wiredinUSA March 2015

INDEX

Using wire rope

Steel wire investment Marlin Steel Wire Products, in South Baltimore, has plans to increase its factory space by 50 percent. Construction and new equipment are expected to cost around $2.5 million. “It’s a lot of investment,” said company president Drew Greenblatt. “It shows our optimism. We're very bullish about the future. There’s an American manufacturing renaissance going on, and we’re leading the charge.” In 2014 the company recorded sales of $5.5 million in sales of steel baskets, brackets, wire forms and custom pieces used by manufacturers including Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Caterpillar, Pfizer and Merck. Marlin uses 20 robots operating in cages, some with human helpers. Greenblatt said automating the simplest tasks, such as bending steel wire into standard shapes, makes it possible for Marlin to compete on price and still pay decent wages. Racking up orders GameChange Racking has announced its contract for 10.9 million kilograms (24 million pounds) of steel and aluminum to fulfill the first half of 2015’s 500MW of consumer demand for ground and rooftop PV racking systems. GameChange Racking produces PV mounting systems for medium and large commercial and utility-scale projects. Andrew Worden, CEO of GameChange Racking, said: “GameChange Racking has secured backlog and pipeline for sales of over 500MW in 2015 and nearly 1,000 MW in 2016. With four roll forming plants, three aluminum extrusion facilities and three metal fabrication operations nationwide, we are poised to meet the rapid growth rate we are experiencing as the US solar PV industry sets new records.”

The Wire Rope Technical Board has published an electronic version of the fourth edition of its Wire Rope User’s Manual. The document is available on a flash drive and can be read by both PC and Mac operating systems. The 160-page manual includes information on all areas of wire rope implementation, including wire rope components, identification and construction, handling and installation, operation, inspection and maintenance, and physical properties. The latest edition includes an additional section on the safe use of rope and sling products. New alliances Allied Wire & Cable announced in January that “unparalleled growth and development” necessitated a “significant expansion” of its sales departments throughout the country. In February the company was joined by Susanne Seibert and

David Braun has joined Teknor Apex Company as wire and cable industry manager for the vinyl division. Mr Braun will direct all marketing and business development activities for the division’s wire and cable products, including compounds and elastomers. David Braun comes to Teknor Apex from Cable Components, LLC where he was vice president and managing director. He entered the wire and cable industry in 1992 as a sales engineer at Neptco Inc, subsequently serving as product manager and then business unit manager. Mr Braun holds an MBA from Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, and a BSc in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is a member of the International Wire and Cable Symposium committee and was 2012 chairman. He is also active in BICSI, serves on the board of the CCCA, and is the holder of two patents relating to cable technology.

Management appointment for vinyl

and Chris Jodoin, both respected within the wire and cable industry and with nearly 40 years of industry experience between them. Susanne Seibert will be based at Allied’s Wisconsin office. Chris Jodoin, based in New York, previously worked for 24 years as an inside sales representative at Simcona Electronics Corp. Allied is pleased to have recruited these highly qualified and enthusiastic professionals, but further hires are expected. The company is seeking more industry veterans and next-generation wire and cable experts alike.

wiredInUSA - March 2015

wiredInUSA - March 2015

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