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Dominik Endler, who recently retired as global vice president customer & commercial excellence for Bekaert, has started an advisory firm— EndlerPartners—with a focus on manufacturing business-to-business companies.

Endler said that his focus is to help wire and cable manufacturers—especially mid-size companies—that often miss out on significant opportunities due to lack of “commercial performance.” He will share the expertise he gained over his nearly 18 years with Bekaert, where he was responsible for its wire business in North America, including U.S. plants in Arkansas, Kentucky and Ohio.

A German native who works out of Roswell, Georgia, Endler will advise industrial/manufacturing companies in the North American region on commercial strategy and performance. He holds a master’s degree and a PhD in business and administration. He can be contacted at tel. 770-364-2149, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and www.linkedin.com/in/dominik-endler-255a74112/.

Last modified on January 4, 2024

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

 A press release said that the chosen recipients selected 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 WCMA Distinguished Career 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. The winners are chosen by a committee of former recipients via a ballot process to consider the person’s character, credibility, and commercial or technical commitment to the cable industry. WCMA Board members make final selections.

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. A short video about the award is available on the website.

Last modified on January 4, 2024

More than 130 members and guests attended the annual membership meeting of Wire & Cable Manufacturer’s Alliance, Inc. (WCMA) on Nov. 30, 2023, at the Downtown Hartford Marriott.

During the session, members voted to approve WCMA officers for 2024. The president is Chris Venice, president, Marmon IEI; and the vice president is, Tom Artinian, principal, Artinian Group. The past president is David Fisher, president, James Monroe Wire & Cable; and the Young Professionals Liaison is Sue Welsh, president (retired), Rubadue Wire.

Newly elected Directors are Cheryl Stewart, COO, Quabbin Wire; Shane Berry, vice president manufacturing and distribution, Service Wire; Peter Moran, vice president industrial infrastructure, Marmon IEI; Eric Fisk, CEO, Fisk Alloy; Adam Chase, CEO, Chase Corp.; and Alberto Aguilar, president, Carris Reels. Continuing directors are Greg Smith, CEO, International Wire; and John Dognazzi, managing director, Sikora NA.

 During the luncheon, a popular frequent WCMA speaker, John S. Traynor, executive vice president of Cambridge Trust, presented key economic, political, and manufacturing topics. His insights continue to be much appreciated.

Following that session, more than 60 attendees participated in the inaugural Young Professional Panel Discussion. Panelists David Fisher, president of James Monroe Wire & Cable, and Adam Chase, president & CEO of Chase Corp. discussed “Why Wire & Cable - A Rewarding Career Choice.” The session was hosted by Charles Glew, president of Cable Components Group and chairman of the WCMA Young Professionals group.

Executive Director Ed Fenton reported that, during 2023, WCMA donated $19,300 to UCONN Cancer Research, Toys for Tots, Industry Scholarship Programs, and several other charities that include Breast Cancer, American Red Cross, UNICEF, Wounded Warriors and others. WCMA donates to charities annually on behalf of its annual Distinguished Career Award Recipients.

Last modified on January 4, 2024

Southwire announced that it is partnering with READY Robotics, a pioneer in cutting-edge automation solutions, to deploy automation at five of the company’s facilities.

A press release said that Southwire will use the technology at two Georgia sites: its Retail East Customer Service Center (CSC) in Villa Rica and the utility products plant in Carrollton; its plants in Hawesville, Kentucky, and Florence, Alabama; and its Bremen campus in Bremen, Indiana.

“Partnering with READY Robotics provides us with an opportunity to leverage their expertise, as we continue to deploy cutting-edge technology within our operations,” said Alex Thomas, chief engineer at Southwire. “Continuous improvement is critical to assuring that we safely service our customers, and this partnership helps us accelerate those efforts by using smart solutions that fit nicely with our history as an innovation leader in the industry.”

Last modified on January 4, 2024

The Prysmian Group announced a new organizational structure to allow the group to pursue its mid-term ambitions and to sustain the long-term leadership.

