1/31/2022 – SAMP USA reported two key positions. Sandy Scroggs, who has been with the company for more than 30 years, has been promoted to general manager. He will keep his current position as service manager. He started with SAMP in 1988 as a service technician, and was named service manager in 2000. Brett Hamner has been named senior sales manager. He started his career in 1982 with Belden, working in different engineering roles, before transitioning in 1988 to Harbour Industries, where he was an R&D engineer. He joined General Cable in 1989, working in engineering, then moved into a corporate engineering role at their headquarters in Kentucky. In 1995, he became a project manager for Nokia Maillefer in Norcross, Georgia, and soon after added sales responsibilities. In 1997, he moved to Ontario, Canada, working with Ceeco during a period that saw the creation of Nextrom, before starting his own company—Cable and Tubing Solutions—in 2003. Based in Williamsport, Maryland, SAMP USA is part of Italy’s SAMP Srl, a global supplier of wire and cable drawing, extruding and bunching technology.

Ricardo (Rico) Dostal has joined Proton Products as a U.S. regional manager, based in Texas. A U.S. Navy veteran, he cultivated an interest in industrial technology while serving as an avionics electronic technician on board the USS Kitty Hawk. He then moved to Japan and served as an instructor and development team leader for three years, before working for Verizon Wireless for eight years, then five years for Rotalec USA, a distributor of industrial automation products. He started as a technician and was later promoted to application specialist for exclusive, non-contact sensor lines for the U.S. His primary focus was custom measurement and control projects, some of which featured Proton Products technology. Based in the U.K., Proton Products supplies instrumentation and control equipment for wire and cable production.

Cable Consultants Corporation has named Mason McClaugherty as vice president of sales and technical services. He has experience from three prior engineering positions with Cleveland-Cliffs, AK Steel Corporation and Service Wire Company. He holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering for Marshall University. He replaces Fred Hardy, an industry veteran who in 1993 was offered the position of director of technical services by company founder and owner Dr. Dimitri Stein. Based in Larchmont, New York, Cable Consultants Corporation supplies North American manufacturers with access to technology from European companies

Greg Gitto has been promoted from market development manager-PVC to director of sales & marketing-PVC for Chroma Color Corporation (CCC). He joined CCC last June though its acquisition of Color Resource, where he had worked as executive vice president since 2009. He has 20 years of extensive experience in PVC compounding and developing new PVC and olefinic products during a period that saw the inception of low-smoke PVC into plenum cable compounds. At Color Resource, he helped develop hybrid constructions with FEP, and Color Resource’s Quasar technology, now branded as ChromaQuasar, to serve the emerging XLPE wire and cable market. He holds a degree in economics from Clark University. Based in Delaware, Ohio, Chroma Color Corporation is a leading supplier of specialty color and additive concentrates for markets that include wire and cable.

1/3/2022 – People hires/promotions

The Copper Development Association Inc. (CDA) has promoted Andrew G. Kireta Jr. to president and CEO. He brings nearly 30 years of copper industry experience to the role. He has been with CDA since 1992, having previously served multiple roles in market development, strategy, and organizational management in regional and national roles, most recently as vice president of market development across all copper and copper alloy product and market areas. He has served in various team roles with the International Copper Association (ICA), as leader of the global strategy team, and as a board member on the executive committee of ASTM International, including a term as the 2020 board chair. He succeeds Thomas S. Passek, who retired at the end of 2021 after seven years with the organization. He had previously worked for 12 years for ASM International, where he was managing director, and two years for The American Society for Nondestructive Testing, where he served as the executive director.

Service Wire Co. reported three staff changes. Bruce Kesler has been promoted to director of commercial and industrial sales. The newly created role will see him responsible for the company’s commercial and industrial effort in North America. He will oversee regional sales directors and managers, and national sales managers for industrial. He has more than 35 years of experience in the electrical industry, 15 with the company, where he started out as a central regional manager in 2007 and became director of sales in 2018. Corey Jarvis has been promoted from assistant sales manager for the Eastern/Central United States and Canada to sales manager of the company’s sales office in West Virginia. He has been with Service Wire for more than 11 years. Aaron Patten has been promoted from territory account representative to assistant sales manager of the West Virginia office. He has more than 11 years of sales and management experience, including four with the company. Based in Culloden, West Virginia, Service Wire is a second-generation, family-owned wire and cable manufacturer.

