10/1/21 – Hitachi Cable has taken a step toward closing its plant in Pensacola, Florida, and moving those operations to Mexico.
Per a report in the Pensacola News Journal, Hitachi Cable has filed a notice with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to notify the state that it was closing its Pensacola manufacturing operations by the end of next March.
The company said in a statement that approximately 300 salaried and hourly workers will be affected by the plant’s closing. In the notice to the DEO, the company said 202 employees at the Pensacola plant would lose their jobs.
The plant on Ely Road was built in 1985 and was owned by Coupled Products Inc. until it was sold to Hitachi Cable America in 2008, according to county property records. The plant manufactures components and cables for anti-lock braking systems and hybrid vehicles.
10/1/21 – Medicoil, a division of R&L Spring Company, announced that it has broken ground for a 40,000-sq-ft expansion to its facility in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
A press release said that the new manufacturing space is scheduled for completion in early 2022 and will support their continued growth in the medical device market. “For the fourth time since 1997 we are again proud to expand our manufacturing business,” said company owner and President Scott Forsythe.
Per its website, Medicoil was formed in 1992, a division of R&L Spring Company, which began in 1972. It supplies precision springs and wireforms to a wide range of OEMs in powersports, automotive, medical, and other general industries markets. The Medicoil brand was established in 2000 to focus on opportunities in the medical market. It has preferred-supplier status among some of the world’s leading medical device companies for its prevision coiled and formed wire products that are used in components and subassemblies that go into implantable devices. Medicoil’s modern facilities include an ISO 7 (Class 10,000) Clean Room.
R&L Spring Company notes that it is a preferred source of OEMs for precision springs, rings, wireforms and four-slide components, plus secondary and finishing processes.
10/1/21 – Nexans announced that it has entered into a share purchase agreement with Xignux SA of Mexico to acquire Centelsa, a premium cable maker in Latin America, for an undisclosed price.
A press release said that Centelsa, based in Colombia, produces cable for building and utilities applications. It was described as an “iconic world class cable maker,” with annual revenues of more than US$250 million and an enterprise value of US$225 million. The closing, subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to take place in the first half of 2022.
The Centelsa acquisition “is fully aligned with (our) strategic ambition to become a pure electrification player,” said Nexans CEO Christopher Guérin. The addition will further contribute to Nexans’s ability to serve renewable projects in the Andean Region and enhance its capacity in building and energy distribution.
“This combination will be the stepstone to grow our best-in-class solutions and unique premium brand,” said Viakable-Centelsa CEO Sergio Valdes. “The Centelsa team has demonstrated, for more than six decades, professionalism in delivering high value to our customers. As a global player in energy transmission, Nexans is a great fit to lead the next phase of growth for Centelsa´s customers and employees. Jointly, there is a promising future ahead.”
Centelsa was cited as being the first cable manufacturer in Colombia. Per Centelsa’s website, the company’s origin traces back to 1955, when INCE Ltda (Industria Nacional de Conductores Eléctricos) started its operation in the city of Cali, manufacturing low-voltage cables as magnet wire for applications in motor winding. In 1961, Ceat General of Colombia S.A. was established through the merger with U.S.-based General Cable Corporation and Italy’s Ceat International. It expanded in 1980 with a second plant, then a third in 1993. In 1994, CENTELSA (Cables De Energia Y Telecomunicaciones S.A.) was formed by the merger of Ceat General De Colombia S.A., Facomec and Fadaltec S.A. In 2012, it became part of the Viakable, the cables division of Xignux, a Mexican industrial group.
Over the years, Centelsa won numerous awards and certifications. Today, it has a network of strategically located offices to cover the national and international market, thus offering an opportune service.
9/10/21 - The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc. is the host of the biennial Interwire trade exposition and conference that historically draws visitors from 50 countries which include exhibitors, attendees, speakers, and sponsors.
The climbing Covid-19 counts and corresponding employee health and safety measures have led WAI’s Board of Directors to vote to cancel this year’s staging of Interwire, which was set to mark the 40th year since the show was introduced in Atlanta, Georgia.
Commenting on the difficult decision, 2021 WAI President Tom Heberling said, “It is our responsibility as the Interwire host to deliver a safe, fair, viable, and valuable event to all of our constituents. Unfortunately, having reviewed the data and the evolving factors that must affect the Interwire 2021 trade exposition and conference, the Board’s decision reflects the challenging operating environment facing all businesses.”