A press release said that four new business segments will be in place: Transmission, led by Hakan Ozmen; Power Grids, led by Cinzia Farisè; Electrification, led by Cristiana Scelza; and Digital Solutions, led by Frederick Persson.

The Group matrix organization will continue to stay in place to guarantee the company’s ability to be very close to the local markets and customers (through regions and countries) while reinforcing the continental and global synergies, acting as a major partner through the business segments. A strong focus on the “one company governance” will be assured by the Group functions.

Regional leadership changes were also reported. Sezgin Islamoglu will be CEO of Central East Europe; Erkan Aydogdu will lead the Middle East, Turkey, India, Africa and Russia as well as serve as CEO of Oman Cables Industries (OCI) Group; Hamavand Shroff will be appointed CEO of Oceania and South East Asia; Raul Gil will take over the responsibility for Latin America. Also, Maria Cristina Bifulco will be promoted to Chief Investor Relations, Sustainability and Communication Officer.

“Good, authentic and passionate people make the difference and build companies solid and successful” said designated CEO Massimo Battaini. “We can count on a very strong pipeline of talents which will make our growth very sustainable and our company even a more sound and strong community.”

Last modified on January 4, 2024

South Korea’s LS Cable & System announced that it has signed a contract with TenneT Offshore to supply high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables worth about

1.5 trillion won ($1.2 bil1ion).

A press release said that LS Cable & System, in a consortium with Belgian construction companies Jan De Nul and Denys, has won a total of four projects connecting the North Sea to Germany. Under two of the contracts, LS Cable & System will supply submarine and underground cables starting in 2026. The remaining two contracts are expected to be awarded sequentially through 2026.

The projects stem from a 2022 agreement by Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany to jointly install 65 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power by 2030. TenneT will participate in the project, which will supply up to 35 million homes with green wind energy.

“Although power grid construction projects are becoming more active around the world, HVDC cables require large-scale investment and high technical skills, so a small number of global wire companies such as LS Cable & System occupy most of the market,” said an official from LS Cable & System.

Last modified on January 4, 2024

Prysmian plans to add two cutting-edge cable-laying vessels to further expand its cable-laying vessel fleet to support the company’s ability to ship and deliver the energy-demand capacity needs.

A press release said that the investment of approximately €350 million for the two new vessels will reinforce Prysmian’s submarine project execution capabilities. “The market is tremendously growing, and we are facing an increasing demand for submarine cable systems for interconnections and offshore wind farm projects both in Europe and in the U.S.,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects BU, Prysmian Group.

The first vessel will be an evolution of the Monna Lisa class, with a length of about 185 m and a breadth of about 34 m. Its advanced cable installation solutions will include three carousels with total capacity of 19,000 metric tons, among the highest cable-loading capacity vessels in the market. A bollard pull in excess of 180 metric tons will allow the vessel to perform complex installation operations of simultaneous cable lay and burial (up to four cables) with a variety of ploughs. It will have state-of-the-art DP3 positioning and seakeeping systems and will be operational by the beginning of 2027. It will be built by the VARD Group (a subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group), one of the world leaders in the design and construction of specialized vessels for the offshore market.

The other vessel will be the evolution of the Ulisse class, with a length of about 167 m and width of about 40 m. It will have two carousels—one split in two concentric sections—for a total cable loading capacity of 10,000 m tons. The ship will have DP2 positioning and seakeeping systems and an eight-point mooring system will enable the ship to work in shallow-water cable laying and burial installation, even in harsh environmental conditions. The vessel will be operational by the first half of 2025.

Both vessels will have outstanding green credentials: they will be equipped with high-voltage shore connection systems to power them with clean energy during loading operations, diesel generators suitable for biodiesel blends and battery hybrid systems only for the deep-water-vessel, due to its specific activity.

