IEWC has named Martin Rohde as president and chief business officer of its Global Infrastructure Group, tasked will leading the newly formed infrastructure business that was created earlier this year to focus on growth industries such as telecom, data centers, solar and renewable energies, power grids, and industrial automation. He has more than 25 years of experience in the B2B distribution space, and led transformational business changes at Arrow Electronics, Hewlett Packard, Amazon Business, and most recently, Parts Town. He will oversee IEWC’s telecom brands (Cablecon and Jupiter Communications), IEWC’s Premier Cables business in Europe, as well as lead business development within other infrastructure markets. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, IEWC is a global distributor of wire and cable products, a manufacturer of custom fiber assemblies, and a provider of value-add solutions that advance a connected world.

Southwire announced a series of personnel news. Norman Adkins, Southwire’s president of Wire and Cable and COO, will assume responsibility for the company’s Tools, Components and Assembled Solutions (TCAS) business. He replaces Brandon Moss, who resigned to take a role outside the company. Peter Lugo, senior vice president of product management, will report to Adkins and lead Southwire’s TCAS business. Alan Bearden, senior vice president of strategic integration, will now report to Guyton Cochran, executive vice president and CFO. Based in Carrollton, Georgia, Southwire Company is a world-leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of building wire and utility cable.

Brad Andrews was promoted to senior marketing manager wire drawing, North America, at Condat Corporation. He joined the company in 2016, serving as marketing manager, North America. Prior to that he worked in related industrial companies for some 29 years, including Bazetta Steel Processing, Capital Steel & Wire, Solon Wire Processing, BCS Industries/BSC Metal Prep, LLC, and Metal Processing Corporation. He holds a B.S. degree in business administration and management from Ohio University. He was also an instructor in WAI’s Fundamentals of Wire & Cable Manufacturing course at Interwire 2023. Based in Saline, Michigan, USA, Condat Corporation supplies lubricants and coatings to sectors that include the wire and cable industry.

Belden Inc. announced that Jay Wirts, president of smart buildings, has been appointed to the newly created position of executive vice president of enterprise solutions. He was cited for his extensive industry experience and track record of driving operational excellence that make him the right fit to drive future growth at the Enterprise Solutions segment. He joined Belden in 2018, and most recently served as president of Smart Buildings, where he was responsible for operations, product development, and financial performance. Prior to that, he served in other leadership roles at Belden including vice president and general manager of Industrial Cable Solutions within the Industrial Automation Solutions segment. Prior to Belden, he served in various roles in Emerson and Vertiv following more than six years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Colgate University and an MBA from Northwestern University. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Belden Inc. is a leading global supplier of network infrastructure solutions.

Matt Wasinger has joined National Standard as the new district sales manager/industrial wires, responsible for managing distributors and end users for the company’s industrial wire portfolio. He has a strong background, with experience in welding and industrial product sales. Most recently he worked as a business development specialist. He has held sales positions with Fastenal Company, Praxair, Brennan Industries and Matheson Tri-Gas. A member of The Heico Companies, National Standard produces a range of wire at its plants in Niles, Michigan, and Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Service Wire has promoted Ron Spozio to regional sales manager for the pump and irrigation markets of Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. He joined the company in 2022 and has over 19 years of sales experience in the metal industry. He holds a degree in humanities from the University of Houston. Based in Culloden, West Virginia, Service Wire is a family-owned wire and cable manufacturer.

Joe Cebulski has been named a US country manager for Mattr Connection Technologies DSG-Canusa & Shawflex. He has 30 years of industry experience, starting in 1992 with Rome Cable, where he was a regional vice president. In 2003 he joined Shawcor, where he was a country manager for the piping company. In June 2023, Shawcor rebranded to Mattr, “reflecting its transformation from an energy services organization, into a materials technology company, providing differentiated, high-performance products to critical infrastructure markets around the world.” He attended La Salle University. Based in Toronto, Mattr has three business segments, one of which is Connection Technologies, which includes Shawflex, a manufacturer of engineered wire, cable and assemblies.

Fil-Tec Inc. announced the promotion of Christine Lovett to vice president, responsible for the global business development of the company’s wire and cable business unit. Since joining Fil-Tec, she has served as director of business development for specialty coated fibers used in the cable industry. She has been active in new product development, various process improvement and quality programs as well as customer development. Prior to joining Fil-Tec, Lovett served some 24 years in roles of increasing responsibility at industry suppliers LLFlex, Sonoco and Zumbach. Based in Hagerstown, Maryland, Fil-Tec is a leading global supplier of technical fibers (binders, fillers and ripcords) to cable manufacturers.

NKT has signed a contract to supply the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) onshore power cable system for the Hertel-New York project, which is the Canadian transmission line in the U.S. that will connect to the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) transmission line.

A press release said that NKT will design and manufacture a 2 x 60 km 400 kV HVDC onshore cable system that has an estimated value of €90 million. The power cables will be produced in Karlskrona, Sweden, and are expected to be delivered in 2024.

As a part of the overall transmission of sustainable hydropower from Canada to New York City, Hertel-New York will facilitate the onshore power transmission from the Hertel substation in Quebec, Canada, to the submarine section that continues to the U.S. border, where it connects to the CHPE transmission line. Once completed, the transmission line, one of the largest infrastructure investments in the history of New York, will help the state meet its goals of having 70% of power generation and consumption come from renewable energy sources by 2030.

“I am very satisfied that we have been awarded the contract for Hertel-New York which further cements our position as a key partner in ensuring the transmission of renewable power to New York,” said NKT President & CEO Alexander Kara. “This is a key project for NKT, and we are looking forward to close collaboration with Hydro-Québec. We aspire to continue to expand our market presence in Canada and the U.S. where we expect the green transition to create additional growth opportunities.”

(PAWCATUCK, CONN.) – As part of a company-wide commitment to customer service and environmental sustainability, Davis-Standard’s manufacturing facility in Fulton, N.Y., recently attained ISO 14001 certification. This certification validates processes across the board, internally and externally, and serves as a benchmark for Davis-Standard’s ongoing pursuit of operational excellence, sustainable practices and process improvement. This is the third Davis-Standard facility to become ISO 14001 certified in addition to facilities in Finland and Switzerland. All of Davis-Standard’s global facilities are slated to become ISO 14001 certified by 2025.

“ISO 14001 certification directly aligns with our sustainability efforts concerning safety, quality and productivity to address customer needs while also strengthening internal practices,” said Giovanni Spitale, Davis-Standard CEO. “Every aspect of our business at all Davis-Standard facilities must support industry-wide quality standards in order to fulfill the value proposition we offer customers. This includes focusing on equipment development and manufacturing efforts that reduce waste, improve energy efficiency and recyclability.”

At the core of ISO certification is the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. This is achieved by enhancing customer fulfillment through an effective quality management system (www.iso.org). All issues are addressed at the source to support best practices.

Davis-Standard, LLC (www.davis-standard.com), headquartered in Pawcatuck, Conn., is a global leader in the design, development and distribution of extrusion and converting technology.

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..

Ohio Valley Chapter. The Ohio Valley Chapter focused on finalizing details for their highly anticipated golf tournament scheduled for August 24. Designed to provide participants with both enjoyment and educational value, the tournament will include three insightful sessions on industry trends, developments and best practices.

As a testament to their commitment to fostering future talent, the Ohio Valley Chapter continues work to unveil their new scholarship program, slated to launch in 2024. The chapter has developed an official criteria and eligibility sheet, which will be circulated among members soon.

Reported by WAI Membership Manager John Markowski