A press release said that expansion of the plant in Cuauhtémoc, which opened in 1998, was made to meet the increasing market demand. Over the next five years, Leoni will invest approximately $16.8 million for additional production equipment. The expansion is expected to result in at least 30 new jobs.

During the opening ceremony, Bill Livengood, president of Leoni Cables North America, expressed his gratitude for the excellent cooperation with the state of Chihuahua and the city of Cuauhtémoc. Guests at the celebration included the Governor of Chihuahua, Maria Eugenia Campos; the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Maria Angelica Granados; and local officials.

The Cuauhtémoc plant has become an important player in the automotive cables business in NAFTA. It manufactures a broad product portfolio ranging from simple single-core cables to complex multi-core cables for driver assistance systems and data cables for autonomous driving is answering the needs of Tier 1 and Tier 2 customers in North America.

In 2020, Phase I of a project called EMOMEX (E-Mobility Mexico) was accomplished. It included an investment of $27 million in equipment and machines for the design, development and production of high-voltage cables and cables for charging systems. More than 120 new employees were hired.

WAI is reaching out again to technical paper authors to take part in two Association efforts this year in Italy and Mexico.
The timing is tight for Wire & Cable Milan 2023, which will be held Oct. 16, 2023, at the Palazzo Giureconsulti in Milan, Italy. For Milan, the abstract deadline is Feb. 28. If that date is a concern, authors can contact WAI staff for a possible extension. Acceptance notifications will be sent March 31, and the manuscript deadline is July 31.
The event is being put on with ACIMAF, the Italian wire machinery association, led by President Ferruccio Bellina, a long-time supporter of such efforts. WAI last held an event in Italy in Verona in 2019, with other events there in Milan (2013), Bologna (2007) and Stresa (2003).
The timing is better for WAI’s Mexico ITC, which will be held Nov. 13-15, 2023, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Monterrey, Mexico. It was last held at the same location in 2016, at which time it drew 190 participants. The WAI had held two prior ITCs in Monterrey (2008 and 2010), and one in Querétaro (2004). At all those events, WAI Past President Antonio Ayala served as a key volunteer and organizer.
For both events, the Association is seeking presentations on technical subjects, but also on topics such as sustainability, workforce issues, operating best practices or general business influences in the wire and cable industry.
For Monterey, the abstract deadlines is April 17. Notification will be made by May 22, and the manuscript deadline is Oct. 1. The program will include a presentation about market conditions in Mexico, Central America and South America

Nuremberg – The restructuring plan of Leoni AG received the approval of the required majorities at a court meeting convened for this purpose. This sets the path for the restructuring plan to become legally binding.

The Nuremberg Restructuring Court has announced that the still required ruling will be issued on 21 June 2023. Leoni can then proceed with the implementation of the financial restructuring as planned. It provides for a strong strategic owner for the company, an investment company held by Stefan Pierer. Leoni will be substantially deleveraged and provided with fresh liquidity, financing is secured until end of 2026.

“With the restructuring plan, Leoni will sustainably return to financial stability and can continue its operational recovery in the coming years“, said Hans-Joachim Ziems, Speaker of the Executive Board and Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO).

The restructuring plan provides for substantial contributions from debt and equity holders. The financial restructuring only affects Leoni AG, and not its subsidiaries, their suppliers, customers and employees. The financial restructuring is implemented under the German Corporate Stabilization and Restructuring Act

The Interwire trade exposition held in Atlanta from May 8-11, 2023, provided the perfect backdrop for two remarkable Chapter Board meetings which demonstrated commitment to growth, collaboration, and fostering the next generation of leaders.

Western Chapter. After an eight-year hiatus, the Western Chapter emerged from its slumber with a renewed sense of purpose. Committed volunteers from the region, including California and Texas, took the reins to form the new Western Chapter Board. Their primary objective: to revitalize the chapter, forge connections and promote the benefits of joining the vibrant wire industry.