The Interwire event was well positioned to serve the wire and cable industry, which is experiencing significant capital investments and overall strong economic conditions. The exhibition, which included key machinery manufacturers and more than 200 suppliers, was anticipated by key buying groups to provide the essential face-to-face forum that has not been available due to the pandemic.
WAI’s Executive Director Steve Fetteroll commented “The Board of Directors devoted their expertise and considerable time to developing the first-ever Industry 4.0 Program that was set to stage at Interwire. The Industry 4.0 Program combined with the expansive exhibit was just what the industry needed. I regret that their key contributions along with the tremendous staff efforts will not be fully realized on the Interwire stage.”
In an effort to continue WAI’s educational mission and support the industry during this unprecedented period, the Association will host the Industry 4.0 conference virtually to serve its members and supporters. The conference will be held on October 26-27 along with WAI’s 91st Annual Convention.
For expediency, news of the new conference will be detailed at www. Interwire21.com.
The WAI leadership regrets that these international events have combined to force a change of direction at this late date. The Association remains grateful to its supporters. It is committed to the 2023 Interwire that will provide value to exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, attendees, and partners alike.
The Wire Association International is a not-for-profit association with 1,800 individual members in 50 countries. The association serves the educational needs of the wire and cable manufacturing industry through a variety of products and services. WAI manages the Interwire Trade Exposition and the WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo and publishes the Wire Journal International and the Wire Journal International Reference Guide.
Media Contacts: Janice E. Swindells, Director Marketing & Corporate Communications, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tel.: 001-203-453-2777
x. 117; Steven J. Fetteroll, Executive Director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tel.: 001-203-453-1777.
9/8/21 – The Association’s New England Chapter has chosen the five below students to each receive a 2021 scholarship of $2,500.
Ana Aguilar, the daughter of Alberto Aguilar, president of Carris Reels, will be attending Clemson. She plans to study business marketing.
Connor Hartline, the son of Christopher Hartline, vice president of operations at RichardsApex, will be attending Pennsylvania State University. He plans to study engineering.
Robert Mancinelli, the son of John Mancinelli, national sales manager at Conneaut Industries, Inc., will be attending Lehigh University IBE Honors Program. He plans to study mechanical engineering and finance.
Erik Person, the son of Kimberly Person, corporate accountant at Insulated Wire, Inc., will be attending SUNY Genesco. He plans to study adolescent education.
Indigo Zachow, the daughter of John Zachow, vice president of Davis-Standard, will be attending Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. She plans to study graphic design.
9/8/21 – Companies can now either enter or update their company profiles for the 2022 edition of the Wire Journal International Reference Guide and WAI’s online Industry Search.
The new and updated entries, free, will be accepted until Nov. 30, 2021, for the printed publication. An instructional video on submitting a free listing is at
wirenet.org: (www.wirenet.org/industry-search-instructional-video)
9/8/21 -
It is with deepest regret that we announce the passing of Ali Shehab, president of Cimteq, on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, following a battle with cancer.
Ali was a well-known and much-respected individual within the wire and cable industry, and we are certain that his friends and colleagues from across the industry will join the Cimteq family in mourning his loss and extending heartfelt sympathies to Ali's wife Amanda and his wider family. Ali founded Cimteq in 1998 and helped some of the world’s largest wire and cable manufacturers through his dedication, expert knowledge and desire to make a difference in the industry. Ali’s fascination with electricity and his passion for innovation was evident throughout his career. Alongside Amanda, Ali drove Cimteq forward, developing a business that has become one of the industry’s leading suppliers.
Ali will be sorely missed. Those wishing to pay their respects are invited to email their thoughts to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. All messages will be warmly received and will be forwarded to Amanda. The family would prefer not to receive flowers but would rather a donation be made to RNLI (Royal National Lifeboad Institution) A JustGiving page has been set up in memory of Ali. https://www.justgiving.com/a-shehab
Albert “Al” Bavosi, a pioneer in the marking and coding field, died July 13 at age 78.
