4/5/2021: The American Wire Group (AWG) has hired Nada Filipovic as marketing manager. She previously served for 15 years at Nexans in marketing and sales positions in the U.S. and Canada, working for utilities, EPCs and electrical distributors. She holds a B.A. degree in economics from McMaster University and an MBA in international business from Niagara University. Based in Miami, Florida, the American Wire Group specializes in wire and cable solutions for the utility and renewable energy markets.
People
Vandor Corporation announces the planned retirement this month of its president, Gerald Davis, who will continue on the board and as a consultant. A one-time professional musician who majored in alto saxophone at Ball State University and Fort Wayne Bible College, he started his career in the funeral industry in 1977 at Spartan Casket Shell in Lynn, Indiana, and quickly moved to Plant Superintendent, before taking a position with America’s oldest casket company JM Hutton in Richmond, Indiana. In 1989, the Elder family (owner group of Vandor) and Gerald co-founded Elder Davis, Inc., once the largest cloth covered burial and cremation casket manufacturer in North America. With the successful collaboration, after Elder Davis was sold, he transitioned to president of Vandor in 2000. While leading the Vandor R&D team, he developed over 50 utility patents, and created the Reel Options brand. Based in Richmond, Indiana, Reel Options manufactures light and medium duty reels for the wire and cable industry
2/9/21 -- Ed Fenton, executive director of the Wire & Cable Manufacturers Alliance (WCMA) since 2005, has been named director, business development – cable OEMs for Ripley Tools, LLC. He will lead new business development and account management among metallic and fiber cable manufacturers. He has some 30 years of experience in electrical, electronic and fiber optic cable manufacturing. He was a co-founder and co-owner of the Wire & Cable Focus Conference and Exposition, which was sold in 1999 to IWCS. In 2005, he started the Fenton Group, consulting with specialty cable manufacturers, high temperature materials suppliers and component manufacturers. He was North American Business Manager for Wire & Cable publications by CRU International. He also was the owner of the Wire & Cable Clubs of America, which was the predecessor to WCMA. He also served for one year as vice president sales/marketing for Fluoropolymer Resources, Inc. He will continue in his leadership role at WCMA. He holds a degree in English from the University of Vermont. Based in Cromwell, Connecticut, Ripley Tools, LLC, is a manufacturer and global supplier of tools and test equipment for cable preparation and installation.
2/9/21 -- Windak has named Dieter Gerger as sales manager for EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), based at Windak’s newly formed sales and service center. He will support customers and expand the company’s presence in the market. His previous employers include Rosendahl Nextrom in Austria, where he served as international sales manager for nine years. Based in Sweden, the Windak Group is a leading global manufacturer of cable packaging systems for the cable industry.
2/8/21 -- Arthur C. Nixon, CEO of Insulated Wire, Inc., died unexpectedly at home at age 69 on Dec. 23, 2020 in Sayville, New York.
In 1975, Nixon started working for his father. Charles Nixon, at his newly started company, Insulated Wire Inc. He soon focused on sales and was very adept at marketing opportunities. He introduced his father’s invention of Teflon tape-wrapped insulated wire that was far superior to anything on the market, and later realized the process could also make a superior core for microwave cable. In 1988 he was instrumental in forming the Microwave Products Division in Connecticut, where the cable was marketed and manufactured to customer specifications for cable assemblies. He traveled extensively, introducing IW’s products through trade shows and vising prospective customers around the world.
Nixon was described by company President and CEO Michael Sarni as “a fun, kind charismatic guy, always had great stories to tell. We expected him to be around for years.”
2/8/21 -- Agnes “Perkie” Rita Rubadue, of Greeley, Colorado, who with her husband, Edwin Rubadue, founded Rubadue Wire in California in 1976, died Dec. 14, 2020, at age 93.
Rubadue Wire, originally located in California, was later moved to Colorado. The company is now part of the Wire Experts Group along with Pelican Wire. Family members involved with the company over the years include Susan Welsh, retired CEO; Dan Rubadue, retired COO; and Michael and Jim Rubadue, both also long-time employees. Edwin, Susan and Dan, all received the WCMA Distinguished Career Award.
Rubadue was preceded in death by Edwin in 2009. They had 10 children, 38 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Michael Homa, who had a long career with Tamaqua Cable Products/Draka Cableteq, died Nov. 11, 2020, at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Homa’s 35-year career saw him work for Draka Cableteq in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, formerly Tamaqua Cable Products, which was owned by two generations of the Combs family prior to its sale. He was vice president of manufacturing at Tamaqua Cable when the company was acquired by Draka in 1997. He retired in 2005.
Homa, a 1998 recipient of the WCMA Distinguished Career Award, retired in 2005. He was a member of the Columbia Hose Company for 60 years, a member of the Six County Firemen’s Association for 50 years, a lifetime member of the Schuylkill County Historical Fire Society, a member of the Saint Clair Fish and Game Association and a former president of the Schuylkill County Society for Crippled Children. He is survived by his wife, Carol Ann; daughter Heather; and son Michael.
