Germany’s Leoni has agreed to be acquired by LUXSHARE—a huge Chinese electronic connector manufacturer whose customer base includes Apple—in two separate transactions totaling a reported $583 million.

A press release said that LUXSHARE will acquire a 50.1% stake in the Leoni AG and its Wiring Systems Division (WSD) that is owned by Austrian entrepreneur Stefan Pierer. The division has six locations in Germany with a total of around 1,450 employees, including Kitzingen, Neu-Ulm, Munich, Rastatt, Wolfsburg and Neuburg an der Donau. Kitzingen is the largest location with around 1,000 employees. WSD supplies innovative wiring solutions and associated vehicle components. The company notes that it is a market leader in Europe and No. 4 worldwide.

The release said that Leoni’s strong connections with the European and American automotive industries, combined with LUXSHARE’s presence in China, will create a robust global platform, enabling both companies to maximize their market potential. “Having LUXSHARE as a strong strategic partner will significantly enhance LEONI’s competitiveness across all fronts, from portfolio expansion and market access to technological capabilities and production,” said Leoni AG CEO Klaus Rinnerberger.

The second transaction will see TIME Interconnect Singapore—a joint venture between LUXSHARE subsidiaries LUXSHARE-ICT and TIME Interconnect Technology— acquire 100% of Leoni’s Automotive Cable Solutions (ACS) division, which has 10 locations in seven countries, with some 3,300 employees. Following the carve-out, the release said that ACS will continue to position itself as a leading independent manufacturer of automotive cables.

Pierer said that the new partnership will help Leoni’s financial stabilization, reinforcing the progress achieved over the past year. LUXSHARE Group Chairman and CEO Grace Wang said that the collaboration “marks a pivotal step in our journey towards becoming a global leader in the automotive sector.”

Japan’s Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI) has acquired the Esteves Group, a global supplier of diamond tooling of the wire and cable industry, for an undisclosed sum.

A press release said that the Sept. 9 closing was made through Torque Capital Partners (Torque), which announced that its portfolio company Diamond Tools Group B.V. (DTG) has agreed to sell the Esteves Group to AL.M.T. Corp. (ALMT), a subsidiary of SEI. ALMT’s product lines include a range of tungsten and carbon powders and diamond/CBN tools. Torque had acquired Essex in 2018.

“With this acquisition, we will be able to leverage both companies’ diamond dies product lineups, technological capabilities, sales networks, and service bases to further strengthen our business development, including market expansion into Europe and the United States,” the release said. It notes that the Esteves Group brand will continue to be used, and that there will be no major changes to existing service and support structure.

The portfolio of the Esteves Group, founded in 1913, includes wire drawing dies, extrusion tools and specialty tools. The company has seven strategically located facilities in six countries in Europe, North America and Asia.

The acquisition of Esteves Group will enable SEI and ALMT to significantly expand its geographical presence and accelerate its global growth, the release said. The merger will bring together complementary customer segments and innovative solutions. “SEI will support Esteves Group’s management team in realizing its business ambitions (to be a) global leader of wire drawing dies for the wire and cable industry.

“We are very excited about the prospect of joining forces with ALMT, a merger based on decades-long business relation and shared corporate values,” Esteves Group CEO Manuel Geremias said. “The combination will create a global leader with a wealth of know-how, the most advanced technological capabilities and the deepest market reach. We look forward to a prosperous collaboration that will enable us to meet the evolving needs of our clients and maintain our industry leadership.”

Per the SEI website, as of April 1, 2023, the entity has operations in more than 40 countries, with 414 subsidiaries and affiliates, and more than 208,000 employees. 

TiniFiber reported several management changes. Tom Artinian is the new CEO. He has 30 years of leadership experience in fiber optics and cabling, most recently serving as CFO and president at the wire and cable division of Hitachi Metals, now known as Proterial Ltd. During his time there, he spearheaded transformational initiatives that expanded the company into new markets and achieved double-digit growth, as well as navigating the division during the ownership transition to Proterial Ltd. He replaces Christian Peterson, TiniFiber’s founder and outgoing CEO, who will transition to chairman. Ken Consalvo was promoted to operations manager at Proterial Cable USA. He joined the company in 2023 as a senior process engineer, and prior to that was a process engineering supervisor for Marmon Industrial Energy & Infrastructure Operations, and a quality assurance manager for Alphagary. His extensive manufacturing experience includes seven years at Data Guide Cable and 28 years at Mohawk Wire, Belden/CDT. Based in Lindenhurst, New York, USA, TiniFiber manufactures micro armor fiber optic cables.

The American Wire Group has named Amy Sadusky as vice president of regional sales, Northeast & Mid-Atlantic. She most recently was a senior sales associate with Venus Power-Com Supply, and prior to that worked for 17 years for companies that included Total Electrical Distributors, Clear-VU Lighting, Eaton’s Crouse-Hinds Business and the Prysmian Group, where she was a regional sales manager for five years. Based in Aventura, Florida, the American Wire Group manufactures wire and cable for multiple markets, such as power transmission/distribution, substation, solar and EV.

