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.

Andy Zinner has been named vice president operations & service at Niehoff Endex North America (NENA). He most recently worked for Leoni Wire Inc., where he held positions that included vice president sales/operations lead, president/vice president of sales, and vice president of sales and marketing. Prior to that, he worked for eight years for Schneider Electric. He holds a degree in electrical power and engineering from the Technical University, Regensburg. Based in Swedesboro, New Jersey, NENA is a division of Germany’s Maschinefabrik Niehoff GmbH, a global supplier of wire drawing/processing technology.

Joel Spink was named the new quality manager at Reel Power Industrial. He has 25 years of quality management experience, working as manufacturing engineer, quality engineer, senior quality engineer, quality manager, division quality manager and quality director for different companies representing industries from hydraulics and airplane engines to fabrication. He holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University, and an MBA from Harding University. Based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Reel Power Industrial supplies standard and custom reeling and coiling equipment.

Hitachi Cable America has named Jerry O’Donnell as senior sales engineer for the company’s Performance Cable Systems and Materials Division. He has over 30 years of experience in the data communications industry in sales engineering and project management. He most recently was a sales engineer for seven years for Corning Optical Communications, and prior to that was a project manager or manufacturer’s representative for four other companies. He holds a degree from Cabrini University. Hitachi Cable America, Inc.’s Performance Cables Systems & Materials Division manufactures copper and fiber optic communication cables and assemblies for the telecom industry.

François Desné has been named divisional CEO for Steel Wire Solutions of Bekaert. He began his career with RHODIA in 1996, holding management roles in quality and development. He moved to BASF in 2003, working in regional and global leadership positions across Europe and Asia. He joined Recticel in 2016 as a group general manager before he moved to Bekaert. A French national, he holds an M.S. degree in fundamental physics from the University of Paris VII, an MBA from the Wharton School, and a Master of Arts in international studies from the Lauder Institute/University of Pennsylvania.

The American Wire Group (AWG) announced two new hires. Benjamin Sender has joined as regional vice president, renewables. Based in Colorado, he will be responsible for developing new business and expanding AWG’s customer base in the rapidly growing renewables market. Michael Joseph is the new engineering director. Based in Connecticut, he will provide engineering support, quality control and quality assurance system management. Based in Miami, Florida, the American Wire Group supplies wire, cables and accessories for markets that include power transmission, distribution, substations, solar, wind, battery energy storage and EV infrastructure.

Mark Richmond has been promoted to the position of senior manager, strategic accounts, at Hexatronic US. He started with Hexatronic in 2020 as a strategic account manager, successfully managing several large accounts. The U.S. Navy veteran, who served on the attack submarine USS Grayling, holds a BSET degree in electrical engineering from the University of Central Florida.

Ken Consalvo has joined Comtran as a process engineering supervisor. He most recently had been manager quality assurance for Alphagary, which he joined in 2020. He also had worked for seven years in different manager roles for Data Guide Cable. Part of the Marmon Electrical Group and based in Attleboro, Massachusetts, Comtran manufactures specialty cable and system solutions for a variety of applications.

Charles Mellagui has been named CEO of the cable business unit of the Ducab Group. He previously worked for Nexans, where he had held various roles in Europe and the Middle East since 2007, rising to vice president for Central Europe, Russia and France. He has a solid track record and vast business networks in the cable industry, including industry ecosystems in the Middle East, Europe, Russia and Africa. He has restructured business units in the Middle East and helped developing Factories of the Future. He holds an engineering degree from CentraleSupelec in France and a SLOAN MBA from London Business School in the U.K. He succeeds Mike Englebrecht. Based in Dubai, the Ducab Group is one of the UAE’s largest industrial manufacturing businesses

Obituaries

Editor’s note: It just came to the attention of WJI of the passing of a WAI Past President who had a remarkable career.
Dr. Curtis Maitland Jackson, a pioneer in metallurgical research and development, a Past President of the Wire Association International, died Dec. 9, 2021, at age 88.
A native of the Bronx in New York, Jackson graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1951, and earned a B.S. degree in metallurgical engineering from New York University in 1954. He earned his M.S. degree (1959) and his Ph.D. (1966) in metallurgical engineering from The Ohio State University. He moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he worked in research management for the Battelle Memorial Institute for 36 years. During his tenure there, he was a pioneer in metallurgical R&D, specializing in memory alloys such as Nitinol, which are widely used in medical, military, and commercial applications. He was a leader in professional associations including A.I.M.E. (chairman of the North Central Region) and the WAI (president in 1976-77), and also oversaw WJI for six years. His professional awards include both the WAI’s 1977 Mordica Memorial Award for contributions to the advancement of the wire industry, and the Donnellan Memorial Award for outstanding service to WAI. He was recognized by Industrial Research Magazine with inclusion in its 1977 IR-100 Award that honors individuals who made one of the 100 most outstanding new product developments. His outside interests included collecting worldwide military rank insignia, genealogy and lecturing on luxury passenger trains.
He is survived by his children, Carol Adams and David Jackson; three grandchildren; and many cousins.

