4/6/2021: Southwire Canada is proud to announce that it recently became a Great Place to Work® (GPTW) Certified™ organization, showcasing the company’s commitment to its employees, communities and other stakeholders.
“This certification is a great recognition of our employees and our culture,” said Tim King, Southwire’s president in Canada. “It reflects our core beliefs of Southwire’s founder, Roy Richards Sr., who regarded Southwire’s people as our most important and influential asset and, after more than seventy years of successful business, this still remains true.”
GPTW is the world’s leading research and consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations assess and develop their workplaces, cultures and employee engagement. According to GPTW, trust is the main ingredient in building a great place to work for all. Establishing a foundation of trust in the workplace culture is the smartest investment one can make for their organization. The Great Place to Work® Trust Model©, which was a key factor in achieving this certification, outlines the definition of a great workplace, and trust in leadership is at the core.
The Trust Index©, based on the Great Place to Work® Trust Model©, measures the levels of trust in the workplace by focusing on five key dimensions: Credibility, Respect, Fairness, Pride and Camaraderie. GPTW uses this to define a great workplace as one where employees trust the people they work for, have pride in the work they do and enjoy the people with whom they work.
The survey used by this index is the most widely used survey of its kind in the world and is used annually by more than 8,000 organizations employing approximately 12 million employees worldwide. It is a cornerstone of the world’s most respected ongoing study of workplace excellence, leadership and the role of trust and employee relationships in creating great workplaces, cultures and engagement. Great Place to Work® recognizes leading workplaces in 55 countries on six continents through its Best Workplaces lists, which are published annually in prestigious national media outlets, such as the Globe & Mail, FORTUNE Magazine and more. 84% of Southwire employees in Canada participated in this survey, which was open for two weeks, and the organization surpassed the certification threshold by 8%.
“Southwire is an equal opportunity employer, who really cares and invests in its people,” said Maria Sial, Southwire Canada’s manager of communications & digital strategy. “Our company truly understands that people in an organization are important, and fosters a culture where people can learn, grow and develop further. Receiving this certification sets Southwire apart and allows us to benchmark ourselves against the Best Workplaces in the world.”
Southwire has always believed that its employees are The People Behind the Power™. Achieving the Great Place to Work® certification reaffirms this belief, as Southwire achieved this certification based on its employees’ feedback and survey responses. This is a direct reflection of Southwire’s core tenets of Growing Green, Living Well, Giving Back, Doing Right and Building Worth.
To learn more about Southwire’s commitment to sustainability, visit www.southwire.com/sustainability.
Southwire announced that it would soon begin construction of a 100,000-sq-ft copper-rod manufacturing plant in Carrollton, Georgia, an initiative that supports its long-term modernization strategy and building on its goal to remain generationally sustainable for the next 100 years and beyond.
A press release said that construction of the new plant is expected to begin in the first quarter, and that production should begin in the new facility by the end of 2022. When the construction project is completed, the current system will be decommissioned. Of note, the new plant will feature an SCR-9000S Copper Rod System that will have the capability to produce more copper rod (60 mt/hr) than any other SCR system in the world.
“Southwire is investing in a multimillion-dollar modernization initiative that will allow us to best serve our customers, increase our efficiency and introduce newer and better equipment, systems and technology,” said Southwire’s President and CEO Rich Stinson. “In doing so, we’re reaffirming our commitment to providing a work environment that supports the well-being of our employees, our communities and the environment – for today and for the future. Installing a new SCR system is an important part of this effort, as copper rod is the start of the manufacturing process for many of the products that make Southwire an industry leader.”
Southwire started operation of its current copper rod system in Carrollton in 1980, and four decades later, copper continues to be the primary source of metal for the company’s wire and cable operations. The new facility will be located on the same property as the existing manufacturing plant and will utilize the company’s patented Southwire Continuous Rod (SCR®) technology, which transformed the wire and cable industry in the early 1960s and is still the preferred system around the world.
“To put the technology itself into perspective, fifty percent of all copper rod made in the world passes through one of our SCR systems at some point in its lifetime. That’s significant,” said Charlie Murrah, executive vice president of metals. “Our copper rod manufacturing plant in Carrollton is more than 40 years old, and it is the right time to upgrade to a new, state-of-the-art SCR system for continuity and efficiency of our processes. Having a new SCR system in place for Southwire’s copper rod production will help keep us strong and sustainable for decades to come.”
