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Last July�s merger of Belden Wire & Cable and Cable Designs Technologies Corporation has resulted in increased investment and the recall of employees who underwent layoffs at the former Belden facility in Fort Mill last June. The newly merged company, Belden CDT Inc., has announced that the Fort Mill operation will serve as the company�s headquarters for its networking division.The company has already purchased and installed new equipment in the facility that will manufacture networking cable--one of the company�s best markets. In addition, the company is in the process of recalling employees who were part of Belden�s June layoff and expects to hire additional employees in 2005. The new investment in the facility totals more than $10 million and the total number of employees being called back or hired will exceed 100. �We�re very excited about the opportunity of having the Networking Division here at the Fort Mill facility,� said Dan Jennings, director of materials & information technology for the Networking Division. �The networking cable that will be manufactured in Lancaster County is one of our top products and we look forward to many continued years of success here. The Fort Mill facility has always been one of our most productive operations and we believe that will continue as we proceed with production of the networking cable product line.�
�The former Belden operation was one of the company�s most successful facilities and we feel confident that the new Belden CDT operation in Fort Mill will also be a success,� said Lancaster County Economic Development President Keith Tunnell. �We are always working hard to attract new business and industry to the county, but it is also our goal to ensure that we do everything possible to keep our existing industries in successful operation,� added Tunnell. �We�re very happy about the decision to not only recall the employees who went through the layoff but we�re also excited about this being the home of the new company�s networking division,� said Lancaster County Council Chairman Rudy Carter. �Just as Belden was, the new Belden CDT is a welcome addition to our county,� said Carter. �Belden CDT pays strong wages and provides quality benefits to our citizens and we�re very pleased that they chose to invest in this facility and continue to grow their business here.� �As one of the largest U.S.-based manufacturers of high-speed electronic cables, Belden CDT chose to locate the headquarters of its networking division in South Carolina,� said Secretary of Commerce Bob Faith. �That says a lot for South Carolina�s ability to compete in the global market. Innovative manufacturers like Belden CDT are the kinds of companies that we want in South Carolina. We�re glad to have them!� �The executives with Belden CDT were very impressed with the Lancaster County operation, especially the workforce,� said Tunnell. �We have some of the best workers in the Southeastern U.S. and we know that the new Belden CDT facility will continue to be a successful operation just as it was for the former Belden operation. We will continue to work closely with the new company in the coming year to make the transition as smooth as possible and assist them with any future expansion plans for the facility.� The combined company will be known as Belden CDT Inc., and will be headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. Belden CDT will be one of the largest U.S.-based manufacturers of high-speed electronic cables and will focus on products for the specialty electronics and data networking markets, including connectivity. Belden CDT Inc. will be organized into five operating divisions: the Electronics Division, led by Peter Sheehan; the Networking Division located in Fort Mill and to be led by Bob Matz; the Specialty Division, led by Bob Canny; European Operations, led by Larrie Rose; and West Penn Wire, led by Dave Harden. The company expects to report its results in two segments: the Electronics Segment, representing about 60 percent of total sales, and the Networking Segment, representing about 40 percent. The Electronics Segment serves such diverse specialty markets as broadcasting and industrial automation and provides highly engineered products for the aerospace and automotive markets. The Networking Segment provides high-bandwidth metallic and fiber-optic cables and complete connectivity solutions. About 60 percent of the company�s sales are expected to be generated in North America, 30 percent in Europe, and 10 percent in the rest of the world. For more information about the merger and the newly formed company, visit their web site at www.beldencdt.com.
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Officials were delighted with the news of the merger and the recall of the employees as well as the company�s decision to place the networking division headquarters in Fort Mill. 