, Southwire has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Program.

ENERGY STAR® is a well-recognized and respected voluntary program managed by the U.S. EPA, supported by U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and Natural Resources Canada, that is focused on improving energy efficiency in buildings, plants and homes.

“We’re excited to partner with ENERGY STAR, a brand that is well-recognized for energy efficiency in many of the things we use every day, like some of our Topaz® lights,” said Norman Adkins, Southwire’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). “Through its resources and collaboration with other companies who share the same commitment to proving energy efficiency, ENERGY STAR helps its partners in the industrial space. As a part of this partnership, we plan to improve energy efficiency at a faster pace throughout our company operations.”

In support of the company’s Growing Green initiative, Southwire aims to reduce its environmental footprint and maintains a deep commitment to responsible growth and actively integrating environmental priorities into its core operations.

In July 2020, Southwire announced its Carbon Zero goal to eliminate or offset all of the company’s Scope 1 – associated with fuel combustion – and Scope 2 – associated with electricity consumption – greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.

As part of the program, Southwire will continue its commitment to protect the environment through the continuous improvement of its energy performance.

“At Southwire, our vision is to make our company sustainable for the next 100 years and beyond, and our partnership with ENERGY STAR is a testament to those efforts,” said Burt Fealing, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer. “Southwire maintains a deep commitment to responsible growth and actively integrating environmental priorities into our core operations, and we look forward to creating a more sustainable planet through our partnership with ENERGY STAR.”

“By making a commitment to improved energy efficiency, Southwire is on the way to enhancing its bottom line while protecting our environment,” said Cindy Jacobs, Chief of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Commercial and Industrial Branch.

Southwire Company, LLC, and Resideo Technologies, Inc., announced that they have entered into an agreement that would see Southwire acquiring Genesis Wire & Cable business, a leading low-voltage wire and cable manufacturer based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.

A press release said that the transaction was expected to close in the next 30 days, subject to customary closing conditions. With 187 employees, Genesis manufactures approximately 70% of its products in-house and purchases the remaining 30% as finished goods ready for distribution from other third-party manufacturers.

“We are excited to welcome the Genesis team to Southwire,” said Southwire’s President and CEO Rich Stinson. “The strong brand and quality reputation Genesis has built over the last three decades is a perfect fit for Southwire and our focus on innovation, service and quality. Their product offering provides an opportunity to share our innovative solutions with even more customers, positioning us for success both now and in the future.”

Genesis’s products provide critical connection for a wide range of residential and commercial applications, including comfort, security, network and communications, entertainment, and fire and safety. It serves a broad set of distributors, dealers and professional contractor customers.

“We’re excited to welcome the Genesis Cable team to Southwire,” said Norman Adkins, COO at Southwire. “The company’s expertise in low-voltage wire and cable production will be instrumental as we continue to expand into new and emerging markets, especially within the Security and HVAC sales channels.”