The company also plans to continue pursuing its commitment to Growing Green as it plans for the replacement system. In support of Southwire’s Carbon Zero initiative to achieve 100% carbon free energy for its operations by 2025, Southwire is partnering with Carroll EMC to use all renewable electricity for the facility.
“We’re excited about the future of our Carrollton copper rod manufacturing facility, and we are proud to partner with Carroll EMC as we pursue our Carbon Zero initiative,” said Stinson. “Through this effort, we are not only supporting our modernization strategy and strategic efforts, but also strengthening our commitment toward remaining generationally sustainable.”
For years, the WAI Immediate Past President would receive the WAI flag that was prominently displayed at the WAI offices during their year leading the organization. When the Association moved in 2015, the suggestion was made by past president Nick Nickoletopoulos to present the flag to the President at the start of his term and have him display it at his company.
To that end, the WAI flag was presented to 2021 WAI President Tom Heberling at the first Executive Committee Meeting of the year. No surprise to anyone, Zoom helped facilitate this tradition on February 9. Heberling, vice president of Southwire, has responsibility for five plants, and his plan is to rotate the flag to each plant over the course of the year. The first stop is the Villa Rica plant in Georgia.
The 2021 Executive Committee includes President Tom Heberling, Southwire; 1st VP Jim York, Insteel Wire Products; 2nd VP Daniel Blais, Prysmian; Members Kurt Breischaft, SDI LaFarga Copperworks; Eric Bieberich, Fort Wayne Wire Die, Immediate Past President Jan Sørige, Enkotek; and Secretary Steve Fetteroll, WAI.
Southwire plans to close operations at its plant in Hayesville, North Carolina, effective March 31.
Per a report in the Clay County Progress, the plant, acquired by Southwire in 2014, employs some 45 employees. Production there will be moved to other Southwire plants. “This decision is not a reflection on the people, the quality or the performance of the facility, nor is it one we take lightly,” said Rich Stinson, Southwire’s president and CEO. “As we look at our long-term strategy, we must ensure we are properly aligned to make the best use of our facilities and best meet the needs of our customers.”
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), finding that imported aluminum wire and cable from China was sold below market rates and had been supported by illegal subsidies, has imposed substantial penalties.
A press release said the ruling supports the Oct. 22 findings of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (DoC) that Chinese manufacturers had been selling these products into the U.S. market at less than fair market value and receiving illegal subsidies from the Chinese government. It issued two separate penalties that ITC has now approved.
DoC had set a dumping rate of 63.47% for mandatory respondents Shanghai Silin Special Equipment Co., Ltd. and Hebei Huatong Wires and Cables Group Co., Ltd.; a separate rate of 58.51% for certain other companies; and 63.47% for all other Chinese producers and exporters. The subsidy rate was 165.63% to mandatory respondents Shanghai Silin Special Equipment Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Yang Pu Qu Gong; 33.44% to mandatory respondent Changfeng Wire & Cable Co., Ltd.; and 33.44% for all other Chinese producers and exporters.
An official of Southwire Company, which along with Encore Wire Corporation had petitioned for the penalties, lauded the decision. “Southwire has long been a believer in the power of free trade, and the ITC’s finding, coupled with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s final determinations on dumping and illegal subsidization, will better al-
low us to compete with Chinese producers of wire and cable on a level playing field,” said Southwire Executive Vice President and CCO Norman Adkins.
With the ITC vote, Commerce was expected to issue AD/CVD orders by Dec. 9, 2019. Commerce will also instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to begin collecting cash deposits on such imports at rates ranging from 81.27% to 218.42%. In 2018, imports of aluminum wire and cable from China were valued at an estimated $115 million.
Supporting the company’s growth strategy and strengthening its commitment to remain generationally sustainable, Southwire announced that it has acquired Garvin Industries, a 120-year-old man mufacturer of electrical, lighting and low voltage products based in Franklin Park, Illinois.
A press release said that Garvin Industries is widely recognized for designing innovative, labor-saving products that provide economical solutions to common installation problems. Its staff, which numbers about 30, can custom design and manufacture products to meet customer specifications.
“As a company, our goal is to grow 50% over the next five years,” said Rich Stinson, Southwire’s president and CEO. “To do so, we must be intentional about listening to our customers and creating solutions to meet their needs. The acquisition of Garvin helps us further expand our product offering and will give us a broader opportunity to provide custom solutions for our electrical customers.”
