Poland’s WAI Chapter held a seminar on Oct. 19 that included a technical presentation and an update on the chapter, but the main focus was a series of laudations of the late Dr. Bogdan Golis, a beloved chapter member who died June 29 at age 85.
The program traced the career of Golis, who was Częstochowa University of Technology (CUT)’s dean of faculty for metallurgy, and head of the Department of Metal Forming in this faculty, from 1988-96. He became a WAI member in 1995 and was vice president of the Poland Chapter from 1999 to 2010. In 2000 he won WAI’s Mordica Memorial Award. He was named a full CUT professor in 2001, and won several key awards. He was also the driving force behind the 2006 creation of the Schneider Memorial Award, the highest such award for Poland, based on WAI’s Mordica Award.
The honorary guests of the seminar were Professor Bogdan’s wife, Leokadia Golis, and daughters Małgorzata Zaczkowska and Beata Pająk, granddaughter Agnieszka Pająk and grandson Wojciech Pająk.
Many people came to honor Golis, one being Tadeusz Knych, also a Mordica Memorial Award winner, who said that the professor was always a deep-thinking man who firmly believed that there was a need to further knowledge. “He was always a deeply thinking man with a great knowledge of drawing, he evoked respect. He was often uncompromising, in a positive sense, of course. ... He always showed concern for science and the fear that (there was an) increasing lack of interest in science in our area of professional interest, and therefore he tried to put on paper all the knowledge he had in the theory and technology of the drawing process. He has always required exceptional respect for professors, he taught it and demanded it from young students of science. He left a huge baggage of knowledge and memories. ... It’s good that he lived to see the 20th anniversary of WAI in Poland. He was a man of character and great charisma, and his contributions should never be forgotten.”
The leaders of the WAI Poland Chapter were also announced. Jan Pilarczyk, retired CUT Professor, will continue to serve as president. There are three vice presidents: Maciej Górak, owner of the Gama Metal Company; Prof. Tadeusz Knych, dean of the Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals at AGH; and Piotr Milewski, commodity manager for Drumet Wire Co World Group, who is also the 2022 president of the European Wire Drawing Committee. Prof. Jarosław Jasiński, professor at NCBJ, will be treasurer; Agnieszka Gwiazdowicz will be board secretary; and Prof. AGH Beata Smyrak, a professor at AGH, will also be a member of the board.
WAI News
Attendees of the tour of the Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) plant in Meriden, Connecticut got very positive reviews from the New England Chapter.
The Oct. 25 tour saw some 50 chapter members and guests see the operations up close of RFS, which is a global designer and manufacturer of total-package solutions for wireless and broadcast infrastructure. The tour started with a half hour presentation on the markets that the company serves, followed by the tour.
The opening main presentation was delivered by RFS product line managers. They provided a brief overview of RFS’ history, key markets, and telecom growth. The tour stopped at four stations that collectively covered manufacturing of coaxial cables, fiber optic assemblies, fiber/power hybrid cables, broadcast antennas, and microwave antennas. At each station, a subject matter expert explained what their department did. RFS had samples on hand for show and tell in each area. Attendees were randomly split up into groups of 10-15 and rotated through the stations, spending about 15 minutes in each area of the factory.
After the tour concluded, everyone regrouped down the road at River: A Waterfront Restaurant & Bar for what proved to be enjoyable dinner experience just steps away from the Connecticut River.
One attendee who especially enjoyed the event was LeeAnn Chen, strategic marketing director for AlphaGary. “As a newcomer to the wire and cable field, this is a great way to get firsthand and live experience, with great networking opportunity,” she said, adding that RFS did a superb job preparing the tour. “I was touched by everyone’s passion and expertise on their subjects!” Finally, she said that the dinner-reception that followed was also memorable. “The mist over the Connecticut river was an added touch to the evening!”
The regional networking event is a fundraiser for the WAI New England Chapter Scholarship Fund. Registration is now open through WAI’s event registration system. The cost is $140, and WAI Chapter members in good standing receive discounted rates. Please use your discount code or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for assistance with registration.
The event will again be held this year inside the Cabaret Theatre. The reception starts at 5:30 pm, followed by the meeting at 6:35 pm. The dinner program will include a guest speaker, the introduction of the 2023 new chapter president and board, and picking of the raffle winners.
All proceeds from the raffle go directly to the Chapter’s scholarship program, and attendees are encouraged to bring prizes to help the cause. All such offerings should include an attached business card so the provider can be recognized during the drawing. There will also be a photo booth, so be prepared to grab your industry friends for some memorable pictures. There will be casino-themed props, but you can also get a professional head shot with a WAI backdrop.
