CommScope announced that it is expanding its fiber-optic cable production to help feed an accelerated rollout of broadband Internet in the U.S.

A press release said that the capacity expansion at two production facilities in North Carolina—projected to cost $47 million—will increase employment by at least 250 jobs over five years. The capital expenditures include new lines of production for its HeliARC cable, a smaller and lighter-weight cable optimized for rural deployment and allowing for faster installation at lower cost.

“This increase in fiber-optic cable production is a great step forward for our ‘Broadband for Everyone’ program, furthering our commitment to serve the fiber optic cable market,” said CEO/President Chuck Treadway. “We will produce more cost-effective and easier-to-deploy fiber-optic cable, add new jobs and simultaneously strengthen the supply chain in America.”

United Wire Company (UWC) has partnered with OEM FENN LLC to enable it to manufacture small wire sizes with exacting tolerances, such as medical grade stainless steel wire.

A press release said that UWC, a manufacturer of flat, square, and custom-shaped wire based in North Haven, Connecticut, saw demand for small wire that holds tight tolerances as well as the need for another supplier. “We reached out to FENN, a metal-forming machinery manufacturer based in East Berlin, Connecticut, and after collaborating with their team, they put together a custom two-stand wire flattening mill line to meet our specifications,” said UWC President Bob Swanson, Jr.

The line includes a horizontal spool payoff, two rolling mills, three dancers, a high-precision Turks head with motorized adjustment, a double drum capstan, and a traversing spool take-up. It can produce wire sizes as small as .005 in. x .010 in. and can hold a +/- 0.0001 in. tolerance. “With this new machinery, we will be able to support the medical industry, as well as supply smaller wire to spring and wire form manufacturers,” Swanson said. “Soon, we will offer 304 V and 316 LVM medical grades of stainless-steel product and precision layer wound packaging.”

ETNA Products, Inc., has acquired the metalworking fluids line of JTM Products, which is based in Solon, Ohio.

A press release said that the deal will bolster ETNA’s business focus, which is based in organic growth and strategic acquisitions. “The JTM metalworking product line brings state of the art technology to ETNA as well as a world class distribution network,” said ETNA President Mike Washington. “We believe that these core competencies are a great fit with ETNA’s state of the art manufacturing and R&D center. We will continue to evaluate additional strategic acquisitions.”

The company fully intends to continue its expansion, ETNA CEO Catharine Golden noted that the company plans to break ground on phase two of its plant expansion this spring to accommodate future growth moves.

Established in 1943, ETNA Products, Inc., located in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is a leading supplier of lubricants for nonferrous drawing and stamping.

Teknor Apex has bought Nu-Pro Polymers, a manufacturer and supplier of reprocessed and recycled flexible PVC pellet compounds that seeks to convert PWVC waste streams into products that perform for customers.

A press release said that Nu-Pro, based in Wheeling, Illinois, works with clean post-industrial (PIR) streams and converts them into new PVC compounds which perform equivalently to prime compounds. Nu-Pro specializes in clear, natural and black reprocessed compounds in a range of durometers. Per company’s co-owner Don Brown, the flexible, reprocessed and recycled PVC compounds incorporate up to 90% post-industrial recycled content.

Under the acquisition, Nu-Pro will continue to produce products for Teknor Apex at this time, under the Cycle-Tek brand as a subsidiary of Teknor Apex. “We are very excited about this acquisition that will further enable us to develop innovative compounds that meet the performance and sustainability requirements of our customers,” said Teknor Apex Executive Vice President Lou Cappucci.

“The acquisition of the Nu-Pro business is another step in ensuring vinyl continues to be a sustainable option in the plastics manufacturing market,” said Sunny Mahajan, Sr., technical manager, Teknor Apex, and business manager, Cycle-Tek. Based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Teknor operates 14 manufacturing facilities worldwide.

IEWC reports that it has added a new distribution center to support its growing customer base in Southeast Asia.

A press release said that the new facility, located in the east region of Singapore, adds nearly 20,000 sq ft of warehouse and office space to IEWC’s footprint within Asia. “Singapore was a logical choice for IEWC’s next expansion,” said Michelle Osman, IEWC president & Chief Business Officer, Global OEM Group. “Our customers continue to grow and invest in Southeast Asia, and we’re responding by placing our service closer to where our customers are. We are excited to bring even higher service levels to our customers in Southeast Asia and beyond.”

Adding to the existing distribution centers in Hong Kong and Suzhou, IEWC’s new Singapore facility will support growing demand across Asia, providing faster service to customers in several areas experiencing significant industrial growth, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam. With the addition of the Singapore distribution center, IEWC continues to build out its global reach, joining facilities currently located across North America, Europe and Asia.

IEWC is a global distributor of wire and cable products, manufacturer of custom fiber assemblies, and provider of value-add solutions that advance a connected world. It has nearly 30 locations in seven countries, serving customers in almost 100 countries.