The board used this in-person meeting opportunity to begin discussing the groundwork and layout. Essentially, a roadmap of what is needed to set their plans in motion. The first order of business is to build a strong member base, actively reaching out to professionals and organizations throughout the Western region. Emphasizing the power of networking, the board aims to create a dynamic platform where industry experts can exchange knowledge, establish meaningful connections, and foster collaborations.

Again, this is still the early stage, but it is an exciting one that will take time to develop, and the leadership roles in the Western Chapter will be defined as more progress is made.
As part of their revitalization efforts, the Western Chapter Board discussed hosting a small golf tournament in 2024. Stay tuned as details develop over the coming months. If you are interested in becoming involved with the Association’s Western Chapter at this time, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Service Wire reported multiple personnel news. Matt Shumway has been promoted to national sales manager for the utility market, responsible for driving specification approvals and increasing market share nationwide. He joined the company as a regional sales manager, utility. He attended the University of Texas at San Antonio. Shane Berry has been promoted to vice president, manufacturing and distribution. He joined the company as director, human resources, in 2018, and in 2021 became director, manufacturing and distribution. Prior to that, he served for about two years as general manager/project manager for ArcelorMittal USA. He holds an MBA from Virginia Tech, and an M.S. degree in industrial and organizational psychology and a B.S. degree in psychology from Radford University. Tanner Beckett will serve the wire and cable electrical distribution markets of Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and the Provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. He has more than six years of industry experience and holds a B.A. degree in geography from Marshall University. Hillary Rowe now represents accounts in the greater Houston metropolitan area. She has more than five years of sales experience in a variety of industrial markets. Based in Culloden, West Virginia, Service Wire is a family-owned wire and cable manufacturer.

Claes Westerlind was named CEO of NKT. He became part of the company in 2017 when NKT acquired ABB HV Cables in Sweden. Since 2019, he had served as executive vice president, Solutions Karlskrona, and was a member of the global leadership team. He was instrumental in the company’s achieving record orders for high-voltage cable as well as leading the investment and expansion programs in Karlskrona that were launched in 2020. He previously worked in various technical, sales and managerial roles at ABB (now Hitachi Energy) from 2006-2017. He replaces Alexander Kara who left the company for personal reasons. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, NKT manufactures power cables and power cable accessories for the on- and offshore energy sector. n

LaserLinc has two recent hires. Danielle Van Auken is the company’s newest buyer. She has more than 20 years of professional and managerial experience. Col Mogdlin has joined LaserLinc’s engineering department as a mechanical draftsman, where he will assist with technical documentation and fixture building. Based in Fairborn, Ohio, LaserLinc supplies testing and measuring equipment.

Obituary
Larry Dean Fitzgerald, a long-time extrusion industry veteran, died May 9, 2023, after a short illness at age 78. The Connecticut resident passed on the first full day of Interwire 2023, a fitting departure as he had long been a fixture at industry trade shows. Known as “the godfather of wire & cable,” he had a gruff exterior that was paired with a willingness to share his expertise. He held decades of key sales and marketing posts prior to his retirement from Graham Engineering late last year. Past employers included Ramco Inc. (1970-76); Xaloy, Inc., (1976-80); Maillefer Co., (1980-85); Nokia, Inc., (1985-88); Bristol Corp/Electrical Systems Division, (1988-90); Davis Electric Co./Merritt Davis Corp., (1990-2000); Entwistle Co. (2000-02); Merritt Extruder Corp., (2002-05); Davis-Standard LLC, (2005-12); then American Kuhne/Graham Engineering, where he retired but kept active until early in January, when medical issues forced the end of his lengthy career. A WAI Life Member, he was a member of its New England Chapter since 2006. He held a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University. He served with distinction in the military, including two tours in Vietnam. Survivors include a daughter, Alena Fitzgerald, and a son, Phillip Fitzgerald.