Sponsors are always welcome, and the different levels for the event are: platinum-$500, gold-$350, silver-$250 and bronze-$150. All sponsors will be recognized at the event and in WJI. Sponsorships can be selected during the event registration and must be paid at that point. New sponsors are asked to provide a high-quality file of your company logo. Please direct sponsorship questions to WAI’s John Markowski at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 203-458-4044.
Of note for the 2023 meeting, the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino has a room block set aside for attendees who wish to stay overnight. The discounted rate is for the Earth Tower the nights of Jan. 25-26. The cut-off date is Jan. 4, 2023. Reservations can be made online at https://book.passkey.com/go/WAINE23, or call 888-226-7711 for a reservation, using code WAINE23.
Interwire Call for Papers
The WAI is seeking papers for Interwire 2023. Accepted papers will be presented at the event, to be held May 9-11 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
Papers are sought that address advances in the industry that fall under: Industry 4.0 trends, wire and cable- making strategies, workforce insights and technical progress in all sectors. Abstracts are due Nov. 18, 2022, notice of acceptance is Dec. 2, 2022, and manuscripts are due March 3, 2023.
Abstracts can be submitted at https://goo.gl/svxgvq. Accepted authors receive a one-year WAI membership and complimentary conference registration.
Had any personnel changes the last few years? It’s a rare company that hasn’t either lost or added staff during the Covid period, and it’s not a bad idea to make sure that the industry knows who your key people are.
This is an ideal time to take a minute to look at the 2022 edition of the Wire Journal International Reference Guide and see whether you need to make some updates. Companies can now either enter or update their company profiles for the 2023 edition of the Wire Journal International Reference Guide and WAI’s online Industry Search.
New and updated entries will be accepted until Nov. 30, 2022, for the printed publication. An instructional video on submitting a free listing is at wirenet.org: (www.wirenet.org/industry-search-instructional-video).
The WJI Reference Guide lists contact information for international manufacturers and suppliers to the wire and cable industry. Company listings include more than 1,100 product types.
With Interwire 2023 six months away, the exhibit space at the Georgia World Congress Center has been expanded by 2,000 sq ft to 82,000 sq ft.
A modest floor plan extension is likely in early November, explained WAI Sales Director Shannon Timme. At this time, more than 200 exhibiting companies are now represented on the show floor. It has been an extremely busy period for the industry as well as for the Association as it too tries to service customers, she said.
“The industry has seen a significant amount of role changes and retirements within the last two years,” Timme said. These company personnel changes have largely attributed to the delay in messaging and communications with some companies who have yet to renew for exhibit space.
The last staging of Interwire at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta saw 3,514 wire and cable industry professionals representing 39 states and 47 countries in attendance. More than 400 manufacturing facilities had at least one representative at the event, and WAI’s day-long Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing course drew a record 161 attendees. More details will be presented in future issues, including at the official event website, www.interwire23.com.
The Southeast Chapter enjoyed a picture-perfect day on Sept. 25 at the Rock Barn Country Club in Conover, North Carolina, but it had a weighty start.
Sikora’s John Dognazzi, who emceed the event, started with a moment of silence in memory of Chapter President Christopher Shannon McGill, a plant manager at Southwire’s factory in Huntersville, North Carolina, who died June 2 at age 52 from brain cancer. There was a moment of silence before Dognazi, who is serving as interim chapter president for the remainder of this year, started the tournament.
The field of 100 players found the course in very good shape, and golfers enjoyed the pace. The winning CommScope team of Chris Giddings, Brian Deese, Cody Lail and Paul McConnell shot an impressive 56 (15 under par) to walk away with top honors. The overall feel was so good that the Board plans to lock in a return to the Rock Barn course next year. The other big winner was the chapter’s Scholarship Program, which earlier this year issued four $1,800 scholarships.
Premium sponsors for the golf tourney were Carris Reels, Inc.; Chroma Color Corporation; Commission Brokers, Inc.; Henderson Sales & Service Inc.; The MGS Group; Process Control; Sikora; Sonoco Reels; Teknikor; and Wire & Plastic Machinery. Hole sponsors were: Accel International; Carris Reels Inc.; Chase Corp.; Chroma Color Corporation; Gateway Recovery Inc.; Gem Gravure Co., Inc.; GEON; M. Holland; Magnum Mfg. LLC; Process Control; Sonoco Plastics; Sonoco Reels; Teknikor; and Wire & Plastic Machinery.