The acquisition includes the company’s manufacturing, distribution and corporate support functions and will add the Garvin employees to the Southwire family as a part of the company’s Tools and Assembled Products Business Unit.
“Garvin Industries, with its continued focus on customer service, value and innovation, is the perfect addition to our business, with products that are used every day with our core wire and cable products,” said Brandon Moss, Southwire’s president of Tools and Assembled Products Business Unit.
Ningbo Jintian Copper (Group) Co Ltd (NJC) has signed contracts with Southwire Company LLC for two identical Southwire Continuous Rod (SCR) 7000 copper rod mills to be supplied by Primetals Technologies in 2019.
A press release said that the order from NGC will enable the company to expand into new geographic markets. The first new mill will operate in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and the second mill will be installed in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Start-up is expected in the summer of 2019 for the first mill and early 2020 for the second. The new orders bring the total number of copper rod mills supplied by Primetals Technologies to Southwire for Ningbo to four, increasing their total annual installed capacity to nearly 1 million metric tons.
Primetals Technologies, the release said, is responsible for the engineering, manufacturing and commissioning of the rolling mill and coiler equipment for the rolling mills to produce electrolytic tough pitch (ETP) copper for the building construction wire and cable market. The contract calls for a Morgan No-Twist mill with 13 independently driven roll stands that will produce two- to four-ton coils of 8 mm, 9.5 mm, 12.7 mm, 16 mm, 18 mm and 25 mm diameter rod from 8,200-sq-mm cast bar at a production rate of 48 metric tons per hour. Each mill will have an annual capacity of approximately 315,000 metric tons.
The contract also includes for each mill a 24-inch entry shear and table, one 18-inch roughing mill stand, four 12-inch roughing mill stands, and eight 8-inch finishing mill stands, all with hydraulic roll mounting, a rod cooling and cleaning system including injectors and air wipes, rollerized turndown, two pinch rolls, coiler, designs for a conveyor with rotary turntable, and two lubrication oil systems. The arrangement will also include the latest inline recirculating coil handling system.
Founded in 1986 as a copper bar manufacturer, NGC is one of the largest copper processing manufacturers in China and is an industrial conglomerate among the top 500 companies in China. Southwire has worked together with Primetals Technologies for more than 50 years. During that time, the company has built more than 110 nonferrous mills for Southwire customers, in addition to completing more than 40 upgrades.
Southwire announced that the company will reinvest approximately $9 million dollars back into the lives, and pockets, of its employees, joining a growing list of companies that have made similar moves as a result of recent tax reform.
A press release said that in addition to global, one-time employee bonuses, the company is expanding its parental leave policy and taking steps to strengthen its commitment to education, skilled trade development, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs and diversity in the workplace.
Full-time U.S. employees, with the exception of executives and upper management, will each receive a $1,000 bonus, while full-time employees outside the U.S. will get a bonus of $250 or the international equivalent. These investments will impact the majority of Southwire’s nearly 7,500 employees.
“Building organizational capability is one of the key components of our company’s strategy, and it is vital that we make the right decisions as we continually enhance Southwire’s great culture,” said Southwire President and CEO Rich Stinson. “We’re off to a good start in 2018, and I am pleased to be able to share this benefit, both monetarily and through the extension of new and existing programs and partnerships, with the Southwire family.”
The release said that Southwire will also expand its parental leave policy to assist eligible parents. “At Southwire, our desire is for all employees to focus on ‘The Whole You,’ a concept which goes beyond standard benefits and provides access to resources that touch many aspects of an employee’s life,” said Kathleen Edge, EVP of Human Resources. “In doing so, we must offer programs and total rewards like these that reflect this commitment.”
Southwire will also offer a bridge scholarship program for eligible hourly employees seeking to further their education through a two-year degree, four-year degree or technical certification. There also are plans are in the works “to make strong investments into new and existing industry partnership” The purpose of these investments is to accelerate the attraction of diverse candidates into Southwire’s manufacturing and STEM careers. More information on these new programs will be available soon.
“As we continue to grow, we’re also looking at significant modernization and safety improvement efforts into our manufacturing and distribution facilities,” said Stinson. “Our goal is to be a generationally sustainable business for the next century and beyond, and to get there, we must make considerations and investments like these. It is an exciting time to be part of Southwire!”
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