Mike Cunningham is the new European director of sales and service for Montalvo. He is responsible for developing and coordinating partnerships, forming new alliances with key players while bringing new innovations into the market. He holds an engineering degree from the Brunel University School in London. Based in Gorham, Maine, the Montalvo Corporation specializes in tension control products for multiple industries that include wire and cable.

12/6/21 - New hires, promotions and obituaries

Southwire announced personnel changes to align its strategic plan. Effective Jan. 1, 2022, Norman Adkins will be president of wire and cable, and company COO. He will lead Southwire’s wire and cable commercial teams and oversee all of Southwire’s wire and cable operations and supply chain management, including metals. Since joining the company in 1998, he has led teams across the organization in both the commercial and manufacturing space including international, energy, OEM, electrical distribution and retail, among others. Brandon Moss will be president of tools, components and assembled solutions. In this role, he will continue to lead commercial and operations teams within TCAS and will focus on how Southwire is developing solutions to support accelerated growth of this business. He joined Southwire in 2007, and was integral in the launch of the company’s tools business and its subsequent growth into components, assembled solutions and other adjacencies. Within Adkins’ team, Kathleen Edge will continue to lead Southwire’s wire and cable operations teams. Charlie Murrah will expand his role within the team to now serve as executive vice president, chief supply chain officer. He will lead supply chain efforts for the entire company, including metals. Based in Carrollton, Georgia, USA, Southwire Company LLC is one of North America’s largest wire and cable producers.

T.J. O’Connell was named director of contractor solutions for Cerrowire. He has nearly 36 years of experience in electrical manufacturing, distribution and as a manufacturer’s representative with a primary focus on the commercial, industrial and utility markets. He most recently was vice president of sales and marketing for the U.S. energy division of Nexans, where he started in 2018. Prior to that he had worked for Graybar, the Yanow Companies and WESCO Distribution. He was cited for his enthusiasm, winning 13 industry awards over the past 26 years. Part of the Marmon Group and based in Hartselle, Alabama, Cerrowire manufactures copper wire in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana and Utah.

Metalube Ltd. reported two hires for its technology center. Samuel Adamson was named development chemist, responsible for production queries, sourcing raw materials and the creation of technical datasheets and product specifications. He previously worked for five years for Lankem, where he specialized in the development of surfactant-based products. He holds a degree in chemistry from Bangor University. Lily Smith is an R&D technician. She worked for more than two years as senior laboratory technician at Hall Analytical. She holds a B.S. degree in chemistry from Manchester Metropolitan University. Based in Irlam, Manchester, U.K., Metalube is a global lubricant specialist.

J. Andrew Gehrisch was named president of Marlin Thermocouple Wire, Inc. He joined the company in 2015 as general manager and has extensive experience with ERP system implementations, MRP and inventory. He previously worked for about four years each as president of Nano Lube Corporation and as operations manager for Pelican Wire. He also was owner of Miniature Cable Systems from 2005 to 2007. Based in Westlake, Ohio, Marlin Thermocouple Wire, Inc. provides thermocouple wire, cable and thermocouple connector products.

Davis-Standard has promoted Gianzo Mastrangelo to aftermarket regional manager for the Northeast U.S. and Canada. He has 33 years of experience, having held multiple leadership roles at Brampton Engineering, which was acquired by Davis-Standard in 2018, as well as at General Motors of Canada, CFM and Fenwick Automotive. He holds an MBA degree from Niagara University, a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Ottawa, and a B.S. degree in biology from Western University. Based in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, Davis-Standard’s product lines include extrusion technology for wire and cable.

