EuroWire September 2017

News Corporate

Death of J William Scher

JOSEPH William Scher – a highly respected and instrumental figure in the wire and cable industry – has died aged 82 after a brief illness. A father and grandfather, ‘Bill’ joined Weber & Scher Mfg Co Inc in 1957. Prior to this he received a Bachelor of Art Degree in Engineering from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, USA. Directly thereafter, he secured his Masters of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Thayer School at Dartmouth. He went on to become a licensed professional engineer in the state of New Jersey. Directly after his studies, Mr Scher joined Weber & Scher where he was immediately responsible for the sole operation of the company. In the 1940s, Weber & Scher, working closely with Western Electric, developed a line of metal tape handling, corrugating and forming equipment for producing what was referred to back then as the ‘Stalpeth’ and ‘Alpeth’ sheath constructions, which were utilised in the production of copper telephone cable. Mr Scher advanced this technology by adapting and standardising the equipment such that it could be utilised in the diverse manufacturing environments of independent cable manufacturers within the USA. This technology continues to be widely used today in the worldwide production of optical fibre cables, copper telephone cables, power cables, etc. In addition to operating a successful company, he took on the role of consultant to the wire and cable industry. During the early years, Mr Scher provided his consulting services to such companies as Indeco Peruana in Lima, Peru, Accevenca in Valencia, Venezuela, and ITT in New York, USA. The extent of these consulting services extended to the complete development of cable manufacturing facilities. Shortly after, he pursued the initiative of introducing the full range of equipment

▲ ▲ Joseph William Scher – known in the industry as Bill

manufactured by Weber & Scher to established and newly emerging markets throughout the world, including the Far East, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. In 2007, Mr Scher was awarded the WCTI Technical Achievement Award for his 50 plus years of involvement in the wire and cable industry. He was also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for many years. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joan; sons Douglas and Gregory; and six grandchildren.

Weber & Scher Mfg Co Inc – USA Website : www.webscher.com

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September 2017