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Russia’s EVRAZ PLC is seeking to divest the holdings of EVRAZ North America (ENA), which include Rocky Mountain Steel Mill, a plant in Pueblo, Colorado that produces wire rod.
The scope of the story is far larger as a key investor in the parent company is Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire who was on the list of oligarchs linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin. EVRAZ Plc, which purchased Pueblo’s steel mills in 2007, was hit with sanctions by the U.K. in May in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
ENA, based in Chicago, Illinois, employs more than 1,400 people in the U.S. and 1,800 in Canada, with production sites that include Pueblo, one in Portland, Oregon, and four in Canada, per the company’s website.
A report in The Pueblo Chieftain said that a letter sent by EVRAZ to ENA employees said that the “current geopolitical landscape has created a heightened level of uncertainty” over the last five months that has led to “unique challenges” in its day-to-day business operations. “However, we are in a position to change course,” the letter said. “In response to today’s reality, and to best position our organization for long-term success, EVRAZ plc, the parent of ENA, has made the difficult decision to begin a sales process of the North American business.”

Last modified on October 5, 2022

Barnes Group announced that it plans to close the production operations at its Engineered Components facility in Bristol, Connecticut, which has a manufacturing focus of producing transmission springs and washers.
Per multiple reports, the demand for such products has declined as there is more production of electric vehicles that do not need those parts. The company also cited supply chain issues and inflation as factors.
The plant, which has some 95 employees, is expected to be completely closed by mid-2023. Work performed at the facility will either be transferred to other Engineered Components manufacturing locations or permanently discontinued.

Last modified on October 5, 2022

Outokumpu has agreed to sell the majority of its stainless-steel long products business to the Marcegaglia Group, an Italian entity that owns some 30 steel plants.
A press release said that Outokumpu has signed an agreement to divest the majority of its long products business operations to Marcegaglia Steel Group, a leading industrial group in the steel processing sector. Outokumpu will now focus on its core business of flat stainless-steel products.
The long products operations to be sold represent about 8% of the Outokumpu Group’s sales in 2021. They include: melting, rod and bar operations in Sheffield, U.K.; bar operations in Richburg, U.S.; and a wire rod mill in Fagersta, Sweden. The transaction does not include Outokumpu Long Products AB operations in Degerfors and Storfors, Sweden. Approximately 650 employees in Sheffield, Richburg and Fagersta will transfer to the buyer as a part of the transaction.
“This divestment marks the accomplishment of the turnaround program for the Long Products business in the past two years,” said Outokumpu President and CEO Heikki Malinen. “The sale is a natural step for Outokumpu in line with our strategy to focus on our core business, stainless-steel flat products.”
Outokumpu expects to complete the divestment by the end of this year. Outokumpu Long Products AB’s units in Degerfors and Storfors in Sweden continue their operations for now as part of the Outokumpu Group, and different options are to be evaluated for the future of the units.



Last modified on October 5, 2022

Ravicab Cables Private Limited announced that it has acquired Leoni Cable Solutions (India) Private Limited (LCSI), a subsidiary of Leoni AG located in Bengaluru.
A press release said that the acquisition of India’s LCSI “provides an expansion in market reach, extension in product range and finds a perfect synergy with the growth aspirations of Ravicab.” For the acquired business, this means a clear perspective for future development in terms of investment and growth. LCSI, which opened in 2013 with a production area of around 15,000 sq m, had revenues of approximately €25.5 million in 2021 and a workforce of 190 people. The plant manufactures wire and cable for domestic, industrial, signaling applications, and specialty markets.
Ravicab reported that with the LCSI acquisition, it has leverage in the specialty products business of renewable energy and railways with E-Beam cable. Ravicab, has also inherited LCSI’s processes and systems for manufacturing specialized cables, which include iconic brands like Kerpen and Icon.
The sale was part of Leoni’s Wire & Cable Solutions Division (WCS), which it has been divesting. “This sale is another step in the process of gradually selling the WCS division and concentrating our business on the Wiring Systems division (WSD).”
Per Leoni, the currently largest remaining unit in the WCS division is its Business Group Wire Products & Solutions (BG PS), a relatively small unit. “For this unit, too, we are constantly reviewing the optimal setup and the best possible future ownership structure.”
The two central units of the WCS division were the Business Groups Industrial Solutions and Automotive Cable Solutions. In other news, Leoni reports that its two Ukrainian plants—one in the Lviv region and the other in the Ivano-Frankivsk region—have continued to produce wiring harnesses, despite the challenges posted by Russia’s invasion of the country on Feb. 24.



