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Southwire was recently recognized for two separate activities, one for diversity and the other for its commitment to responsible business practices.

A press release said that Southwire was recognized as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group. The recognition was based on a survey conducted of more than 220,000 individuals. In 2023, Southwire’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy featured a focus on People Leaders, Inclusive Workforce, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), Reputation and Community, Equity and Governance and Value and Supply Chain.

“At Southwire, we believe that the people are the power behind everything we do,” said Southwire Chief DEI Officer Cara Herzog. “We want to be the Employer of Choice for a workforce whose perspectives, backgrounds, talents and experiences are not only accepted but embraced.”

“We are honored to be recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity,” said Southwire President and CEO Rich Stinson. “We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce not only enhances our team members’ experiences but also drives collaboration and innovation. Southwire strives for every team member to feel valued, respected and empowered.”

Southwire also had three facilities certified by The Copper Mark, an entity that assesses responsible production, sourcing and recycling of metals. On Dec. 12, 2023, it announced the certification of three Southwire facilities: those in Denton, Texas; Bremen, and Lafayette, Indiana.

“Receiving The Copper Mark at our manufacturing plants in Denton, Bremen and Lafayette is an incredible accomplishment and speaks to Southwire’s commitment to sustainability now and in the future,” said Burt Fealing, executive vice president, general counsel and chief sustainability officer at Southwire. “It also speaks to the dedication our team members have to our five core tenets of Growing Green, Living Well, Giving Back, Doing Right and Building Worth, which these facilities demonstrated throughout the assurance process. “This recognition reflects Southwire’s dedication to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that welcomes and celebrates the unique skills and experiences of its team members.

Last modified on March 7, 2024

The Wire & Cable Manufacturers’ Alliance, Inc. (WCMA) will honor the recipients of its 2024 Distinguished Career Award at its 38th annual Awards Dinner and Investiture Ceremony on April 6, 2024, in Hartford, Connecticut, at the Downtown Hartford Marriott Hotel.

Per WCMA, the recipients are Tom Artinian, principal, Artinian Group; Larry Bleich, Vice President, R&D, CommScope; Anthony Fedor, product manager, Cable, Times Microwave; David Fisher, president, James Monroe Wire & Cable; Ron Gibson, purchasing manager, Service Wire Co.; Brian Holden, national accounts manager, Carris Reels (retired); Mike Patel, director of marketing, Teknor Apex; and Tom White, president, New England Wire Technologies.

The Award recognizes industry leaders and professionals from the electrical and electronic wire, cable, and fiber optic cable industry segments initially established by the former Wire & Cable Clubs.

To register for the awards dinner, contact IWMA Executive Director Ed Fenton at tel. 860-841-7720, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go to www.wcmainc.org.

Last modified on March 7, 2024


Madison, Connecticut, USA – January 25, 2024 – The Wire Association International reports that exhibit sales are on pace for Wire Expo 2024, to be held at the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino, Uncasville, CT, USA, June 11-12, 2024.

A total of 124 exhibiting companies have been contracted, occupying 171 spaces on the show floor. Of those, more than a dozen companies will be first-time exhibitors extending the value of the event.

Commenting on the show, WAI Sales Director Shannon Timme said “Wire Expo provides a dynamic space offering a blend of business development and social events. T
he 2024 show will include a new look to the trade show floor. Halfway between New York and Boston, Wire Expo is convenient whether you’re flying or driving.”

There are fewer than 30 booth spaces still available in inventory and several sponsorship options; interested exhibitors can view the floor plan and sponsorship opportunities on the show website: www.wireexpo24.com and contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further details.

WAI, founded in 1930, is a not-for-profit association with more than 2000 individual members in 50 countries. The association serves the educational needs of the wire and cable manufacturing industry through a variety of products and services. WAI manages the Interwire Trade Exhibition and Wire Expo and publishes the Wire Journal International and the Wire Journal International Reference Guide.


Media Contacts: Janice E. Swindells, Director Marketing & Corporate Communications, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tel.: 001-203-453-2777, x. 117; Steven J. Fetteroll, Executive Director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tel.: 001-203-453-1777.

Last modified on January 25, 2024

A press release said that it was scheduled to close the Chinse plant on Dec. 29, 2023, in Langfang, China, that became part of Southwire in 2016 following the company’s acquisition of Sumner. The location produced various lifts, jack stands, welding tools and more allowing Southwire to expand its tools and equipment business. That production will be relocated to third-party manufacturers.

The second plant, in Crestview, Florida, will close this year on Feb. 2. The business, previously known as American Elite Molding and acquired in 2020, produces nylon cable ties. That production will be relocated to Southwire’s facility in San Pedro Sula, Honduras to enable the organization to simplify and streamline similar manufacturing.

Last modified on January 4, 2024

Prysmian Group reports that its sustainability leadership was confirmed once again in the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) after the annual evaluation of companies’ sustainability practices performed by S&P Global through its prestigious Corporate Sustainability Assessment.

