Loos & Co., LLC (Loos) was acquired by Canada’s Central Wire Industries (CWI). That news was reported in a July 2018 announcement by Carter Morse & Mathias (CMM), which served as a financial adviser, but that press release did not make a splash on the news wires.

To date, WJI has still not been provided any official comment. Thus, the only news to officially report is the statements from the CMM press release. In it, CWI President Paul From said, “The addition of Loos to the Central Wire Group of Companies continues our strategy of broadening and diversifying product offerings and markets served around CWI’s industry-leading stainless and nickel alloy wire business.”

The press release also included comments from one of the owners of the second-generation family-owned company. “We were looking to find a synergistic buyer that would continue the company’s commitment to its employees, customers, and business partners, to accelerate the development and production of the highest quality products and to uphold the company’s legacy in the industry and our communities. We found the perfect buyer with Central Wire,” said Joan Loos.

This news may already be known, especially as the CWI website has Loos listed among its acquisitions. Prior ones included Hempel Wire Limited (2015), Strand Core (2014), Charter Specialty Steel - Fond du Lac, Wisconsin facility (2010), Techalloy, Inc. (2005), Greening Donald (2003), Nucor - Lancaster, South Carolina facility (1998) and National Filtration (1989).

Per the release, Loos has manufacturing operations in Pomfret, Connecticut and Naples, Florida, and is the only vertically integrated manufacturer of aircraft control cable, cable assemblies and hardware accessories - drawing wire, stranding into cable, manufacturing end fittings, and producing cable assemblies in North America.

IWCS and UL announced that they have made “the difficult decision” to cancel the UL and IWCS China 2020 Cable & Connectivity Symposium due to the widespread threat of the Coronavirus.

A press release said that the fourth annual UL and IWCS China 2020 regional Asian conference—a forum for information exchange in cable and connectivity—was to be held in Shanghai, China on March 24-26, 2020 at the Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all of our friends and colleagues in China as they take every precaution to battle this serious Coronavirus crisis,” said IWCS CEO/Director David Kiddoo.

“We have made the difficult decision to cancel the UL and IWCS China 2020 Cable & Connectivity Symposium with great concern for the health and safety of our attendees, presenters, and their families,” said L.F. Lai, vice president and general manager of UL’s Wire and Cable division

The release said that both organizations are committed to the future of the conference, and that plans are already in process to hold the 2021 conference in Shanghai.
As information becomes available, further announcements will be made on the symposium at www.ulandiwcschina.org.

The Cableware Division of Loos & Co., Inc., reports that the company has acquired Sheaves, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of pulleys and sheaves to the wire and wire rope industry.

A press release said that the deal broadens the solutions that the Cableware Division, based in Naples, Florida, can provide customers. The acquisition of Sheaves, Inc. unifies three brands known in the wire and wire rope industry under the Loos & Co., Inc. product umbrella. That includes: QSheaves, which supplies customizable lifting sheaves; Process Sheaves, which supplies pulleys used in wire and cable manufacturing; and ESheaves, which will be the source for both stock and custom metal/plastic sheaves.

Operations will continue under the brand names established by Sheaves, Inc., and through the existing websites for the foreseeable future. Sales, customer service, and manufacturing operations have been moved to the Naples, Florida location and shipments will be fulfilled from there.

The Department of Commerce (DoC) announced on Jan. 3 that its preliminary determination in its antidumping duty (AD) investigation of imports of collated steel staples from China found that such suppliers had sold at less than fair value.

A press release said that DoC assigned a preliminary dumping rate of 301.64% for mandatory respondent Tianjin Hweschun Fasteners Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and Tianjin Jin Xin Sheng Long Metal Products Co., Ltd. as well as to “non-selected respondents eligible for a separate rate and the China-wide entity.”

The penalties had been sought by Kyocera Senco Industrial Tools, Inc., of Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2018, imports of collated steel staples from China were valued at an estimated $88.8 million.

If DoC makes an affirmative final determination and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) follows with a similar finding, the order will go into effect. The DoC is scheduled to vote on May 18 and the ITC on July 2. Per DoC, in 2018, China shipped 63,640,957 kg of such steel staples, up from 57,512,126 in 2017 and 52,507,421 in 2016.

LLFlex, a global supplied in packaging materials and industrial laminate solutions for sectors that include wire and cable, is set to open a new 73,500-sq-ft fully integrated manufacturing facility in High Point, North Carolina, that will provide products and services to customers in the U.S. and abroad. l

A press release said that the company will invest some $7.6 million in the project. The initiative will significantly expand LLFlex’s output capacity, and include equipment supporting both of its two main business segments: packing (consumer products) and industrial laminates. The latter business includes wire and cable, for which the company offers its Reyshield™ cable wrap. The investment will include a new laminator with multiple coating stations and a dedicated slitter that will be complemented by a new steel, copper and aluminum slitter with an annual capacity of 40 million lb. “The new facility is a culmination of our commitment to customer service, production excellence and market share growth,” said Victor Dixon, CEO of LLFlex.