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Wire Expo 2024 event highlights

The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc has announced the highlights of its Wire Expo 2024, which will be held at the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut, USA, 11-12 June 2024.

Tuesday, 11 June

Opening and 2024 clock-winding
David Lane, plant floor supervisor at Northampton Machinery Co, will continue the ceremonial clock-winding tradition, which originated in 1948 when John Rigby and Sons, Ltd, of Manchester, UK, presented the Wire Association with a 400-day grandfather clock at its Annual Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The gesture, which represented a group of 32 UK companies, was made in appreciation of the support given by the US wire industry to Great Britain during World War II. Each year, a representative from the UK makes the trip to the USA to participate in the ceremony, which commemorates friendship and communication between the two nations.

Keynote address and 2024 Champion Award
HO Woltz will open the 2024 Wire Expo by providing a status report on the challenges and opportunities facing the ferrous wire industry, with a presentation titled Success based on committing to continuous improvement and a passion for manufacturing. He will draw on his 45 years in the industry, including more than 30 years as CEO and numerous business cycles. In addition, Mr Woltz will be honoured as the 2024 recipient of the WAI Champion Award, which recognises an industry executive's support of the Wire Association and its mission.

Conference sessions — day 1

  • AI's role in manufacturing labor challenges by Willem Sundblad, Oden Technologies
  • Cybersecurity is not an IT problem, it is a BUSINESS problem by Jacob McLein, Southwire Co
  • Operations Panel: opportunities and challenge in this constantly evolving manufacturing environment
  • Workforce safety performance by Gladys Billups, Southwire Co
  • Physical security measures for shipping and receiving in a changing world by Matt Perry, Encore Wire
  • Maintenance of aging machinery — retrofits by Kutlay Erkan, Maschinenfabrik Niehoff GmbH & Co KG

Exhibits (Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 June)
The show floor will include products and services from more than 150 exhibiting companies, detailed at: https://wireexpo24.expofp.com

Happy Hour
Open to all attendees, Happy Hour features Casino 101 craps tutorial, beer, wine, soda, water and snacks, and is sponsored by James Monroe Wire and Cable Corp.

Welcome reception at the Sun Patio
An exclusive networking event for attendees and exhibitors only. The reception is sponsored by Insteel, SDI LaFarga Copperworks and Southwire Co.

Wednesday, 12 June

WAI Annual Meeting of Members and Awards Ceremony
The annual meeting will allow members to see the current state of the association. WAI's top honours for 2024 are: Donnellan Memorial Award winner Jan Sørige; WAI Mordica Memorial Award Winner William T Bigbee; and WAI President's Award winner Raúl García Martínez.

Conference sessions — day 2

  • Keynote speaker Paul Furtado, COO, Prysmian North America will present Elevating operations: paving the way to manufacturing excellence. The presentation will outline key elements of ongoing efforts to optimise operational processes through the Prysmian Operating System (POS) approach, including how to build employee engagement and a culture of continuous improvement strategies in creating focus, transparency and alignment throughout the organisation.
  • Renewable energy generation — onshore and offshore wind power current state and opportunities in the United States by Robert Taylor, Invenergy
  • Meeting wire and cable challenges through digitalizing cable design and manufacturing processes by Tomas Mejia Castrillon, UL Solutions
  • ESG and Sustainability Panel
  • Fact or fiction — copper wire demand now and beyond by Kandy White, SDI LaFarga Copperworks
  • Wire drawing die material and profile specification considerations by Eric Bieberich, Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc

Production solutions demonstrations

  • Wire breaks with Horace Pops, Horace Pops Consulting; and Matthew Reinoehl, SDI LaFarga Copperworks
  • Factors affecting wire production from precoats to lubricants with Svet Pavlovksky, Blachford Co