Southwire Company announced a reorganization of its senior management structure with Jack Carlson now leading all of the company’s sales and marketing and product development efforts in North America.
 
            In his new role as president of North American business, Carlson manages Southwire’s Electrical, Energy and OEM divisions, as well as its newly created Industrial Division and thriving Canadian wire and cable business. With a wide variety of cable offerings, the Industrial Division serves the power generation and transit, petrochemical, natural gas, automotive and other markets, as well as institutional campuses such as hospitals, universities, prisons and military bases. As Southwire seeks to synergize its marketing and product development strategies, Carlson also will direct the company’s research and development efforts.
 
            “Jack has been the driver behind the tremendous growth in our electrical business and the division’s recovery from the housing crash several years ago,” said Southwire President and CEO Stu Thorn. “As we continue to expand into new products, markets and geographies, we have a chance to bring our unique blend of technology and culture to new customers. Jack’s vision and knowledge of our markets are key to us making the most of that opportunity.”
 
    A 30-year veteran of the electrical industry, Carlson joined Southwire in 2001 as president of the Electrical Division. He previously worked in senior management positions with Assa Abloy, Yale Security Group, Groupe Schneider and Square D Company.  The South Jersey native attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Drexel University in Philadelphia and is a 1978 graduate of the College of New Jersey, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He attended Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
 
            “This exciting new opportunity allows me to build my knowledge about different segments of the wire and cable industry,” said Carlson, who will pass the role of electrical division president to Norman Adkins. “The focus will continue to be on providing the best-quality, lowest-cost products available, while applying our innovative spirit to differentiate those products by making them a more critical part of the end-users’ success.”
 
            Adkins, who most recently served as senior vice president of electrical distribution and retail sales for Southwire’s Electrical Division, joined the company in 1998 as director of international sales in the Energy Division. He has held a number of management positions, including president of Southwire’s OEM Division, which markets wire and cable to other manufactures who use it in their products.
 
     Prior to joining Southwire, Adkins held a variety of leadership positions in sales, operations, international business and engineering at Corning Incorporated. Adkins earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech and a master's of business administration degree in finance and international business from New York University. He is a member of The American Management Association, the Pricing Society, and serves as an alumni advisor to the
New Venture Mentor Program at New York University.
 
     “Southwire continues to dream big as we seek to make our own dent in the universe,” Thorn
said. “That will take having the right people in the right positions to enhance our capabilities and
our focus. While we have an extremely skilled management team in place, we are adding talent and resources to make sure all of the bases are covered.” 
 
            Last year, Southwire added Hans Meiring to its leadership as president of international and operational development. A 40-year veteran of the wire and cable industry, Meiring brings global best practices in manufacturing technology and is helping expand the company’s reach into international markets.
 
     Formerly chief executive officer of Oman Cables in the Sultanate of Oman, Meiring worked for 27 years – 10 of those as chief executive officer – with Aberdare Cables, helping to establish the company’s first fiber optic cable plant in South Africa. Early in his career, he served as project engineer in a joint venture among ITT of America and BICC and STC of the United Kingdom to build the first telecommunication plant in South Africa. With a background in mechanical engineering, Meiring earned a master’s degree in business administration from Buckingham International Business Management School in the United Kingdom.
 
     A leader in technology and innovation, Southwire Company is North America's largest wire and cable producer. Southwire and its subsidiaries manufacture building wire and cable, metal-clad (MC) cable, cord products (including Tappan™ sound, security, and communication cables through Tappan Wire & Cable Inc.), utility cable products, industrial power cable, OEM wire products, SCR® copper and aluminum rod, and continuous casting technology. Southwire also supplies MAXIS® wire and cable installation tools to the commercial, industrial and utility
construction markets. To learn more about Southwire's products, community involvement, and its vision for a sustainable Southwire, please visit Southwire on the web at www.southwire.com.