The 18th annual Ohio Valley Chapter Educational and Sporting event was one for trying something different and it seems to have worked. With the program increasing in popularity, the OVC board decided to flip the sporting event with the educational portion for a smoother program. On top of that, we added an unsanctioned event for those who prefer firing ranges to fairways.
In a first-ever adjustment, while golfers were busy at the Kennsington Golf Club, a troupe led by former enlisted Marine Brennan Mai of Hobart Brothers rode a battlewagon over to On Target Outfitters (OTO) for some target practice. The sharpshooters matched skills with OTO pro and retired police officer Jeff Solic. Using a variety of firearms, they became the first participants of what we hope will someday become a sanctioned OVC event.
While sharpshooters were piercing targets, the players back at the golf course were busy sinking eagles. The winning team stroked in three eagles, coupled with 10 birdies for an OVC course record score of 16 under par. The inadvertently stacked team of Tom Kern of Condat, Paul Douwes of Advaris and Brett Hambleton of Select Arc, dominated what is typically a very difficult course. Perhaps the most impressive eagle of the day was scored by Chad Betris of Glen Carbide who sunk a 50 yarder on the fly. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good as his eagle contributed to his team coming in second place.
That afternoon, the technical presentations began with Jeff Danaher of Abbott Furnaces, who provided an education about the keys of furnace optimization: time, temperature and atmosphere. Jeff was followed by Jim Miller of Scientific Forming Technology, whose presentation on the Deform system of the drawing process simulation crossed several industries. His presentation connected fastener deformation in cold heading, stress points in the tooling, and material flow of laminated and superconductor materials. The final speaker was Paul Douwes of Advaris, who served as a last-minute substitute when a scheduled speaker was unable to make the trip. Paul introduced smart manufacturing concepts that connected administration, manufacturing and logistics for tighter process control and scheduling for on-time deliveries. The triose gentlemen made the event a huge success!
If you are new to the wire industry, OVC events are for you! As two-year member Brennan Mai attested, he was drawn to OVC 2022 by “the blend of fun events with the ability to network with people from other industries without the commercial feeling of a formal plant visit.” Added colleague, Jonathan Will, operations manager, Hobart Brothers, “I attended specifically to learn more about the wire drawing industry and network with other people in the wire industry.” OVC events offer a unique blend of education, networking and fun.
The chapter would also like to thank the event sponsors, which included Bechem Lubes, Blachford Corporation, CONDAT Corp., Die Quip, GEON, George A. Mitchell Company, Premier Wire Die, Rainbow Rubber & Plastics, SIKORA and Wire Tech.
Mark your calendar for OVC 2023 on August 23, 2023!
Report by Dave Rascati, Premier Wire Die
A maxed-out field of 148 golfers took part in the New England Chapter’s 28th annual golf tournament, but based on reviews, it was a winning experience for just about everyone who was at Tunxis Country Club in Farmington, Connecticut.
The winning foursome—Tom Artinian, Matt Bagdovitz and Jim Stocking, all of Hitachi Cable America, and Greg Gitto, Chroma Color—shot nine under par to take top honors. Coming in second was the team of David Gow of Primetals, Dylan Simson of Primetals and James Ayers of Data Guide Cable Corp. The chapter plans to return next year to the Tunxis Country Club, and to go back to 36 holes so up to 200 players can take part, encouraged by comments sent by participants.
• “Great that we got partnered with a potential customer. Really appreciated the networking time before dinner. Thanks!” David Gerhart, Reelex Packaging.
• “Very well organized,” John O’Dell, RSCC Wire & Cable.
• “It was a terrific event and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Thank you!” Paul Gemelli, Gem Gravure.
• “Excellent event! Thank you!” Mim Winter,
Teknor Apex.
• “Pace of play was the best it has been ever! A+,” Dave Fisher, James Monroe.
The reviews were not unanimous, as one participant thought that the check-in process and other elements could have been better, but there was a lot of chatter at the awards dinner about how Tunxis was a better host than the Tumble Brook Country Club in Bloomfield in 2021.
New this year, the reception featured live music sponsored by James Monroe, which added fresh energy to the networking time. The open bar was extended an extra hour so everyone had ample time to mingle once coming off the course. The reception and dinner were both held outside at the Tunxis’ pavilion, making for a less formal event. There was an extensive buffet which included two carving stations and an ice cream sundae dessert bar. Finally, most of the raffle prizes were pulled and handed out ahead of time, so that it did not slow down the dinner program as in previous years.
