A press release said that it was scheduled to close the Chinse plant on Dec. 29, 2023, in Langfang, China, that became part of Southwire in 2016 following the company’s acquisition of Sumner. The location produced various lifts, jack stands, welding tools and more allowing Southwire to expand its tools and equipment business. That production will be relocated to third-party manufacturers.

The second plant, in Crestview, Florida, will close this year on Feb. 2. The business, previously known as American Elite Molding and acquired in 2020, produces nylon cable ties. That production will be relocated to Southwire’s facility in San Pedro Sula, Honduras to enable the organization to simplify and streamline similar manufacturing.

Prysmian Group reports that its sustainability leadership was confirmed once again in the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) after the annual evaluation of companies’ sustainability practices performed by S&P Global through its prestigious Corporate Sustainability Assessment.

A press release said that in the 2023 edition, Prysmian ranked with top score in the ELQ Electrical Components & Equipment (ELC) sector, reaching excellence (100 points) in the environmental areas of Emissions, Resource Efficiency and Circularity, Waste, and Water, reaffirming its focus and attention on these topics.

Prysmian Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Group IR Vice President Maria Cristina Bifulco said that the results confirm the company’s commitment to sustainability as well as its role as a technological enabler of the energy transition and the digital transformation. “As a leader in our industry, we also feel responsible to promote impactful ESG initiatives across the value chain and beyond, adopting policies, taking actions and setting targets that are designed to create shared value for all our stakeholders.

Prysmian notes that sustainability is a key driver, fully integrated in the Group’s long-term vision and defined strategy underpinned by measurable KPIs that constitute its climate and social ambitions for 2030. Prysmian upgraded its intermediate sustainability KPIs for 2025-2027 and confirmed its Scope 1 and 2 Net Zero target for 2035 and its Scope 3 Net Zero target for 2050.

Dominik Endler, who recently retired as global vice president customer & commercial excellence for Bekaert, has started an advisory firm— EndlerPartners—with a focus on manufacturing business-to-business companies.

Endler said that his focus is to help wire and cable manufacturers—especially mid-size companies—that often miss out on significant opportunities due to lack of “commercial performance.” He will share the expertise he gained over his nearly 18 years with Bekaert, where he was responsible for its wire business in North America, including U.S. plants in Arkansas, Kentucky and Ohio.

A German native who works out of Roswell, Georgia, Endler will advise industrial/manufacturing companies in the North American region on commercial strategy and performance. He holds a master’s degree and a PhD in business and administration. He can be contacted at tel. 770-364-2149, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and www.linkedin.com/in/dominik-endler-255a74112/.

The Wire & Cable Manufacturers’ Alliance, Inc. (WCMA) announced the recipients of its 2024 Distinguished Career Award, who will be honored at the 38th annual Awards Dinner and Investiture Ceremony on April 6, 2024, in Hartford, Connecticut, at the Downtown Hartford Marriott Hotel.

 A press release said that the chosen recipients selected are Tom Artinian, principal, Artinian Group; Larry Bleich, Vice President, R&D, CommScope; Anthony Fedor, product manager, Cable, Times Microwave; David Fisher, president, James Monroe Wire & Cable; Ron Gibson, purchasing manager, Service Wire Co.; Brian Holden, national accounts manager, Carris Reels (retired); Mike Patel, director of marketing, Teknor Apex; and Tom White, president, New England Wire Technologies.

The WCMA Distinguished Career Award recognizes industry leaders and professionals from the electrical and electronic wire, cable, and fiber optic cable industry segments initially established by the former Wire & Cable Clubs. The winners are chosen by a committee of former recipients via a ballot process to consider the person’s character, credibility, and commercial or technical commitment to the cable industry. WCMA Board members make final selections.

To register for the awards dinner, contact IWMA Executive Director Ed Fenton at tel. 860-841-7720, at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go to www.wcmainc.org. A short video about the award is available on the website.

More than 130 members and guests attended the annual membership meeting of Wire & Cable Manufacturer’s Alliance, Inc. (WCMA) on Nov. 30, 2023, at the Downtown Hartford Marriott.

During the session, members voted to approve WCMA officers for 2024. The president is Chris Venice, president, Marmon IEI; and the vice president is, Tom Artinian, principal, Artinian Group. The past president is David Fisher, president, James Monroe Wire & Cable; and the Young Professionals Liaison is Sue Welsh, president (retired), Rubadue Wire.

Newly elected Directors are Cheryl Stewart, COO, Quabbin Wire; Shane Berry, vice president manufacturing and distribution, Service Wire; Peter Moran, vice president industrial infrastructure, Marmon IEI; Eric Fisk, CEO, Fisk Alloy; Adam Chase, CEO, Chase Corp.; and Alberto Aguilar, president, Carris Reels. Continuing directors are Greg Smith, CEO, International Wire; and John Dognazzi, managing director, Sikora NA.

 During the luncheon, a popular frequent WCMA speaker, John S. Traynor, executive vice president of Cambridge Trust, presented key economic, political, and manufacturing topics. His insights continue to be much appreciated.

Following that session, more than 60 attendees participated in the inaugural Young Professional Panel Discussion. Panelists David Fisher, president of James Monroe Wire & Cable, and Adam Chase, president & CEO of Chase Corp. discussed “Why Wire & Cable - A Rewarding Career Choice.” The session was hosted by Charles Glew, president of Cable Components Group and chairman of the WCMA Young Professionals group.

Executive Director Ed Fenton reported that, during 2023, WCMA donated $19,300 to UCONN Cancer Research, Toys for Tots, Industry Scholarship Programs, and several other charities that include Breast Cancer, American Red Cross, UNICEF, Wounded Warriors and others. WCMA donates to charities annually on behalf of its annual Distinguished Career Award Recipients.