Italy’s Tratos Cavi Spa (Tratos) reports that it has acquired Telnet and all shares of AFL Telecommunications Europe Ltd. (AFL TE), a subsidiary of AFL Telecommunications LLC (AFL).

A press release said that Telnet, a Spanish manufacturer founded in 1996, provides fiber optic cables, antennas, passive components and GPON equipment to regions in Europe, South America and Asia. The business unit was acquired in a judicial process that prevented its closing and saved more than 100 direct jobs.

The purchase by Tratos unlocks the potential of Telnet’s fiber optic cable and passive optical component division. “Telnet completely cleaned up its balance sheet and reversed the trend of operational deterioration, significantly improving profitability, with a turnover of approximately €20 million.”

A press release said that the AFL purchase includes all fiber optic cable product lines for the power utility, rail, and oil and gas markets, including the SkyWrap® attached fiber optic solution for overhead power lines, ruggedized trackside fiber optic cables and subsea umbilical optic cable components.

The company will continue to operate in its recently expanded facility in Swindon, U.K. The acquisition will increase the Tratos footprint in the U.K., alongside its existing electrical cable facility in Knowsley.

Tratos CEO Elisabetta Bragagni Capaccin said that the addition of AFL TE’s product capabilities, staff technical expertise and EMEA sales team will strengthen Trato’s market position.

Jeff Schmerbeck, AFL’s vice-president of cable solutions, said that Tratos is a good synergistic match for the AFL Swindon facility. “This is exciting news for the European utility, renewables, and rail industries.”

Superior Essex, a global leader in the magnet wire and communication cables industry, announced the next stage in the company’s wire business.

As part of its recent buyout of Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire, the company will change its brand name to Essex Solutions. Under the new name, Essex Solutions will encompass all current Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire locations worldwide. Additionally, Essex Energy in Italy will now be included, further reinforcing the company’s global reach and capabilities. This integration will enable Essex Solutions to leverage the expertise and resources of all its locations, ensuring enhanced customer service and support.

To further strengthen operations, the related businesses Lacroix + Kress, IVA Insulations and Hi-Wire will join the Essex Solutions organization, while continuing to operate under their existing brand identity. This consolidation will enable better coordination and collaboration among the brands, resulting in improved efficiency and effectiveness.

During the transition period, customers and stakeholders may see materials bearing either the existing Essex Furukawa or the new Essex Solutions name. All changes are expected to be completed by April 30, 2025. A new Essex Solutions logo will be released in the near future. Superior Essex is the parent brand of Essex Solutions, Superior Essex Communications, IVA, Lacroix + Kress, Hi-Wire, and Essex Brownell. It has over 3,000 employees in 11 countries, on three continents.

Italy’s Danieli reports that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Emirates Steel Arkan for a carbon reduction project for its plant in Abu Dhabi.

A press release said that Emirates Steel Arkan wants to advance further toward carbon footprint reduction and is studying the possibility of installing an e-PGH (electrical Process Gas Heater) at the DRI plant. The company operates two low-emission minimills for long products that include wire rod using Energiron DRI technology and Hytemp pneumatic charging for hot DRI up to 600°C into the EAF.

The MoU was signed by Saeed Alghafri, CEO of Emirates Steel Arkan, and Rolando Paolone, CEO and CTO of Danieli, who met at Danieli’s headquarters in Italy. “This partnership marks a significant step forward in our commitment to innovation and technological excellence,” Alghafri said.

Emirates Steel Arkan is the UAE’s largest steel and building materials manufacturer. It is a leading wire rod producer in the GCC, with annual capacity of 550,000 mt at its high-speed wire rod mill that can produce 110 m of carbon steel wire rod per second.

A U.S. jury has awarded Prysmian $96,500,000 in damages from Sterlite Technologies, Inc., a business of India’s Sterlite Technologies Lt. (STL), for violations of trade secrets related to a former Prysmian executive who joined the company.

A press release said that on Aug. 6, at the end of a three-week trial, a U.S. District Court jury in Columbia, South Carolina, found in favor of Prysmian. Sterlite and Szymanski had denied wrong-doing.

In its June 2021 lawsuit, Prysmian had accused a former key executive, Stephen Szymanski, of providing Prysmian’s trade secrets to STL. The jury also awarded Prysmian $200,000 from Szymanski, who ran the company’s optical fiber cable business in North America before going to Sterlite, a direct competitor, in August 2020.

“At trial, Prysmian ultimately proved that Sterlite had taken thousands and thousands of pages of Prysmian’s confidential information and trade secrets,” the release said, noting that those included information about Prysmian’s customers, newest products and plans to expand its manufacturing plants. “Much of the information was found in the possession of not just Szymanski and Sterlite, but also in the possession of executives at Sterlite’s global headquarters in Pune, India.”

“This case came down to the basic principle of right versus wrong, and we are pleased that the jury came to this decision,” said Prysmian North America CEO Andrea Pirondini. “We will not stand still when it comes to defending our confidential information and trade secrets, competing fairly in the marketplace, and doing right by our customers.”

“Prysmian has a longstanding reputation for our quality products and our commitment to delivering innovative solutions in the telecommunications space,” said Patrick Jacobi, Prysmian North America Telecom senior vice president. “Securing a win in this case is a step in the right direction.”

On Sept. 16, 2023, STL, which is active in more than 150 countries, inaugurated its first U.S. cable manufacturing plant in Lugoff, South Carolina. Its focus is high fiber count cables with small diameters.  

In an STL statement, Managing Director Ankit Agarwal said that the company remains committed to serving customers in America. “We do not intend for this verdict to interrupt our plans to grow our U.S. presence. As a company, we uphold the highest standards of ethics and integrity.

We believe the verdict is not supported by the testimony and evidence presented at the trial and intend to appeal and vigorously pursue all available post-trial remedies.”