wiredinUSA February 2014

WAI's new hand at the helm

The Wire Association International has appointed William (Bill) Avise as president of the association for a one-year term, beginning 1 st January 2014. He will serve as chairman of the board of directors and is the 60 th president of the 84-year-old association. A WAI member since 1993, Mr Avise has been actively involved in the organization’s leadership through his participation on the

executive committee; as a member, and later co-chairman, of the conference programming committee; and as executive committee liaison to both the paper awards and member relations committees. He has also contributed to theAmericanWire Producers Association (AWPA) since 1994, serving as the organization’s operations committee chairman between 1999 and 2004. Mr Avise is president of theWireGroupand vice president of Leggett & Platt. His career in the wire industry began in August 1970 at Union WireRope (Armco) inKansasCity. From1970 to1975, whileattending college at Central Missouri State University, he worked as a wire drawer. After graduating with a degree in business he became a shift supervisor, progressing in time to operations manager. In 1988 he accepted the position of plant manager with Leggett & Platt at the Merit Steel facility in Kouts, Indiana. Following a promotion to vice president of operations, he relocated to Carthage, Missouri, and became president of the Wire Group in 2009.

wiredInUSA - February 2014

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