4/5/2021: South Korea’s LS Cable & System (LC&S) announced that it will be the sole supplier of magnet wire for the drive motors (enamel wire) of the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 electric vehicles.
A press release said that LC&S is the first South Korean company to mass-produce magnet wires that can be used at 800 V. Sales are estimated to reach more than KRW200 billion within 6 years. It noted that the company succeeded in using a high-performance insulation material to develop a high-voltage magnet wire with improved efficiency.
As the charging speed competition is intensifying in the electric vehicle industry, development of high-voltage parts supporting this is becoming more important. “We expect that this supply will provide us with an opportunity to preempt the high-voltage electric vehicle wire market, which is still in its early stage,” the release said.
LC&S projects that global demand for environmentally friendly automotive magnet wire market will grow more than six-fold by 2025. It is responding by reinforcing its marketing efforts and increasing investments with regard to global automakers. “The drive motor and the battery are important enough to be called the two hearts of an electric vehicle,” said LC&S President & CEO Myung Roe-Hyun. “We are certain that the wires and parts business, which serves as the blood vessels of the heart, will also grow rapidly, so we are fostering them as new growth engines.”
Since 2016, LC&S has been supplying GM with the magnet wire (400V) for the drive motors of the Chevrolet Bolt EV. It is also discussing development of HV magnet wires that will be used by all EVs produced by GM.
4/5/2021: Radio Frequency Systems (RFS), a global designer and manufacturer of wireless and broadcast infrastructure, announced that it has made “a seven-figure investment” at its manufacturing facility in Meriden, Connecticut.
A press release said that the investment was made to support growing demand for its HYBRIFLEX riser and jumper cables for 4G, 5G products, and beyond. RFS invested in the latest state-of-the-art cable manufacturing equipment that will enable the company “to significantly increase production capability, flexibility, and capacity to meet customer demand.” A company spokesperson said that the new equipment is not replacing existing production.
The investment will help RFS react even more swiftly to requests for new designs and prototypes. “This has reduced new product development lead time by an average of 25%, while doubling production capacity for bulk cables.”
“The recent pandemic has emphasized just how reliant the U.S., and the rest of the world is on telecommunication,” said Matt Gauvin, global product line manager optical fiber and power solutions for RFS. “As a result of this realization, combined with the development of next generation mobile services, we anticipate a huge surge in demand.”
4/5/2021: Champlain Cable announces that it has acquired Umbilicals International (UI), which designs and manufactures complex cable and umbilical products for dynamic and harsh environments at its two U.S. plants in Texas.
A press release said that UI, a business of Scotland’s Seanamic Group, will continue to operate out of their facilities in Stafford, its headquarters, and Channelview, Texas. UI will continue with its present name, managed as a standalone business under General Manager Colin Zak.
The deal expands the scope of Champlain Cable, which is based in Vermont, with operations in El Paso, Texas, and Benton Harbor, Michigan. “The addition of Umbilicals International to the Champlain Cable Group will strengthen our commitment to custom designed cables for harsh and demanding environments,” Champlain Cable President Bill Reichert said. “The entire Champlain Cable Group will now have extensive cable design and manufacturing capability for a broad coverage of markets and applications.”
Reichert commented that all the proper and necessary due diligence was conducted, even though, given the challenging times, it was done under very different circumstances. “We did visit UI’s two plants (Stafford and Channelview) in Texas. We had our El Paso Operations manager handle that part of the process.”
Reichert cited Marty Kenner, Commission Brokers, for alerting him to this opportunity. “Marty knew we were looking for certain acquisitions, and he and I talked about UI.” That led to good discussions with The Seanamic Group, and the process was largely seamless and expedited, he said. “It worked out quite well due to a great team approach.”
Industry veteran Thomas (Tom) Siedlarz, the principal of Plastic Equip LLC, of West Haven, Connecticut, died Feb. 3, 2021 in Yale New Haven Hospital due to Covid-19 at age 73.
Siedlarz worked at Wire Machinery Corporation of America, where he was a machine designer for about 10 years until the company closed around 1980. He then worked for Zumbach, and later became president of Unitek North America, Inc. He worked there from 1989 to 2008 when it was reorganized. That same year he started Plastic Equipment, an industry representation organization. He also worked for Amaral Automation Associates as a manufacturer’s representative from 2012 to 2013.