A press release said that in the 2023 edition, Prysmian ranked with top score in the ELQ Electrical Components & Equipment (ELC) sector, reaching excellence (100 points) in the environmental areas of Emissions, Resource Efficiency and Circularity, Waste, and Water, reaffirming its focus and attention on these topics.

Prysmian Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Group IR Vice President Maria Cristina Bifulco said that the results confirm the company’s commitment to sustainability as well as its role as a technological enabler of the energy transition and the digital transformation. “As a leader in our industry, we also feel responsible to promote impactful ESG initiatives across the value chain and beyond, adopting policies, taking actions and setting targets that are designed to create shared value for all our stakeholders.

Prysmian notes that sustainability is a key driver, fully integrated in the Group’s long-term vision and defined strategy underpinned by measurable KPIs that constitute its climate and social ambitions for 2030. Prysmian upgraded its intermediate sustainability KPIs for 2025-2027 and confirmed its Scope 1 and 2 Net Zero target for 2035 and its Scope 3 Net Zero target for 2050.

Last modified on January 4, 2024

Supporting the company's intent to be a leader in sustainability, Southwire has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Program.

ENERGY STAR® is a well-recognized and respected voluntary program managed by the U.S. EPA, supported by U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and Natural Resources Canada, that is focused on improving energy efficiency in buildings, plants and homes.

“We’re excited to partner with ENERGY STAR, a brand that is well-recognized for energy efficiency in many of the things we use every day, like some of our Topaz® lights,” said Norman Adkins, Southwire’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). “Through its resources and collaboration with other companies who share the same commitment to proving energy efficiency, ENERGY STAR helps its partners in the industrial space. As a part of this partnership, we plan to improve energy efficiency at a faster pace throughout our company operations.”

In support of the company’s Growing Green initiative, Southwire aims to reduce its environmental footprint and maintains a deep commitment to responsible growth and actively integrating environmental priorities into its core operations.

In July 2020, Southwire announced its Carbon Zero goal to eliminate or offset all of the company’s Scope 1 – associated with fuel combustion – and Scope 2 – associated with electricity consumption – greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.

As part of the program, Southwire will continue its commitment to protect the environment through the continuous improvement of its energy performance.

“At Southwire, our vision is to make our company sustainable for the next 100 years and beyond, and our partnership with ENERGY STAR is a testament to those efforts,” said Burt Fealing, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer. “Southwire maintains a deep commitment to responsible growth and actively integrating environmental priorities into our core operations, and we look forward to creating a more sustainable planet through our partnership with ENERGY STAR.”

“By making a commitment to improved energy efficiency, Southwire is on the way to enhancing its bottom line while protecting our environment,” said Cindy Jacobs, Chief of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Commercial and Industrial Branch.

Earlier this year, the Prysmian Group announced the launch at global level of a new Parental Policy, consisting of concrete measures to support new parents for optimal management of their work-life balance in the new chapter of their lives.  

 The main features of the new global Parental Policy include the raising of the minimum parental leave for mothers and for primary caregivers from 12 to 16 weeks at full salary, and the introduction of a two-week minimum standard parental leave for fathers and secondary caregivers at full salary. To support parenthood, Prysmian is committed to providing in all countries in which it operates a new child benefit (also called “baby bonus”) as a family support measure granted and disbursed to new parents — whether biological or adoptive, members of a couple or single parents — for each child.  

 Moreover, Prysmian will reinforce the “Leave and Back to Work Programme”— a support programme for all mothers and for primary caregivers that begins as they approach parental leave and extends into their first few months back at work, so as to guarantee a gradual and successful return. Each new mother will be supported through a dedicated training, mentoring, and counselling programme.  

Through this new Parental Policy, Prysmian Group aims to set a minimum global standard, focusing on aspects such as wellbeing and inclusion in all the countries where it operates, thus allowing its employees to enjoy the same opportunities and minimum benefits. The policy is highly appreciated by people throughout the Group, particularly in the United States where Prysmian has a strategic footprint and operates with more than 6,000 employees. 

 “Prysmian Group has always focused closely on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, in order to ensure a correct work-life balance for all its employees. In keeping with this approach, Prysmian Group is committed to supporting new parents, recognising the great value of parenthood,” stated Fabrizio Rutschmann, Chief HR Officer at Prysmian Group. “Our aim is to make all of our employees feel free to have children and consider this option as an extraordinary opportunity. To this end, we provide concrete help to all those who want to become parents. This is also aimed to support the birth rate, as it has reached record low levels in in many countries where Prysmian operates”.  

Jan De Nul reports that it has ordered what it described as the world’s largest cable-laying vessel (CVL) from China Merchants Heavy Industry Jiangsu (CMHI Haimen), which will build a vessel that has a cable-carrying capacity of 28,000 metric tons.

A press release said that Jan De Nul—a sixth-generation Belgian family business that provides services relating to the construction and maintenance of maritime infrastructure—has placed an order for the extra-large CLV. The vessel is designed to install cables into waters as deep as 3,000 m, will be equipped with a highly advanced dual exhaust filter system that removes up to 99% of nanoparticles from emissions using a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) for NOx removal.

