Southwire President and CEO Rich Stinson recently engaged in an interview with Manufacturing Outlook to discuss Southwire, its background and how the company has been successful through innovation in a technology-driven world. Additionally, the organization was highlighted as one of Manufacturing Outlook’s Top Wire and Cable Solution Providers for 2020, an annual listing of 10 companies that are at the forefront of providing Wire and Cable solutions and transforming businesses.

“Our long-running record and wide gamut of wire and cable and tools, components and assembled solutions allow us to optimize solutions that align with every client-specific application,” said Stinson. “Our number one aspiration is to be a sustainable, multi-generational company and make long-term investments that will positively impact the electrical industry in a much different way than any of our contemporaries.”

According to its website, Manufacturing Outlook is a print medium that showcases various enterprise solutions and discusses latest trends in the manufacturing industry with a focus on technology and solution providers. The below article was published in their magazine, where Southwire led as the front-page story, and on their website. 

Southwire Company: Delivering Power Through Innovation

The realms of electricity transmission and distribution have undergone a significant augmentation due to continual technological advancements and their resulting impact on business demands. Today, as businesses and global corporations have a plethora of tech-driven deployments with varying power specifications, it is causing increased fragmentation in the electrical energy space, which is hindering T&D and utility companies from meeting customer demands. As a result, most T&D entities are seeking reliable partners that can help them in meeting the dynamic electricity specifications of their customers efficiently. Addressing this challenge with its 70-year expertise in the electrical space, comprehensive partner network, and a wide range of utility cable products is Georgia-based Southwire Company. 

“Our long-running record and wide gamut of wire and cable and tools, components and assembled solutions allow us to optimize solutions that align with every client-specific application,” says Rich Stinson, president, and CEO at Southwire Company.

Southwire’s roots go back to 1937 when Georgia Tech alumni Roy Richards started a business to erect power poles. Subsequently, in 1950, Richards founded Southwire Company with three used machines and 12 employees. Since then, the company’s reputation for quality and service has grown exponentially, bringing together a workforce of 7,000 professionals across the globe. Currently, Southwire boasts a vast clientele of businesses from both the transmission and the distribution side of the electrical industry. The company also builds customized solutions for OEMs and is one of the leading suppliers of wires that are used for overhead transmission as well as to power homes in North America. The company also offers an array of tools, components and assembled solutions. 

Discussing the core competencies of his company, Stinson elaborates, 

“We leverage our vast partner network to assist our conventional customers fulfill their power needs. For our industrial clients, we collaborate with their design and application engineers to build innovative utility products that match their specifications.” 

Southwire’s products undergo testing and approval within its 35 factories, followed by the company’s rapid and efficient delivery, which is possible only because of its network of distribution hubs and warehouses. With such strong capabilities, Southwire has ignited numerous client success stories over the years. For instance, the company seamlessly flexed the volume of electricity running through its cables to help its retail customers cope with the sudden surge in power demands caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Another good example of Southwire’s customer success is its collaborative endeavors with electrical contractors where the company provides installation support and educates them on employing newer techniques and methodologies, thereby increasing the efficiency and rate of cable implementation.

According to Stinson, at the heart of Southwire’s unparalleled client success lies its organizational culture that is based on four core elements: empowerment, trust, consistency and inclusion. The company empowers its workforce by allowing them to be autonomous with respect to handling client needs, trusts them to deliver, and finally drives them to be competitive through various intuitive engagement and recognition avenues. Presently, Southwire is poised to leverage its pandemic preparedness plan to develop newer and safer ways to deliver and implement its products, thereby continuing to raise the bar while making its customers feel valued. To conclude, Stinson reiterates the ethos of his company, 

“Our number one aspiration is to be a sustainable, multi-generational company, and make long-term investments that will positively impact the electrical industry in a much different way than any of our contemporaries.”