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Industry News

Southwire recently reported advances that have been achieved, both on and beyond the shop floor, with the results made possible by its approach to technical innovation, talent development and inclusive growth.

At its Kentucky plant, the company reported that it has completed modernization and expansion projects that have nearly doubled the facility’s size to over 800,000 sq ft and increased its workforce from 427 to 561, with further growth underway. The upgrades included advanced equipment such as wire stranders and coiling machines to boost production capacity, improved safety and enabled the plant to serve a broader range of markets. It noted that infrastructure enhancements and a focus on ergonomics have contributed to a record-low incident rate. The plant’s commitment extends beyond operations, with significant charitable donations and over 700 volunteer hours logged in 2024, earning it the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce “Business of the Year” award.

Southwire was also recognized for making inclusion a core value at Southwire, as seen by its selection by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women 2025. The company’s DEI strategy is led by Chief Inclusion Officer Cara Herzog, who oversees efforts to foster an equitable workplace through expanded benefits, partnerships with organizations like Women in Manufacturing, and the installation of Nessel lactation stations across all facilities.

Southwire’s initiatives range from paid parental leave to employee resource groups promote work-life balance and support for women at every level. The company’s recognition is based on employee feedback and independent evaluation, affirming its role as an employer of choice and an industry leader in diversity and inclusion. 

Singapore-based Megamas Resources has placed an order with Norway’s Ulstein Design & Solutions AS to design it a next-generation cable-laying and repair vessel that will be built by German shipyard Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven.

A press release said that the vessel, based on Ulstein’s SX228 design, will be nearly 122 m long with a 23-m beam, a deadweight of 8,200 mt and a cable capacity of 5,500 mt. It will feature advanced dynamic positioning, allowing operations in waters as shallow as 15 m. Key features include two cable tanks (one with a carousel), a guided spooler, an integrated hangar for trenching ROVs, and a stern A-frame for plough deployment. Ulstein’s signature X-BOW hullform will enhance stability and reduce cable strain in rough conditions.

Megamas plans to introduce two of these advanced, fuel-efficient vessels, with the first expected to enter service in early 2026, supporting both telecommunications and offshore wind sectors.

South Korea’s LS Marine Solution, a subsea cable installation company, announced that it plans to invest approximately $252 million to construct one of the world’s largest cable-laying vessels (CLV) as it seeks to expand its presence in the global offshore wind and HVDC markets.

Per a company statement, the new 13,000-ton-class vessel will rank among the top five globally for cable loading capacity and will be the largest in Asia when it enters service in the first half of 2028. The CLV will be capable of simultaneously laying both power and communication cables, a capability currently found in only three vessels worldwide. The shipbuilder has yet to be selected.

The move was described as part of LS Marine Solution’s broader strategy to secure large-scale HVDC and offshore wind projects in Korea, Europe, and North America. The company is positioning itself as a global turnkey project provider in collaboration with its affiliate, LS Cable & System, which is also preparing to launch its LS GreenLink subsea cable factory in the U.S.

In related news, LS Cable & System (LS C&S) signed an MoU with Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) to jointly develop and commercialize submarine cable management technology. They will integrate KEPCO’s real-time submarine cable diagnostic technology with LS C&S’s GIS-based cable asset management platform, aiming for global commercialization and enhanced operational reliability.

The goal is to prevent undersea ultra-high voltage transmission (HVDC) cable accidents. It is possible to predict damage to submarine cables due to fishing activities and preemptively respond by maintaining cables or changing buried locations.

 Orlando Precision reports that it has acquired Aero Spring & Manufacturing Company, Inc., and that it plans to  relocate its operations from Phoenix, Arizona.

A June 1 press release posted at LinkedIn by Orlando Precision said that Aero Spring “has a strong reputation as a trusted supplier of highly specialized components to Tier 1 and Tier 2 aerospace OEMs and their subcontractors.” It produces a wide range of custom and standard springs—including compression, coil, flat, helical, spiral, and clock/watch springs—as well as wire forms, rings, and clamps. The company serves industries such as aerospace, telecommunications and industrial manufacturing, providing both standard and specialized spring solutions.

The posting said that Orlando Precision will relocate Aero Spring to its site in Huntington Beach, California, where it will be integrated into the existing infrastructure and production. Orlando Precision, founded in 1957, was acquired by Crosse Partners in 2009.

Delta Tecnic, a Spanish specialist in color masterbatches for the cable and PVC industries, announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Impact Formulators Group (IFG), a leading Italian producer of additive and color masterbatches.

