4/1/2022 –  To further Southwire's mission to build a culture that recognizes and celebrates the value of diverse backgrounds, equity in opportunity and inclusivity in action, the company is pleased to announce the launch of its new diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) website.  

Southwire treasures the diversity of its employees and the communities that we represent and serve, and the company’s four key values – trust, empowerment, consistency and inclusion – are the foundation of the organization’s DEI strategy.  

“A focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is mission critical for our organization,” said Cara Herzog, director of DEI. “Over the last several years, we have continued to prioritize and accelerate our internal and external efforts to drive progress. We believe the key to our continued success is our people, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives can thrive.”  

Southwire focuses on fostering an environment that recognizes the value and talent of diverse perspectives regardless of gender and ethnicity. In 2014, the company established its first employee resource group (ERG), and since then, the company has expanded to six ERGs, including the Women’s Network, Spectrum, Nextgen, TEAM, Officium and Allied. These groups actively promote Southwire’s commitment to inclusivity by engaging employees and encouraging participation in events throughout the year.   

“We believe that every person can make a difference from any position, and we are committed to foster an environment where respect and inclusion are at the forefront of everything that we do, an environment where equal access and opportunity to learn, grow and succeed are available to everyone,” said Fernando Esquivel, executive vice president of People & Culture.  

The new DEI site will provide an in-depth look at Southwire as an organization and what the company stands for, including its focus on sustainability and how its five core tenets relate to DEI for the benefit of its workforce.   

“Sustainability is focused on being mindful of our impact on local and global communities and taking actions to create a better world for future generations,” said Burt Fealing, executive vice president, general counsel and chief sustainability officer. “In a very similar way, diversity, equity and inclusion is also focused on sustainable long-term efforts to remove barriers and to create equitable opportunities for everyone as part of a better world.”   

Establishing its brand as an organization dedicated to DEI continues to be an area of focus for Southwire, and with this new external site, the company is communicating openly and remaining transparent about its ongoing efforts — a bold step for a private company that demonstrates its deep commitment to the importance of DEI within the organization and in society at large.  

“We are an organization with a lot to offer, and we are excited for more people to see it. We believe in our people, customers, partners, and communities,” said Herzog. “The opportunity to share and connect in a new way is something that we value, and we welcome the conversations that this will bring internally and externally. We are just getting started.”   

A leader in technology and innovation, Southwire Company, LLC is one of North America’s largest wire and cable producers. Southwire and its subsidiaries manufacture building wire and cable, metal-clad cable, portable and electronic cord products, utility cable products, OEM wire products and engineered products. In addition, Southwire supplies assembled products, contractor equipment and hand tools. For more on Southwire’s products, its community involvement and its vision of sustainability, visit www.southwiresustainability.com.

3/4/2022  To further Southwire's mission to build a culture that recognizes and celebrates the value of diverse backgrounds, equity in opportunity and inclusivity in action, the company is pleased to announce the launch of its new diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) website.  

Southwire treasures the diversity of its employees and the communities that we represent and serve, and the company’s four key values – trust, empowerment, consistency and inclusion – are the foundation of the organization’s DEI strategy.  

“A focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is mission critical for our organization,” said Cara Herzog, director of DEI. “Over the last several years, we have continued to prioritize and accelerate our internal and external efforts to drive progress. We believe the key to our continued success is our people, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives can thrive.”  

Southwire focuses on fostering an environment that recognizes the value and talent of diverse perspectives regardless of gender and ethnicity. In 2014, the company established its first employee resource group (ERG), and since then, the company has expanded to six ERGs, including the Women’s Network, Spectrum, Nextgen, TEAM, Officium and Allied. These groups actively promote Southwire’s commitment to inclusivity by engaging employees and encouraging participation in events throughout the year.   

“We believe that every person can make a difference from any position, and we are committed to foster an environment where respect and inclusion are at the forefront of everything that we do, an environment where equal access and opportunity to learn, grow and succeed are available to everyone,” said Fernando Esquivel, executive vice president of People & Culture.  