William Cantrell, a well-respected industry veteran who lived in Irwindale, California, and was director of sales for Davis Wire Corporation (HEICO Metal Processing Group), died Aug. 28 at age 54.
An Eagle Scout who earned a degree from the University of Georgia, in 1992 he joined the family business, Cantrell Group LLC. Over the next seven years he represented steel products that included imported wire and production from companies such as Northwestern Steel & Wire and National Wire. In 1999, he joined Keystone Steel & Wire as a senior field sales representative, and over his 17 years there he rose to the position of director of national accounts.
In 2016, the WAI member joined Davis Wire. He was serving a term as vice president of the Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute, and had served as treasurer for the Wire Reinforcement Institute (WRI). At the WRI website, it posted the following tribute. “The WRI has truly lost a valued leader and friend. William was a joy to work with in the WRI and his wit, humor, and perspectives on the industry were always refreshing and valuable. He will be sorely missed by all, both within and outside of the WRI.”
He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Pittman Cantrell; parents Linda and Tom Cantrell; two sons, William Pittman and Louie Thomas Cantrell; and a sister, Cherise.

Ralph Furlong, who was the second family member to serve as president of Industrial Steel Wire, died Aug. 13, at age 87. A chemical engineer, in 1965 he bought the company from his father, Harry Furlong, who had founded the business in 1935. He oversaw considerable growth, and was still active with the Chicago, Illinois-based company at the time of his passing. Survivors include his son, Brian Furlong, who in 2006 became the third Furlong to serve as president of the company.

Robert “Bob” Gingue, an industry chemicals veteran, died Aug. 21 at age 74. He was one of the four founders of Gary Chemical Corp., where he served as vice president and general manager from 1979-1983. In 1989, U.K.-based Evode Group acquired Gary Chemical and named Gingue as president. In 1993, when Evode Group was acquired by Laporte plc, he was named managing director over the consolidated Gary Chemical and Alpha Chemical Corp. which became AlphaGary. In 2000, he received the Charles D. Scott Distinguished Career Award from the Wire & Cable Manufacturer’s Alliance for his contribution to AlphaGary and the wire and cable industry as well for his leadership in many material developments, particularly the globally recognized SMOKEGUARD® PVC material for communications and data cables. He held a degree in chemical engineering from Lowell Tech (University of Massachusetts at Lowell). Until his retirement in 2011, he managed through four ownership changes, leaving an undeniable impact on co-workers, customers, suppliers and colleagues as he maneuvered shifting industry dynamics and the everchanging landscape of business development.
He is survived by his wife, Carol (Dooley) Gingue; a daughter, Robin Scott and her husband John; granddaughters Haley DiMeco, Maddisen Scott and Mary Scott; a great grandson, and several nieces and nephews.

Ralph Edward Mabry, a veteran of the lubrication industry, died at age 77 at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. He worked in sales for some 30 years for companies that included PPG, Oakite, Henkel and Chemetall. He had a degree in sociology from David Lipscomb University, and was known for his cheerful manner, technical expertise, interest in his clients and presence at trade shows. He later formed Ralph Mabry Associates, a representative firm, before retiring and joining the fledging online business of Cathee Alsup Mabry, his wife of 49 years. Other survivors include a son, Adam Mabry; a brother, Morris Mabry; a sister, Marva Nettles; two granddaughters, Addison and Ansley Mabry; and other family members.

Cerrowire® has named Randy Clos as vice president of finance. He has led financial teams for more than two decades, primarily in the wire and cable industry, including 10 years within the Marmon Electrical Group, part of Marmon Holdings, a Berkshire Hathaway company. In his most recent position as vice president of finance at Marmon Utility, Clos led teams for brands such as Hendrix and Kerite. He previously worked with Wayne Water Systems, a sister Berkshire Hathaway company. He holds a B.S. degree in accounting from Southern New Hampshire University. A member of the Marmon Electrical Group, Cerrowire manufactures electrical wire at plants in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana and Utah.

Rich Buchicchio has been named business development manager, mil-aero, for Times Microwave Systems. He previously was a regional sales manager for Cicoil Corporation, where he worked for 13 years, and prior to that was a regional sales manager, Northeastern USA, for Leoni. He holds a B.S. degree in marketing from Rutgers University. A subsidiary of Amphenol Corporation, Times Microwave Systems manufactures coaxial cables, connectors and cable assemblies for military, aerospace, telecom, industrial RF and microwave applications.

Ton Koenders has joined M. Holland Company as its inaugural director of sales for Europe to support international growth and address customer needs. Based in the Netherlands, his focus will include advising customers on improving recyclability efforts and using more sustainable materials. He has an extensive background in plastics, having worked for 34 years at SABIC, where he most recently led the company’s American sales organization for polymers. He holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Technical College Heerlen and business administration from the University of Maastricht. Based in Northbrook, Illinois, M. Holland Company is a leading international distributor of thermoplastic resins.

