The annual winding of a 400-day grandfather clock at Wire Association International headquarters remains one of the wire industry’s most distinctive traditions, connecting today’s professionals with a legacy of wartime cooperation and a relationship between the U.S. and U.K. wire industries that has endured for decades.
The tradition dates to 1948, when John Rigby and Sons Ltd. of Manchester, England, presented the clock to the Wire Association on behalf of 32 British wire companies. The gift recognized the assistance and support provided by the American wire industry to the United Kingdom during World War II.
Each year, a visiting representative of the British wire industry ceremonially winds the clock, setting it in motion for another 400-day cycle.
This year’s clockwinder was Martin Van Der Zwan, chairman of Cable Tapes (UK) Ltd. and a director of the International Wire & Machinery Association (IWMA). He was invited by the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers of the City of London and was welcomed by WAI President David Fisher, WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll and WAI staff following Wire Expo.
Fisher described Van Der Zwan as a longtime friend of the industry and a strong supporter of education, noting his approximately 50 years of experience in and around the wire and cable sector.
“Martin, just want to thank you for coming across the water and thank you for spending time with us,” Fisher said. “It’s a great honor to have you here.”
The ceremony also highlighted the organizations’ shared interest in supporting the next generation of industry professionals. On behalf of WAI, Fisher announced a $750 donation to the IWMA Educational Trust, which supports educational and scholarship initiatives for people entering the wire and machinery industry.
“We’re glad to have him here to take care of the honors of winding the clock,” Fisher said, referencing Van Der Zwan’s longstanding commitment to education and industry collaboration.
Van Der Zwan described the invitation as “a real honor,” both personally and professionally. He represented the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers, one of London’s historic livery companies.
Originally established to organize and protect trades within the City of London, livery companies today continue to preserve the traditions, fellowship and professional connections associated with their respective industries. The Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers traces its own heritage back centuries and continues to maintain an active relationship with the wire sector.
Van Der Zwan said the WAI clockwinding ceremony has become an important part of the livery’s annual calendar.
“It started, as we all know, when John Rigby, Rigby Wire of Manchester, presented the clock to the forefathers of the American wire industry in recognition of their help and support during the Second World War,” he said. “We’ve been proud to continue this great tradition, and we know it’s a highlight of our livery every year.”
The ceremony carried an additional personal connection for Van Der Zwan, who is from Manchester, the same English city where Rigby and Sons was based. As a liveryman, a Freeman of the City of London and an IWMA director, he said he valued the opportunity to represent several facets of the British wire community.
His own career has been spent entirely in the wire and cable industry. Van Der Zwan began with BICC and remained in the sector through subsequent ownership changes involving General Cable and Pirelli, noting that his role continued even as corporate names and reporting structures evolved.
Discussions surrounding the ceremony also looked toward future cooperation. Plans were discussed for the livery and IWMA to work with WAI to identify a student to visit the United States the following year. Such exchanges can provide emerging industry professionals with firsthand exposure to wire manufacturing operations, businesses and professional networks abroad.
As the 400-day clock begins another cycle, the annual ceremony continues to serve two purposes. It honors the gratitude expressed by British wire companies toward their U.S. counterparts following World War II while also looking ahead through educational support, student exchanges and the professional relationships that continue to connect the international wire and cable community.
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