union wire rope company pricelist

Union wire ropes reflect the people who make it. People of character, full of grit and determination. Tough-minded individuals who never cut corners or take shortcuts. We’ve matched science of design with the art of skillful manufacturing craftsmanship to build the best wire rope in the world.

No matter where you are in the world, Union delivers hard-working products, exceptional service and unmatched support. At Union, we’re with you in the field, on the rig and in the mine, getting our hands dirty to supply tough ropes that help you get the job done - better. Being part of the global leader, WireCo WorldGroup, our expertise is unmatched. Whether it"s manufacturing, design, troubleshooting or logistics, Union wire rope support is unsurpassed.

We pride ourselves on providing robust solutions to our customers in the most demanding and diverse applications; with unmatched support, innovation and quality. When customers come to Union they are not just looking for a product, they are looking for our expertise and hands on approach to understand and resolve the issues they encounter in the field.

Union Wire Rope, a WireCo WorldGroup Brand, has been the industry leader in the design and manufacturing of wire ropes and assemblies for more than 100 years, delivering exceptional service and unmatched support worldwide.

Union has a rich history dating back to just before the United States entered World War I. Commodity prices were steadily increasing and headlines such as “Oil Prices Bound to Soar” were typical. Industries were experiencing shortages of supplies and rising prices. The lack of wire rope had become so acute that drilling and production of petroleum products were threatened.

Today, Union remains an industry leader in oil and gas, mining, crane and general-purpose ropes with technical support unmatched in the industry. The Union Cut-Off Program, which is designed to calculate, log and track the service life of Union drill lines is recognized by contractors around the world as the best in the industry.

Union wire ropes reflect the people who make it. People of character, full of grit and determination. Tough-minded individuals who never cut corners or take shortcuts. We’ve matched the science of design with the art of skilful manufacturing craftsmanship to build the best wire rope in the world.

No matter where you are in the world, Union delivers hard-working products, exceptional service and unmatched support. At Union, we’re with you in the field, on the rig and in the mine, getting our hands dirty to supply tough ropes that help you get the job done - better. Being part of the global leader, WireCo WorldGroup, our expertise is unmatched. Whether it"s manufacturing, design, troubleshooting or logistics, Union wire rope support is unsurpassed.

Located in northwest New Jersey, Jersey Strand and Cable, Inc. has been the most diversified fine diameter strand and cable manufacturer of its magnitude in the world for over 30 years. Our highly skilled and experienced staff provides our customers with the highest-quality standard and custom cable and stranded wire products available, including wire rope. Our innovative product development and unique custom cable manufacturing techniques allow us to provide micro-miniature, miniature, and small diameter wire sizes up to 1/8-inch finished product diameter.

With two state-of-the-art facilities in New Jersey that total over 100,000 square feet, Jersey Strand and Cable, Inc. is fulfilling a need in the industry for specialty cable and wire strand made to exact customer requirements. Our modern testing and development laboratory, along with other peripheral equipment and 200+ production machines, helps ensure that each customer’s product is manufactured and delivered to meet their precise specifications. Spearheaded by a former IBM systems engineer, we have developed a computerized, fully integrated management control system that controls and records all details of the manufacturing process, from RFQs to shipping and invoicing, to ensure that our products are adhering to customer and Jersey Strand and Cable, Inc. specifications. This system is efficient and streamlined and has been a huge factor in our success as the leading manufacturer of strand and cables.

Suncor Stainless manufactures an extensive line of superior stainless steel chain, wire rope assemblies and rigging hardware to serve the industrial and marine markets. Mil. Spec swage fittings and cable assemblies are also available. We are large enough to offer consistent top quality stock and custom-made products at economical prices, yet small enough to offer excellent customer service and technical expertise.

Alan Baird Industries, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of wire rope assemblies, mechanical cable assemblies, plastic coated cables and aircraft cables. Established in 1973, we supply products for the medical devices, consumer items, mechanical devices, robotics and instruments markets.

Backed by more than 50 years of experience in the lifting & rigging supplies business, Ashley Sling fabricates wire rope (Galvanized & Stainless Steel Wire Rope, Metric Crane Ropes, Regular or Compacted Strand) in many configurations. We can assist in selection and offer wire rope slings as well.

