inews.qxp
12/18/2007
11:41 AM
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The InterWire Group opens Mexico facility U.S.-based InterWire Products (IWP) announced that it has opened a new 30,000-sq-ft facility in Marques, Queretaro, Mexico, to accommodate what it described as significant business growth and demand there for high quality ferrous and nonferrous wire. “We are very excited to officially open the doors to InterWire Mexico after so many months of preparation,” said IWP President Frank Cardile, Jr. The new IWP facility will be run by General Manager Pete Rosa, who has been with the company for over 15 years and played an important role in managing the growth of the IWP’s Connecticut division. With the latest addition, which follows a prior expansion in North Carolina, IWP is the largest U.S. distributor of fine quality wire, with a total of 500,000 sq ft of warehousing throughout the U.S. and Mexico, the release said.
Prysmian wins South American power contract Italy’s Prysmian Cables & Systems reports that it is undertaking a new submarine power link in Brazil that it described as “representing a milestone and pioneer project in South America” due to the environmental concerns related to the project. A press release said that the company will supply the complete submarine interconnection system in three continuous 230kV cable segments – of 4,500 meters each, totaling more than 13 km. The project, it said, will benefit the entire population on the island of Florianópolis, whose power network is currently fed from the continent through two 138kV circuits installed on the Colombo Salles Bridge. The new power interconnection will assure more reliability to the supply of electric power to the island. In addition to the 230kV cable circuit, Prysmian will supply a 24 optic fiber submarine cable for the project, which will be used for transmitting
data from Eletrosul, connected to an OPGW cable (optical ground wire cable) at both ends. The power cable life span is expected to exceed 40 years, whereas no kind of preventive maintenance will be required during that period. The project calls for special attention to environmental concerns related to the unique and valuable characteristics of the area, the release said. Prysmian, together with Eletrosul, performed detailed studies to assess possible changes to the original environment, strictly necessary for installing the line. To make sure that the work will not cause any damage to marine populations, a team of Eletrosul’s environmental department will also monitor the installation of the cables when they are launched and buried in the seabed. Prysmian notes that this project is a unique opportunity being the first of this kind in South America.
Rolled Metal Products acquires Torrington Brass & Steel U.S.-based Rolled Metal Products announced that it has acquired Torrington Brass & Steel, a manufacturer of products that include wire, from The Interwire Group. Torrington Brass & Steel has a 52,000-sq-ft plant in Torrington, Connecticut, for customers primarily in New England with slit and edge conditioned stainless and high carbon steel as well as copper and brass wire and coil, a press release said.
“Torrington adds a new dimension to our organization by allowing us to better serve national accounts that prefer the convenience of suppliers with multiple plant locations,” said Peter McGuire, general manager of Rolled Metal Products' (RMP) Torrington plant. “It also allows us to expand deeper into the northeast and New England markets while adding copper and brass wire and coil to our product line.”
The release noted that the Torrington plant opened in 1965 when it was owned by Robert Brigham. In 1983, ownership passed to Tom Desjardins and John Murphy in an executive buyout. The plant became part of Interwire in 1997, the release said. In addition to its Torrington facility, Rolled Metal Products specializes in stocking and processing stainless steel and aluminum coil products.
WireCo WorldGroup reports acquisition of U.S. Reel Corporation U.S.-based WireCo WorldGroup announced that it has completed the acquisition of US Reel Corporation (US Reel), a U.S. supplier of highquality wood reels serving key customers in the Midwestern U. S. WireCo plans to grow the business while assuring itself of a long-term, cost-competitive source for its primary packaging method, a press release said. It noted that U.S. Reel, based in Carrollton, Missouri, and a closely held entity under the management of
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Roger Moore, “has been the primary supplier of wood reels to WireCo for many years and has an outstanding reputation for excellent service and superior quality US Reel has been a valued supplier to us for many years and we wanted to facilitate an orderly transition for the company,” said WireCo CEO Ira Glazer. No personnel changes are anticipated at this time, the release said. Moore plans to phase out of his role next year, but will be available to consult with
WireCo as needed, it said. “With this change, US Reel will have access to additional capital which can spur more growth and provide security for my valued employees,” Moore said in the release. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, with some 1,800 employees and operations in the U.S., Germany, Canada and Mexico, WireCo notes that it is the only major wire rope manufacturer to be API certified, QPL Qualified, and ISO-9001:2000 registered.