Belden recently marked a significant milestone in its operations in India with the groundbreaking ceremony of expansion of the company’s manufacturing facility in Chakan, Pune.

A press release said that the expansion, which will add 19,000 sq m to the existing footprint, represents an investment of approximately $40 million. The expansion will result in a substantial increase in Belden’s production capabilities, allowing the company to meet the rising demands for network and data solutions. With this investment, Belden aims to strengthen its foothold in both domestic and foreign markets. Phase II of the Chakan plant will serve as a hub for delivering high-quality products for network infrastructure solutions worldwide.

Belden’s expanded facility will be equipped to manufacture state-of-the-art specialized Ethernet switches and firewalls designed for industrial and building automation, connectivity solutions and assemblies of patch cords and connectors tailored for diverse industrial applications, reinforcing Belden’s global impact.

“In India, where industrial, broadcast and enterprise markets are experiencing remarkable growth, our expansion is strategically positioned to cater to this unique opportunity,” said Nexans President and CEO Ashish Chand. “With the expansion of our facility, we are emphasizing our dedication to sourcing raw materials locally. This underscores our unwavering commitment to ‘Made in India for the World.’ With the strategic establishment of this facility, we not only strengthen our domestic roots but also envision it as a pivotal export hub.”

Dr. Chand, who joined Belden in 2002 and was named president and CEO in 2023, played a pivotal role in developing and executing Belden’s long-term growth agenda, solutions and product strategy, and go-to-market efforts. He made key contributions towards establishing and growing Belden throughout the Asia Pacific region, including setting up manufacturing in China and India.

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., has established Judd Wire Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (JMEX), a subsidiary focused on the manufacturing of tab leads for automotive lithium-ion batteries, as well as high-functionality and high heat-resistant electric wires.

A press release said that an investment project announcement ceremony was held last September by the Economic Development Bureau of the state government of Aguascalientes, Mexico, at the building of the state government, where Sumitomo Electric announced the establishment of JMEX and its business plans. At the ceremony, the governor of the state, María Teresa Jiménez Esquivel, said “I am very pleased that 300 jobs will be created. Our state was selected for its good public safety, and we will continue to make further improvements in the future.”

The establishment of JMEX, which is scheduled to be operational in 2025, is attributed to “the significant demand for high-functionality electric wires and wiring materials expected in North America due to the advancement of CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric) in the automotive and mobility fields. We aim to contribute to the advancement of CASE and increase our presence in the North American market.”

Belgium’s Herbosch-Kiere and the U.K.’s Enshore Subsea have teamed up to buy a shallow-draft cable layer called the Topaz Installer.

Per multiple reports, the 88-m long vessel, built in 1999, is owned by the two companies in a newly created partnership entity called the Combined Marine Offshore Services (CMOS). The vessel will be renamed the CMOS Installer.

Previously owned by P&O Maritime Logistics, the vessel is currently in Singapore and after a scheduled dry dock and upgrade will make its way to South Korea to collect a cable consignment, before heading to Senegal for its first contract under new ownership. The vessel had most recently been used for development support of three offshore wind farms.

Italy’s EK Group, through its subsidiary MB Technology, announced that it has acquired ATB Srl, also based in Italy, as part of its expansion plans.

A press release said that ATB, located in Pieve Vergonte, in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, is involved in manufacturing and assembling electrical and electronic wiring, as well as creating control panels for industrial automation. It specializes in manufacturing spiral cables and molding high- and low-pressure connections.

Roberto Gallingani, president & CEO of Elettrotek Kabel SpA), believes that the acquisition of ATB will allow EK Group to expand the activities of the wiring harness division. He noted that this has become an increasingly important part of the EK Group, which has some 320 employees divided into three divisions (production of electrical cables, distribution of electrical cables and wiring).

Intertranscom Impex, a Romanian producer of welded mesh based in Buhuși, was the top bidder at €7.5 million at a public auction for the assets of Dan Steel Group Beclean, which has been in bankruptcy since early 2023.

Per an article in romaina-insider.com, the Dan Steel Group Beclean (Dan Steel) was involved in the production of ferrous metals in primary forms and ferroalloys (nails, galvanized wire, braided wire, welded mesh, panels) sold on both the domestic market as well as in Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The business was founded in 1991 and expanded rapidly but faced liquidity problems in 2017. In 2018, measures imposed by the European Commission for imports of some steel industry forced Dan Steel to pay more for raw materials.

Per another online report, Intertranscom Impex plans to resume production soon and turn the company into one of the main employers in the region. Dan Steel had annual capacity of some 100,000 tons of steel products per year. The assets include some 40 hectares of land, buildings with a total usable area of 75,500 sq m and related equipment.