WAI, in collaboration with Hyperion Materials & Technologies (HMT), will present a two-part webinar series in September free to WAI members for wire die tool makers and wire producers that will provide insights into PCD and TC wire dies.

Part 1, Differentiating High-Quality PCD Wire Dies, will be held Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 11 am EST, presented by HMT’s Hector Ferrer Ribas, a business development specialist-carbide metal cutting, and Andrew Gledhill, technical manager. They will focus on identifying PCD wire dies. Topics will include fundamental material properties, common defects like EDM cutting issues and cracks, and the impact of quality on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Attendees will also receive a checklist to assess superior products and learn about innovations in PCD materials.

Part 2, Key Differentiators in Carbide Wire Dies, will be held Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 11 am EST, will highlight the defining features of high-quality carbide wire dies. Attendees will explore red flags such as casing issues, breakage, and porosity, along with an assessment checklist to evaluate manufacturing quality and material consistency. The webinar will also cover advancements in carbide materials, testing methods, and the importance of traceability and certifications.

Both sessions will be recorded for those unable to attend live, with that access free to WAI members. They will offer a convenient opportunity for industry professionals to deepen their understanding of wire die quality and advancements. For more updates on these events and programs, visit wirenet.org. 

Registration is now open online for Wire & Cable Krakow Conference, to be held Oct. 14 at the Holiday Inn Krakow City Centre in Krakow, Poland.

The program for the one-day event is largely complete, with some two dozen abstracts having been submitted on topics such as sustainability, production efficiency, and product development emerging as key themes. Organizers of the event include ACIMAF, the AGH University of Krakow, IWMA and the WAI.

Final details, including attendee registration pricing, tabletop exhibits, and sponsorship options, are still being determined. For more details, visit wirecable25.com or reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

WAI’s education program is advancing on multiple fronts as the Association continues building a robust library of technical training designed for early-career professionals in the wire and cable industry.

WAI’s Education Center’s goal is to deliver the best possible learning experience, and while the Association has done a lot in-house, with the help of industry volunteers, it has contracted with a professional instructional designer to enhance the structure and interactivity of the courses. “We think that members will appreciate the results as they are released over this year and the following ones,” said John Markowski, WAI’s manager of education.

The collaboration, Markowski said, will allow WAI to translate complex technical content into engaging, easy-to-follow lessons that better support learner retention and engagement. From interactive elements to improved pacing and flow, the goal is to make each course more intuitive and impactful.

On the content side, development is continuing to move full speed ahead, Markowski said. The third course in WAI’s extrusion series—focused on extrusion materials—is nearing completion and will be released soon. That course builds on the foundational knowledge introduced in earlier modules and dives deeper into the properties and performance of materials used in the extrusion process.

Markowski said that the WAI has also begun production on a new Fundamentals of Drawing Dies course that is already about halfway complete. This course—led by subject matter expert Eric Bieberich, president of Fort Wayne Wire Die—will serve as a key learning tool for individuals entering the wire industry.

Ian Rand has joined Southwire as Vice President and President of Canada Business. He will provide oversight and guidance to the organization based at Southwire Canada’s new corporate headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario. He served as Senior Vice President Canada for Prysmian and General Cable from 2010-2019, before taking his most recent position as general manager for Omnicable Canada. Based in Carrollton, Georgia, USA, Southwire is the largest manufacturer of copper and aluminum rod, wire and cable in the United States.

 Teknor Apex has named Patricia Mishic O’Brien as chief sustainability officer. She has extensive experience driving transformational, sustainable growth across diverse industries. She most recently was chief commercial officer at UBQ Materials, where she was responsible for sales, marketing, sales operations and technical service and development. Prior to that she held senior leadership roles at various companies in the materials science industry. She holds a B.S. degree in business administration from Youngstown State University and an MBA from the University of Akron. Based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Teknor Apex is a global leader in custom polymer compounding.

 Todd Hesser has joined the high-temperature sales team at Radix. He has more than 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. In his new role, he will focus on supporting regional Energy OEM and MRO customer accounts. Based in Glenwillow, Ohio, Radix Wire specializes in high-performance, extreme-temperature wire and cable.

Fred Carr was named a plant director for Prysmian. He has more than 20 years of plant management experience, most recently serving as the director of operations at Atkore. He previously held similar management roles at Alkegen, Parker Hannifin, and Federal Mogul. He holds multiple degrees from the University of Illinois in mechanical engineering as well as a PhD from the University of Notre Dame. He is in charge of Prysmian’s plant in Marshall, Texas, which manufactures a range of power cables.

M-TEC, the South African subsidiary of Taihan Cable & Solution (TC&S), has secured a significant power grid supply project valued at approximately $38 million.

