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”.  

AZ Wire & Cable, a U.S. master distributor for industrial, commercial and specialty wire and cable, was acquired in October by investment group MFG Partners (MFG).

A press release said that MFG “has completed a strategic investment in AZ (Wire & Cable), which is based in Northbrook, Illinois, and has additional locations in New York, North Carolina, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Florida and Oregon. As part of the transaction, Executive Vice Presidents Darren, Todd and Eric Anixter have retained significant equity ownership in the business, and will continue to run the day-to-day operations of the business.

“We believe that partnering with MFG, given their expertise and experience investing in middle market industrial companies, is an investment in growth and we are excited for the future,” said Todd Anixter.

Italy’s Acciaierie Venete has chosen Danieli to supply a new wire rod production line to expand capacity at its plant in Sarezzo (Brescia).

A press release said that, fed by the existing Danieli rolling mill that produces straight and coiled quality bars, the new wire rod line will produce special steel smooth rounds from 5.5 to 25 mm, at speeds up to 110 m/s, expanding the company product portfolio.

The mill will start operation in early 2025. It will have three fast-finishing blocks to perform a total of 18 passes. It will include a TMB Twin-Module Block that will guarantee holding a ± 0.1 mm tolerance and 50% ovality to the whole range of products. Danieli Automation’s Hi-Profile Lite gauge measurement system will provide real-time feedback on the rolling operations and certify the quality of the final product, while motorized remote control of the rings will allow prompt adjustments during rolling. A Danieli-patented, high-speed shear will ensure accurate, consistent head-and-tail in-line trimming.

U.S.-based Winchester Interconnect (Winchester) reports that it has opened a new facility in Empalme, Mexico, as part of its expansion in the country.

A press release said that the new 53,000-sq-ft facility will produce wire and cable, cable assembly and coil cord interconnect solutions using cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and a highly skilled workforce. “We are pleased to celebrate another milestone in the continuing evolution of Winchester,” said Winchester COO Steve Ball.

Earlier this year, Winchester opened a new facility in Bangkok, Thailand, that will serve as an additional hub for manufacturing and delivery to customers in the Asia-Pacific region. The plant is strategically located to provide easy access to major transportation routes and ports, making it easier to deliver products to customers in the region. “With the opening of the new facility in Thailand, Winchester is poised to further expand its reach and capabilities while providing exceptional service to customers as they grow and expand in the region.”

VVocus was named a partner of choice for Google to deliver a new submarine cable system—the South Pacific Connect—connecting Australia to the United States via the South Pacific.

A press release said that the planned system would connect Australia to the United States via the South Pacific, uplifting the reliability and resilience of digital infrastructure for both Australia and the region. The subsea cable ring will connect three diverse Australian landings to Fiji and French Polynesia, both of which will then connect directly onto the U.S. via diverse paths. It also includes pre-installed branching units across the system to enable other Pacific nations to connect in future.

The new cables between Australia and the U.S. will be named Honomoana and Tabua. Honomoana will connect the U.S. and Australia to French Polynesia while Tabua will connect the U.S. and Australia to Fiji. French Polynesia and Fiji will also be directly connected with an interlink cable to establish a network loop.

The supplier of the cable for the project was not named, but Alcatel Submarine Networks has supplied past Vocus projects that include the 4,600-km Australia Singapore Cable (ASC) from Perth to Singapore, and the 4,700-km Coral Sea Cable System (CS2) for the Australian Government, connecting Sydney to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.