8/9/21  

CommScope announced that Tom Cloonan, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the company’s Broadband Networks segment, has been appointed the interim CTO of the company as it evaluates its longer-term strategic requirements. He replaces Morgan Kurk, who stepped down as CTO and segment leader of the Broadband Networks. Cloonan, who joined CommScope through its acquisition of ARRIS acquisition, served as CTO of the Network and Cloud segment, among other positions, since 2002. He holds a BSEE degree from Illinois Institute of Technology, a MSEE degree from Purdue University and a PhD in physics from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. The company also reported that Ric Johnsen, who served as senior vice president, Converged Network Solutions (CNS), Broadband Networks, will assume leadership of the entire Broadband Networks segment. Previously, he led CommScope’s Network Cable and Connectivity business for nearly 11 years. Past employers included Alcatel, where he was vice president of the optical fiber business for Europe and Asia. The U.S. Army veteran holds a B.S. degree in general engineering from the United States Military Academy, and an MS degree in communications engineering from the United States Naval Postgraduate School. Based in Hickory, North Carolina, CommScope is a global leader in network connectivity.

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 was lauded for being a well-established and productive member of the sales team. Prior to joining Cimteq, he 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.S., Cimteq supplies software and services designed to help wire and cable manufacturers optimize their processes.

Earlier this year, David Galas was promoted to president of OMCG Inc. He joined the company in 2019 as national sales manager with considerable industry experience. 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 for more than four years. Other employers included Pro-Tech Machine Tool, Inc., where he was a territory sales manager for more than 14 years; 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. 

Obituary
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.

8/6/21  India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended the imposition of countervailing duties on certain types of aluminum wires from Malaysia for five years.

Per a report in the India’s Economic Times, the DGTR concluded that imposition of definitive countervailing duty is required to offset subsidization. “The authority recommends imposition of definitive countervailing duty...for a period of five years,” it said. The finance ministry must approve the DGTR’s finding for it to be imposed. The probe was launched based on complaints from Vedanta Ltd and Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd. DGTR recommended a rate of 6.87% and 16.5%.

The DGTR also has begin an anti-dumping (AD) duty sunset review to determine whether existing measures set in 2016 should be continued for steel wire rod imported from China. Per an online report from India’s Economic Times, the investigation is supported by the Indian Steel Association on behalf of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, Steel Authority of India Limited and JSW Steel. The three companies “have supported the application,” the DGTR said in a notification. In it, it said that ending the duties would harm domestic wire rod producers. The period of investigation is Oct. 1, 2019 to March 31, 2021.

Per a report in the newindianexpress.com, in 2016, an AD duty equivalent to the difference between the landed value of steel products and US$499 per metric ton was to be imposed on products exported by Minmetals Yingkou Medium Plate Co., and $538 for all other producers.

8/3/21  LS Cable & System (LSC&S) President & CEO Myung Roe-Hyun announced that the South Korean company will expand its submarine cable capacity at its campus in Donghae City, Gangwon-do.

A press release said that LSC&S will build an additional submarine cable plant in Building No. 2 of the Donghae City campus, which is in the Gangwon Province. The site now has three plants. The fourth plant will feature the tallest power cable production tower in South Korea. When completed, the vertical continuous extraction system (VCV) tower will be as tall as a 63-story apartment, the tallest structure in Donghae City. Construction will start this October and is expected to be completed by the end of April 2023. The project, which will cost more than $161 million, will increase LSC&S’s submarine cable production capacity more than 1.5 times. The 172-m-tall VCV Tower is designed to improve cable insulation quality and increase productivity.

LS Cable & System built Korea’s first submarine cable plant in Donghae City in 2008, and has invested about US$296 million to date. The existing plant, which has a total floor area of 84,000 sq m, when have an additional 31,000 sq m.

 “As countries around the world are increasing investments in renewable energy to become carbon neutral, the submarine cable market is also growing,” said Myung Roe-Hyun, President & CEO of LS Cable & System. “We will contribute to the national economy by expanding domestic investments.”

8/3/21  Nexans, which notes that it has been a long-term partner in renewable energy developments, announced that it has been awarded a contract by Equinor to supply power export cable for its innovative floating solar pilot offshore Frøya in Norway.

A press release said that the pilot project, called Frøya, is scheduled to come online this December, at which time it will be the world’s first floating solar plant operating in rough offshore waters. The Frøya floating plant will measure 80 m x 80 m, with a height of less than 3 m above the sea surface, hosting an array of solar panels capable of producing up to 1 megawatt.

Nexans will supply 5 km of 22 kW export cable to connect the floating platform from shallow waters to land. The most challenging aspect for the cable construction is to handle the dynamic loadings as the connection at the platform end pitches up and down with the waves. Nexans is utilizing a three-core cable design of a type well proven in offshore wind farm and fish farming installations. The cable will be manufactured at Rognan plant in Norway.

“Our mission for Nexans is to electrify the world,” said Krister Granlie, vice president of the submarine telecom and special cables business unit of Nexans. “Our mission for Nexans is to electrify the world. That means exploring every possible opportunity to help develop new sources of green energy. So, we are delighted to be working once again with Equinor on a truly exciting project that further extends the boundaries of what might be possible in generating renewable energy offshore.”

Utility-scale floating solar power is currently one of the fastest growing renewable technologies as governments and investors around the world explore every possibility for safer, sustainable and decarbonized energy. This is expected to drive almost 10 gigawatt of new floating solar deployment by 2025.

7/27/21  HVD Partners announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of Italy’s Sampsistemi Srl and Sampsistemi Extrusion Srl through a process administered by the Court of Bologna. The deal includes Samp Sistemi and Samp Extrusion in Italy, Samp China, Samp USA and Samp Brasil including Cortinovis do Brazil). The deal includes 45% of Setic and Pourtier, the remainder of which is owned by the Gauder Group.

A press release said that “HVD will invest in the revitalization of the company’s international operations and brand in the U.S., China and Brazil from its headquarters in Bentivoglio, Italy. Commented HVD Partners Managing Partner Jouni Heinonen, “Sampsistemi is a globally recognized Italian champion. We look forward to working with the management to restore the company on a path of profitable growth, serving customers from existing locations in all major expansion markets.”

Sampsistemi provides a wide range of extrusion equipment that processes from rod to the finished cable. HVD Partners, which describes itself as “a specialized transformation service provider helping banks, private lenders, corporations and private equity funds to rapidly develop and divest non-core activities,” has been active in the cable field before.

In 2018, HVD led the carve-out of Solifos AG—a Swiss manufacturer of specialty fiber optic cables for distributed sensing and mission-critical defense applications—from Brugg Cables. Changes were rapidly implemented to transform the business from a legacy of steep losses (-15% EBITDA) to a profitable stand-alone business in six months. On Dec. 11, 2020, it agreed to sell Solifos AG to NBG GmbH.

Of note, Heinonen is the ex-CEO of Nextrom and Plumettaz, and was also the chairman of Solifos, the carve out from Brugg Kabel AG.