Chapter President Michael Sarni, Insulated Wire, Inc., gave a thumbs up to the tourney. Admittedly not an avid golfer, he said he enjoyed it so much “that I cannot wait to attend it again. Seeing the regulars and some new faces to the industry made it that much better.”
The chapter wants to thank all the sponsors.
Premium sponsors: AGC Chemicals Americas, Inc.; Amacoil, Inc.; Carris Reels, Inc.; Chase Wire & Cable Materials; Commission Brokers, Inc.; Delta Tecnic; Electric Cable Compounds, Inc.; Elkem, Inc.; Fenn Torin; Fluorogistx; Gem Gravure Co., Inc.; Insulated Wire; James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp.; Lloyd & Bouvier, Inc.; M. Holland; Mathiasen Machinery, Inc.; The MGS Group; Multi/Cable Corp.; Rainbow Rubber; RichardsApex, Inc; SAMP USA, Inc.; Sikora; Teknikor; Ulbrich; United Wire Co., Inc.; Wire & Plastic Machinery; and Zumbach Electronics Corp.
Corporate Hole sponsors: Amaral Automation; AVIENT Corporation; Carris Reels, Inc.; Data Guide Cable Corp.; DeWal Industries (2); Elkem Inc.; Fluoropolymer Resources Inc.; Gem Gravure Co., Inc.; GEON; Graham Engineering; Insulated Wire; James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp (4); Joe Snee Associates, Inc.; Lloyd & Bouvier, Inc.; M. Holland; Mantec; Quabbin Wire & Cable Co., Inc.; REELEX Packaging Solutions, Inc.; RichardsApex, Inc.; SAMP USA, Inc.; Sikora; Specialty Cable Corp.; Teknikor; TriCab; Ulbrich Shaped Wire; United Wire Company; Winchester Interconnect; Wire & Cable Consulting LLC; Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp.; and Zumbach Electronics Corp.
The New England Chapter outlined what will be presented at its educational event at the RFS plant in Meriden, Connecticut.
The event, which starts at 3:30 pm, will include an overview of RFS and its cable-related markets, followed by a tour with five stops, where line managers will make brief presentations on their different coax, fiber and antenna products. Following the tour, attendees will regroup for a networking dinner at River, a restaurant in Wethersfield.
The event is limited to 50 attendees, and registration will close on Oct. 25. A wait list will be available once the event is full. The cost for the event is $125 for non-WAI members, with a $25 discount for WAI New England Chapter members. RFS leadership team is choosing a charity that the New England Chapter will make a $1,000 donation to on their behalf.
Registration can be done at the chapter website.
For more details, contact: John Markowski, at tel. 203-458-4044, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The WAI is seeking papers for Interwire 2023. Accepted papers will be presented at the event, to be held May 9-11, at the Georgia World Congress Center.
Papers are sought that address advances in the industry that fall under: Industry 4.0 trends, wire and cable making strategies, workforce insights and technical progress in all sectors. Abstracts are due Nov. 18, 2022, notice of acceptance is Dec. 2, 2022, and manuscripts are due March 3, 2023.
Abstracts can be submitted at https://goo.gl/svxgvq. Accepted authors receive a one-year WAI membership and complimentary conference registration.
Martin Thacker has plenty of experience as the British representative for WAI’s 2022 clockwinding ceremony, having served in that role for the prior two years. However, this time, he will be the one doing the actual winding when he visits WAI’s office on Nov. 3.
On Nov. 11, 2020, Thacker served as the first-ever virtual clockwinder as part of a special Association meeting that also included the WAI’s Annual Meeting and the presentation of the Mordica Award. He spoke from his home in Britain, and discussed the significance of the tradition. Each year, a representative for the British wire and cable industry comes to rewind the stately grandfather clock that they gave to the Association on Oct. 20, 1948, in appreciation of the support given during World War II.
On Nov.17, 2021, Thacker again performed his duties before a meeting of the WAI’s Board of Directors. Both times he talked about the value of maintaining close ties. “I am disappointed not to be with you in person today,” said Thacker, who is a Liveryman of the Court of the Worshipful Company of Tinplate Workers Alias Wireworkers (Tinplate Workers) in London. “Last year I had the honor of being the first person to conduct the clock winding ceremony via virtual means. I am now the very first person to have conducted the clock winding ceremony via virtual means twice in succession!”
Now Thacker—whose grandfather was a wiredrawer in Sheffield, and his father worked for Markham and Company Ltd., as did his uncle—will be back for the third time in the flesh.
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