The vessel, to be called the Fleeming Jenkin, will be equipped with three cable carousels, two mounted on deck and a third below deck. There will be a large hold for fiber optic cables, with the vessel capable of laying up to four cables simultaneously. It is scheduled for completion in 2026, at which time it will join the Jan De Nul fleet, which currently consists of two jack-up installation vessels, three floating crane installation vessels, five rock installation vessels and two multipurpose vessels.

The vessel will be powered by engines that can run on biofuel and green methanol and the hybrid power plant on board contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions and optimal fuel usage. It will combine the generators with a 2.5 MWh battery and drive technology, designed for peak shaving, load smoothening, spinning reserve and optimized engine loading. It will be built with GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane-type containment system.

“We stand firm in our belief in the energy transition. Following our previous investments in the jack-up vessel Voltaire and crane vessel Les Alizés for the installation of the next-gen wind turbines and their foundations, we now proceed with this magnificent cable-laying vessel,” said Philippe Hutse, director of the offshore energy division of the Jan De Nul Group. “Thanks to her unprecedented capabilities, the new CLV will be a perfect fit for the interconnector and export cable markets.”

Last modified on November 5, 2023

Members of the International Cablemakers Federation (ICF) elected Norman Adkins, COO of Southwire, as their new president. He succeeds Pascal Portevin of Nexans, who has served as president of the Austrian-based association since 2019.

“It’s an exciting time to be stepping into the role of ICF president,” said Adkins. “ICF is working to advance our future by unifying the efforts and power of connection among worldwide cable makers. We are all committed to innovation and the collaborations needed to address the huge opportunities and challenges of this time in history, and I look forward to the progress we will make together.”

Last modified on November 5, 2023

Belden Inc, a global supplier of network infrastructure and digitization solutions, announced that the company has created a new award program designed to foster the next generation of innovative technologies.

A press release said that the newly created Joseph C. Belden Innovation Award “will shine the spotlight on the innovations that are powering the future in industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and telecommunications.” Entries are now accepted, with finalists announced next May, with the winner announced the following month.

The award is named for the innovator Joseph C. Belden, who in 1902 founded Belden Manufacturing to serve an unmet need he saw in the burgeoning telecommunications industry. “Joe Belden’s innovative spirit drove his company to become a trusted supplier for the radio broadcasting, TV and computer networking industries throughout the 20th century,” said Belden President and CEO Ashish Chand. “Today, Belden’s network infrastructure and digitization solutions are just the latest evolution in our 120-year legacy of innovation.”

The Joseph C. Belden Innovation Award will raise the profile of innovative companies through promotion and marketing as well as the opportunity to make invaluable industry connections. The competition will be open to small and medium-sized companies with revenues of $500 million or less, and eligible products must have been made available for sale on or after July 1, 2022. Award entries will be judged by a panel of industry experts and be evaluated for ingenuity and the value and benefit they deliver.

Winners and finalists will receive benefits such as networking opportunities with fellow innovators and industry experts, attendance at a June 2024 Belden innovation event where the winner will be announced, and a campaign promoting their winning product or solution.

More details can be found at www.belden.com. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Belden has manufacturing capabilities in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

Last modified on November 5, 2023

The Wire Cable Manufacturers Alliance (WCMA) will hold its annual meeting and holiday luncheon on Nov. 30, at the Downtown Hartford Marriott, Hartford, Connecticut.

The event will start at 11 am with networking, followed by lunch, a featured speaker, then a general membership meeting followed by a Young Professional Session.

For more information and to register, go to the WCMA website at www.wcmainc.org, or call WCMA Executive Director Ed Fenton at tel. 860-841-7720.

Last modified on October 4, 2023

Taihan Cable & Solution has received an approval from KEM, a Dutch testing center, for its 525-kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission cable that it said represents the first such one to be certified for a South Korean company.

In a press release, Taihan CEO Song Jong-min announced that the company’s 525kV VSC (Voltage Source Converter) HVDC land cable system was granted certification from KEM. This took place about eight months after the company’s successful development of the first 500kV LCC (Line Commutated Converter) system.

The company said that by increasing the cross-sectional area of the 3,000 sq mm conductor, it was able to raise the allowable conductor temperature to over 90° (194° F). That enables the cable to carry a greater amount of current, a big plus for large-scale power transmission.

The release said that the 525-kV cable is currently the highest voltage among commercialized cables, and that only a few companies in the world have achieved this level of technology. “We have secured unrivaled technological competitiveness in 525kV VSC HVDC cables,” an official from Taihan said. “As investment in power infrastructure expands worldwide, especially in developed markets such as the United States and Europe, we will be able to secure business opportunities in various HVDC projects.”

Once the company completes its submarine cable plant now under construction in Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do, it will accelerate the development and certification of submarine HVDC cable systems. “As the HVDC market continues to expand in the medium to long term, we are committed to ensuring our technological and business competitiveness.”

Last modified on September 7, 2023

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