Last modified on January 4, 2024

Hengtong, one of China’s largest fiber optic cable manufacturers, recently announced plans to expand its factory in the China-Egypt TEDA zone.

Per multiple news reports, the company plans to invest $18 million to enable it to produce two million km of optic cables annually. The deal was created by an agreement with the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), a government body that oversees such development.

The pact calls for Hengtong to add 21,000 sq m to its factory in the Sokhna Industrial Zone, which is part of SCZONE. The designated zone supports light, medium and heavy manufacturing activities as well as commercial and business activities over an area of 210 km.

The new output will supply cables to Egyptian national projects such as the Decent Life Initiative, as well as the state-owned telecommunication giant, Telecom Egypt. The first phase of Hengtong’s factory in the SCZONE opened in March 2023 with $6 million in investments.

Last modified on January 4, 2024

Batelco recently selected SubCom to provide and install a fiber-optic submarine cable for the Al Khaleej Cable that will branch from SEA-ME-WE 6 to extend connectivity from Bahrain to other regional countries.

A press release said that the order from Batelco, a telecom company that is part of the Beyon Group, will significantly enhance the data exchange capabilities of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The 1,400-km-long Al Khaleej Cable that will connect Bahrain to the regional countries of Qatar, UAE and Oman, will substantially boost Batelco’s capabilities and strengthen regional connectivity.”

“We are delighted to partner with SubCom,” said Batelco Chief Global Business Officer Hani Askar. The new subsea cable will create a layer of network diversity and resilience for the heavily used routes connecting the Middle East towards Europe and Asia. Batelco joined the SEA-ME-WE 6 cable consortium in February 2023.

Work on the SEA-ME-WE 6 cable, a 21,700 km-long subsea telecommunications data cable system, began in early 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2025. It is designed to offer one of the lowest latencies available between the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Western Europe, able to transfer more than 100 terabits per second. All cable and equipment related to both SEA-ME-WE 6 and Al Khaleej will be manufactured by SubCom at its campus in Newington, New Hampshire.

SubCom Project Manager Benoit Duguet said that the company “is already at work manufacturing the cable and equipment necessary to complete one of the more extensive cable projects ever commissioned.”

 Once completed, the cable and equipment for both the SEA-ME-WE 6 and Al Khaleej Cable systems will be deployed by SubCom’s Reliance Class cable ships. The SEA-ME-WE 6 subsea cable connectivity to Bahrain and Al Khaleej Cable is scheduled for completion by the second quarter of 2026.

Last modified on January 4, 2024

Bekaert announced that the company has delivered its first batch of tire reinforcement with third-party certified recycled steel content to Bridgestone Corporation.

A press release said that Bekaert has been paving the way for tire reinforcement with high recycled content that contributes to the circular economy. That steel’s recycled content reduced the company’s CO2 footprint by about 50%.

“There are many claims about circularity of materials in the tire industry, but lack of clear definitions and standards can lead to doubt on the validity of those claims,” said Bekaert’s Heiko Isselee, innovation platform manager for recycled steel. “This third-party certification of both Bekaert and our wire rod supplier enables us to provide our customers with a guarantee of compliance of the recycled content claims based on recognized industry standards.”

The certificate allows customers such as Bridgestone to include the recycled content in the Bekaert products it uses to the tally of recycled content in their tires. Bekaert applies the best available recycled content definitions and traceability of materials. Bekaert’s tire reinforcement has a minimum recycled content of 50% for tire cord and 70% for bead wire. The rigorous processes at the supplier’s wire rod factory and at the Bekaert steel cord plant allow Bekaert to trace the content in the composition and separate this material from others in all steps of production, storage, and transport. Thus, it is guaranteed that the physical content of the steel cord and bead wire supplied to our customers contain the declared amount of recycled steel.

“This successful pilot is the first step toward setting a new industry standard for recycled content in tire reinforcement, and to making certified tire reinforcement with high recycled content available to our customers across the globe,” the release said.

Last modified on January 4, 2024

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