Adam Sleboda has been named a senior development engineer at SACO AEI Polymers. He most recently worked for the Prysmian Group for four years as a material lab chemist and an R&D engineer. Prior to that, he was an R&D materials engineer for five years at Champlain Cable Corporation. He holds a B.S. degree in chemistry from King’s College. Based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, SACO AEI Polymers supplies thermoplastic and thermoset compounds, additives and masterbatches.

Andrew Depue is the new sales manager, wire and cable, for Nylene. He started as a regional sales manager for Joe Tools before moving on to Southwire, where he held process engineer/process support management positions prior to his promotion to operations manager. He holds a degree in economics from The University of Georgia. Based in Arnprior Ontario, Canada, Nylene supplies polyamide (nylon) polymers, co-polymers, and polymer compounds.

Automatic Spring Products Corp. (ASPC) has added the duties of company president to its CFO, Scott Zylstra. The change was made to allow long-time president and CEO Steve Moreland to focus exclusively on the strategic future of the company. Zylstra brought more than two decades of leadership in finance and manufacturing to ASPC when he joined in 2019 as CFO. Based in Grand Haven, Michigan, American Spring Products manufactures compression, extension and torsion springs as well as other products

Obituaries
The International Wire Manufacturers Association (IWMA) announced that Paul Graham Warbrick, one of its founding members, died Oct. 21, 2021, from a long-standing illness, at age 81.
Warbrick, who lived in Stockton Heath, was among the first group of British wire and cable company bosses who got together to form the IWMA just over 50 years ago. He had wanted to be a farmer, but when his father died in 1957, at age 41, he became head of Warbrick Engineering Specialties at age 17. Per his LinkedIn profile, at the time of his father’s death, Paul was a student apprentice at BICC Cables, having formerly been a student at Ellesmere College. He then left BICC to join the family business, attending two technical colleges in 1957 to 1959. He learned the field and became a shrewd businessman, bringing in cable industry electronic equipment maker HW Electronics in 1965, then adding Larmuth Engineering, Knutsford, Cheshire, and Dean Bros. reels in Nottingham. In 1988, Larmuth and Dean Brothers were sold to the Pentre Group, and he was a shareholder, and group sales and marketing director through the late 1990s.
Warbrick traveled extensively to find new business, as well as support IWMA, especially in its early years. His love of sports led him to create the IWMA golf tournament and the Warbrick golf trophy. In 2019, his son, Simon, took over the running of the central family wire and cable agency business, which continues as Warbrick International. Other survivors include a daughter, Caroline, four grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

Douglas J. Milheim, the founder of Accurate Wire in Branford, Connecticut, died after a brief illness on Tuesday Oct. 26, 2021 at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
A resident of Guilford, Connecticut, he was a U. S. Navy veteran of the Korean War. He worked for Bethlehem Steel company in Pennsylvania before becoming the chief engineer at Durable Wire. In 1988, he and Matthew B. Smith opened Accurate Wire, a manufacturer of square and round wire. He ran the business until he retired, and sold the company in 2016. He was predeceased by his wife, Margaret Royka Milheim. He is survived by his daughter, Leslie Consolo; two grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Gilberto “Gilly” C. Jasso, who worked in sales for AW Machinery, a manufacturer and integrator of machinery and control systems, died from a heart attack at age 56. The Texas resident was born in Mexico to Gregorio M. and Beatriz (Chapa) Jasso.
Jasso is survived by his wife of 34 years: Maria C. Jasso; daughters: Anjelica Nicole Martinez, Jennifer Alexandra Jasso and Erika Jeanette Jasso; parents Gregorio and Beatriz Jasso; a brother, Gregorio Jasso; a sister, Aracely Jasso Moreno; and one grandchild, seven nephews and one niece.

