Madison, Connecticut, USA – May 10, 2021 – WAI completed its second virtual presentation of the Association’s Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing (Fundamentals) course, with the courses presented over seven consecutive Wednesdays from March 17 to April 28 drawing a collective 165 attendees.

“The continued strong participation shows the industry need for sound, basic information,” said WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll, who observed that the virtual format has also proven to be a good fit for the industry. “While in-person programs presented at Wire Expo or Interwire are ideal, staging them on-line has allowed more companies to allow their employees to participate for a very affordable cost. We will continue to offer Fundamentals at our trade shows, including Interwire 2021, but the virtual version has evolved from an emergency replacement to a full-fledged program that we are proud to offer.”

The presentations included: mechanics of wiredrawing, Matt Reinoehl, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS; drawing dies, Tom Maxwell, Jr., Die Quip; wiredrawing lubricant properties, David Gzesh, Blachford Corporation; wire breaks and surface damage, Dr. Horace Pops, Horace Pops Consulting; fundamentals of ferrous metallurgy, Anand Bhagwat, Minova USA Inc.; stranding and cabling, Kevin Dancy, Roteq Machinery Inc.; extrusion, Erik Macs, Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp.; cleaning and coating of rod and wire, Zach McAfee and Chris Porada, Chemetall North America; ferrous testing and properties, Richard Gordon, C. Richard Gordon Consulting LLC; fundamentals of electrical testing, Casey Spradlin and Erika Akins, Southwire Company, LLC; marking and printing, Mark Spencer, W. Gillies Technologies LLC; ferrous heat treatment, Richard Gordon; manufacturing problem solving, Stacy Martin, Prysmian Group; and an Operations Panel, Jan Sørige, Enkotec; Tom Heberling, Southwire; and Jim York, Insteel Industries, Inc.

The first virtual Fundamentals program, which replaced the program that could not be held when Wire Expo was canceled due to Covid-19, was held over seven consecutive Wednesdays from Sept. 16 to Oct. 28, 2020. The program, which saw two sessions each week that were each 70 minutes long (up from 45 minutes), drew a total of 199 attendees from 28 countries. The format received very positive reviews.

Virtual formatting quickly became a WAI focus due to Covid-19. WAI presented Streamcast on July 15, 2020.The online presentation of 12 industry speakers saw more than 250 individual attendees take part, setting a record for any WAI online event. On Nov. 11, 2020, WAI held a trifecta virtual event that included the Association’s annual clockwinding ceremony, its annual meeting and the 2020 Mordica Lecture by Dr. Gil Baker. A separate three-part webinar series by Dr. Horace Pops in January/February saw all 500 available slots filled before the first one was held.

Madison, Connecticut, USA – May 10, 2021 – Interwire 2021: registration is open
It is with great pleasure that WAI announces that registration—at www.interwire21.com—is now officially open for Interwire 2021, which returns to the Georgia World Congress Center at the rescheduled dates of Oct. 26-27.

At press time, the good news has been that aside from the event itself, the backdrop should be better and better as the percentage of vaccinated people continues to rise over the next five months. Yet WAI is taking every measure to make sure that the return to Atlanta is both safe and worthwhile.

WAI has been working diligently with its long-time show contractor, Shepard Exposition Services, and the staff of the Georgia World Congress Center, to ensure that a comprehensive operating plan will be in place for Interwire. Only recently have meetings and exhibitions restarted, so WAI and its Atlanta partners will be consistently monitoring best practices, and will adjust plans accordingly. More details will be provided in future issues, but they all will be based on what will best ensure the health and safety of all participants and contractors.

In normal times, WJI would not be going into details on an event that is still far off, but it is worth noting again that much effort is being put into a showcase for the potential of Industry 4.0, which includes elements such as automation, AI, robotics, data analytics, and machine learning. Ready or not, change has arrived, and representatives at the Industry 4.0 Pavilion will be there to inform and inspire Interwire attendees.