Assembly Specialty Products is a leading wire rope manufacturer of cable assemblies, mechanical cable assemblies and plastic coated cables. We serve a variety of industries including construction, mining, aircraft, trucking and many more.

We are a reliable source for a wide range of wire rope needs. We provide wire rope assemblies that can be designed to fit your unique specifications, and are manufacturers of fiber rope in both natural and synthetic materials. We are a division of Steelstran/The Atlantic Group.

With over 100 years combined sales experience in the rigging industry, we offer wire rope & accessories, including standard rope, rotation resistant rope, compacted rope, aircraft cable (stainless, galvanized & coated), crimping/swaging tools & sleeves, cable cutters & grippers and special end fittings.

BEN-MOR CABLE manufactures wire rope, wire rope slings, wire rope clips and cutters, plus a variety of other products including aircraft cables, coated cables, cable assemblies, chains and hardware. We also feature pet products. We pride ourselves on our just-in-time delivery and topmost quality control.

Since 1984, Bishop Lifting Products has fabricated and distributed high-quality lifting products, including wire rope, wire rope slings, cordage and rigging tools. We serve a variety of industries, including aeronautical, construction, manufacturing, oil field and transportation companies.

At Central Wire Industries, our mission is to build a company that values innovation and is committed to customer service. We are a market leader in the production of specialty wire and its components including ropes, cables and strands. We are devoted to delivering quality and maintaining the highest of standards.

Certified Slings is a supplier of a wide variety of wire rope and related products—wire rope slings, stainless steel wire rope, wire rope cutters, wire rope clips and aircraft cable. Additional rigging supplies such as chain slings, cargo restraints, hoists and mining supplies are also available.

Chicago Hardware and Fixture is a manufacturer of wire rope and chain fittings, industrial and marine hardware and allied products. We maintain sales offices and warehouses in several cities to ensure efficient service nationwide.

Trust Commercial Group Lifting Products as a wire rope supplier with more than 60 years of experience. The variety of industries The Commercial Group serves with lifting & rigging equipment includes automotive, steel, construction, utilities and government. As a complete full line manufacturer of wire rope slings, chain slings, nylon slings & Slingmax high performance synthetics, you’re covered!

With more than 40 years of experience in design of specialty wire and custom cable products, Cooner Wire continues to view customer service and superior quality as the focal point of our efforts. We also maintain a large warehouse stock. Continued expansion has made Cooner Wire an excellent source for standard and non-standard cable assemblies, harnesses, and molded cable assemblies.

Coordinated Equipment is a distributor of a vast range of wire rope, aircraft cables, wire rope slings, plus wire rope and chain hardware. Our on-site testing can handle 80-8,000,000 pounds. We can also secure fiber ropes, crane and snatch blocks, material handling products, safety products, and more.

Our doors opened in 1986, and we have grown to one of the largest stocking distributors of steel wire rope & submersible pump cable in the US. We offer shipping to your location, work site or shop and installation and removal of steel wire rope in select locations. We have the best prices on steel wire rope, submersible pump cable and manila rope.

DCL Mooring & Rigging is a leading distributor of high-quality wire rope, cable assemblies and wire rope assemblies. Since 1945, we have provided a variety of quality products designed for the practically endless requirements of today"s high-speed material handling operations.

Delta Rigging and Tools, Inc consists of several companies you"ve come to rely on - Industrial Hoist Services, Delta Wire Rope, American Sling, B&H Air Tools, Port Rentals, Coastal Wire Rope, Kelly Wire Rope and D & M Wire Rope - have united under a new banner. So while our expanded capabilities offer the promise of a new day, we"ll continue to provide the service you"ve come to expect.

Euro Products, owned and operated by Brdr. Markussen and Randers Reb in Denmark, manufactures the Blue Line hardware as well as steel wire rope, combination rope and synthetic rope for commercial fishing and industrial use.

Fehr Bros. Industries is a distributor of quality wire rope, wire rope assemblies, wire rope slings, stainless steel wire rope, aircraft cable, turnbuckles, rigging hardware, chains, and much more. Our name has been recognized in the U.S. since 1949.

Fortune Rope & Metal Company, wire rope supplier & customer fabricator, serves various customer needs from one cable assembly to high volume production runs. Capabilities include custom cable assemblies, aircraft cable, wire ropes, coated cable, cut to length cable, chain, fittings, hardware & tools for many industrial & commercial sectors. 3 strategic locations with large stock to best serve you!

