6/2/2022 -

The WAI’s Midwest Chapter just held its 19th Annual Midwest Chapter Golf Tournament & Dinner at the St. Andrews Golf and Country Club, but there are two more scheduled, and plans are being set for a fourth one.

At press time, the Ohio Valley Chapter (OVC) was trying to finalize a 2022 date to hold its annual golf tournament. The goal was to follow up on the successful return to links in 2021, following the cancellation of the official event in 2020 because of Covid. The 2021 event included an educational program. More details will follow as soon as they are set.

What is known are the dates for the New England and Southeast Chapters’ events. Up first is the New England Chapter, which will stage its 28th Annual Golf Tournament & Dinner on Monday, Sept. 12, at the Tunxis Country Club in Farmington, Connecticut. Contact: John Markowski, 203-458-4044,
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On Thursday, Sept. 22, the Southeast Chapter will hold its Annual Golf tournament & Dinner at the Rock Barn Country Club in Conover, North Carolina. Contact: John Markowski, 203-458-4044, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

6/2/2022 -

The Prysmian Group announced that it plans to invest $30 million in its Jackson plant in Tennessee to change its product mix to all optical fiber to meet the increasing demand for optical fiber broadband connectivity driven by federal and state stimulus packages.

A press release said that Prysmian’s total optical cable investment in North America now stands at $115 million, with the Jackson project adding to the $85 million announced last year. These investments increase Prysmian’s optical fiber capacity in its North American plants and expand its telecom footprint to meet customer demand more efficiently. As the market shifts from legacy copper infrastructure to fiber, Prysmian’s manufacturing facilities are adapting to mirror the shift in technology. The Jackson facility will change from producing copper to optical cable, making it the first plant within the Prysmian Group to be re-tooled to produce a different product.

Jackson will increase Prysmian’s capacity in loose tube and drop cables production, and the employees will learn new skills manufacturing optical fiber and cable that will connect homes and cities. Prysmian is a global leader in developing technology for new, reliable and efficient broadband networks, providing valuable new capacity and options for telecom network operators.

“The demand in North America makes us a strategic market globally, and the best way to meet this need is to produce more optical cables here in the US. This optimizes both the quality of service for our customers and the carbon footprint to build a high-performance infrastructure ready for 5G, smart cities and smart homes,” said Patrick Jacobi, Vice President of Telecom, Prysmian Group North America. “These investments are also a part of our global plan to increase capacity to support the digital transformation with innovative products, like the development of new ultra-broadband fiber optic telecommunication networks.”

The investment allows Prysmian to rapidly transition the Jackson plant to optical cable and increase the production efficiency in other facilities across the region. Prysmian Group North America has 28 manufacturing facilities, eight distribution centers and six R&D centers. The investment also will enable digital inclusion in local communities across North America while supporting the needs of Prysmian’s customers.

6/2/2022 -

Marmon Aerospace & Defense, a Marmon/Berkshire Hathaway company, has broken ground on a new 80,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility in Hooksett, New Hampshire.

A press release said that when the plant is completed in the fall of 2023, it is expected to bring an additional 20 production jobs to the area. The company is investing $30 million in the new facility, which will house a state-of-the-art manufacturing operation producing large shipboard power cables to support the U.S. Navy and its ship-building network. The new operation will complement the company’s current product line at its plants in nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, and in Naples, Florida.

“This new facility will broaden Marmon’s military shipboard cable product offerings, which already include power, data, instrumentation, control, and communications cables,” said Robert Canny, president of Marmon Aerospace & Defense Group president. “We are pleased to make this investment in service to our customers, our team, and our community.”