Japan’s Sumitomo Electric Bordnetze (SEBN) said that it will open a new plant in Spain and close its Mezdra plant in Bulgaria, while cutting back at a second plant in the country it has in Karnobat.

Per multiple media reports, earlier this year SEBN announced plans to build its first production site in Cuenca, Spain to make high-voltage wiring harnesses for electric cars for the Volkswagen Group. By the end of 2025, when operations are at capacity, it will have some 350 employees.

A subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric Industries and Sumitomo Wiring Systems, SEBN notes at its website that it is one of the world’s largest wiring harness system manufacturers, with a development and production network of 41 sites in 13 countries. While this will be SEBN’s first plant in Spain, and 23rd overall, the company has had a customer service center in Pamplona since 2001 and a development center in Martorell since 2012.

In other news, SEBN noted that it decided to close the Mezdra plant because of stiff competition and higher labor production costs in Bulgaria. The site, opened in 2008, employs around 950 people.
SEBN plans to maintain its second Bulgarian plant, in Karnobat, at reduced capacity. That plant, opened in 2006, currently has about 1,000 employees, and will see a reduction of about 100 positions. The company will move some production to its facilities in Moldova and Romania.

Founded as Volkswagen Bordnetze GmbH in 1986 in Berlin, Germany, the company’s initial production was wiring harnesses for the VW Polo and VW Golf vehicles. It became part of Sumitomo Electric Industries in 2006.

Taihan Cable & Solution has been selected as the cable supplier for a 320kV Voltage Source Converter (VSC)--VDC and 500kV HVAC power grid project in the U.S.

A press release said that the contract from LS Power Grid California, LLC, includes multiple cable orders worth approximately $68 million, to improve the reliability of the power grid in Northern California, including regions such as Silicon Valley and San Jose. It noted that the area has seen a surge in electricity demand due to the recent expansion of AI- related businesses and other advanced IT companies.

The contract marks Taihan’s official entry into the U.S. HVDC market. The company’s VSC technology allows for easier bidirectional power transmission and simpler converter station installation compared to Line Commutated Converter (LCC) HVDC technology. It can also be applied to renewable energy generation, such as wind and solar power. VSC-HVDC is increasingly used, and only a handful of companies worldwide have successfully commercialized this technology.

Taihan previously developed South Korea’s first 525kV VSC-HVDC cable system, which has a 3,000-sq-mm cross-sectional area and a maximum operating temperature of 90°C. “With this latest contract, Taihan is poised to actively pursue further HVDC projects both domestically and internationally.”

Taihan was the first company in South Korea to develop and commercialize this technology, and it has successfully secured and executed all 500kV HVAC projects conducted in North America. “With this latest win, Taihan has achieved the remarkable accomplishment of carrying out all 500kV projects conducted in the U.S.”

Anticipating the increased demand for replacing aging power grids in the U.S., Taihan has focused its efforts on the U.S. market since 2017. “This strategic focus has yielded continuous success, with the company recording approximately $455 million in new orders this year alone, achieving record-breaking results.”

Kris-Tech Wire, which completed the expansion of its operations at Rome, New York, earlier this year, now looks forward to continuing its mission that started 40 years ago,

A press release said that the company—founded in 1984 by twin brothers Gerry and Glenn Brodock—grew over time to be a leading manufacturer of U.S.-made industrial wire and cable products. Today, the third-generation family business serves a wide range of building, commercial, and utility industries. The expansion project saw its Rome location have double the production, warehouse and office space. It was the most ambitious project since opening its stocking facility in Houston, Texas, in early 2022. It’s also part of a multi-year campaign to expand operations and product lines.

“We’re excited to continue investing in our people, customers, and community,” Kris-Tech CEO and President Graham Brodock said. “This expansion is a statement of our belief in our business and team, and we look forward to yet another one soon.”

The additional space allows the housing of several added production lines, including Kris-Tech’s recently expanded tray cable division, stocking and storage areas, training rooms, and more. The expansion project will also bring a nearby production facility back to Rome.