IEWC has promoted Pat Rislov to chief supply chain officer, with the company’s quality, business intelligence and marketing teams now also part of his oversight, joining sourcing, materials management, and logistics. He joined IEWC in 2018 as vice president of supply chain. He has more than 25 years of experience in the retail space with organizations including Kohl’s Department Stores and Steinhafels Furniture, where he earned progressive leadership roles specializing in inventory management, e-commerce operations, logistics and supply chain management. He holds a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He will continue to report directly to company CEO Mike Veum. Based in New Berlin, Wisconsin, USA, IEWC supplies comprehensive wire, cable and wire management solutions.
Genuine Cable Group (GCG) recently named Marc Abbagnaro as chief commercial officer. He will lead the commercial efforts across all GCG targeted business segments, including the telecom/broadband, factory automation, marine, building automation, assembly and infrastructure segments. He most recently worked for Anixter International, where he was senior vice president of sales for Anixter’s Electrical and Electronic Solutions division. Over 10 years, he held sales leadership roles in the U.S. as well as global sales positions covering the Americas and China. Owned by Auda Group, a private equity firm, Genuine Cable Group is a value-added distributor of wire, cable and related products to a variety of niche markets.
Richard T. Wagner has been promoted to senior vice president and COO of Insteel Industries, Inc. He joined the company in 1992 and most recently served as vice president and general manager of the concrete reinforcing products business unit of its subsidiary, Insteel Wire Products Company, from 1998 to October 2020. From 1977 to 1992, he served in various positions with Florida Wire and Cable, Inc., a manufacturer of PC strand and galvanized strand products that was later acquired by Insteel in 2000. In 2007, he was appointed vice president of Insteel Industries. He also served as WAI president in 2018. Based in Mount Airy, North Carolina, Insteel Industries is one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of steel wire reinforcing products for concrete construction applications.
7/7/21
Anand Bhagwat was promoted to senior manager - quality and technology at Minova USA. In his new position, he will continue to support daily operations of quality functions, and manage the overall technology group in the Americas region. He will also support the global R&D team on product development. He joined the company in 2011 as manager of the Steel Technology Center. Prior to that, he worked at the Seneca Wire Group from 2000 to 2006 as vice president of quality and technology. Following a three-year stint as managing director of WAI Wire and Cable Services, Ltd., in India, the past WAI president (2005) returned to Seneca in 2011 as plant manager of FENIX, LLC. Based in Georgetown, Kentucky, Minova USA supplies ground support products for the mining, construction and energy industries.
Oman Cables Industry announced that Cinzia Farise is the company’s new CEO. She has been a sales and marketing director in the services and industrial products sector. She joined Italy’s Prysmian Group in 2005, holding a number of positions that included vice president and CEO of Prysmian India. She later served as CEO for Trenord, a large Italian rail company. In 2019, she returned to the Prysmian Group, and was named CEO of the group’s Turkish affiliate. She holds a degree in economics. She replaces Ali Said al Habaj, who left for personal reasons. Based in Rusayl, the Sultanate of Oman, Oman Cables Industry manufactures a wide range of electrical wires.
Victor Muñizn is the new regional manager for Latin America for Proton Products, tasked with leading and developing its sales and services business for measuring equipment in Latin America and the Caribbean. He previously worked for more than 20 years for Beta LaserMike, which is a brand of NDC Technologies, in Latin America as well as the U.S. His career began in 1999 as a senior laboratory engineer for Alcatel in the U.K. He holds a degree from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and an MBA from the University of Hull. Based in the U.K., Proton Products offers a wide range of measuring technology for wire and cable.
Remee Wire & Cable has named Marc Stringer as the company’s engineering product manager. He has more than three decades of industry experience in product management, marketing, engineering and related positions throughout his career. Some of his previous employers include General Cable, Belden, Southwire, Coleman, Champlain Cable and TE Wire & Cable. Based in Florida, New York, Remee Wire & Cable manufactures a range of fiber optic and copper cable.
Chroma Color Corporation announced three new employees. Wayne Comeau is the new market development manager. He most recently worked for eight years in the masterbatch industry as a key account manager, focused on custom color concentrates across various strategic markets. Prior to that he worked in numerous molding processes. Bob Mann is a regional account manager for Indiana, Michigan, and key accounts in the Midwestern region. He has 15 years of experience in colorants and additives, and a solid technical background that included roles with increasing responsibilities in color development labs. Tony Tanner is a regional account manager in the Mid-Atlantic region. He most recently was a senior technical account manager with a global pigment and dye manufacturer. He has wide experience in the field. Based in McHenry, Illinois, Chroma Color Corporation is a leading specialty color and additive concentrate supplier for markets that include wire and cable.
Obituary notice
WJI is said to report the passing of Ronald “Ron” W. Reed, a past WAI President (2008) who died from cancer on June 24 at age 65. A friend to many, he was a superb Association advocate and volunteer, for which he was named the 2012 winner of the Donnellan Memorial Award. The August issue will have a full obituary.
UPCAST OY has promoted Janne Hosio to sales director, responsible for all the global sales and marketing activities and customer relationships of the company. He joined the company in 2001 as a project engineer, specialized in electrics and programming. Over the years, his role expanded, and he was given more responsibility for the sales of new casting lines. He was named sales manager in 2008. He holds a degree in electrical engineering from the Central Ostrobothnia University of Applied Sciences. Based in Pori, Finland, UPCAST OY is the original developer of upward upcasting technology.