Bavosi was the co-founder and owner of Wachusett Marking Co., started in 1976, which was later sold to Gem Gravure in the early 2000s. The Massachusetts native was a Vietnam Veteran, having served in the U.S. Air Force as a crew chief stationed at Bien Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam. He returned home to West Boylston, and in 1976, he and his uncle Joe Bacchiocchi and brother Donny started Wachusett Marking Company. He was known for exceptional mechanical skills and strong work ethic in developing and manufacturing metal-marking wheels. Thirty-three years later, he sold the company to a big competitor, Gem Gravure, but even after the sale he continued to work for the company until he retired a few years ago. Gem Gravure Executive Vice President Paul Gemelli said that Bavosi “was a terrific guy with a strong work ethic, a great sense of humor, and an outgoing personality. ... My father (the late David Gemelli) and Al always had a very close relationship. In particular, my father always respected Al for starting and building up his own business, and like everyone he just enjoyed being around him.”
Bavosi is survived by his wife of 52 years, Kathleen Ann (Villnave) Bavosi; four children, Michele DeVillers, Amie Moore, Timothy Bavosi and Jennifer Cadwallader; a brother, Donald Bavosi; 11 grandchildren; and 13 nieces and nephews.
9/8/21 - Molly Hackman has been promoted to new business development manager for Minnesota Wire & Cable. She joined the company five years ago, and has held several different positions, most recently as executive assistant to the president. She holds a degree in communications disorders from the University of Minnesota. Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, Minnesota Wire & Cable specializes in manufacturing wire for sectors that include medical, defense, aerospace and industrial.
Cimteq has promoted James Concannon from technical account manager to commercial account manager, responsible for the company’s European and U.K. sales regions. He joined the company in 2018, and previously worked for Thomson Reuters for more than five years as a client services manager and as the client liaison team lead. He also worked for more than five years for Avox Limited. He holds a degree from Yale College Wrexham. Based in Wrexham, U.K., Cimteq supplies software and services designed to help wire and cable manufacturers optimize their processes.
David Galas was promoted to president of OMCG Inc. He joined the company in 2019 as national sales manager. Prior to OMCG, he served most recently as a regional sales manager for WAFIOS Machinery for five years. Before that, he was a U.S. business development manager for Numalliance North America. Other employers included Pro-Tech Machine Tool, Inc., Ellison Technology and PCC Airfoils, SMP. He holds a B.S. degree in applied science in manufacturing engineering from Miami University. Part of Italy’s OMCG Srl, and based in Bensenville, Illinois, USA, OMCG Inc. supplies wire, tube and strip forming equipment.
Joe Guigli has been promoted to vice president, aftermarket sales–North America for Davis-Standard LLC. He has held various leadership roles in his 13 years with the company, including regional sales manager, inside aftermarket sales and product manager. He will build and manage an expanded aftermarket field sales team. Based in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, Davis-Standard LLC is a global leader in extrusion and converting technology.
Steel industry veteran William “Bill” Jarae retired earlier this year after a career that spanned a half century. His career started at United States Steel Corporation (USS), where he worked for 16 years, holding quality department positions at its Gary Works in steelmaking, and was general supervisor for the bar mills, and the bar rod, wire and semi-finish product metallurgy group. At the USS Lorain Cuyahoga Works, he was the quality superintendent for the primary mills, billet conditioning and bar mills. He later became vice president of quality assurance, technology and customer technical services at Georgetown Steel, where he worked for 24 years. He then went to Charter Steel, where he served as a technical services engineer. His travels took him to many plants, including one in the Ukraine. The WAI Life Member (joined in 1986) authored multiple steelmaking and rod rolling chapters for the WAI Ferrous Wire Handbook, presented various technical papers and technical courses, helped update the Ferrous Wire Pocket Guide and moderated technical sessions and the Wire Fundamental Course. He served on the Board of Directors, the Education Committee and the Ferrous Wire Committee, which he also chaired. He was also active in ASM and AIST. Of note, Jarae was named the recipient of the 2021 WAI President’s Award.
9/8/21 -- Following a recent order for a new wire rod outlet, Primetals Technologies has been contracted by Kaptan Demir Çelik (Kaptan Iron & Steel) to supply the upstream mill for the Marmara Ereğlisi, Turkey production site.
A press release said that the mill will prepare the round feedstocks (intermediate sizes) to be further rolled and finished in the wire rod outlet. It will have a yearly capacity of 650,000 metric tons. High-value products will be processed such as carbon, SBQ and austenitic stainless-steel grades, catering to the engineering and automotive industries in both domestic and export markets. The hot commissioning of the complete installation is expected in mid-2022.
