Southwire: Wired for Success

Whether an HVACR contractor is installing a mini-split system, a thermostat control or a new motor or compressor, the job will only be as successful as the circuit cables and wiring that connect it all together. That's where Southwire Co. comes in. The Carrollton, GA-based company produces a full line of wire and cable products designed to meet the HVACR industry's wide range of needs.

In fact, Southwire delivers power to millions of people around the world — for residential, commercial, industrial or OEM applications. Its utility cable and building wire carry electricity to virtually wherever it's needed; one in three new homes built in the United States contains wire made by Southwire. The company has become a leader in many of the industries that it serves in large part because of its commitment to developing innovative solutions that make its products easier to install.

Southwire's roots extend back to 1937 when Roy Richards Sr., two years out of Georgia Tech, started Richards & Associates in Carroll County, GA. His business was erecting power poles. Richards & Associates strung 3,500 miles of cable and became the nation's second-largest Rural Electrification Administration (REA) contractor. World War II halted all of the New Deal's REA construction, and Richards joined the U.S. Army, eventually reaching the rank of captain.

When Richards returned home, he found that many of the power poles that his company had put up still were not wired because of post-war shortages in wire. Seeing an opportunity, Richards decided that the only way to ensure a steady supply of wire was to make it himself. In 1950, Southwire began the work of manufacturing wire; two years later, it was shipping 5 million pounds of wire and had already doubled its plant size.

As the company expanded, it continued to make advances in the development of wire and cable design, metallurgy and plastics compounding. That innovation has continued over the years into new technologies and applications. In February 2000, Southwire's advances in superconductor power cable technology culminated with the first real-world application of superconductors.

With a presence in many industries, Southwire is comprised of four divisions — Energy, Electrical, OEM and SCR Technologies. Southwire's OEM Division serves the HVACR market. With Southwire's Electrical and Energy businesses experiencing great success in their respective markets, Southwire sought to expand and diversify its product offering by entering the OEM markets. Beginning with the production of copper and aluminum products for its customer base, the OEM Division added wire and cable products to its lineup about seven years ago, says Donna Graham, Southwire's vice president of marketing and customer service for the OEM Division.

Doing this allowed Southwire to more effectively compete in the HVACR industry. Today, the OEM Division is a leader within its various markets. "It's been pleasantly surprising how fast we've been able to hit certain growth targets," Graham says. "From our inception up to now has been pretty unbelievable."