Kentuckiana Wire Rope and Supply, Inc. has provided quality rigging products since 1981. Independently owned and operated, KWR is proud to represent the highest quality manufacturers in the industry. We specialize in the fabrication of wire rope, web and chain slings. We offer safety inspections and seminars to meet the needs of our customers. KWR is here to supply all of your rigging needs.

As Sling Manufacturers, Hanes Supply"s sling production now includes chain slings, nylon slings, SlingMax slings and wire rope slings. Hanes Supply, Inc., has over 80 years experience splicing wire rope and manufacturing slings, as well as providing quality products to industry and the construction trades. Our expert staff is here to help you create lifting solutions for your lifting needs.

Gator-Laid®, Gator-Max®, Tri-Flex® and T & D Ultra-Flex® wire rope slings can be obtained through us. We also handle the Tri-Flex® sling system, which is composed of 9- to 27-part slings for big lifts and the Gator-Flex® endless 9-part wire rope slings.

Indusco Wire Rope & Fittings is a leading supplier of wire rope, cable assemblies, wire rope assemblies, mechanical cable assemblies and aircraft cables. We serve industrial suppliers, contractors, mining companies, logging operations, transportation companies, military operations and more.

Search our interactive catalog for rope & cordage and find helpful guides for rope selection. We supply wire & fiber ropes, chain, slings & fittings. Choose from our manila, nylon & polypropylene cordage in various strengths & constructions, plus polyester blends, braided ropes, twines, cords & more.

Innovative Assembly Design has an outstanding reputation for high quality customer service and we pride ourselves on having product support that is unmatched throughout the industry. We are now one of the leading suppliers and distributors of wire rope, aircraft cable, hardware, chain, and more. Innovative Assembly Design works hard to not only meet industry standards but exceed them, we do this so you can be sure that the product you receive is one of the best on the market.

Lift-All® has a solid reputation as a leader in slings and other below-the-hook devices. We manufacture wire rope slings; web, round, boat, chain and mesh slings; and lifting beams and custom devices. Contact us for your wire rope needs.

At Liftpro, lifting, weighing and rigging devices are custom manufactured daily. With over 30 years of professional lifting experience, we provide web slings, chain slings, wire rope slings, wire rope inventory, rigging hardware and more. Professional training is available on site at your facility.

Metro Wire Rope Corp. is a leading supplier of wire rope, cable assemblies, wire rope assemblies and aircraft cables. We stock over 1,000 tons of wire rope and maintain large quantities of general-purpose wire ropes in bright, galvanized and stainless steel.

Miami Cordage and its Florida Wire & Rigging Works division are leading wire rope suppliers, providing a full line of wire rope products including stranded wire, plastic coated wire, stainless steel wire, wire rope slings, cable assemblies, aircraft cables, wire rope fittings, cable railing and push pull cable. Offering unmatched service, Miami Cordage also provides custom wire rope assemblies.

All Montague Latch Company wire rope and cable assemblies are made to your specifications.We assemble cable stops, cable fittings and loops. We can also assemble rings and other hardware to the cable assemblies. Please contact us with questions regarding specific applications.

Morgan City Rentals is a leading supplier of wire rope and rigging supplies, wire rope hoists, steel wire rope, wire rope sling fabrication, and rigging gear inspections for the Gulf of Mexico"s oil industry. We offer 24-hour service, delivering quality products at competitive prices.

Among the products we distribute are wire rope, wire rope slings, aircraft cable, plus wire rope thimbles and clips. With more than 45 years of experience, Olsen Chain & Cable is the choice for construction and industrial supplies. We perform inspections for cable, chain, and nylon slings.

For more than 25 years, Pacific Gulf Wire Rope, Inc. has been a leader in the wire rope and rigging industry. Our success is clearly based on long term relationships with our customers; commitment to providing the highest quality of products, along with offering the maximum in safety, service & cost efficiency to every customer.

Leading the industry in the wholesale distribution of industrial rigging equipment and supplies, Peak Trading"s product line includes aircraft cables, wire rope, wire rope slings, wire rope assemblies and cable assemblies. We are committed to your 100% satisfaction, so call us today!

