Poland’s WAI Chapter held a seminar on Oct. 19 that included a technical presentation and an update on the chapter, but the main focus was a series of laudations of the late Dr. Bogdan Golis, a beloved chapter member who died June 29 at age 85.

The program traced the career of Golis, who was Częstochowa University of Technology (CUT)’s dean of faculty for metallurgy, and head of the Department of Metal Forming in this faculty, from 1988-96. He became a WAI member in 1995 and was vice president of the Poland Chapter from 1999 to 2010. In 2000 he won WAI’s Mordica Memorial Award. He was named a full CUT professor in 2001, and won several key awards. He was also the driving force behind the 2006 creation of the Schneider Memorial Award, the highest such award for Poland, based on WAI’s Mordica Award.

The honorary guests of the seminar were Professor Bogdan’s wife, Leokadia Golis, and daughters Małgorzata Zaczkowska and Beata Pająk, granddaughter Agnieszka Pająk and grandson Wojciech Pająk.

Many people came to honor Golis, one being Tadeusz Knych, also a Mordica Memorial Award winner, who said that the professor was always a deep-thinking man who firmly believed that there was a need to further knowledge. “He was always a deeply thinking man with a great knowledge of drawing, he evoked respect. He was often uncompromising, in a positive sense, of course. ... He always showed concern for science and the fear that (there was an) increasing lack of interest in science in our area of professional interest, and therefore he tried to put on paper all the knowledge he had in the theory and technology of the drawing process. He has always required exceptional respect for professors, he taught it and demanded it from young students of science. He left a huge baggage of knowledge and memories. ... It’s good that he lived to see the 20th anniversary of WAI in Poland. He was a man of character and great charisma, and his contributions should never be forgotten.”

The leaders of the WAI Poland Chapter were also announced. Jan Pilarczyk, retired CUT Professor, will continue to serve as president. There are three vice presidents: Maciej Górak, owner of the Gama Metal Company; Prof. Tadeusz Knych, dean of the Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals at AGH; and Piotr Milewski, commodity manager for Drumet Wire Co World Group, who is also the 2022 president of the European Wire Drawing Committee. Prof. Jarosław Jasiński, professor at NCBJ, will be treasurer; Agnieszka Gwiazdowicz will be board secretary; and Prof. AGH Beata Smyrak, a professor at AGH, will also be a member of the board.

The regional networking event is a fundraiser for the WAI New England Chapter Scholarship Fund. Registration is now open through WAI’s event registration system. The cost is $140, and WAI Chapter members in good standing receive discounted rates. Please use your discount code or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for assistance with registration.

The event will again be held this year inside the Cabaret Theatre. The reception starts at 5:30 pm, followed by the meeting at 6:35 pm. The dinner program will include a guest speaker, the introduction of the 2023 new chapter president and board, and picking of the raffle winners.

All proceeds from the raffle go directly to the Chapter’s scholarship program, and attendees are encouraged to bring prizes to help the cause. All such offerings should include an attached business card so the provider can be recognized during the drawing. There will also be a photo booth, so be prepared to grab your industry friends for some memorable pictures. There will be casino-themed props, but you can also get a professional head shot with a WAI backdrop.

Sponsors are always welcome, and the different levels for the event are: platinum-$500, gold-$350, silver-$250 and bronze-$150. All sponsors will be recognized at the event and in WJI. Sponsorships can be selected during the event registration and must be paid at that point. New sponsors are asked to provide a high-quality file of your company logo. Please direct sponsorship questions to WAI’s John Markowski at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 203-458-4044.

Of note for the 2023 meeting, the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino has a room block set aside for attendees who wish to stay overnight. The discounted rate is for the Earth Tower the nights of Jan. 25-26. The cut-off date is Jan. 4, 2023. Reservations can be made online at https://book.passkey.com/go/WAINE23, or call 888-226-7711 for a reservation, using code WAINE23.

Alloy Wire International reported news of two personnel changes. Mark Venable has been promoted to chairman. He joined the company as a managing director designate in 2010, and a year later became managing director, a position held to his promotion. He previously had in different sales roles for 21 years for the Brockmoor Foundry. Filling the managing director post is Tom Mander, who has worked for the company for more than 17 years. He was named managing director designate in 2021. Based in the West Midlands, U.K., Alloy Wire International manufactures wire and wire rope for a wide range of markets.

Cody Buhle has been named national sales manager for non-contact speed and length-measuring products for Proton Products Inc. He joined the U.S. Navy, where he became a basic electricity and electronics technician. He has considerable private sector sales and engineer experience. He worked for several companies as a field service engineer and as a technical sales manager, a position he most recently held for BST eltromat International GmbH in the U.S. Based in the U.K. and U.S., Proton Products supplies instrumentation and control equipment for use in industrial production.