The upstream mill will have a maximum rolling rate of 130 tons per hour, and will process billets with square dimensions of 130, 160 and 200 mm and length of 12 meters. The diameters of the prepared feedstocks will range from 17 mm to 33 mm, as required by the roll pass design of the wire rod outlet. The layout, equipment and process of the new upstream mill will be optimized and compatible with an additional bar outlet to be added later, which will make the installation a modern combined mill of quality and austenitic stainless steel.
In other news, Bosnian steel producer ArcelorMittal Zenica d.o.o. placed an order with Primetals Technologies to replace the vessel of BOF converter #2 and supply associated equipment. An optimized design will increase the vessel volume and make production easier. ArcelorMittal Zenica is the largest producer of long steel products in the Balkans with annual production capacity of nearly one million tons per year. The company’s base product range includes rebar (in bars and coils), wire rod, mesh and lattice girders.
9/8/21 -- Central Wire President Paul From recently announced that all company employees would be required to be vaccinated by Oct. 29, barring an acceptable exemption request. Below, he shares further thoughts on this with WJI.
WJI: Just how many people does this edict cover, and what has the response been so far?
From: It covers everyone, which is approximately 700 people in 13 facilities in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. I have been overwhelmed with the positive response from employees. It surprised me. There have been some negative calls but many more positive ones. My contact info is posted in all the plants, so anyone can call me to discuss this—good, bad or indifferent—and they do. I have had some interesting conversations with people who felt that they could not speak out in favor of the vaccine inside the facility because some people would get angry. They remained uncommitted and confused about what to do. There was a lot of disinformation being pushed around and politicized, and I suspect that’s commonplace in many companies.
WJI: You didn’t have to do this, so why are you?
From: I am treating this as a health and safety threat. As president and CEO, it’s a lot easier if I apply the science and technology we would use to deal with any workplace hazard. As a virus, it can be stopped, and my job is to stop it. I have to provide the safest workplace I can, that’s my role.
WJI: Are you getting any calls from other manufacturers?
From: As of yesterday, 15, and they all are moving in this direction. All were very concerned about the ramifications but feel this is the way to go.
WJI: Could there be a legal challenge to this by employees?
From: That’s a good question. Yes, there could be, but it could be from both sides, the unvaccinated and the vaccinated. Anyone can hire a lawyer. The unvaccinated can fight it, but the courts seem already to have moved in a firm direction on this. The vaccinated can also demand companies take action to guarantee a safe workplace. I think that is just around the corner actually, and I want to be in front of it. If I can’t provide a safe work environment for the vaccinated, they have every right to challenge us. Should the virus have the capacity to mutate again, and it becomes even more transmissible and deadly, then the situation will change again. I would prefer to deal with this entire situation before that can happen.
WJI: Is your edict the same for all your operations?
From: Yes. Rules for Canada and the U.K. are somewhat different than the U.S., but what we are doing is still fine. The Canadian government just mandated vaccines for all federal employees, air travelers, train travelers and over-night vessel travelers.
WJI: What would you like to say to employees who oppose this?
From: Think of your coworkers. I know of six employees undergoing cancer treatment in our company, and I am sure there are others who have family members facing the same thing. I know of employees whose children have either received organ transplants or have disabilities and health challenges that even without Covid must be hard to cope with. We also have employees who have diabetes and other conditions that compromised their immune systems. Do you really want to expose them to this risk?
That also goes for other company owners: do you want someone inside your factory to become infected and take it home to someone not strong enough to fight this?
Freedom of choice I understand, but it goes hand in hand with a greater responsibility. Thankfully we have a number of vaccine choices. We must protect the integrity of our health care system and the professionals who are fighting a minute-by-minute battle to keep people alive.
WJI: How has this situation affected your business?
From: I was born in 1965, and this is my first pandemic. It is a struggle unlike anything I have ever experienced. There is no playbook for this. The last 18 months have been a huge struggle. I spend little time running the business in the traditional sense, buying equipment, considering acquisitions, seeing customers and suppliers, improving operations and developing a better future. I had expected that once the vaccine came out, it would greatly improve things and allow us to get back to “normal.” Now I feel further from normal than ever, but I also believe that the companies that can get past this will have achieved something great, and by doing so they will have benefitted employees, shareholders and society. I truly believe that.
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