Siedlarz was a founding member of the WAI’s New England Chapter in 1994, and part of the original Interwire organizing committee in 1981. He was a fixture at Association events, both trade shows and chapter golf tournaments. He was also often at the Association’s Connecticut office, where he helped out at the Interwire and Wire Expo Points Meetings and the annual Clockwinding ceremony. He was known by many for his positive spirit and willingness to help out.
“It is very unfortunate that Tom has left us unexpectedly, but you can believe that his spirit will still be attending wire and cable events,” said John Rivers, Fluorogistx. He estimated that over the years, Tom logged thousands of hours of volunteer time. “I can’t remember Tom not attending a wire and cable event. He will be greatly missed.”
“The Association was extremely fortunate that Tom was a highly active and generous volunteer serving the organization and our industry,” said WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll. “His impact spans 40 years as he was instrumental in producing the first Interwire and remained highly engaged until his passing. Because of his generous spirit and that he lived nearby, the entire staff considered him a friend. He always found time to support our activities. His hundreds of friends in the industry will miss his warm presence.”
Siedlarz is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Bednarczyk Siedlarz; a daughter, Kristen Siedlarz; a son, Michael Siedlarz, a step-son, Stephen Lafex; a brother, Teddy (Willie) Siedlarz; and a niece, Lisa; and nephews Brian, Kevin and John.
Delta Tecnic has appointed Lori Parent as the sales director in the U.S. market, a key appointment for the company’s growth strategy in the region. She will be responsible for the development of technology-based masterbatch and additives for wire and cable, and related industries in the U.S. and Canada under the Delta Tecnic brand.
She has more than 18 years of experience in sales and marketing of color masterbatch and additives in North America. Her background includes past positions at Brand-Rex, Teledyne Thermatics and JuddWire that gave her a wide industry scope. In 2007 she became the first woman to serve as president of the WAI’s New England Chapter, and she has held various board officer positions over 15 years with the Association, where she is currently chair of the Education Committee. She is a 2010 recipient of the Distinguished Career Award from the Wire and Cable Manufacturers Alliance (WCMA). In 2018, she was nominated by Plastics News as a “Woman Breaking the Mold.”
Based in Barcelona, Spain, Delta Tecnic specializes in production and distribution of color concentrates and raw materials for plastics, cables, inks, paints, and cosmetics.
4/5/2021: The American Wire Group (AWG) has hired Nada Filipovic as marketing manager. She previously served for 15 years at Nexans in marketing and sales positions in the U.S. and Canada, working for utilities, EPCs and electrical distributors. She holds a B.A. degree in economics from McMaster University and an MBA in international business from Niagara University. Based in Miami, Florida, the American Wire Group specializes in wire and cable solutions for the utility and renewable energy markets.
Vandor Corporation announces the planned retirement this month of its president, Gerald Davis, who will continue on the board and as a consultant. A one-time professional musician who majored in alto saxophone at Ball State University and Fort Wayne Bible College, he started his career in the funeral industry in 1977 at Spartan Casket Shell in Lynn, Indiana, and quickly moved to Plant Superintendent, before taking a position with America’s oldest casket company JM Hutton in Richmond, Indiana. In 1989, the Elder family (owner group of Vandor) and Gerald co-founded Elder Davis, Inc., once the largest cloth covered burial and cremation casket manufacturer in North America. With the successful collaboration, after Elder Davis was sold, he transitioned to president of Vandor in 2000. While leading the Vandor R&D team, he developed over 50 utility patents, and created the Reel Options brand. Based in Richmond, Indiana, Reel Options manufactures light and medium duty reels for the wire and cable industry
Prysmian Group, announced plans to expand its U.S. manufacturing facility in Pettis County, Missouri, which has seen substantial capital investment.
