India’s HFCL Limited (HFCL) announced that it plans to make a strategic expansion into Europe by setting up an optical fiber cable (OFC) manufacturing plant in Poland that will serve the increasing demand for OFC in European markets such as the U.K., Germany, Belgium, France, Poland, etc.

A press release said that HFCL aims to ramp up its share of exports in its OFC vertical revenue from the current 30% to 70% within the next four to five years. It noted that Europe has promising growth prospects as its OFC market is projected to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 4.5% over the next five years with expected demand of 90 million fiber (mf) km by 2028. The FTTH Council estimates that some 308 million homes in the EU region will have FTTH connectivity by 2028, speeding up deployment by three to five years. “This signals a rapid expansion of FTTH networks in these areas which will lead to increased demand of OFC.”

Poland has become a favored European nation, primarily due to its attractive market access to other European nations for incentive programs and cost competitiveness. The country’s strong connectivity is further enhanced through its well-developed ports. The availability of specialized skills at relatively lower labor cost than other European nations further enhances its attractiveness of being a premier manufacturing destination.

HFCL’s plant in Poland will begin with a capacity of 3.25 mf km and be scalable up to 7 mf km, with an initial capital outlay up to about $22 million. This strategic move will enhance HFCL’s agility and reduce transit times by approximately six weeks, thereby enabling an increase in order fulfillment capacity. The operation will be incorporated via a new stepdown subsidiary in Poland under HFCL B.V.

Including its subsidiary, the company will have three modern manufacturing plants in India with annual capacity of 25 mf km. “With this strategic expansion, we are poised to align with Europe’s vision, which anticipates gigabit connectivity as a cornerstone of its future,” said HFLC Managing Director Mahendra Nahata. He noted that the venture “marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey toward global leadership in telecommunication solutions.”

The Supervisory Board of LEONI announced changes to its executive board to further continuity of leadership. The company will extend the contract of CEO Klaus Rinnerberger through the end of 2027. He was lauded for helping LEONI return to operational success again following the financial restructuring in summer 2023. The Supervisory Board also extends the Executive Board mandate of Ingo Spengler as COO. His contract will now also run until the end of 2027. Dr. Harald Nippel will continue his role as a member of the Executive Board and CFO until April 2026. He will oversee and be responsible for the preparation of the financial results for fiscal 2025. The Supervisory Board reduced the Executive Board from four to three members as part of the company streamlining. Accordingly, the contract with Dr. Ursula Biernert as CHRO and labor director will not be extended by mutual agreement. She will be leaving the company over the summer to take on new professional challenges. The responsibilities previously summarized in the CHRO area will be transferred to the remaining members of the Executive Board. In the future, Rinnerberger will be responsible for HR, while the other two corporate functions, namely RCS (Risk, Compliance & Sustainability) and Real Estate, will report to CFO Dr. Harald Nippel. Based in Nuremberg, Germany, Leoni AG, is a global provider of energy and data management solutions in the automotive sector with branches throughout the world.

Amjad Abu-Ali has joined LLFlex as product manager for its wire and cable product portfolio, supporting the management, innovation and development of shielding and armoring tapes. He has more than 25 years of industry experience in the wire & cable industry, Amjad brings considerable experience and expertise to LLFlex. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, LLFlex is a leader in packaging materials and industrial laminate solutions for sectors that include wire and cable with manufacturing operations in Kentucky and North Carolina. 

WAGO has named Sy Stevens as the company’s new vice president of marketing and digitalization for the Americas. He will be leading and implementing strategic marketing initiatives across North and South America. He has a wealth of experience, having held marketing management positions at companies such as Rockwell Automation and Case IH. With operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America, WAGO, based in Germantown, Wisconsin, supplies spring pressure connection technology. 

Stherrim “Sterrin” Raymond has joined Wire & Cable Technology International (WCTI) as an editorial and production specialist. She will handle WCTI, Wire Forming Technology International and Fastener Technology International. She takes over for Jim Masar, who has retired from those magazines but will continue to edit WCTI’s Overview and FTI’s Fastener News Report newsletters. She holds a degree from the University of Akron. Based in Akron, Ohio, Initial Publications produces industry trade publications.