May 10 2021. Cerrowire^® has named David Hawker as plant manager for its facility in Hartselle, Alabama. He has 34 years of management experience in the electrical products manufacturing sector, with leadership roles in the U.S. and Canada. He most recently was vice president and general manager of Nexans Energy Division (North America). His understanding of market drivers, technology capabilities and cost/financial implications in his previous role drove him to focus on factors that resulted in world-leading profit. A Canadian native, he holds a degree in applied science, with a specialty in mechanical engineering, from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario. He also served as the 2017 president of the Wire Association International. Based in Hartselle, Alabama, with plants also in Georgia, Indiana, and Utah, Cerrowire manufactures copper wire for commercial, industrial and residential sectors.

RichardsApex, Inc., reported two promotions. Howard Luckey has been promoted to plant manager of its Philadelphia operation. He started with the company in 1984 and worked his way up through various positions. He most recently was shipping manager, where he ensured the efficient movement of materials throughout the manufacturing facility. Of note, he has been promoted to the same position that his brother, Robert “Bob” Luckey, had held before retiring several years ago. Several other Luckey family members have been and continue to be employed at RichardsApex, and Howard continues the family’s legacy of hard-working, dedicated employees. The company also promoted Janelle Gerardi to senior chemist within its R&D team. She was cited for critical contributions to development of next generation products. She joined the company in 2018. She previously worked for Johnson Matthey in the company’s precious metals division. She holds a B.S. degree in chemistry from Villanova University. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, RichardsApex, Inc., supplies lubricants, cleaners and coatings for the wire drawing and metal working industries.

David Ohmann is the new president of Wytech Industries. Prior to joining the company, he held sales and marketing leadership positions at Heraeus and MicroGroup (a TE Connectivity Company). He was cited for his extensive medical device background, engineering perspective and deep understanding of the complexities of the development of specialty wire. He holds an M.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management. Based in Rahway, New Jersey, Wytech designs and manufactures complex components for medical devices that includes precision wire components and specialty core wires.

5/7/2021:  Kinderhook Industries, LLC (Kinderhook) announced that it has acquired Cameron Wire & Cable, Inc., a leading distributor of commercial and industrial wire, cable and related accessories.

A press release said that Robert Cameron, who founded the company and served as president, will continue his involvement and be on the board of directors. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Cameron Wire & Cable supplies Cameron-branded copper, aluminum and specialty wire and cable products that are sold to the renewable energy, building wire, industrial and utility end markets. It also provides value-added services that include paralleling, cutting, kitting, harness assembly and development of custom engineered products for unique applications. It serves its customers out of a strategic footprint of distribution centers spanning the continental U.S.

The release did not cite the sales price, but Kinderhook Managing Director Paul Cifelli said that Cameron is “retaining a significant minority stake.” Kinderhook will add two of its operating partners—Ed Flynn, former CEO of International Wire Group, and Craig York, CEO of Kinderhook portfolio company, Copperweld—to Cameron Wire & Cable’s management and board of directors. The two men, who have more than 40 years of collective experience in the wire and cable industry, will provide operational and strategic expertise in support of Kinderhook and management.

Partnering with Kinderhook will allow us to accelerate our growth plan in Cameron’s core and adjacent industry verticals, said Robert Cameron. “In particular, I’m very excited to pursue complementary add-on acquisitions that will help continue to grow our franchise and value-added capabilities.”

“Robert Cameron has successfully led the company to a position of industry leadership in just over a decade, and we look forward to working with him on expanding the Company’s products, services and end markets,” Cifelli said. “Cameron Wire & Cable is a valuable addition to Kinderhook’s rapidly growing wire and cable franchise, and we are excited to help facilitate the acceleration of the company’s already impressive growth.”

Founded in 2003, Kinderhook Industries, LLC, is a private investment firm that manages over $3.3 billion of committed capital. In 2019 it acquired the Copperweld Group, Inc., which last November acquired Copperhead Industries, a Minnesota-based provider of specialty tracer wire products and related equipment.