5/4/2022 

It’s time for members of the New England and Southeast chapters to pencil in dates for their upcoming golf tournaments, when they are held in September.

Up first is the New England Chapter, which will stage its 28th Annual Golf Tournament & Dinner on Monday, Sept. 12, at the Tunxis Country Club in Farmington, Connecticut. Contact: John Markowski, 203-458-4044, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On Thursday, Sept. 22, the Southeast Chapter will hold its annual golf tournament & dinner at the Rock Barn Country Club in Conover, North Carolina. Contact: John Markowski, 203-458-4044, 

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The June issue will have more details.

5/4/2022 

The Midwest Chapter will be the WAI’s first to stage its annual golf tournament, as players will tee off on Wednesday, June 1, at the St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in West Chicago, Illinois. It has been sorely missed as the last two events were not able to be held, “courtesy” of Covid-19, the ultimate scourge and spoilsport.

A look back at who has had de facto extended bragging rights shows that the 2019 winning foursome was Nick Zehr (King Steel), Erik Timpt (King Steel), Mike Shell (King Steel) and Joe Micklin (Jam Industrial), who shot a very respectable 62, 10 under par, to take top honors. It is past time for new winners to emerge.

“Finally, a return to some normalcy is on the horizon!” declared Kevin Sopczak, who once again heads the chapter’s golf planning efforts. “I see it as a triumphant return after two long years due to Covid restrictions. Most players’ skills will be showing rust, and this is the best outing to get back to swinging the sticks. Low pressure, and lots of fun, is what makes this outing enjoyable. Sign up today!”

The good news is that registration for the 19th Annual Midwest Chapter Golf Tournament & Dinner is open, available through WAI’s online registration system at wai.configio.com. A player can register a team of two to four golfers, or sign up individually for the best ball-scramble format event. The $175 registration fee covers the full day including greens fees, cart, breakfast sandwich, and the reception and awards dinner. The day begins with check-in at 8 am, play at 9 am and the reception, dinner and awards presentations at 5 pm.

Sponsorships are available, including Long Drive: $200; Closest to the Pin: $200; Accurate Drive: $200; and Corporate Hole Sponsor: $150. Sponsors are recognized at the tournament, in Wire Journal International and on signage at the course. These can be added during registration, and returning sponsors receive right of first refusal to renew their previous sponsorship.

Items for raffle prize drawings are also encouraged. Please remember to attach your business card so that your contribution can be recognized during the drawing. For more details, contact: WAI’s John Markowski, tel. 203-458-4044, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Participation in the tournament helps the WAI Midwest Chapter Scholarship Fund provide financial assistance to graduating high school seniors and enrolled college students who are children or dependents of WAI Midwest Chapter members in good standing. The program, which is operated in conjunction with The Wire Foundation Inc., was started in 2008.

3/4/2022  The event prequel in the WJI March issue outlines all the elements that will be part of the WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2022 when it is held June 7-8 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. Below is a bullet list of some of what will be included.

• Education. WAI will present its popular one-day Fundamentals course that provides a solid grounding in the essentials of wire and cable manufacturing.
• Featured speakers. These include Brian Schulties, chief procurement officer, Prysmian Group, North America, “The new normal in raw material procurement for the wire and cable industry”; Ty Garrison, senior vice president of operations, Commercial Metals Co. “Rising to the challenges”; and Kevin Heffernan, vice president sales, Encore Wire Co., “Encore’s Success Story”
• Exhibits. At press time, 107 slots on the show floor had been taken.
• Presentations. A full program has been scheduled that supports the theme, “Rising to the Challenges.”
• Industry recognition. WAI will honor the winners of the Mordica, Donnellan and President’s awards.
• Plant tour. Attendees will tour Encore Wire’s McKinney campus, which has seen an amazing pace of continuous expansion.
• Reception. The WAI will hold this at Monduel’s Atrium, conveniently located inside the host hotel.
• Networking. It’s not on the official schedule, but the entire event offers endless possibilities.

Please visit WAI's official WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2022 site here: https://www.wireexpo22.com/

3/4/2022  Members of the Southeast, Midwest and New England chapters hoping to get a scholarship for their children can apply online through the March 31st deadline.
New England has added at sixth scholarship this year, each $2,500; the Midwest offers up to three, at $1,500 each; and the Southeast offers up to four recipients at $1,800 each. Visit wirenet.org to learn more and apply, or contact WAI’s John Markowski at tel. 203-458-4044, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., for more details.