A press release said that the project, commissioned by South Africa’s state-owned power company Eskom, calls for both medium- and low-voltage cables and overhead lines. This project is part of a larger effort to stabilize and modernize South Africa’s power infrastructure.

M-TEC, established as a joint venture by TC&S in 2000, has been expanding its footprint in the South African market by securing various projects. Last year, the company achieved record sales of approximately $85.1 million), an increase of over 33% compared to the previous year, and its operating profit also doubled. Those achievements underscore M-TEC’s growing influence and capability in the region.

Eskom’s long-term plan to replace outdated power facilities and improve transmission efficiency aligns with M-TEC’s strategic goals. The utility company plays a critical role in South Africa’s energy sector but faces challenges such as aging infrastructure and frequent power outages known as load shedding. These issues have prompted significant investments in infrastructure projects like the one secured by M-TEC.

The recent contract with Eskom positions M-TEC to participate in future bids for medium and long-term projects, potentially increasing its order volume. TC&S views M-TEC as a strategic base for entering the broader African market. The company’s investment in expanding medium and low voltage cable production facilities began in the second half of 2023 and is expected to be completed in the first half of this year, aiming for sustained growth.

The release noted that South Africa is the largest economy in Africa, with a well-established financial and industrial infrastructure. Investments in power and infrastructure have been increasing, and M-TEC will seek to leverage its local production base, contract achievements and local network to become a supply hub for power infrastructure across Africa.

Custom Wire Products (CWP) has acquired Little Falls Alloys (LFA), a wire manufacturer based in Paterson, New Jersey, that specializes in nonferrous copper-based alloys.

A press release said that LFA’s 30,000-sq-ft facility in Paterson will continue to operate under its established name. The company provides custom redraw and electroplating of wire. “The strategic acquisition enhances CWP’s production capacity, broadens its collective product offerings, and reinforces its commitment to delivering superior service to customers.”

Per the LFA website, the company stocks raw material to be drawn and its plating department can process most precious metals as well as copper and nickel. The company pioneered the production of beryllium wire in the 1940s. Many customers use its wire to make springs of all sizes and designs. Other sectors it serves include the automotive, aviation, telecom and medical device industries. CWP makes custom wire and cable.

“Over the past 80 years, Little Falls Alloys built a strong reputation for excellence and reliability,” said CWP President Jeff Lawrence. “We are excited to bring that legacy into the CWP family and leverage our strengths to provide even greater value to our customers. With Paterson as our core manufacturing hub, we are primed to scale faster, improve production efficiencies, and raise the bar on what we deliver to our customers.”

Lawrence said that the multi-million-dollar acquisition will be complemented by a significant investment aimed at driving long-term growth and impacting improvements across the business

LS Eco Energy is relocating its headquarters from Seoul to Donghae City, Gangwon State, to further its foothold in the global renewable energy market, and that focus could also lead the business—part of LS Cable & System—to establishing a manufacturing presence in Vietnam.

Per a report in BusinessKorea, the decision was approved at an April 3 board meeting to accelerate the company’s expansion into the submarine cable business, a critical component of offshore wind power infrastructure. The new headquarters will be situated at the Donghae facility of LS Cable & System, which specializes in producing submarine and industrial cables.

The relocation to the base for LS Cable & System will make it easier for the two companies to collaborate in cable design, joint project bidding and related production activities. High-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables are particularly crucial for long-distance transmission due to their efficiency. The global submarine cable market is poised for substantial growth, projected to increase from $4.9 billion in 2022 to $21.7 billion by 2029, according to market research firm CRU.

In February, LS Eco Energy officials engaged in discussions with Nguyen Hong Dien, Vietnam’s minister of industry and trade, and state-owned enterprises like PetroVietnam during their visit to Korea. These talks focused on potential cooperation in transmitting power from Vietnam’s offshore wind farms to Singapore. The company is considering joint participation with LS Marine Solutions in this ambitious project. LS Cable & System is also discussing possible options with PTS—a subsidiary of the PetroVietnam Group—for establishing submarine cable production facilities in Vietnam.

On March 26, LS Eco Energy amended its articles of association during a shareholders’ meeting to include offshore wind and energy-related businesses. This could help the company expand its portfolio in response to policy trends such as the Special Act on Offshore Wind Power and initiatives like the West Coast Energy Highway.

CEO Lee Sang-ho described Southeast Asia as a strategically important renewable energy hub. “As Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, emerges as a renewable energy hub, submarine cables are gaining attention as key infrastructure. We will accelerate our entry into the global market with the relocation of our headquarters.”

