The WAI Southeast Chapter hosted their 22nd annual golf tournament on Oct. 10 at the Rock Barn Country Club and Spa in Conover, North Carolina, on what everyone agreed was a near-perfect day. That backdrop was matched by the performance of the winning team of Harrison Cummings and Mark Finch, IWG-HPC; Darin Nicol, Wayne Wire Die Company; and Kelly Grigg, I.T. Consultant (SRHS), who shot an unworldly 16-under-par to claim top honors in a very competitive field.

Many of the 96 golfers were returning players who enjoy the setting and the chance to compete against a strong field in this scramble format. They played on the Tom Jackson course, recognized by Golf Digest on its list of “Best Places to Play,” and despite recent less-than-ideal weather, the course was in perfect shape.

Both the second- and third-place teams shot a 13 under, which led to a matching of cards to determine the official finishes. The official second-place winners were Jay Sweetenburg, Austin Duncan, Taylor Lane, and Steve Malott, all of Sonoco. Third-place winners were Brooke Stonesifer of Sonoco, Tom Heberling, Dylan Shepard and Gerald Galazin of Southwire.

It was also a very good day for Kim Earhart of TDC, who won both the putting contest, settling in a mere three inches away from a hole-in-one, and closest-to-the-pin contest.

WAI’s Steve Fetteroll and the Southeast Chapter Board are grateful for the outstanding support from the volunteers from Southwire Company: Denise Siathone, Lauren Bozeman and Jasmine Monet. Without their help, the tournament would be much more difficult to produce. They work great together as a team, troubleshooting and managing onsite execution so well that nobody realizes just how much they do.

For the record, the Process Control and CommScope team was competitive without their ace Tim McElhany but did not place. However, CommScope’s Jason Morrow did win a top driver in the raffle, which made the chapter’s scholarship fund a winner as well.

WAI’s four chapters that offer scholarship programs have reported the winners for 2024. Below are the names of the recipients from the New England Chapter and the Southeast Chapter, preceded by some comments from the chapters. Of note, scholarship fund raising efforts have found strong support over the years, and not just from members that have a potential recipient.   

Quabbin Wire’s Cheryl Stewart said that the New England Chapter members have continued to be very generous, enabling may scholarships to be awarded over the years. The chapter gives back through its different events, and seeing scholarships go to deserving relatives of members is a very positive result.

Sikora’s John Dognazzi said that he has been pleased with how generous the members of the Southeast Chapter (SEC) have been in their support of the scholarship program. “It was great to see increased participation in this year’s SEC golf tournament, and that resulted in more funding for the scholarships, which is a win-win.”

New England Chapter Winners - $2,500:

Erin Tonyali, the daughter of Koksal Tonyali, director, product development - trade and installers products business unit, Prysmian Group, attending The University of Connecticut, where she majors in biomedical engineering.

Ava LaRoss is the daughter of Michael LaRoss, CFO, Whitney Blake Company, is attending Vermont State University Castleton, where she majors in nursing.

Halen Barry, the son of Joseph Barry, COO, Protertial Cable America Inc., is attending The University of New Hampshire, where he majors in computer science with a focus in cybersecurity.

Southeast Chapter Winner - $1,800:

Meredith Hammontree, the daughter of Joe Hammontree, president, Temple Terrace Industries/Reelco, is attending Florida College, where she majors in biology. 

New company listings for inclusion in the Wire Journal International Reference Guide will be accepted through Nov. 30, 2024, at WAI’s temporary website: wirenext.org. There, you can set your new login, click “Add Listing,” and follow the prompts.

If your company has an existing listing, your company contact will be notified via e-mail to create a new log-in and make updates on the new site. 

Tyler Faille has joined Hueson Wire & Cable as operations manager, responsible for the company’s production, quality, materials and facilities teams. He most recently worked for seven years for Winchester Interconnect (formerly C&M Corporation), where he served in various leadership roles, including as production manager. He holds a B.S. degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University. Earlier this year, Brian Harvie joined the company as vice president of technology, responsible for product engineering, quality and IT with a focus on digital transformation. He most recently worked for Proterial Cable America for nearly four years, and prior to that worked 21 years for TE Connectivity. He holds an MBA from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Mark Reinbold has joined the company as an outside sales engineer, based out of the St. Louis region. He most recently was a territory manager for IEWC. He has 35 years of industry experience, starting out by designing wiring harnesses. He holds a B.S. degree in engineering from the University of Missouri. Based in Grafton, Massachusetts, Hueson Wire & Cable manufactures custom wire and cable solutions for multiple applications.

 David Skaggs has been promoted to North America drawing market manager at BECHEM Lubrication Technology, LLC. In 2015 he joined the company where prior to his promotion he was a technical sales and applications engineer. He worked for eight years for Superior Essex, where he had served as a senior product engineer, engineering and maintenance manager and a manufacturing manager. Prior to that he worked 11 years for Reelcraft Industries, Inc., in a range of engineering and managing positions. Based in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and part of Germany’s Carl Bechem GmbH, Bechem Lubrication Technology, LLC, supplies specialty lubricants and metal-working fluids.

Craig Wire Products reported two employee hires. Octavio Franco has joined the company as its sales agent for Mexico. He has been active in the industrial market, serving as procurement director for Potencia Industrial, where he has worked for 10 years in Mexico City. He also has five years of experience in related electrical insulation working for Kobaltec, a Mexican distributor. Lori Fridlin has joined the company as its magnet wire account manager. She will focus on the transformer markets in the U.S. and Canada. She has years of experience in the magnet wire industry, including nearly three years with Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire, where she was a national account manager. She holds a degree in business administration from the University of Missouri. Based in Douglasville, Georgia, Craig Wire Products manufactures magnet wire and copper wire.

Natalia Scherbakoff has been appointed chief technology officer for Orion. She most recently worked for Trinseo, a specialty materials company, where she served as the vice president of technology innovation, overseeing global research, development and technology innovation. Prior to Trinseo, she was vice president of research innovation & product lines at Plastic Omnium, a French automotive supplier, general manager of Specialty Composites and director of Global Innovation at Owens Corning. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. degrees in macromolecular science from Case Western Reserve University, and a chemical engineering degree from Mauá Engineering University and an MBA from Getulio Vargas Foundation (Brazil). Based in Germany, Orion’s product lines include carbon black.