Last modified on October 5, 2022

hips it is issuing for 2022, each of which will receive $2,500. Below are the winners.
Alyssa Hicks is the daughter of William Jason Hicks, technical support engineer, Gem Gravure Co., Inc. She is attending Jacksonville State University, where she is majoring in family and consumer sciences.
Owen LaRoss is the son of Michael LaRoss, corporate controller, Whitney Blake Co. He is attending Merrimack College, with an undeclared major.
Timothy McComiskey is the son of Thomas McComiskey, vice president of engineering, MGS Group. He is attending the University of Rhode Island, where he is majoring in pharmacy.
Andrew Person is the son of Kim Person, purchasing, Insulated Wire. He is attending SUNY College at Oneonta, where he is majoring in biology.
Ashley Potvin is the granddaughter of Kenneth Potvin, vice president of sales, Teknikor. She is attending Quinnipiac University, where she is majoring in public relations.
Aidan Tomaz is the grandson of John Tomaz, vice president, Wardwell Braiding Machine Co. He plans to attend Louisville University, where he is majoring in sports management.




Last modified on October 5, 2022

XLCC, a new entrant to the power cable market, has been given planning approval to build the first HVDC subsea cable factory in the U.K.

A press release said that XLCC got the June 29 okay from the North Ayrshire Council Planning Committee for its plans to construct the factory in Hunterston, Scotland. Construction was expected to start soon at the Brownfield site, where XLCC will manufacture XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) coated HVDC subsea cable for use in interconnector projects and export cables to bring power back to the shore from offshore wind farms.

“We look forward to delivering a factory of great local and international importance for HVDC subsea cable,” said XLCC Project Director Alan Mathers. “The U.K. will be positioned as a world leader in the green economy, with the site at Hunterston playing a key role in connecting cheap, green energy from renewables projects around the world.”

XLCC has appointed HIGHVOLT as the primary provider of test systems for the pre-qualification, type and routine testing of subsea cables. Cable testing and certification will take place in 2023 and 2024, with the first cable lengths being produced in 2025 for deployment to client projects. The company has also ordered a new cable-laying vessel to be delivered in the first half of 2025.

Once fully operational, the facility “will support 900 jobs in the area, with thousands more in the wider supply chain.” XLCC notes that it will need 60 HVDC jointers for the facility, and it is working in partnership with Ayrshire College to increase the number of PEO (Performing Engineering Operations) courses available to prospective students across Ayr, Kilmarnock and Kilwinning campuses.

XLCC has already reported its first order: four 3,800 km long cables to connect solar and wind renewable power generation in the Sahara to the U.K. for the Xlinks Morocco-U.K. power project.

The CEO of XLCC is Simon Morrish, the founder and CEO of Ground Control and Levitate Capital. He was described as an experienced investor in businesses and projects related to the electrification of energy and transport, who previously worked for McKinsey & Co., and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Last modified on September 2, 2022

NEC Corporation has been selected to build a recently announced trans-Pacific subsea cable, JUNO, that will connect California in the U.S. with two sites in Japan.

A press release said that the system—approximately 10,000 km long—will be built by Seren Juno Network Co. (Seren), a company established by NTT Ltd. Japan Corporation; Mitsui & Co., Ltd.; PC Landing Corp.; and JA Mitsui Leasing, Ltd. It will land in Japan in the Chiba Prefecture, located on Japan’s eastern Pacific coast to the east of Tokyo, part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the Mie Prefecture, within the Kansai region on Japan’s main island of Honshu.

Subsea cable has typically deployed a maximum of 16 fiber pairs, but using NEC’s newly developed energy efficient repeaters and its SDM (Space Division Multiplexing) technology, the system will be able to adapt as many as 20 fiber pairs for the first time in a trans-Pacific subsea fiber-optic cable. The cable is expected to provide a maximum capacity of 350 Tbps, the largest among any existing cable system between the U.S. and Japan.

“With the rapid growth of the global digital economy and an increasing demand for cloud solutions and lower latency, the undersea internet cable sector is quickly becoming more critical to global internet infrastructure,” said Takanobu Maeda, president and CEO of NTT Ltd. Japan Corporation. “This new subsea cable is the latest joint effort NTT has led in a long and proud history of providing reliable global internet infrastructure.”

The JUNO cable will support the strong demand for communications, including the spread of 5G across Asia and North America. By providing communication routes from two separate Japanese locations to the U.S., the system will be highly resilient to natural disasters in the coastal areas of Japan. The system is also designed to remotely alter the bandwidth of each route, enabling it to respond flexibly to customer business needs and changes.

NEC, a supplier of submarine cable systems for more than 50 years, notes that it has built more than 300,000 km of cable. It also makes and installs repeaters, does surveys and route designs, training and delivery testing. Its OCC Corporation subsidiary manufactures subsea optical cables able to be used at ocean depths beyond 8,000 meters.

Last modified on September 2, 2022

Alcoa Corporation announced that it is supplying low-carbon EcoLum™ aluminum to Hellenic Cables S.A., one of the largest cable producers in Europe with key markets in renewable energy transmission and distribution.

A press release said that Hellenic Cables, the cables segment of Cenergy Holdings, operates five manufacturing plants across three countries and manufactures power, telecommunication, and submarine cables, and compounds. The EcoLum brand is part of Alcoa’s Sustana™ family of low-carbon products, the most comprehensive in the aluminum industry, and has a carbon footprint that is approximately 3.5 times better than the industry average.