The new DEI site will provide an in-depth look at Southwire as an organization and what the company stands for, including its focus on sustainability and how its five core tenets relate to DEI for the benefit of its workforce.   

“Sustainability is focused on being mindful of our impact on local and global communities and taking actions to create a better world for future generations,” said Burt Fealing, executive vice president, general counsel and chief sustainability officer. “In a very similar way, diversity, equity and inclusion is also focused on sustainable long-term efforts to remove barriers and to create equitable opportunities for everyone as part of a better world.”   

Establishing its brand as an organization dedicated to DEI continues to be an area of focus for Southwire, and with this new external site, the company is communicating openly and remaining transparent about its ongoing efforts — a bold step for a private company that demonstrates its deep commitment to the importance of DEI within the organization and in society at large.  

“We are an organization with a lot to offer, and we are excited for more people to see it. We believe in our people, customers, partners, and communities,” said Herzog. “The opportunity to share and connect in a new way is something that we value, and we welcome the conversations that this will bring internally and externally. We are just getting started.”   

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A leader in technology and innovation, Southwire Company, LLC is one of North America’s largest wire and cable producers. Southwire and its subsidiaries manufacture building wire and cable, metal-clad cable, portable and electronic cord products, utility cable products, OEM wire products and engineered products. In addition, Southwire supplies assembled products, contractor equipment and hand tools. For more on Southwire’s products, its community involvement and its vision of sustainability, visit www.southwiresustainability.com.

obal client base in more than 50 countries.

May 12, 2021 – Vineyard Wind has received approval from the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the final major step in the federal review process for a project that, when completed, will be the first commercial scale offshore wind farm in the U.S..

“Today’s (decision) is not about the start of a single project, but the launch of a new industry,” Vineyard Wind CEO Lars T. Pedersen said in a press release. “Receiving this final major federal approval means the jobs, economic benefits and clean energy revolution associated with the Vineyard Wind 1 project can finally come to fruition. It’s been a long road to get to this point, but ultimately, we are reaching the end of this process with the strongest possible project.”

Vineyard Wind 1 is an 800 MW project located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard The project design includes the world’s most powerful wind turbine, the GE Haliade-X, with a capacity of 13 megawatts (MW). The larger turbine capacity has allowed the project to reduce the total number of turbines from 108 to 62 while still delivering a total capacity of 800 MW to Massachusetts ratepayers. The turbine layout, which features consistent spacing of one nautical mile between turbines, was endorsed by the United States Coast Guard for transit, fishing and navigational safety. Vineyard Wind will reach financial close in the second half of 2021 and begin delivering clean energy to Massachusetts in 2023.

Southwire has previously been named a key supplier for the project. Southwire will manufacture more than 32 miles of high voltage cable at its facility in Huntersville, North Carolina. The company’s high-voltage field services team, working with local laborers, will install the cable with a projected onshore site completion by the first quarter of 2023.

Vineyard Wind LLC is a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of Avangrid, Inc. and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). Since 2017, the Vineyard Wind 1 project has been through an unprecedented and exhaustive public review process that generated more than 30,000 public comments, more than 90% of which supported the project, the release said. The Construction and Operations Plan (COP) was reviewed by more than two dozen federal, state, and local agencies over the course of more than three and a half years.

The announcement of the federal approval was lauded by the participating suppliers as well as Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, U.S. Senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, Congressman Bill Keating, Massachusetts Senate President Karen E. Spilka, Speaker of the House Ronald J. Mariano, State Representative Patricia Haddad, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell and Frank Callahan of the Massachusetts Building Trades.

The release noted that. since 2017, the Vineyard Wind 1 project has been through an unprecedented and exhaustive public review process that generated more than 30,000 public comments, more than 90% of which supported the project. The Construction and Operations Plan (COP) was reviewed by more than two dozen federal, state, and local agencies over the course of more than three and a half years.

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.”