Southwire Carrollton Copper Rod Plant Drives Modernization
Southwireย will start building a newย Southwire Carrollton copper rod plant, a 100,000-sq-ft facility in Carrollton, Georgia. This project supports Southwireโs long-term modernization strategy and its goal to remain generationally sustainable for the next century.
Construction will begin in the first quarter. Southwire expects the new plant to start production by the end of 2022. After the new system ramps up, the company will retire its existing copper rod line on the same site.
SCR-9000S System Increases Capacity and Efficiency
The new facility will feature anย SCR-9000S Copper Rod System. This advanced line can produce up toย 60 mt/hrย of copper rod, giving Southwire more capacity than any other SCR system currently in operation.
โSouthwire is investing in a multimillion-dollar modernization initiative that will allow us to best serve our customers, increase our efficiency and introduce newer and better equipment, systems and technology,โ saidย Rich Stinson, Southwireโs President and CEO. He added that the project also supports a safer, healthier work environment for employees, nearby communities, and the environmentโnow and in the future.
Because copper rod sits at the very start of the manufacturing process, Stinson emphasized that a modern SCR system is critical for the products that keep Southwire at the front of the industry.
Building on Four Decades of Copper Rod Expertise
Southwire began operating its current copper rod system in Carrollton in 1980. More than 40 years later, copper still serves as the primary metal for the companyโs wire and cable operations.
The new plant will sit on the same property as the existing facility and will continue to useย Southwire Continuous Rod (SCRยฎ) technology. Southwire introduced SCR in the early 1960s, transforming copper rod production. Today, manufacturers worldwide still rely on this technology as a preferred system.
โTo put the technology itself into perspective, fifty percent of all copper rod made in the world passes through one of our SCR systems at some point in its lifetime. Thatโs significant,โ saidย Charlie Murrah, executive vice president of metals. He explained that the current plant is more than 40 years old, so now is the right time to install a new, state-of-the-art SCR system that improves both continuity and efficiency.
Murrah believes the upgraded system will help keep Southwire strong and sustainable for decades.
Advancing Carbon Zero and Growing Green Goals
Southwire will also use this project to advance itsย Growing Greenย andย Carbon Zeroย commitments. The company aims to reachย 100% carbon-free energy for its operations by 2025.
To support that target, Southwire is partnering withย Carroll EMCย so the new copper rod facility will run entirely on renewable electricity. โWeโre excited about the future of our Carrollton copper rod manufacturing facility, and we are proud to partner with Carroll EMC as we pursue our Carbon Zero initiative,โ Stinson said.
He noted that the project not only supports Southwireโs modernization plan, but also strengthens its promise to remain generationally sustainable. For more details on Southwireโs broader initiatives, visitย southwire.com.