Simone Badini is the new technical department manager for the SAMP Group in Italy. He most recently worked nearly 12 years for Italy’s IMA Group, where he began as an R&D engineer in 2013 and was promoted to positions that included mechanical engineering manager. Based in Bologna, Italy, the SAMP Group makes nonferrous wire pressing equipment, from multiwire drawing systems to insulation and jacketing lines.

John Orona was named business development manager for Remee Wire and Cable. He has extensive manufacturing experience, most recently at Clark Wire & Cable, where he worked for eight years, most recently as director of broadcast sales. He has decades of prior sales and managing experience at companies that include Lake Cable, Gepco International, Isotec Inc., Wire and Cable Specialties and Rome Cable. Based in Florida, New York, Remee Wire and Cable manufactures electronic wire and cable, both copper and fiber optic cable.

Earlier this year, Chroma Color Corporation promoted Joe Herres from vice president of sales and marketing to CEO. He joined the company in 2023. Prior to that he had worked two separate stints, totaling some 15 years with Spartech LLS, where he was vice president sales and marketing and global sales director. He worked for five years for PolyOne, where he was commercial director, and three years with Polymer Extruded Products as national sales manager. He holds a degree in business administration and management from Washburn University. Based in McHenry, Illinois, Chroma Color Corporation supplies specialty color and additive concentrates.

The New England Chapter golf tournament on Sept. 9 saw a healthy field of 142 golfers view for top honors at the chapter’s annual event, held at the Tunxis Country Club in Farmington, Connecticut, topping the 135 players that took part in 2023. In addition to the golfers, 15 attendees participated just for the awards program and dinner. The chapter’s scholarship program was also among the winners, with more than $2,000 being added to the cause.

At the end of what proved to be a glorious day for golf, the team from Gem Gravure Co. Inc. prevailed, It included company President Paul Gemelli and National Sales Manager Derek Olson and Schleuniger USA Director of Sales Micah Durham and Director of Technical Service Greg Douglas, who shot 10 under par.

“It was a terrific opportunity to catch up and network with so many friends of ours from this great industry, and to meet some new industry colleagues as well,” said Gemelli, who attributed the win with his longtime customers/teammates to consistent play with zero bogeys. “It felt great to bring home the trophy for the Gem team to see. Looking forward to defending our title next September!”

There was plenty of praise for the event, for the condition of the course, the way play largely moved along crisply and the networking opportunities that abounded both on the course and at the awards program. A key to making that happen was dependable cadre of volunteers. They were led by Web Industries’ Jim Evans, who for years has been a perennial whirlwind behind the scenes, along with numerous others. They were also supported by WAI staff.

“Kudos to everyone!” declared Tom J. Rosen, Wire & Cable Consulting, LLC. “It was a first class outing. Everyone really enjoyed themselves.”

“It is very clear that (it) was a great success!” declared Chapter President Ryan Caraway, Orbia/Alphagary. “Both of my guests stated it was the best one yet! My hat is off to you, Jim, WAI staff, and all Golf Committee volunteers!”

Premium sponsors for the event included: Carris Reels; Commission Brokers, Inc.; Electric Cable Compounds, Inc.; Fluorogistx; James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp.; Joe Snee Associates; Lenze America; Lloyd & Bouvier, Inc.; M. Holland; The MGS Group; Rainbow Rubber; RichardsApex Inc.; Teknikor; W. Gillies Technologies LLC; Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp.; and Woodward Insurance.
Corporate Hole sponsors were: Amaral Automation; Cable Components Group; Fenton Group/WCMA; James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp.; and Lloyd & Bouvier. Of note, James Monroe and Lloyd deserve “angel status” for their very generous donations.

The New England Chapter will present an insightful experience on Nov. 7 when it continues its string of educational/networking events at the ACCEL Wire Drawing Plant in Cheshire, Connecticut.

The tour, which starts at 3:30 p.m., will present a behind-the-scenes look at cutting-edge wire drawing technology. Accel operates three vertically integrated factories in Connecticut and Indiana with nearly 500,000 sq ft of manufacturing space producing silver plated, nickel plated and tin plated copper and copper alloys for the wire and cable market. It also has a fourth plant, in Florida. The company serves fields that include aerospace, medical, telecom and industrial markets.

Following the tour, the chapter event will transition to nearby Viron Rondo Osteria for a networking dinner at 6 pm. There, participants can unwind and connect with industry peers over delicious Italian cuisine. Blending education with networking in a vibrant setting makes for a good combination, and it’s not too late to sign up.

Attendees of the chapter’s 2022 educational event got to tour the Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) plant in Meriden, Connecticut. That visit resulted in very positive reviews from members of the New England Chapter. The Oct. 25 tour saw some 50 chapter members and guests see the operations up close of RFS, which is a global designer and manufacturer of total-package solutions for wireless and broadcast infrastructure. The tour started with a half-hour presentation on the markets that the company serves, followed by the tour. After the tour concluded, everyone regrouped down the road at a restaurant that provided an enjoyable dinner experience just steps away from the Connecticut River.