As most of the world continues to adjust to Covid-19, three WAI chapters fully intend to continue their scholarships programs, all of which largely depend on their annual golf tournaments for funding.
It was not easy in 2020: WAI’s New England Chapter was able to reschedule and stage its tourney at a later date, with a smaller field; the Midwest Chapter canceled its golf tourney; and the Southeast Chapter canceled its event. However, that did not stop the cause. The New England Chapter awarded five scholarships, the Midwest Chapter awarded three and the Southeast Chapter awarded four.
Looking forward in 2021, it is not a certainty that all of the three chapters will be able to hold their events. The New England Chapter and the Southeast Chapter have scheduled dates, but the Midwest Chapter has not made a final decision. Despite the challenges, the chapters want to continue their scholarships. The goal is far from abstract as the dozen of 2020 scholarship recipients can attest.
“We’re very proud of how the chapters have continued to support their scholarship programs,” said WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll. “That chapter members are so willing to support the programs says a lot about who they are.”
WAI News
2/10/21 -- Dr. Horace Pops, the industry guru for fines and wire breaks, destroyed the association record for webinar registration for the first of his three webinars: Annealing, Jan. 27, which had to close on Friday, Jan. 22 because all 500 available slots were filled. Of note, the days that followed brought additional requests.
The two other scheduled Pops’ webinars are Fines, held February 3, and Wire Breaks, to be held today, Feb. 10. The original registration was for all three sessions, so all three are closed.
“Dr. Pops has long been known in the industry for his ability to discuss potential wire problem areas in a way that makes sense, but even we were surprised that we had to shut registration six days before it was to be held,” WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll said. He observed that the three webinars will be available later online to WAI members.
A prolific author of technical papers, including multiple award winners, Pops has presented at numerous WAI events over the years. He is a mainstay at WAI’s Fundamentals of Wire & Cable Manufacturing course. A WAI Past President (1992-93), he is the principal of Horace Pops Consulting, Inc.
2/10/21 -- The WAI is seeking technical papers for the Association’s technical program at Interwire 2021, which earlier this year due to Covid-19 was rescheduled from May 10-13 to Oct. 26-27.
The WAI is focusing on Industry 4.0 at Interwire, (more on that in future issues), and technical papers that focus on this are being sought. Abstracts should be sent by March 1 to WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Interwire will remain at its longtime location at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. More information will be presented about the event in future issues, including a “Prequel” of the Atlanta show in the August issue, then the full preview in the September issue.
2/10/21 -- The WAI’s Southeast Chapter was unable to hold its annual golf tournament in 2020, but its board confirmed at a recent meeting that it will issue four scholarships this year, using saved funds.
“As we come out of an uncertain time in 2020, the Southeast Board of Directors is excited to announce that the scholarship program will continue in 2021,” said Chapter President Chris McGill, Southwire. “We know there are deserving students in our community that could use the stability of this program to help them advance to the next level in their educational goals.”
The golf event, a key contributor to the chapter’s college scholarship program, also reflects a team effort. The 2019 event, held at the Rock Barn Country Club in Conover, North Carolina, was declared one of the best ever. Board members served as emcees, placed 40 sponsorship signs, managed the putting contest, photographed the event and made sure that everyone was fed and happy.
2/10/21 -- The board of the directors for the WAI’s New England Chapter met recently to discuss plans for 2021, which included the possibility of holding a technical program. Appropriately, it was a virtual meeting, as the discussion focused on how a program could best be done. The consensus was that, if it deemed possible to do this in spring, it should be similar to the Association’s Streamcast program in July 15, 2020, a WAI online first.
The Streamcast program featured 12 industry speakers. More than 400 people registered for the virtual event, which ran from 8:30 am to 2 pm on Wednesday, July 15. The final “attendee” numbers for individuals that took part was more than 250, which at the time set a record for any WAI online event.
More news will follow in a future issue as to whether there is traction for the chapter’s plans.
In other news, the chapter welcomed the addition of Jessica Foss, market development manager, Electric Cable Compounds, Inc., who will serve as its treasurer.
The chapter also named two new board members: Sean DeZalia, process engineer, EIS Wire & Cable, and Jason Ponce, product development engineer, Harbour Industries. Of note, more than half the board members are younger than 40, which those on the call agreed was a good sign.
2/10/21 -- The WAI’s Poland Chapter has rescheduled its 9th International Drawing Conference from Oct. 22, 2021, to a date in April 2022, at a new location in Poland.
The announcement from Poland Chapter President Jan W. Pilarczyk said that the plan is to now hold the event at the Hotel GALAXY in Krakow. The event date was changed due to concerns about the pandemic.
The conference will focus on modern methods of metal forming and drawing processes, and production of wire rods and wires. It is designed to serve as a gathering site for producers of carbon steel wire rod with their customers and create future cooperation for partners.
Beyond the technical program during the event, the conference will honor WAI Past President Tom Moran, a steel industry veteran, who will receive the Schneider Memorial Award, the highest honor in the Polish steel wire industry. For further and future details, go to the event website: www.msc.wip.pcz.pl.
The board of the directors for the WAI’s New England Chapter met recently to discuss plans for 2021, which included the possibility of holding a technical program. Appropriately, it was a virtual meeting, as the discussion focused on how a program could best be done. The consensus was that, if it deemed possible to do this in spring, it should be similar to the Association’s Streamcast program in July 15, 2020, a WAI online first.
The Streamcast program featured 12 industry speakers. More than 400 people registered for the virtual event, which ran from 8:30 am to 2 pm on Wednesday, July 15. The final “attendee” numbers for individuals that took part was more than 250, which at the time set a record for any WAI online event.