A press release said that the transaction, announced on May 14, will see IFG—formed by the combination of Ultrabatch, Masterbatch, and Eurocolor—join Delta Tecnic’s portfolio. Based near Milan, IFG manufactures additive masterbatches as well as color masterbatch products. The acquisition adds functional additives to Delta Tecnic’s primarily color-focused product line, enabling the group to offer a broader range of solutions to its customers.

The combined group will operate six manufacturing plants across Spain, Italy, and Mexico, employ more than 270 people, and generate over €100 million in annual revenue. Delta Tecnic intends to leverage its strong presence in Spain and Mexico to help IFG expand into the Spanish and American agricultural markets.

Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) has won a contract from Southern Cross Cables Limited to supply the cable needed for the SX Tasman Express subsea cable system that will directly link Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand.

A press release said that the project represents a major leap forward in digital connectivity between Australia and New Zealand. The amount of cable was not specified but the route was estimated to span approximately 2,150 km. The project will use ASN’s latest subsea technology to deliver 400 terabits of additional capacity, distributed across 16 fiber pairs. Marine installation will be led by OMS Group. It is scheduled for completion in 2028.

The new system will feature an Open Cable System architecture, ensuring compatibility with future generations of submarine line terminals and providing the flexibility needed to support evolving digital technologies. Optimized for low latency, the Tasman Express will enable next-generation digital applications, from real-time cloud services to advanced AI workloads. The design also incorporates ASN’s advanced branching unit technology, which will allow for an alternate Australian landing point if required, adding further resilience and scalability to the network.

NKT has rebranded its Portuguese cable factory SolidAl under the NKT name, completing a key step in its European integration strategy, and preparing it for a significant upgrade.

A press release said that the company, located in Esposende and acquired in June 2024, will now operate as NKT Cables Portugal as part of the company’s broader move to align its operations under a single brand.

“The Esposende site has quickly become an important part of our applications business line, contributing to solid revenue and EBITDA over the past three quarters,” said Carlos Fernandez, executive vice president and head of applications at NKT. “The rebranding is expected to support a unified go-to-market strategy across Portugal, Spain, France, Ireland and the UK, enhancing NKT’s ability to deliver medium- and high-voltage solutions for power grid upgrades and renewables projects.

NKT is investing €50 million to expand the site’s production capacity to meet Europe’s rising demand for grid infrastructure. “Europe’s aging power grid is in substantial need of an upgrade,” Fernandez said. “Strengthening NKT’s footprint and offerings under one brand across Europe, while also investing to increase capacity and capabilities, will play a central role in supplying the necessary cables to modernize and connect Europe’s power grid.”

The 70,000 sq m factory, located 50 km north of Porto, employs 430 people who manufacture cables up to 225kV.

The Estlink 2 interconnector between Finland and Estonia that was damaged by a ship anchor on Dec. 25, 2024, has been restored by Nexans.

A posting on LinkedIn by Nexans Executive Vice President Pascal Radue, PWR-Transmission, said that “the Estlink 2 interconnector ... has been successfully repaired by Nexans, reinforcing our position as a global leader in subsea cable Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR).”

The summary noted that Fingrid Oyj contacted Nexans for the project. “In just 40 days from offshore mobilization, our teams completed the replacement of a 1-km high-voltage DC cable section—restoring 650 MW of cross-border transmission capacity in the Baltic region.”

Estlink 2 is a 171-km HVDC interconnection that links Estonia and Finland. The damage, caused by a cargo vessel’s anchor, halted the electricity flow between the two countries. The interconnection is operated jointly by Estonia’s Elering and Finland’s Fingrid.

The repair work, completed ahead of schedule, was lauded on-line. Posted Fingrid Oyj Unit Manager N. Kimmo, “Excellent commitment and performance from Team Nexans! Thank you for the good cooperation!” Added Olivier Le Galudec, head of Technical Guarantees, “It is great to salute those who repair and build! Work at sea is rough but this team did well. Congratulations.”

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) voted on May 29, 2025, to continue antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CVD) duty orders on aluminum wire and cable imports from China. This decision was made following the USITC’s mandatory five-year “sunset” review, which found that removing the existing orders would likely lead to renewed harm for domestic wire and cable producers.

Per USITC and media reports, the unanimous vote means the 2020 AD and CVD orders remain in force. The final AD duty rates set in 2020 for Chinese exporters of aluminum wire and cable ranged from approximately 33.44% to 63.47%, depending on the specific exporter. The final CVD rates imposed in 2020 for unfair subsidies ranged from about 11.97% to 38.81%, again varying by exporter.