Throughout its history, the company has maintained close ties to the region. Kris-Tech was the recipient of two regional awards in the spring of 2024. First, the company received the CNY Business Journal’s Mohawk Valley GEAR (Growth, Energy, and Revitalize) award for their contributions to the region’s job market, real estate, social scene, and community improvement. The second award was the Chamber Alliance of the Mohawk Valley’s inaugural William K. Guglielmo Legacy Award for 2024. This award honors companies improving the Mohawk Valley business community, something the award’s namesake, Bill Guglielmo, did for 50 years with the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce.

Germany’s Leoni has agreed to be acquired by LUXSHARE—a huge Chinese electronic connector manufacturer whose customer base includes Apple—in two separate transactions totaling a reported $583 million.

A press release said that LUXSHARE will acquire a 50.1% stake in the Leoni AG and its Wiring Systems Division (WSD) that is owned by Austrian entrepreneur Stefan Pierer. The division has six locations in Germany with a total of around 1,450 employees, including Kitzingen, Neu-Ulm, Munich, Rastatt, Wolfsburg and Neuburg an der Donau. Kitzingen is the largest location with around 1,000 employees. WSD supplies innovative wiring solutions and associated vehicle components. The company notes that it is a market leader in Europe and No. 4 worldwide.

The release said that Leoni’s strong connections with the European and American automotive industries, combined with LUXSHARE’s presence in China, will create a robust global platform, enabling both companies to maximize their market potential. “Having LUXSHARE as a strong strategic partner will significantly enhance LEONI’s competitiveness across all fronts, from portfolio expansion and market access to technological capabilities and production,” said Leoni AG CEO Klaus Rinnerberger.

The second transaction will see TIME Interconnect Singapore—a joint venture between LUXSHARE subsidiaries LUXSHARE-ICT and TIME Interconnect Technology— acquire 100% of Leoni’s Automotive Cable Solutions (ACS) division, which has 10 locations in seven countries, with some 3,300 employees. Following the carve-out, the release said that ACS will continue to position itself as a leading independent manufacturer of automotive cables.

Pierer said that the new partnership will help Leoni’s financial stabilization, reinforcing the progress achieved over the past year. LUXSHARE Group Chairman and CEO Grace Wang said that the collaboration “marks a pivotal step in our journey towards becoming a global leader in the automotive sector.”

Japan’s Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI) has acquired the Esteves Group, a global supplier of diamond tooling of the wire and cable industry, for an undisclosed sum.

A press release said that the Sept. 9 closing was made through Torque Capital Partners (Torque), which announced that its portfolio company Diamond Tools Group B.V. (DTG) has agreed to sell the Esteves Group to AL.M.T. Corp. (ALMT), a subsidiary of SEI. ALMT’s product lines include a range of tungsten and carbon powders and diamond/CBN tools. Torque had acquired Essex in 2018.

“With this acquisition, we will be able to leverage both companies’ diamond dies product lineups, technological capabilities, sales networks, and service bases to further strengthen our business development, including market expansion into Europe and the United States,” the release said. It notes that the Esteves Group brand will continue to be used, and that there will be no major changes to existing service and support structure.

The portfolio of the Esteves Group, founded in 1913, includes wire drawing dies, extrusion tools and specialty tools. The company has seven strategically located facilities in six countries in Europe, North America and Asia.

The acquisition of Esteves Group will enable SEI and ALMT to significantly expand its geographical presence and accelerate its global growth, the release said. The merger will bring together complementary customer segments and innovative solutions. “SEI will support Esteves Group’s management team in realizing its business ambitions (to be a) global leader of wire drawing dies for the wire and cable industry.

“We are very excited about the prospect of joining forces with ALMT, a merger based on decades-long business relation and shared corporate values,” Esteves Group CEO Manuel Geremias said. “The combination will create a global leader with a wealth of know-how, the most advanced technological capabilities and the deepest market reach. We look forward to a prosperous collaboration that will enable us to meet the evolving needs of our clients and maintain our industry leadership.”

Per the SEI website, as of April 1, 2023, the entity has operations in more than 40 countries, with 414 subsidiaries and affiliates, and more than 208,000 employees.