More news will follow in a future issue as to whether there is traction for the chapter’s plans.
In other news, the chapter welcomed the addition of Jessica Foss, market development manager, Electric Cable Compounds, Inc., who will serve as its treasurer.
The chapter also named two new board members: Sean DeZalia, process engineer, EIS Wire & Cable, and Jason Ponce, product development engineer, Harbour Industries. Of note, more than half the board members are younger than 40, which those on the call agreed was a good sign.
Founded in 1994, the New England Chapter is the oldest and largest of the Association’s nine chapters.
The WAI’s Poland Chapter has rescheduled its 9th International Drawing Conference from Oct. 22, 2021, to a date in April 2022, at a new location in Poland.
The announcement from Poland Chapter President Jan W. Pilarczyk said that the plan is to now hold the event at the Hotel GALAXY in Krakow. The event date was changed due to concerns about the pandemic.
The conference will focus on modern methods of metal forming and drawing processes, and production of wire rods and wires. It is designed to serve as a gathering site for producers of carbon steel wire rod with their customers and create future cooperation for partners.
Beyond the technical program during the event, the conference will honor WAI Past President Tom Moran, a steel industry veteran, who will receive the Schneider Memorial Award, the highest honor in the Polish steel wire industry. For further and future details, go to the event website: www.msc.wip.pcz.pl.
Dr. Horace Pops, the industry guru for fines and wire breaks, destroyed the association record for webinar registration for the first of his three webinars: Annealing, Jan. 27, which had to close on Friday, Jan. 22 because all 500 available slots were filled. Of note, the days that followed brought additional requests.
The two other scheduled Pops’ webinars are Fines, February 3, and Wire Breaks, Feb. 10. The original registration was for all three sessions, so all three are closed.
“Dr. Pops has long been known in the industry for his ability to discuss potential wire problem areas in a way that makes sense, but even we were surprised that we had to shut registration six days before it was to be held,” WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll said. He observed that the three webinars will be available later online to WAI members.
A prolific author of technical papers, including multiple award winners, Pops has presented at numerous WAI events over the years. He is a mainstay at WAI’s Fundamentals of Wire & Cable Manufacturing course. A WAI Past President (1992-93), he is the principal of Horace Pops Consulting, Inc.
The WAI is seeking technical papers for the Association’s technical program at Interwire 2021, which earlier this year due to Covid-19 was rescheduled from May 10-13 to Oct. 26-27.
The WAI is focusing on Industry 4.0 at Interwire, (more on that in future issues), and technical papers that focus on this are being sought. Abstracts should be sent by March 1 to WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Interwire will remain at its longtime location at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. More information will be presented about the event in future issues, including a “Prequel” of the Atlanta show in the August issue, then the full preview in the September issue.
WAI’s Board of Directors (BoD) voted unanimously on Dec. 10, 2020, to change the dates from May 11-13, 2021, to Oct. 26-27, 2021. Interwire will return to the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) in Atlanta, when it hosts the Association’s flagship trade exposition in Hall A. The vote culminated a months-long process where staff had investigated possible new dates, at the request of the BoD. Based on the results—which in this case made it possible to delay Interwire for 22 weeks—the alternative October date was welcomed as a time buffer to allow the expected availability of vaccines and therapeutics, as well as the subsequent and anticipated lift of travel restrictions. Commenting on the change, WAI President Thomas Heberling said, “We know that Interwire is important to the industry, and we are committed to producing a safe event. Southwire has been a strong supporter of Interwire and WAI, and I’d like to encourage decision makers at all the manufacturers and suppliers to keep an open mind. I’m expecting the months to come to show more promise, and I’m hoping that they will be accompanied by more renewed support for the industry to again meet in Atlanta.” The new format shifts from two-and-a-half days to two days, likely with longer exhibition hours. “Our staff has been working with the GWCC and area hotels to accommodate the shift and secure desirable dates,” said WAI’s Executive Director Steven Fetteroll. More details will be released as they become available through the event website, www.interwire21.com, and in future WJI issues. Earlier this year, the Association had to postpone, then ultimately cancel, the WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo 2020 in May at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, and its International Technical Conference in October in Monterrey, Mexico.
Madison, Connecticut, USA – December 14, 2020 – The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc. announces that its flagship trade exposition, Interwire, and its concurrent annual meeting have been postponed from the original May 11-13, 2021 timeframe and rescheduled to October 26-27, 2021 at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
WAI’s Board of Directors voted unanimously on December 10, 2020, to change the dates after discussion on the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, the expected availability of vaccines and therapeutics, as well as the subsequent and anticipated lift of travel restrictions.
Commenting on the change, WAI’s First Vice President Thomas Heberling said, “We know that Interwire is important to the industry, and we are committed to producing a safe event. Southwire has been a strong supporter of Interwire and WAI, and I’d like to encourage decision makers at all the manufacturers and suppliers to keep an open mind. I’m expecting the months to come to show more promise, and I’m hoping that they will be accompanied by more renewed support for the industry to again meet in Atlanta.”
The new format will entail a shift from two-and-a-half days to two days, likely with longer exhibition hours.
WAI’s Executive Director Steven Fetteroll said, “Our staff has been working with the GWCC and area hotels to accommodate the shift and secure desirable dates. Details that will affect both exhibitors and attendees will be released as available through the event website: www.interwire21.com and in Wire Journal International.”
The 2021 staging of Interwire will mark 40 years since its inception. Hosted biennially, Interwire is an international trade event that includes exhibiting companies, speakers, and visitors from more than 50 countries.
The Wire Association International is a not-for-profit association with nearly 1,800 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 the WAI Operations Summit & 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.
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