The WAI is seeking applicants for the 2024 Wire Link Traveling Scholarship, a program that sends a wire professional to Europe where he or she can see how different companies operate as well as to attend the wire Düsseldorf show in Germany in April 15-19, 2024.
The Association is looking for ambitious wire professionals who have been employed for at least two years in the wire and cable (or related) industries, including manufacturers and suppliers. The program alternates between a U.S. representative going to Europe, and a U.K. representative going to the U.S. through the program’s co-sponsor, the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers of England.
The scholarship will be awarded to the candidate who best demonstrates to the judges how the award will help him or her grow professionally, gain a broadened knowledge of the industry and share those benefits with his or her company. All expenses will be met by the sponsors during the trip to the U.K. and Germany. The only employer cost is the employee’s time, and travel to and from the departure airport.
The most recent WAI Wire Link Traveling Scholar, in 2022, was Erika Akins, who at the time was an applications engineer for Southwire Company. She was promoted to applications engineering manager in April.
Some past WireLink Scholars have fared quite well in the industry, such as Kurt Breischaft, the 2006 winner, who at the time worked for Belden CDT. He is now president of SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS, and is serving as the 2023 president of the WAI.
Official rules, regulations & entry requirements
Candidates must:
• Be employed full-time in the wire and cable industry
for at least two years at the time of travel.
• Be a Wire Association International member in good
standing at the time of application and travel.
• Be available for an interview.
• Be able to attend the Award Presentation at the WAI annual meeting in the following spring.
• Be able to travel to England and Wire Düsseldorf for two weeks that same spring.
• Be employed by his/her nominating company at the time of travel.
• Have a signed letter of recommendation from an
appropriate company official.
• Be able to present a full report of his/her visit to the director of the company that recommended him/her and to the WAI for potential publication in the WJI.
• Submit an essay submission explaining how the applicant can meet the objective of the scholarship, and how the experience would broaden his/her knowledge of wire and the wire industry for his/her benefit and the benefit of his/her company.
Submissions/questions can be sent to the WAI’s Wire Foundation via wirenet.org. Questions can also be sent by applicants and employers to WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The return to Mohegan Sun Casino for the WAI should be a good one. A total of 102 floor spaces (units)— representing more than 60% of the available booth space—was sold at the Points Meeting for Wire Expo 2024, to be held June 10-12 at the Mohegan Sun Casino Resort. A total of 91 companies took part in the Points Meeting, held Oct. 11 at WAI’s headquarters.
The fees for registration are presented below, with the schedule shown on the next page. A key date is May 31, as that is when advance rate discounts expire, making now a very good time to act. The cost for an all-access registration is $720, and $620 for WAI members. A non-member who signs up for $720 gets a one-year membership. After May 31, the cost increases to $695 for non-members and $595 for members.
Registration for the Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing Course on Monday, June 10, costs $495, and $395 for WAI members. A non-member who signs up for $495 gets a one-year membership.
Other event options include access to exhibits and Product Solutions demonstrations. That cost is $125, increasing to $140 after May 31. A ticket for the Welcome Reception, always the best way to meet up with the industry, is $140.
The schedule, presented at www.wireexpo24.com, provides an overview of what attendees can expect. The March issue will include a “prequel” of the event that provides a close look at what will be offered, but a few notables will be the awarding of WAI’s 2024 Champions Award to Keynote Speaker H. Woltz, president/CEO of Insteel Industries; the Mordica Lecture by W.T. Bigbee, vice president operations of Encore Wire; and Keynote Speaker Paul Furtado, COO, Prysmian.
WAI previously staged Wire Expo in 2016 at the same site, where some 240 companies were represented on the show floor.
Madison, Connecticut, USA – October 20, 2023 – The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc. reports that 275 wire and cable industry delegates met at Milan’s historic Palazzo Giureconsulti on October 16, 2023, for a one-day wire and cable technical conference of collaboration innovation. The event was jointly organized by WAI and ACIMAF, the Association of Italian Wire Machine Manufacturers.
Industry experts covered ferrous and nonferrous topics during concurrent tracks, with notable speakers from 24 companies providing the best practices in wire drawing technology and timely information on industry 4.0 and market conditions.
Throughgout the day representatives from 27 companies discussed business at their tabletop exhibits in the supplier forum.
Ferruccio Bellina, an organizer and ACIMAF president, said, “A great commitment and a winning collaboration between ACIMAF and WAI led to an unprecedented success of the Wire & Cable conference ... A success that we wish to share with all the participants and sponsors who joined this important event, which saw the presence of delegates coming to Milan from over 30 countries.”
WAI’s 2023 President Kurt Breischaft, who served as a moderator for the nonferrous track, said “I think the nonferrous session fit together extremely well. The first speaker from Prysmian explained how cables need to become more sustainable, with the second and third speakers (La Farga and Continuus-Properzi) explaining how copper and aluminum can be processed to meet these requirements.”"
