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

Madison, Connecticut, USA - April 18, 2024 - The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc. announces highlights of its Wire Expo 2024, which will be held at the Mohegan Sun Resort

& Casino, Uncasville, CT, USA, June 11-12, 2024.
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Opening and the 2024 Clockwinding
David Lane, Plant Floor Supervisor, Northampton Machinery Co., will continue the ceremonial clockwinding tradition, which originated when John Rigby and Sons, Ltd., of Manchester, England, presented the Wire Association with a 400-day grandfather clock at its Annual Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 20, 1948. The gesture, which represented a group of 32 companies from Great Britain, was made in appreciation of the support given by the U.S. wire industry to Great Britain during World War II. Each year a representative from the U.K. makes the trip to the U.S. to participate in the annual ceremony that commemorates the friendship and communication between the two nations.
Keynote Address & 2024 Champion Award
Mr. H. O. Woltz will open the 2024 Wire Expo providing a status report on the challenges and opportunities facing the ferrous wire industry. His presentation is titled: "Success based on committing to continuous improvement and a passion for manufacturing." He will draw from his 45 years in the industry including more than 30 years as CEO and numerous business cycles. In addition, Mr. Woltz will be honored as the 2024 recipient of the WAI Champion Award, which recognizes an industry executive for his 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 Kutkay Erkan, Maschinenfabrik NIEHOFF GmbH
& Co. KG
Exhibits (Tuesday and Wednesday, June 11 & 12)
The show floor includes products and services from more than 150 exhibiting companies. View details here: https://wireexpo24.expofp.com.
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TUESDAY, JUNE 11 - continued
Happy HourOpen to all attendees, this happy hour features: Casino 101 craps tutorial, beer, wine, soda, water, snacks and it is sponsored by James Monroe Wire and Cable Corp.
Welcome Reception at the Sun Patio
This is a exclusive networking event is for attendees and exhibitors only. The reception is sponsored by Insteel, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS, and Southwire Co.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12
WAI Annual Meeting of Members and Awards Ceremony
The WAI annual meeting of members and Awards Ceremony will allow members to see the current state of the association. WAI's top honors for 2024 are as follows: Donnellan Memorial Award winner Mr. Jan Sørige; WAI Mordica Memorial Award Winner Mr. William T. Bigbee; and the WAI President's Award winner Mr. 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." His presentation will outline key elements of on-going efforts to optimize 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 organization. It will highlight specific tools such as strategy deployment and leverage internal systems an approach centered around core manufacturing principles and maximizing teams' capabilities.
• "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.

Sponsor Support
Elite level:
Encore Wire Corp; James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp.; Lloyd & Bouvier Inc.; Prysmian;
SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS; Southwire Co.; and Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp.
Platinum level:
Carris Reels Inc.; Gem Gravure Co. Inc.; and Insteel Wire Products
Silver level:
Blachford Corp.; Niehoff Endex North America; RichardsApex Inc.; Sikora International Corp.; and Sonoco Reels & Spools
Bronze level:
Baum's Castorine; Cable Components Group; Fort Wayne Wire Die; Gendon Polymer Services Inc.; Graham Engineering; and Precision Reel/Payoffs
Industry Partner:
Wire and Cable Suppliers Association
For further details and to register, visit the event website: www.wireexpo24.com.
WAI, founded in 1930, is a not-for-profit association with more than 2000 individual members in 50 countries. The association serves the educational needs of the wire and cable manufacturing industry through a variety of products and services. WAI manages the Interwire Trade Exhibition and Wire Expo and publishes the Wire Journal International and the Wire Journal International Reference Guide.