“We are very proud to partner with Hellenic Cables and assist them in their stated mission to develop a sustainable energy future,” said Alcoa EVP and CCO Kelly Thomas. “We know that aluminum is a key material for a more sustainable future, and we are the company to deliver with responsible production from mine to metal, all backed by excellent quality and strong customer service.”

Produced at hydroelectric-powered aluminum smelters, EcoLum aluminum has no more than 4.0 metric tons of carbon emissions for every ton of metal produced, including both direct and indirect emissions (scope 1 and scope 2) across the entire production chain, including bauxite mining and alumina refining. Alexis Alexiou, CEO of Cenergy Holdings and Hellenic Cables, said that Hellenic Cables finds strong alignment with Alcoa’s strategic priority to advance sustainably. “We prioritize the urgency of deep and immediate mitigation actions, hence EcoLum minimizes our environmental impacts and enhances the value of our products.”

Last modified on September 2, 2022

H.L. Blachford Ltd. announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with Bellini Tecnologia Della Lubrificazione SpA, a lubricants and metal working fluids manufacturer based in Bergamo, Italy, to distribute their products in Canada and the USA.

A press release said that H.L. Blachford will now be able to offer their customers a wide variety of new products ranging from water-miscible coolants, neat cutting oils, forming and drawing lubricants to industrial lubricants, and more. “We are excited about this strategic alliance with Bellini,” said H.L. Blachford President Michael Cundari. “It expands our product offering, allows us to re-enter key metalworking markets, and brings a strong value proposition to our future customers.”

Cundari’s counterpart said that he has high hopes for the deal. “We enter this partnership with high expectations as Blachford is a technology based chemical manufacturer with whom we share a similar history and values such as reliability and dedication to technical customer satisfaction,” said Bellini SpA President Marco Bellini.

Last modified on September 2, 2022

The Prysmian Group welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden on his July 21 visit to see the company’s new submarine power cables plant in Brayton Point, Massachusetts.

A press release said that the visit reflects Prysmian Group’s strategic vision and commitment to the sustainable energy transition. “We are very proud of welcoming President Biden; this visit highlights our role in supporting the energy transition in the U.S. market,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects Business Prysmian Group, who along with Andrea Pirondini, CEO Prysmian Group North America, welcomed President Biden.

The Brayton Point factory will manufacture innovative submarine inter-array and export cables up to 275 kV AC or 525 kV DC, that are needed to connect offshore wind farms to mainland power grids.

Last modified on September 2, 2022

The official opening of the first fiber optic cable plant in Nigeria in Ogun State by Coleman Technical Industries Limited (CTIL) was heralded as a major step forward as the country seeks to provide such technology internally.

Per an article in nigeriannewsdirect.com, the opening of the Coleman Wire and Cable fiber optic company, located on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, was deemed by CTIL Managing Director and CEO George Onafowokan as an important achievement. In his remarks, he said that he has a firm belief in local content, and that it was important for Nigeria to grow local capacity. The goal is to build capacity for the country, West Africa, Central Africa and about 50% of the continent, making the operation the biggest fiber optic cable factory in the continent by September 2023.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, who also spoke at the inauguration of the Coleman Wire and Cable fiber optic company, said that the new cable capacity is much welcome. The state plans to lay 5,000 km of fiber optic cables across its region, the state would receive the needed boost with the commissioning of the first fiber optic cable factory in West Africa.

The new plant was described as the first one in the West Africa sub-region and the fifth in the African continent.

Last modified on September 2, 2022

Citing the current Covid-19 situation, the organizers of wire China 2022 announced that the event—originally scheduled for Sept. 26-29 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center—will now be held at Nanjing International Expo Center on Nov. 8-11, 2022.

A press release said that Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute Co., consulting with various industry experts, concluded that Nanjing would be the ideal platform to hold wire China 2022. It will be joined by sister event, Tube China 2022. Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu Province, is a modern industrial clustered city about three hours driving distance from Shanghai.

The concurrent events, China Wire & Cable Industry Conference, China Wire & Cable Material Conference and China Winding Wire Conference will also take place at the same time.

“The organizers of wire China shall spare no effort on the preparation work and will launch concerted campaigns to present a high-quality event. wire China 2022 in Nanjing will continue to provide an influential platform to the wire and cable industry,” the release said.

The visitor registration system will be valid till early November (www.wirechina.net). Visitors who have already registered for wire China 2022 can keep the previous registration codes and claim their badges onsite. Meanwhile, the organizers will keep close communication with exhibitors regarding the subsequent preparations.

“We have received strong support from relevant sectors of the community since the postponement was announced,” the release said. “The organizers appreciate all your long-term trust, support and understanding! Looking forward to meeting you in Nanjing in November!


Last modified on September 2, 2022

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