A press release said that the Prysmian Group plans a two-phase expansion of the facility, which manufactures aluminum building wire products for the commercial and institutional construction markets. Phase one, which was just completed, was a $3.5 million investment for new equipment purchases, existing building renovations and additional jobs. That includes a new machine that increases the plant’s capacity for producing aluminum building wire, which is in high demand. The addition includes an expansion of distribution operations in Sedalia and the addition of more jobs to fully exploit this exciting business opportunity.
“The Sedalia plant is an important area of our business serving a growing market,” said Prysmian Group North America COO Giacomo Sofia. “The investment in the expansion is an important step in continuing to support our customers. Phase one will not only increase opportunities in Sedalia, but it also reduces our operating costs and allows us to be more efficient and cost competitive. The plant has a deep history in the area, and we are thrilled that we continue to grow our footprint.”
LS Cable & System (LSC&S) announced that the company has completed building its first plant in Africa, located in an industrial city in Egypt.
A press release said that LSC&S established a joint venture with a local cable installation company, MAN, Tenth of Ramadan City, near Cairo, in January 2020. The company wants to expand its market presence to East African and Middle Eastern countries, which have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Egypt.
“Export barriers are rising due to the forming of regional economic blocks around the world,” said Myung Roe-Hyun, President & CEO of LS Cable & System. “We will reinforce our competitiveness by directly investing in key hub countries.” With the Egyptian subsidiary, LSC&S now has 11 overseas production subsidiaries, including those in the U.S., China, Vietnam and Poland.
The release noted that the Egyptian cable market is annually growing by more than 5% due to facts such as population growth and the need to replace and upgrade old power grids. “There is a high demand for power cables in Africa, including Egypt, but export barriers are high due to the high tariffs (about 20%) and logistics costs,” said a LSC&S official. “We are planning to secure price competitiveness through local production and use the customer networks of our partners to get the business on the right track as soon as possible.”
Southwire announced that it would soon begin construction of a 100,000-sq-ft copper-rod manufacturing plant in Carrollton, Georgia, an initiative that supports its long-term modernization strategy and building on its goal to remain generationally sustainable for the next 100 years and beyond.
A press release said that construction of the new plant is expected to begin in the first quarter, and that production should begin in the new facility by the end of 2022. When the construction project is completed, the current system will be decommissioned. Of note, the new plant will feature an SCR-9000S Copper Rod System that will have the capability to produce more copper rod (60 mt/hr) than any other SCR system in the world.
“Southwire is investing in a multimillion-dollar modernization initiative that will allow us to best serve our customers, increase our efficiency and introduce newer and better equipment, systems and technology,” said Southwire’s President and CEO Rich Stinson. “In doing so, we’re reaffirming our commitment to providing a work environment that supports the well-being of our employees, our communities and the environment – for today and for the future. Installing a new SCR system is an important part of this effort, as copper rod is the start of the manufacturing process for many of the products that make Southwire an industry leader.”
Southwire started operation of its current copper rod system in Carrollton in 1980, and four decades later, copper continues to be the primary source of metal for the company’s wire and cable operations. The new facility will be located on the same property as the existing manufacturing plant and will utilize the company’s patented Southwire Continuous Rod (SCR®) technology, which transformed the wire and cable industry in the early 1960s and is still the preferred system around the world.
“To put the technology itself into perspective, fifty percent of all copper rod made in the world passes through one of our SCR systems at some point in its lifetime. That’s significant,” said Charlie Murrah, executive vice president of metals. “Our copper rod manufacturing plant in Carrollton is more than 40 years old, and it is the right time to upgrade to a new, state-of-the-art SCR system for continuity and efficiency of our processes. Having a new SCR system in place for Southwire’s copper rod production will help keep us strong and sustainable for decades to come.”
The company also plans to continue pursuing its commitment to Growing Green as it plans for the replacement system. In support of Southwire’s Carbon Zero initiative to achieve 100% carbon free energy for its operations by 2025, Southwire is partnering with Carroll EMC to use all renewable electricity for the facility.
“We’re excited about the future of our Carrollton copper rod manufacturing facility, and we are proud to partner with Carroll EMC as we pursue our Carbon Zero initiative,” said Stinson. “Through this effort, we are not only supporting our modernization strategy and strategic efforts, but also strengthening our commitment toward remaining generationally sustainable.”
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