The Gala Dinner at Milan’s grand Palazzo Serbelloni provided a chance for additional networking at the close of the conference.
Sponsors and support
The organizers wish to thank the following organizations:
- Continuus-Properzi ; SAMP; SAS Engineering and Planning; TKT Group
- The International Wire & Machinery Association (IWMA); Messe Düsseldorf North America; MFL Group; DRT Impianti
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation / gov.it; and The Italian Trade Agency (ITA).
- Official Media partners: Expometals; Wire Journal International, Inc.; and Tecnologie del Filo.
ORGANIZERS:
ACIMAF was founded in Brescia, Italy, in 1987 for the purpose of promoting the image of Italian technology in the field of machines and products for the wire and cable manufacturing industry. It is a non-profit voluntary association and plays an important International role of cooperation in improving the location and organisation of the major wire and cable trade fairs.
WAI, founded in 1930, is a not-for-profit association with more than 2,200 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 Exhibition and 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.
Golfers participating in the New England Chapter’s annual golf tournament largely shrugged off what was an ugly morning, described by one player as “a white-knuckle” drive to the Tunxis Country Club in Farmington, Connecticut. The weather gods, however, were in a giving mood, and the skies cleared, not reverting to a hard rain till almost all of the 135 golfers had finished their rounds, joined by another 15 non-golfers.
It was an especially good day for the Fluorogistx-sponsored team of Jim Elliott and Rick Larson from New England Wire Technologies, and Jim Bliss, Marmon IEI, who won with a score of 60, 12 under par. Three teams followed at seven under. For all those who played, however, it was a memorable day, perhaps even that much better because of how uncertain it had been.
“The New England Chapter produced another great event with the full support of their Board of Directors and WAI’s staff,” said WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll. “This is a special event that brings the industry together for fun networking, and I credit that to Chapter Chairperson Jess Foss and Golf Chairman Jim Evans, who are both roll-up-your-sleeves leaders who made sure the event delivers.”
“Despite a rainy morning leading up to registration, it turned out to be a beautiful day for golf,” said Foss, market development manager, Electric Cable Compounds Inc. She noted that the tournament continues to serve multiple goals. “As always, it was an excellent opportunity to network with industry colleagues, with the added benefit of being able to do so and enjoy the outdoors. We are fortunate to have many generous sponsors and attendees who make the event possible and support the NEC scholarship fund through our raffle and charity holes. I am already looking forward to what’s in store for next year, which will be our 30th anniversary!”
Foss and Evans both thanked all the companies that sponsored the event, which is also a significant contributor to the chapter’s scholarship program. Skills and special sponsors included: Amacoil Inc., Carris Reels Inc. (3), Chase Wire & Cable Materials, Commission Brokers Inc., Electric Cable Compounds Inc., Electronic Drives & Controls, Fenn LLC, Fluorogistx, Gem Gravure Co. Inc. (3), James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp. (2), Joe Tools, Lloyd & Bouvier Inc. (4), M. Holland, Mathiasen Machinery Inc., The MGS Group, Multi/Cable Corp. (2), Rainbow Rubber, RichardsApex Inc., Summit Plating, Teknikor, Teknor Apex Co., W Gillies Technologies LLC, Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp. (2), Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp. and Zumbach Electronics Corp.
Hole sponsors included: Amaral Automation, Amacoil Inc., Carris Reels Inc., Fenton Group, Fluoropolymer Resources Inc., Gem Gravure Co. Inc., Geon Performance Solutions. James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp. (3), Joe Snee Associates, Inc., Lloyd & Bouvier Inc., M. Holland, Owl Wire and Cable LLC, Quabbin Wire & Cable Co. Inc. (2), REELEX Packaging Solutions Inc., RichardsApex Inc., Sikora, Teknikor, WCMA, Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp. and Zumbach Electronics Corp.
The New England Chapter’s Scholarship Committee has reported the names of its six scholarship winners, each of which will get $2,500.
Kyle Albrinck is the son of Alice Albrinck, vinyl technical services associate, Teknor Apex. He will attend Thomas More University, where he will major in biology.
Amarra Cruz is the daughter of Luis Cruz, cable engineering manager, Times Microwave Systems. She will attend UMass Boston, where she will major in sports journalism and communications.
Katherine Fritz is the daughter of James Fritz, supply chain manager, Marmon Industrial Energy & Infrastructure Group. She will attend Quinnipiac University, where she will major in radiologic sciences.
William Goyette is the son of Richard Goyette, continuous improvement project manager, MassME. He will attend Rochester Institute of Technology, where he will major in environmental science.
Roma Kale is the daughter of Rina Patel, Vice president of operations, RSCC Wire & Cable LLC. She will attend the University of Connecticut, where she will major in biology and public health.
John Stecker is the grandson of WAI Life Member and Past President (1989-90) WAI David Stecker. He will attend Virginia Tech University, where he will major in data analytics.