Chroma Color Corporation has promoted Clayton Tyler to sales director for the Eastern Region. He joined the company in 2020 as a regional market manager with extensive prior experience. He most recently worked for Lyondell Basell as a business development manager. Prior to that, he worked for A. Schulman, Inc., Clariant and ECM Plastics, Inc. The company also named Joel Neely as an account manager. He has had a successful track record selling color and additives to a wide variety of leading plastics convertors. He holds a degree in marketing from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Based in McHenry, Illinois, Chroma Color Corporation supplies specialty color and additive concentrates to markets that include wire and cable.

Holger Lieder, director of sales at Sikora AG, has taken on additional duties: interim responsibility for the areas of marketing and service. In this function, he will directly report to CEO Dr. Christian Frank. He joined the company in 2004, and now assumes the responsibilities previously held by Dr. Jörg Wissdorf, a member of the Executive Board who is taking on new professional challenges. Based in Bremen, Germany, Sikora AG supplies measuring, control, inspection, analysis and sorting devices for wire and cable.

Alain Hawaux, well known in North America for being the after-sales service manager of Gauder Group, Inc., has been promoted to president of Gauder Group, Inc. He has been with the company for 24 years, and while he will continue in his prior role, he will now be able to help consolidate and implement new strategies for Setic S.A.S in North America. He will also be a constructive adviser for both Setic S.A.S and customers. Based in Lewisville, North Carolina, Gauder Group, Inc. is the Setic SAS, Pourtier and C2S representative in North America for rotating equipment made by Setic and Pourtier.

The SAMP Group recently hired Paolo Stefini, a leading expert in aluminum metallurgical processes, as its product manager aluminum. He has more than 20 years of experience that encompassing all elements of manufacturing aluminum wires and alloys for use in the following fields: electric applications, the automotive industry, mechanical deformation, and welding. Prior to joining SAMP, he worked for companies that included the Travar Tec-ECN Cunext Group. Based in Bentivoglio, Italy, and with manufacturing sites in Italy, China and Brazil, and sales agents and service centers all over the world, the SAMP Group manufactures a wide range of wire and cable machinery. n

Obituaries

Frederick “Fred” Schwelm, a well-known retired industry veteran, died Sept. 29 at age 75. The Wire & Cable Manufacturers Alliance (WCMA) outlined the extensive career of Schwelm, who was a WCMA founding board member and a 1997 recipient of the Charles D. Scott Distinguished Career Award, now the WCMA Distinguished Career Award. In 1973, Schwelm began his career at Cornish Wire in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He was responsible for the plant/process engineering for the three plants of the company, which at the time was a division of General Cable. He joined Rockbetos in 1979 as operations manager at the plant in East Granby, Connecticut. In 1983, he joined BIW Cable as vice president of manufacturing. In 1988 Draka purchased BIW and he became vice president of operations for the Draka companies. In 1993, he rejoined Rockbestos, which was owned by Marmon Group, as president. During 1996 and 1997, Marmon acquired Surprenant Cable, and Schwelm lead the merger of Rockbestos and Surprenant, now RSCC Wire and Cable. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Clare; daughters Nicole and Gretchen; and three grandchildren.

Charles (Chuck) Lovenguth, a retired key leader at International Wire, died Oct. 3 at age 81, at Anthology Senior Living, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. He started his career at Camden Wire Co., left to earn a business degree, and then returned to Camden Wire as a machine operator. He was promoted to production manager, and in 1992 he joined Omega Wire as a sales manager. He was promoted and held the position of vice president of sales when the company became part of International Wire. He eventually became vice president of sales and marketing for International Wire’s Noninsulated Wire Division, which included the consolidated operations of Camden Wire, Omega Wire, Auburn Wire and Continental Cordage. A 1997 recipient of the Charles D. Scott Distinguished Career Award, he was a Life Member of Wire Association International and a Member of the American Copper Council. He is survived by three sons: Marc, Chris and Jason; a sister, Carol; three brothers: Gary, Brian and Mike; and many grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

John “Jack” Edward O’Donnell II, the founder of O’Tech Industries, died Oct. 1, at age 63. O’Donnell earned a B.S. degree in chemistry from Holy Cross College, then moved to Chicago where he worked in several sales roles. While he and two buddies from Holy Cross entered the bar business (Mamie Rileys on Clark Street and later The Hidden Shamrock on Halsted), his passion for sales and chemistry led him to become a manufacturer’s representative for Gary Chemical Corporation, a thermoplastic compounding company in Leominster, Massachusetts. In 1999, he founded O’Tech Industries in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, where he served as President and CEO. The company flourished as a specialty compounding business with multiple subsidiaries, which includes Color Resource in Leominster. His strong work ethic and passion for his business were instrumental to his success. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Laurel Davenport O’Donnell; a son John III “Jack”; three daughters, Jesse, Lia and Lucy; and three brothers, Doug, Gregg and Mark.