9/8/21 -- Eastern Wire Products, Inc., has bought property in Jacksonville, Florida, and plans to invest $1.5 million in renovating it to produce steel wire and other products.

The company, founded in 1972, has operated elsewhere in the city in a leased multitenant building, and it is buying a 78,000-sq-ft structure that needs to be upgraded. Of that space, some 21,000 sq ft is leased to another company, and the goal is to use that space as well until the lease either expires or is terminated.
Eastern Wire Products specializes in baling wire as well as straight-and-cut wire. The family-owned company has 42 full-time employees, and expects that the expansion will eventually result in another 10 jobs.

The total project is expected to cost about $4.4 million, which includes about $3 million for the site acquisition and demolition, $500,000 for infrastructure improvements; $650,000 in building renovations; and $240,000 in machinery and equipment purchases.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to establish a home for our third-generation, wire fabrication company,” said company President Mark Yates. “My father and grandfather were both WAI lifetime members, and this is the culmination of their longtime desire to create a space for us to fabricate our products for generations to come.”

Yates said that, with the aid of grants from the city of Jacksonville, Eastern Wire will be able to create a modern facility that includes state of the art bale tie manufacturing equipment. “This should enable us to be more efficient and effective and allow us to better serve our customers.” 

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.

8/12/21 – Citing the ongoing Covid-19 related effects in Brazil, organizers Cipa Fiera Milano and Messe Düsseldorf decided to cancel the 2021 staging of wire South America and TUBOTECH. The new dates for both events is Oct. 25-27, 2022, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The events had been scheduled to be held Oct. 5–7, 2021. at the Sao Paulo Expo Exhibition & Convention Center. For further information on visiting or exhibiting at wire South America and TUBOTECH 2022, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, tel. 312-781-5180, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go to the event website, www.wire-south-america.com.

8/9/21 – The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc. announces two keynote speakers to open each day of Interwire 2021 at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Both presenters focus on a desire for change to make every day a rewarding experience—one emphasizing leadership, the other through operational improvements and technology.

Tuesday, Oct. 26. Award-winning documentary filmmaker Brett Culp, founder of The Rising Heroes Project, will address the audience with his presentation titled: “Superhero Leadership: How everyday people can have an extraordinary impact,” at 10:00 a.m.

Through his groundbreaking non-profit documentary work, Culp has pioneered the art of creating “mini-movements” that inspire the super-human spirit in all of us. His approach to community-building and relationship-driven engagement invite people to connect with a noble vision and make a difference together. Passionate, energetic, and engaging, he encourages audiences to find the superhero within and their own path to “everyday leadership.” His insights on connecting individuals to an organization’s mission and goals resonate, help us realize our greatest personal and business potential, and renew our collective sense of hope for the future.

Culp is known for the films, Legends of the Knight, and Look to the Sky, both of which explore the power of heroic stories and heroic individuals to inspire us to believe in a better tomorrow. His newest film, A Voice That Carries, premiered in early June 2021. His films are featured on Netflix, iTunes, Hulu, and other top digital platforms.

Wednesday, Oct. 27. Kathleen Edge, Executive Vice President of Operations at Southwire Company, LLC, will discuss “Southwire’s connected flexible operating system” at 10:00 a.m.

The Industrial Revolution 4.0 has been a decade in the making. The wire and cable industry is delivering power to this revolution with solutions and services. Southwire is on a mission to revolutionize operations and make the lives of its operators easier and more rewarding by equipping experienced employees with tools to realize the true benefits of technology.
Edge has led a group of 34 manufacturing locations, as well as ten distribution centers, and many worldwide support areas with a method that emphasizes lean operational toolkits; modernization; and safety improvements.

Industry 4.0 – the theme of the Interwire show – is evident in the activities and aspects taking place on the show floor including: the Industry 4.0 Pavilion, exhibits, mini briefings, and conference sessions. See the full program at www.interwire21.com.

REGISTRATION:
Interwire 2021 registration is open at www.interwire21.com. Since all activities will be held on the exhibit floor, registration includes the Industry 4.0 sessions, exhibits, keynotes, production solution demonstrations, and the welcome reception. Advance registration pricing is as follows: WAI member: $75 USD; New WAI member: $140 USD; Nonmember: $175. Registration for the hybrid Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing course is separate with advance rates as follows: WAI member: $295 USD; New WAI member: $395 USD; Nonmember: $445.

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.