Ed Fenton has been named a senior key account manager for Daikin America, Inc. He has held unique positions in the industry, having been the co-founder and co-owner of the Wire & Cable Focus Conference and Exposition, which was sold in 1999 to the International Wire & Cable Symposium, Inc. He most recently was director of North American sales for Ripley Tools LLC. He was the owner of the Wire & Cable Clubs of America, an industrial membership organization for manufacturers of cables, wire and suppliers to these industries—the predecessor to the Wire & Cable Manufacturers Alliance (WCMA)—which he has been executive director since 2004. He will continue to serve in that role. He was the North American business manager for wire and cable publications by CRU International, London, England, and was vice president sales/marketing in 2004, for Fluoropolymer Resources. He holds a degree in English from the University of Vermont. Based in Orangeburg, New York, Daikin America manufactures fluorochemical products for sectors that include wire and cable.

Joe Neely has joined the sales team of Chroma Color, responsible for account sales in the Midwest. An experienced account manager, he has worked in the food/beverage and packaging industries. Previously, he sold color and additives to a wide variety of plastics converters. Before getting involved in color and packaging, He was in IT and wireless communications, working in various roles from inside sales to virtualization sales. He holds a degree in marketing from Southern Illinois University. Based in Lambertville, New Jersey, Chroma Color Corporation supplies specialty color and additive concentrate to markets that include wire and cable

8/2/2022 -  New hires and an obituary

Robert Campbell has been named the global sales director for NDC Technologies, tasked with leading sales for the company’s cable and tube measurement business. He most recently was sales director at M Squared Lasers, a photonics and quantum technology company. Prior to that he served in a technical capacity as vice president of North America for PDL Solutions. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Newcastle University in the U.K., and an MBA from the Edinburgh Business School. Naret Prongcharoen was named channel manager for Asia, responsible for managing and expanding sales channel operations for NDC’s portfolio of BETA LaserMike measurement and control solutions. He was cited for his knowledge of electrification, automation and electronic components in Southeast Asia and extensive new business development background. He worked for more than 13 years in new business development in Southeast Asia for companies that include Honeywell Automation,  Underwriter Laboratories (UL), Texas Instruments and Delta Electronics. Based in Dayton, Ohio, USA, NDC Technologies is a leading global provider of intelligent, connected measurement and control solutions.

Tom Marry has been named president of Charter Steel. He brings a wealth of manufacturing and leadership experience, having held key positions over 20 years with Modine Manufacturing Co., most recently as COO. Prior to that, he worked for four years for Milwaukee Electric Tool, six years for Robert Bosch GmbH and four years for the Cadillac Motor Car division of GM. He holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Based in Saukville, Wisconsin, Charter Steel is a fully integrated American manufacturer of special bar quality (SBQ) bar, rod and wire products. 

Jeff Lovett has been named national sales manager for Comtran, part of Marmon Electrical. He most recently worked for six years for Service Wire Company, and before that, for 14 years for Aetna Insulated Wire in key marketing and sales positions. He holds a B.S. degree in marketing and business management from Bentley University. Based in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and part of Marmon Electrical, Comtran provides specialty cable and system solutions. 

Davis-Standard has named Christian Eidt as chief information officer, part of the company’s senior management team. He will be responsible for IT strategy, corporate systems, data and analytics, and cyber security. He previously worked for FactSet Research Systems as senior vice president of strategic planning and business transformation. He is a graduate of the Boston College Carroll School of Management. Based in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, Davis-Standard, LLC, is a global leader in extrusion and converting technology. 

Jamie Hendricks has been named plant manager for the Hartselle location of Cerrowire, a business of Marmon Holdings. He previously worked for a sister business, Fontaine Trailer Company, the largest platform trailer manufacturer in North America. He holds a B.S. degree in construction engineering from the University of Alabama. Based in Hartselle, Alabama, Cerrowire manufactures copper wire at plants in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, and Utah.

 
Obituary

Professor Bogdan Golis, a long-time contributor of WJI technical papers and the first person from Poland to win the Mordica Memorial Award, died June 29 in Częstochowa, Poland, at age 85.

A key organizer for many of the conferences and seminars organized by WAI’s Poland Chapter and a kind person, he was always ready to help others. Fittingly, two weeks earlier he had been given two copies of a book that covers the history of the Poland Chapter that were distributed on May 18 at its IX Conference. He was born on that day in 1937 in Łowicz.

Golis attended the Częstochowa University of Technology (CUT), and was production manager at the Wire and Wire Products Factory in Gliwice from 1960-67, then branch manager at the Central Laboratory of Metal Products in Zabrze for the next ten years. He earned his doctoral degree at CUT in 1972, and in 1982 was an associate professor/researcher at the Polmetal Research and Development Center in Krakow. From 1987-90, he was 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, working closely with his colleague and good friend Jan Pilarczyk, who served as chapter president. In 2000 he won WAI’s Mordica Memorial Award. He was named a full CUT professor in 2001, and won the 2003 - State Award - Medal of National Education and the 2004 Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. He was the driving force behind the 2006 creation of the Schneider Memorial Award, the highest such award for Poland, based on WAI’s Mordica Award.

He is survived by his wife, Leokadia Czapka, daughters, Beata Pająk and Małgorzata Zaczkowska; and three grandchildren.