China’s Orient Cable (NBO) has reported two offshore power cable contracts, including one that it says sets an industry record for an extra-high-voltage offshore route.

NBO, which was part of a consortium with partner China Southern Power Grid, said that the project developed by Energy China calls for a 500 kV 2500 mm subsea cable system that can provide 2 GW transmission capacity. The route length is approximately 118 km, which the company notes sets a record for longest offshore distance.

“This achievement further builds on our legacy and long-lasted R&D investment ... (and can) be considered as another base to standardize 500 kV HVDC OWF technology,” the release said. The project marks “a critical step in China’s renewable energy revolution and highlights the NBO’s unmatched engineering expertise in extra high-voltage, long-length and high-performance cable systems.”

The contract follows a prior related order for a 500 kV extra high-voltage AC (EHVAC) offshore wind subsea cable for a 92-km-long cable route. The project will have a transmission capacity of 1 GW for a project in Guangdong Province, China, developed by Energy China. That project was valued at over €240M, including the two circuits 60 km 500 kV three-core export cables.

“This innovative 500 kV subsea cable is the first (such)commercial application for the offshore wind farm in the world,” the release said. This is another key milestone for Orient Cable in the high-end EHVAC power transmission technology following the successful delivery of 500 kV 1 x 1800 mm subsea cable project 500 kV HVAC interconnection project for China state grid in 2019.

In January, Orient Cable (NBO) was named as one of the suppliers to Ørsted and PGE’s 1.5 GW Baltica 2 offshore wind farm in Poland. Orient Cable will deliver 170 km of 66 kV inter-array cables for the Polish offshore wind project.

Tri Star Metals, LLC, a U.S.-based stainless and nickel alloy mill and distributor, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Siri Wire, which is based in Danielson, Connecticut.

A press release said that Siri Wire, a well-established regional stainless and nickel alloy re-draw mill with strong distribution capabilities, will continue to operate as an independent mill and distributor, led by Bryan and David Hitchcock. Bryan Hitchcock will remain president of Siri Wire and will join the Tri Star Metals Executive Committee.

The addition of Siri Wire will expand the capabilities of Tri Star Metals’ metallurgical, engineering, production, and IT teams, both for operational efficiencies and innovation. Both Siri Wire and Tri Star Metals will benefit from an expanded portfolio of products and sizes, leveraging each company’s manufacturing strengths. Further, significant capital expenditures will be allocated to implement advanced efficiencies and technologies developed at Tri Star Metals, improving product quality and performance. “This acquisition continues the tradition of integrating family-run businesses into the Bender Wire Group.”

“We are very pleased to welcome the Siri Wire team into our family,” said Jay Mandel, President and CEO of Tri Star Metals. “This strategic combination of manufacturing and distribution within the U.S. will enable us to better serve both TSM and Siri Wire’s customers. We have known the Hitchcock family for over 20 years and have always been impressed with their leadership and stewardship of Siri Wire.”

“Both my father and I are excited to join Tri Star Metals and the Bender Wire Group,” said Bryan Hitchcock, President of Siri Wire. “This partnership allows us to offer greater engineering and metallurgical support to our customers while expanding our product offerings throughout the region. Additionally, we look forward to growing our manufacturing operations and providing more opportunities for our dedicated workforce.”

“We are excited to welcome the team from Siri Wire into the Bender Wire Group,” said Ingo Bender, CEO of Bender Wire Group. “The American market has been an important part of our long-term global strategy to establish superior manufacturing and distribution capabilities near the core markets they serve.”

LS Eco Energy, a Vietnam-based cable manufacturer under Korea’s LS Cable & System, announced that it will supply power cables for a $150 million wind farm project in the Philippines.

Per a report in The Korea Herald and other publications, the company’s Vietnamese subsidiary, LS-VINA, will supply medium- and low-voltage cables for the Kalayaan 2 wind farm, a 100-megawatt project located in Laguna province, about 100 m southeast of Manila. Scheduled for completion in 2026, the wind farm is expected to provide clean energy to up to 85,000 households.

“As the Philippine government aims to raise its renewable energy share to 50 percent by 2040, large-scale solar and wind projects are actively underway, with increasing involvement from private businesses,” said an LS official.

As the largest power cable manufacturer in Vietnam, LS Eco Energy is accelerating its expansion beyond national borders. In early March, the company secured a contract to supply power cables for the Philippines’ largest internet data center, the STT Fairview Campus.

It is also in negotiations for a cross-border renewable energy project that will supply Singapore with energy generated in other Southeast Asian nations, the company said. Citing growing regional demand for power infrastructure fueled by renewable energy development, LS Eco Energy plans to actively expand its involvement in major clean energy projects across Southeast Asia.