Performance Wire Rope manufactures specialty cable, wire rope, and strand products. These products are manufactured from stainless steel, drawn and hot-dipped galvanized carbon steel, carbon steel, monel, inconel, tin-plated phosphor bronze, silicon tin bronze, titanium, MP35N and many other specialty alloys.

Since our inception in 1980, we have evolved into a world class supplier of battery cables, wire harnesses, and custom “value added” wiring solutions for our customers. We work with market leaders in the lawn and garden, marine, construction, agriculture, and commercial vehicle industries, and we always strive for excellence in customer satisfaction.

At Preston Cord Inc, we feel that no order is too small and we love a new challange. The majority of our customers have their own specifications when it comes to their unique product....and it is our moto to strive for excellence and superior quality in all of our ropes. Let Preston Cord Inc. make a superior product for your rope needs.

Safety Sling Company is a premier distributor of cable assemblies, wire rope assemblies and aircraft cables. Serving industries including chemical, construction, defense, marine, OEM, telecommunications, transportation and more with high quality wire and cable assemblies.

As one of the foremost global wire rope manufacturers, SLINGMAX® provides high-performance wire rope related products. Offering safety, quality and durability, SLINGMAX® can solve difficult rigging problems with premium wire rope solutions. With thorough rigging training courses provided, and wire rope cable for all types of rigging, SLINGMAX® wire rope products are versatile and cost-efficient.

The Good Rope Company is an industrial stocking distributor who has been serving the needs of a growing customer base since 1972. We offer wire rope, stainless steel, galvanized cable, cordage products, and related hardware items for a variety of industries.

Tie Down Engineering offers custom cable assemblies, wire rope and wire rope products at wholesale prices for bulk orders. We are committed to providing our customers with the highest quality performance products available.

With multiple Hydraulic Swaging Machines, Tway Lifting Products manufactures a full range of fabricated wire rope assemblies. Our 24,000 sq. ft. plant houses the largest Swaging Machines in The Region. We produce industry standard Eye and Eye lifting slings, winch lines and material lifting cables thru 2-1/2” diameter. Emergency service is available.

Our wire rope category is where you can find 304 stainless steel wire rope, galvanized wire rope, and bright wire rope in a variety of configurations from the 6x19 and 6x37 classes. Our rigging supplies category features different hardware and accessories for cranes, dredging, excavating, hoists & winches, logging, and marine applications.

US Rigging Supply is a 35-year old ISO9001:2008 Certified Manufacturer of high performance custom cable and wire rope assemblies in long or short runs, lanyards and slings, and a Master Distributor of wire rope, aircraft cable, fittings and Factory Direct source for copper, stainless steel and aluminum swaging sleeves, wire rope clips and turnbuckles with a history of quality and customer service.

Choose US Netting for rope of all kinds for all uses, cut to order or by the spool: wire rope and cable, nylon rope, manila rope, climbing rope, polypropylene rope & more. Choose from galvanized, stainless steel, and vinyl or nylon coated cable in various diameters. If you can"t find it here, contact us, we"ll get it for you!

Founded in 1956, Unirope® has been supplying and fabricating wire rope products such as wire rope slings, wire rope cable assemblies, aircraft cables and wire rope hoists for a diverse range of construction customers. Committed to quality and safety, we put all our products through severe testing services.

Vanguard Steel is a leading supplier of cable assemblies, wire rope assemblies and plastic coated cables. All wire ropes and cable assemblies are fabricated by some of the world"s leading specialty steel mills to meet or exceed specifications set forth by the government and other recognized authorities.

VER Sales is a distributor of wire rope and fittings, aircraft cable and a multitude of hoisting, mountain climbing, scaffolding and safety products. The wire rope offered is in a variety of classifications, some with hemp cores, rotation-resistant types, galvanized and stainless steel.

The Voto Manufacturers Sales Company was founded in 1938 and has grown to be a leader in its field supplying top quality products to the mining, construction, steel, aluminum, drilling and industrial markets. We fabricate wire rope, chain and other hose assemblies to your drawings and/or specifications. Bulk quantities of these, and other products as well as inspection services, are available.

In business for over 30 years, Waytek offers quality electrical supplies to the automotive and wiring harness industries. Over 5,000 products in stock, and same day shipping on most orders. Browse our expansive selection of wires and cable, including marine wire, speaker cables, extension cords, jumper cables and more!

