Leggett & Platt announced the retirement of John Meyer, vice president of commercial rod and wire. A WAI Life Member, he served the company for 24 years, having previously worked for 22 years for Keystone Steel & Wire. His function will be assumed by Nick Avise, who has 20 years of wire industry experience. He joined the company as a sales representative in 2005 and was promoted to marketing/sales development manager in 2014, then to national sales manager in 2017 and then director of sales in 2021. He holds an MBA from Georgia Colleges & State University and a M.S. degree in chemistry from Missouri Southern State University. Based in Carthage, Missouri, USA, Leggett & Platt’s product lines include steel wire.

 American Wire Group (AWG) reported two promotions. Nada Filipovic was named vice president of marketing and communications. She joined AWG in 2020 as a marketing manager and previously worked for more than 15 years for Nexans. She has an MBA in international business from Niagara University and a B.A. degree in economics from McMaster University. Marketing Communications Specialist Kristina Borojevic, who joined the company in 2022, was promoted to director of PR and communications. She holds a B.A. degree in international relations and affairs from McMaster University. Based in Miami, Florida, the American Wire Group makes wire and cable products for utilities and renewable energy.

Keith D’Amato has joined Dranetz in distribution sales. He most recently worked for Sjogren Industries, where he served for nearly eight years in sales and marketing. Prior to that he worked for 17 years for Ripley Tools. He holds a degree in business and marketing from Fairfield University and an MBA in management from Albertus Magnus College. Based in Edison, New Jersey, a division of GMC- Instruments Group, Dranetz is a global manufacturer of intelligent monitoring solutions for electrical demand and energy and power quality requirements.

Peter Weimann has been named director of engineering at Amphenol Fiber Optic Products. He most recently was CTO for HFCL Limited, where he worked for three years. He previously worked for 23 years for OFS as director, optical cable R&D, North America; technical manager and senior R&D engineer. He holds a PhD degree in materials engineering from the University of Minnesota and a B.S. degree in materials engineering and organizational management from the University of Pennsylvania. Based in Downers Grove, Illinois, USA, Amphenol Fiber Optic Products, a division of Amphenol Corporation, provides solutions for fiber optic interconnect applications.

Emtelle has named Beni Blell president of its USA Division, tasked with strengthening the company’s presence in the American market. He has more over 30 years of experience in the optical communications industry, having held senior leadership roles in other globally recognized organizations. He will oversee operations and sales of Emtelle’s U.S. manufacturing and testing facility in Fletcher, North Carolina, which is a cornerstone of Emtelle’s “Made in America” initiative. Based in Fletcher, North Carolina, Emtelle USA is part of the U.K.’s Emtelle, which is a global manufacturer of pre-connectorized, blown-fiber cabling and ducted network solutions.

 
Obituary

Industry veteran Richard “Dick” Hall, the retired president and CEO of Champlain Cable Corporation, died Dec. 30, 2024, at age 76. Hall served for 20 years with the company, rising from vice president of sales and marketing to CEO. During that period, he led the company through a turnaround that saw four acquisitions completed, the expansion of one location from 200,000 to 500,000 sq ft, and a 10-fold increase in revenue. After his retirement, he continued to serve as an advisor through 2023. Hall’s prior experience in the wire and cable industry included senior vice president at Electro-Wire, vice president sales & marketing at the Brand-Rex Division of BICC, general sales manager at Harbour Industries, sales manager at A.E. Petsche and his first position, industrial sales, at ITT Surprenant. Throughout his career, Hall was known for his hard work, strong relationships and innovative solutions to turning companies around, but also for having an incredible sense of humor, a love of the industry and its people, and for mentoring many who also now hold high level positions in the wire and cable industry. A WAI Life Member, Hall was a 2004 recipient of the Wire Cable Manufacturers Alliance’s Distinguished Career Award. He was a former WCMA president and was one of the organization’s founding Board members when it was incorporated in 2004. Hall held an MBA degree from Northeastern University-Boston, a BSBA degree from John Carroll University-Cleveland and had completed senior level executive management programs at Harvard, Boston University, University of Wisconsin, University of Michigan and University of Kentucky. He is survived by his wife, Mary; daughter, Emilie; sons Andrew and Nicholas; and six grandchildren: Lily, Hannah, Tyler, Parker, Makayla, and Stockton.

Industry veteran Richard “Dick” Hall, the retired president and CEO of Champlain Cable Corporation, died Dec. 30, 2024, at age 76.

Hall served for 20 years with the company, rising from vice president of sales and marketing to CEO. During that period, he led the company through a turnaround that saw four acquisitions completed, the expansion of one location from 200,000 to 500,000 sq ft, and a 10-fold increase in revenue. After his retirement, he continued to serve as an advisor through 2023.

Hall’s prior experience in the wire and cable industry included senior vice president at Electro-Wire, vice president sales & marketing at the Brand-Rex Division of BICC, general sales manager at Harbour Industries, sales manager at A.E. Petsche and his first position, industrial sales, at ITT Surprenant.

Throughout his career, Hall was known for his hard work, strong relationships and innovative solutions to turning companies around, but also for having an incredible sense of humor, a love of the industry and its people, and for mentoring many who also now hold high level positions in the wire and cable industry.

A WAI Life Member, Hall was a 2004 recipient of the Wire Cable Manufacturers Alliance’s Distinguished Career Award. He was a former WCMA president and was one of the organization’s founding Board members when it was incorporated in 2004.

Hall held an MBA degree from Northeastern University-Boston, a BSBA degree from John Carroll University-Cleveland and had completed senior level executive management programs at Harvard, Boston University, University of Wisconsin, University of Michigan and University of Kentucky. He is survived by his wife, Mary; daughter, Emilie; sons Andrew and Nicholas; and six grandchildren: Lily, Hannah, Tyler, Parker, Makayla, and Stockton.