Insteel Industries, Inc., announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Insteel Wire Products Company, has acquired Engineered Wire Products, Inc. (EWP) for $70 million in an asset transaction subject to certain adjustments.

A press release said that Liberty sold EWP, a manufacturer of welded wire reinforcement products for use in nonresidential and residential construction, with primary manufacturing facilities located in Upper Sandusky and Warren, Ohio. The EWP plants have approximately 120 employees, who now work for Insteel. EWP, a subsidiary of Liberty Steel, is a manufacturer of welded wire reinforcement products for use in nonresidential and residential construction.

“We are pleased to complete the acquisition of EWP,” Insteel President and CEO H.O. Woltz III said in a statement that noted that the move will expand Insteel’s geographic footprint and bolster its competitive position in the Mid-west market. “The acquisition of EWP will enhance our customer service capabilities and drive down operating costs through operational synergies.”

 Insteel is the largest U.S. manufacturer of steel wire reinforcing products for concrete construction applications. It manufactures PC strand and welded wire reinforcement, including engineered structural mesh, concrete pipe reinforcement and standard welded wire reinforcement. Headquartered in Mount Airy, North Carolina, Insteel operates 12 manufacturing facilities in the U.S.

Nexans announced that it has entered into an industrial partnership agreement with Italy’s Continuus-Properzi, a specialist in continuous casting technologies, that will build an innovative copper production and recycling plant at the Nexans site in Lens, France, for 2026.

A press release said that global demand for copper is continuing to increase, as is recycling, which led to the strategic decision. “Based on the operational expertise of the Nexans site, founded in 1971 in the industrial center of Lens, and the technological expertise of Continuus- Properzi, the objective is to continuously produce wire rod from recycled copper, through a state-of-the-art refining method using up to 100% of recycled metal, while optimizing water and energy consumption.”

Continuus-Properzi is a supplier of complete installations for the production of ETP (Electrolytic Tough Pitch) and FRHC (Fire Refined High Conductivity) wire rod. The Lens plant is the only copper rod foundry in France, and the investment of more than €90 million will increase its wire rod production capacity by over 50%, and boost its copper scrap recycling capacity to manage up to 80,000 metric tons per year.

“I feel extremely proud to have signed this strategic agreement with Nexans, a highly prestigious name in cable manufacturing,” said Continuus-Properzi President Giulio Properzi. “In compliance with the exacting requirements of Nexans engineering and the Lens site in particular, we have configured an installation that will meet the highest standards in years to come in terms of industrial performance, energy savings and environmental footprint.”

“By choosing to increase its recycling capacity, Nexans is proving that it is possible to reconcile industrial performance with the preservation of biodiversity,” said Nexans CEO Christopher Guérin. “Through this investment in (our) historic Lens plant, Nexans is ensuring its strategic independence and staying ahead of the raw materials crisis, serving its customers and partners.”

Nexans is already actively involved in cable recycling through Recycâbles, a joint venture set up with Suez in 2008. With this new initiative, the Group has become a key player in the circular economy of the European copper industry. Implemented for the first time in France, this process will help to create a circular model by collecting waste from different sectors of industry across France and reusing it virtuously for new finished products.

Nexans is vertically integrated, and the Group is entirely self-sufficient in terms of the copper supplies required for its entire cable production value chain. This key strategic advantage will be consolidated by the new plant, which will allow the Group to recycle more cables from construction sites or “urban mines.”

Nexans’ ambition is to adapt the life cycle of its products, reducing their carbon content, while also decreasing the carbon footprint of the cable industry as a whole. This investment is also part of the Group’s efforts to raise the proportion of recycled copper in its cables to 30% by 2030.

The WAI Southeast Chapter hosted their 22nd annual golf tournament on Oct. 10 at the Rock Barn Country Club and Spa in Conover, North Carolina, on what everyone agreed was a near-perfect day. That backdrop was matched by the performance of the winning team of Harrison Cummings and Mark Finch, IWG-HPC; Darin Nicol, Wayne Wire Die Company; and Kelly Grigg, I.T. Consultant (SRHS), who shot an unworldly 16-under-par to claim top honors in a very competitive field.

Many of the 96 golfers were returning players who enjoy the setting and the chance to compete against a strong field in this scramble format. They played on the Tom Jackson course, recognized by Golf Digest on its list of “Best Places to Play,” and despite recent less-than-ideal weather, the course was in perfect shape.

Both the second- and third-place teams shot a 13 under, which led to a matching of cards to determine the official finishes. The official second-place winners were Jay Sweetenburg, Austin Duncan, Taylor Lane, and Steve Malott, all of Sonoco. Third-place winners were Brooke Stonesifer of Sonoco, Tom Heberling, Dylan Shepard and Gerald Galazin of Southwire.

It was also a very good day for Kim Earhart of TDC, who won both the putting contest, settling in a mere three inches away from a hole-in-one, and closest-to-the-pin contest.

WAI’s Steve Fetteroll and the Southeast Chapter Board are grateful for the outstanding support from the volunteers from Southwire Company: Denise Siathone, Lauren Bozeman and Jasmine Monet. Without their help, the tournament would be much more difficult to produce. They work great together as a team, troubleshooting and managing onsite execution so well that nobody realizes just how much they do.

For the record, the Process Control and CommScope team was competitive without their ace Tim McElhany but did not place. However, CommScope’s Jason Morrow did win a top driver in the raffle, which made the chapter’s scholarship fund a winner as well.

WAI’s four chapters that offer scholarship programs have reported the winners for 2024. Below are the names of the recipients from the New England Chapter and the Southeast Chapter, preceded by some comments from the chapters. Of note, scholarship fund raising efforts have found strong support over the years, and not just from members that have a potential recipient.   

Quabbin Wire’s Cheryl Stewart said that the New England Chapter members have continued to be very generous, enabling may scholarships to be awarded over the years. The chapter gives back through its different events, and seeing scholarships go to deserving relatives of members is a very positive result.

Sikora’s John Dognazzi said that he has been pleased with how generous the members of the Southeast Chapter (SEC) have been in their support of the scholarship program. “It was great to see increased participation in this year’s SEC golf tournament, and that resulted in more funding for the scholarships, which is a win-win.”

New England Chapter Winners - $2,500:

Erin Tonyali, the daughter of Koksal Tonyali, director, product development - trade and installers products business unit, Prysmian Group, attending The University of Connecticut, where she majors in biomedical engineering.

Ava LaRoss is the daughter of Michael LaRoss, CFO, Whitney Blake Company, is attending Vermont State University Castleton, where she majors in nursing.

Halen Barry, the son of Joseph Barry, COO, Protertial Cable America Inc., is attending The University of New Hampshire, where he majors in computer science with a focus in cybersecurity.

Southeast Chapter Winner - $1,800:

Meredith Hammontree, the daughter of Joe Hammontree, president, Temple Terrace Industries/Reelco, is attending Florida College, where she majors in biology.