Wesco Industries Ltd experienced rigging facilities can manufacture wire rope assemblies, chain slings, synthetic slings and rope assemblies to order. With our experienced staff and backed up by our facilities Wesco Industries can perform all your testing and inspection requirements.

Wilkof Industrial Supply and Ron’s Workingman’s Store is a two-store concept developed to serve your needs. We supply sheaves, slings and wire to a wide range of customers and all wire rope can be cut to your required length. Stop by our showroom located in Canton, Ohio and you’ll see we have one of the largest inventories of quality work apparel and industrial supplies.

WireCo WorldGroup is the world"s leader in manufacturing, engineering, and distributing wire rope, synthetic rope, specialized assemblies, wire products and electromechanical cable. With true global reach, WireCo WorldGroup can deliver the right products for your equipment and application no matter where your worksite might be.

NAEC (National Association of Elevator Contractors), CECA (Canadian Elevator Contractors Association) and IAEC (International Association of Elevator Consultants) kick off the yearly convention and exposition, UNITED in Montreal 2016. Join Alps Wire Rope Corporation at Booth 1326, Wednesday September 21st and…

Many of the bridge"s cables are to be replaced soon, a job that will eat up 184,000 feet - almost 35 miles - of the product that Mr. Paulson and his industrial colleagues produce: wire rope, or, as it is more commonly known, cable.

Under a ""Buy American"" provision of New York State law, only domestically made products can be used. ""I want that job,"" said Mr. Paulson, the 73-year-old chairman of the Paulson Wire Rope Company, as he glanced down at the bridge from his luncheon table at the Windows on the World restaurant on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center.

He has a good chance of getting it -if he can keep his 60-year-old family business afloat until the contract is given in the fall. Paulson Wire Rope, at one point a moderately profitable company, has operated at a loss every month since June 1982. And it is still one of the industry"s luckier members.

Fifteen years ago, about 25 companies, employing 20,000 people, would have qualified as bidders on the Brooklyn Bridge job. This year, only eight of those companies remain in the wire rope business, and they employ a mere 4,500 people.

Those remaining companies are being besieged from all sides. Although many states have Buy American policies, private-sector companies - the main customers for wire rope - do not. The domestic industry thus has been decimated by a decade of imports, mainly from South Korea. Although the Government last month finally capped those imports, the industry says it will not help much.

The wire rope companies are now in for a bout of domestic pressure, as well. In May, the Federal Trade Commission served subpoenas on each of them. Although the commission would not confirm its investigation, a copy of the subpoena shows that the commission is requesting documents that refer to ""prices, pricing plans, price competition, and price cutting."" That seems to indicate an investigation into price fixing.

This new development, combined with intense pressure from imports and from balance sheets overwhelmed by red ink, may force several of the surviving wire rope companies to close as well. F OR the small producers, many of which are family-owned, the last two decades have produced a depressing casualty list. Keystone Consolidated Industries, Leschen Wire Rope and Pacific Wire Rope died. The American Chain and Cable Company and Jones & Laughlin Wire Rope were purchased by a British company, the Bridon Corporation, which closed their plants. The Wickwire Rope Company folded, as did E. H. Edwards.

Even earlier, one of the most famous wire rope companies disappeared: The John A. Roebling Sons Company, the first United States producer of wire rope.

""Many of the small businesses have closed because they could not operate on the narrow profit margins or because they merged with another wire rope firm,"" said the industry"s unofficial historian, Donald Sayenga, the director of Bethlehem"s Wire Rope Division, who resigned as of July 1.

The industry-wide blood bath continues. The 106-year-old Broderick & Bascomb Rope Company sold its assets in February 1984. One month later the United States Steel Corporation closed the last of its three wire rope plants.

The fate of the wire rope divisions of two other major steel producers, the Bethlehem Steel Corporation and Armco Inc., is uncertain. ""If we were not part of a larger organization, I"m not sure we"d still be in business,"" said Ronald G. Dull, manager of engineering services at Armco"s wire rope division, Union Wire Rope. ""We"ve lost money since 1981."" Both steel companies have put former controllers in charge of their wire rope groups - executives who are unfamiliar with the product, but who know how to liquidate assets.