10/1/21 

Kimberly Korbel, the long-time executive director of the American Wire Producers Association (AWPA), has retired after 37 years of service to the rod, wire and wire products industries. She joined AWPA staff in 1984, and in 1991 was promoted to executive director. After years of working at other association management firms, in 1999 she opened Amber Association Partners, LLC, with AWPA as one of its inaugural clients. She was lauded by AWPA President Brian Burr for her steady demeanor, including during trying industry periods, and her understanding of the industry. She served on the board of directors of the Council of Manufacturing Associations (CMA) of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). She spoke on behalf of the industry to the International Trade Commission, the Department of Commerce, the Office of the US Trade Representative, and other agencies, and led members on lobbying visits of Congress. She is succeeded by Emily Bardach, who worked at AWPA with Korbel as the director of membership and meetings from 1998 to 2011. She has 25 years of association management experience. She works for AMPED Association Management, where since 2000 she has been the executive director for Women in Government Relations (WGR). She is well known as a relationship builder in Washington, DC, and is a certified association executive through ASAE. She holds a degree in psychology from Wittenberg University. Continuing as director of meetings and membership is Heather Outhuse, who has been with the AWPA since 2007. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, AWPA members include North American wire producers, manufacturers and distributors of wire rod, and suppliers of machinery, dies and equipment to the wire industry.

Proton Products Inc. has named Iain Heddle as technical support manager, responsible for leading technical support initiatives for customers and employees in the U.S. A key role will be providing customers with the support they need to build out Industry 4.0 Solutions. The California office, which also takes on the role of the service center, has been kitted out to provide all repair and calibration services for our range of products. With offices in the U.K. and USA, Proton Products is a leading manufacturer of instrumentation and control equipment for use in industrial production.

Xia Chafel has joined American Wire Group as vice president of procurement, responsible for developing, overseeing, and implementing strategic sourcing strategy, managing material and services in the U.S. and internationally. She has a strong record of supply chain experience. Most recently, she was a supplier relationship manager in global procurement, where she developed two-way, mutually beneficial relationships between National Grid and its strategic supply partners to deliver greater levels of innovation that offer a competitive advantage. She previously worked for PerkinElmer, Rolls Royce and EMC. She holds a B.S. degree in economics from the Guangdong Foreign Trade Institute and an MBA from McCallum Graduate School of Business at Bentley University. Based in Aventura, Florida, American Wire Group specializes in wire and cable products for renewable energy and electrical utilities.

Service Wire Co. has promoted Trish Weisberg to strategic sales manager, a new position. A third-generation Service Wire employee, she started out as a management trainee in 2019, and since 2020 had served as a strategic account sales manager and a materials manager. She holds a B.B.A. degree in real estate finance from Southern Methodist University, and an MBA from Rice University. Andy Martin has joined the company as a regional sales manager in the Phoenix sales office. He will be serving commercial and industrial distributors, contractors and engineers while working with manufacturers’ representatives in eight states. Past employers include Rexel USA, Main Electrical Supply Co. and Crescent Electric Supply Company. Based in Culloden, West Virginia, Service Wire Co. is a family-owned wire and cable manufacturer with a nation-wide network of distributors.

Obituary

Ali Shehab, the founder and president of U.K.-based Cimteq, died from cancer on Sept. 1, 2021, at the far-too early age of 51. 
In the 90s, Shehab worked for BIC Cables’ technology arm, where he developed the company’s manufacturing execution systems and production control systems. In 1998, he and his brother started Electronic Magic, which developed innovative products to aid consumers. He saw the need to help cable design engineers by removing tedious work, and from that he created CableBuilder, which was implemented in Draka Norsk Kabel in 2000. In 2005, the company name was changed to Cimteq, and the business continued to develop innovative solutions for the cable industry. In 2014, Cimteq released CableMES in cooperation with Wonderware, and in its first year the innovation won two awards from prestigious industrial bodies. In 2015, he was awarded Best Presentation of the 63rd IWCS International Cable & Connectivity Symposium.

Shehab’s passion for advanced cable manufacturing technology drove him to be a regular contributor to industry periodicals (including Wire Journal International) and blogs. He was also a frequent presenter at conferences, and had been a scheduled speaker for the Industry 4.0 program at Interwire 2021. He held a degree in electronics engineering from the University of Liverpool.

He is survived by his wife, Amanda, the company director, who herself is an industry veteran and former colleague, having worked as a manufacturing systems engineer for a decade for BIC Cables/Pirelli from 1991 to 2001, and is a past president of the International Wire Manufacturers Association.