Lars Fagerholm, President of the group, states, "Maillefer continues to commit to and demonstrate sustainable value in how we operate and in the performance of our technology. We continuously drive our operations toward more sustainable processes, fully utilize 100 % green energy resources, and invest in our organization and the way of working to meet sustainable and best ethical values. With a leading technology portfolio and our House of Experts commitment, we support our customers as they strive to make the world more sustainable. Our technology portfolio stands for long-lasting performance. It is always focused on optimal material utilization, waste management, and high-quality end-product production. We are committed to continuously drive our technology to the next level, and we implement sustainability as a top criteria in our R&D pipeline activities. We are committed to staying on the path. ... We are happy to receive recognition for the environmental management systems we've put in. The ISO 14001:2015 certificate shows our commitment to stay on the path of sustainability."

WAI is returning to its technical mission, this year offering two international technical conferences (ITC): one in Italy and the other in Mexico. For each event, WAI has issued a Call for Papers.

Wire & Cable Milan 2023 will be held Oct. 16, 2023, at the Palazzo Giureconsulti in Milan, Italy. The event is being put on with ACIMAF, the Italian wire machinery association, led by President Ferruccio Bellina, a long-time supporter of such efforts. WAI last held an event in Italy in Verona in 2019, with other events there in Milan (2013), Bologna (2007) and Stresa (2003).

WAI’s Mexico ITC will be held Nov. 13-15, 2023, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Monterrey, Mexico. It was last held at the same location in 2016, at which time it drew 190 participants. The WAI had held two prior ITCs in Monterrey (2008 and 2010), and one in Querétaro (2004). At all those events, WAI Past President Antonio Ayala served as a key volunteer and organizer.

For both events, the Association is seeking presentations on technical subjects, but also on topics such as sustainability, workforce issues, operating best practices or general business influences in the wire and cable industry.

For Milan, the abstract deadline is Feb. 28. If that date is a concern, authors can contact WAI staff for a possible extension. Acceptance notifications will be sent March 31, and the manuscript deadline is July 31.

For Monterey, the abstract deadline is April 17. Notification will be made by May 22, and the manuscript deadline is Oct. 1. The program will include a presentation about market conditions in Mexico, Central America and South America.

WAI to hold annual meeting at Interwire

At Interwire 2023, the Wire Association International will hold its annual meeting, a requirement of the Association’s bylaws.

WAI President Kurt Breischaft will preside over the meeting in the morning session on Tuesday, May 9. It will follow the Keynote presentation by Srinivas Siripurapu, the Chief Innovation Officer and R&D Officer for Prysmian.

The concise meeting will include a review of past and current activities, including the development of additional training education resources for the industry. The session will also include presentation of awards.

Following the annual meeting, at 10 am there will be a session on Industry 4.0, followed by a workforce session. Of note, the exhibit floor will also open at 10 am, and remain so through 5 pm, and again on Wednesday.

• The Ohio Valley Chapter President, Tom Maxwell, has drafted their scholarship program. The draft was reviewed internally by Association staff. The Chapter’s Board will soon meet to review and vote on this important piece, putting them one step closer to assisting college students. It is unlikely that the Chapter’s new scholarship program will be finalized in time to follow the 2023 timeline. Likely, this program will make its debut in January 2024, now less than a year away. 

• The New England Chapter Annual Dinner took place Jan. 26th at Mohegan Sun. Registration increased from last year (up from 100 to 130). The event is sold out at maximum capacity for the space. Sponsorships increased from last year (up from 22 to 26). The hotel room block was maxed out. The wrap-up will be in the March issue, including the announcement of new board members.

Starting this year, the Association will work closely with each chapter to develop a regional education program.

Currently, only the New England Chapter and Ohio Valley Chapter offer an education program. The plan is to have the other chapters (starting with Midwest and Southeast) establish an education component, in keeping with the Association’s educational mission. This will provide another attractive member benefit on the Chapter level. More details will follow as the Chapter Boards and Association work together on this.

“We’ve seen a lot of success from educational programs, and once members have a chance to go to them, it proves to be very worthwhile,” said WAI’s John Markowski, manager, membership & social media. He explained that while it does take work, the volunteers seem quite pleased with the results.