The USITC ruling comes as President Trump has increased Section 232 tariffs on aluminum products, including wire and cable, from 10% to 25% effective March 12, 2025, through Proclamation No. 10895. These tariffs apply to a broad range of aluminum products and remove all previously approved exclusions and quotas. The Section 232 tariffs are imposed under national security provisions and are separate from the AD/CVD duties.

Aluminum and renewable energy company Hydro and power cable solutions provider NKT have signed a landmark long-term agreement for the supply of aluminum wire rod, valued at approximately €1 billion.

A press release said that the deal guarantees a stable supply of low-carbon aluminum from Hydro for NKT, which plans to ramp up production to meet surging demand for medium and high voltage power cables across Europe. The agreement calls for Hydro to supply NKT with an estimated 274,000 metric tons of aluminum wire rod from 2026 through 2033, with an option for additional volumes. The total quantity covered by the contract is enough to manufacture medium-voltage cables that could circle the globe nine times or stretch the entire distance to the moon, about 363,000 km.

The new deal builds on a more than 40-year partnership between the two companies and extends their existing contract for 2025. The agreement is seen as a critical step in supporting Europe’s efforts to modernize its aging grid infrastructure.

The agreement secures NKT access to Hydro’s REDUXA 4.0 primary aluminum, produced in Norway with renewable energy. It has a documented carbon footprint of 4 kg CO2e per kilo aluminum or less, about a quarter of the world industry average.

NKT President and CEO Claes Westerlind said that securing the long-term is important for the company to deliver on the growing demand for power cables as Europe accelerates its energy transition. “Our partnership with Hydro will help us ensure reliable deliveries to our customers and support the continent’s climate ambitions.”

“It is with a sense of urgency that Europe is now mobilizing to reduce dependency on fossil fuel imports, introduce more homegrown, renewable power, and ensure security of supply of critical raw materials,” said Hydro CEO and President Eivind Kallevik.

Prysmian reports that it has completed the acquisition of Channell Commercial Corporation (Channell), a strategic move that will further its ability to be a complete end-to-end supplier of Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) solutions.

A press release said that the $950 million acquisition positions Prysmian as a leading provider of Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) solutions, covering connectivity from the curb to the home. It also strengthens Prysmian’s overall position in the North American cable sector.

Channell supplies advanced thermoplastic enclosures that are essential for protecting fiber optic connections and network equipment in outdoor and underground FTTH deployments. “By combining Prysmian’s market-leading portfolio of optical cable products—including ribbon, loose tube, and drop cables—with Channell’s innovative infrastructure components, the acquisition creates a comprehensive FTTH solution for customers in North America.”

Prysmian’s positioning in the connectivity solutions space will also be strengthened, thanks to an extended commercial reach and complementary R&D focus that will position the business for the roll-out of FTTH and 5G, as well as the growth of data centers, the release said.

“This is not just an acquisition – it is a strategic step forward,” said Frederick Persson, Prysmian’s EVP Digital Solutions.

A high-profile patent dispute between Credo Semiconductor and several major cable and connector manufacturers—including Amphenol, Molex, TE Connectivity and Volex—has entered a new phase, with all related federal lawsuits now officially paused as the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) moves forward with its investigation.

Per multiple media reports, the case centers on Credo’s allegations of infringement of patents covering Active Electrical Cables (AECs) and related high-speed connectivity technology. It began with a complaint filed at the ITC on March 13, 2025. Credo also filed parallel lawsuits in federal courts in Delaware and Texas, asserting willful infringement and seeking damages, as well as an import ban on allegedly infringing products.

However, recent court filings show that both the Delaware and Texas cases have been stayed at the request of the defendants, with the agreement of all parties, under a federal statute that gives priority to ITC investigations in such matters. In Delaware, a judge granted an unopposed motion to stay proceedings on April 23, 2025, pending the outcome of the ITC investigation, including any appeals. Likewise, a Texas federal judge issued a similar stay in the case against TE Connectivity on April 18, 2025.

The Commission will determine whether the accused products infringe Credo’s patents and, if so, whether to issue an exclusion order blocking their import into the U.S. The outcome of this investigation will likely shape the next steps in the paused district court cases.

Credo’s complaint asserts that it invented and pioneered AEC technology, investing heavily in its development since 2017, and claims that the defendants’ products unlawfully use its patented innovations. The company says it notified the defendants of its patents as early as September 2023.

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