This is not the industry"s first run-in with the F.T.C. In 1943, the commission issued a cease-and-desist order against 16 wire rope companies, charging them with participating in an ""agreement to fix and maintain uniform prices,"" said Daniel P. Ducore, the deputy assistant director for compliance in the commission"s Bureau of Competition. He concedes that the F.T.C. often re-examines industries it once targeted. ""Orders don"t terminate - they are as current as if they were issued last year,"" he said.

Over all, a cloud of gloom has settled on the wire rope makers. The future? ""There"s no other way to describe it,"" said Mr. Sayenga. ""It"s just bleak."" T HE current nadir in fortunes is a sharp contrast to the industry"s formerly bright prospects. Wire rope technology spawned the Brooklyn Bridge, the Otis Elevator Company and the oil boom in the Southwest in the early 1900"s. The product, a highly engineered mass of wire, twisted into tight strands and then lubricated and bound together to form ropes of varying widths, supports enormous amounts of tension and pressure. The industry calls wire rope the ""cheapest, strongest product that will go around a corner to connect two points.""

In its finished form, wire rope is used in equipment that activates elevators, mines for coal, drills for oil, operates ocean vessels and airplanes. It is used on submarines, on construction sites and even in the brakes of the family car. It is, quite literally, everywhere.

But the problem for the American industry is that these days it seems to be made everywhere, too. Imports have risen phenomenally. They accounted in 1984 for almost 75,000 tons, 52.6 percent of domestic consumption, from just under 40,000 tons, or 18 percent, in 1976. That situation is unlikely to change because the domestic companies, much like the rest of the steel industry, continue to wrestle with a strong dollar, obsolete factories, high labor costs, and the high cost of wire rod, a raw material for rope that is itself under various import restrictions.

Although many heavy users of wire rope, including the construction and automotive industries, have rebounded from the recession, the domestic wire rope producers have not. While domestic use was up almost 19 percent in 1984, United States producers registered only a meager 5 percent jump in sales. The probable reason: Domestic wire rope sells for about $1,600 a ton, while Korean rope can be purchased and delivered for half that. Even the Department of Defense, a significant user of wire rope, buys mostly imported rope.

Domestic producers have spent more than a decade and millions of dollars filing petitions to have limits and tariffs placed on imports. In 1973, the Treasury Department found Japanese manufacturers of wire rope guilty of dumping - selling their product for less in the United States than in their own country to increase market share. Japanese exports were to be slapped with an 11 percent to 13 percent duty, but American producers say the order was not enforced until 1981.

""The Korean wire rope producers have been under a microscope since 1977-1978,"" said N. David Palmeter, an attorney with the Washington firm of Mudge, Rose, Guthrie, Alexander & Ferdon, which represents several Korean industries. ""The U.S. hasn"t been able to pin anything on them.""

In the recently completed negotiations, the United States trade representative finalized an agreement that will, for five years, hold wire rope imports from South Korea to 50,000 tons a year, only slightly less than the 53,000 tons Korea sent to this country in 1984. That quantity represented nearly a third of total domestic shipments of wire cable and about 70 percent of all imports.

The line-item treatment, Mr. Harris said, was a coup. In fact, he said, ""The negotiations centered on the big-ticket items of basic steel, and giving consideration at all to wire rope was a major breakthrough."" I F more severe import restrictions on the Koreans had been won, the wire rope industry says it could have taken a deep breath and started to rebuild. In a brief filed with the United States trade representative, the members of the domestic committee listed several steps they would take ""to firmly re-establish their competitive position."" They included:

But as negotiated, the agreement ""will not provide any substantial relief for the industry,"" Mr. Harris said. And a spokesman for Senator John C. Danforth, Republican of Missouri who has several wire rope plants in his state, said, ""They got their quota and they got a line item. But the bottom line remains to be seen.""

""The industry feels it has been sacrificed,"" said Charles W. Salanski, executive vice president of the Wire Rope Corporation of America. ""Our only hope is that we can survive until the trade laws are renegotiated.""

Mr. Sayenga of Bethlehem Steel says the low-cost producers - generally independents whose entire business is wire rope and who have the most modern plants - will probably be able to compete for the next five years. ""After that, they are in just as difficult a situation as the high-cost manufacturers,"" he said.

Without the technology of wire rope, the Brooklyn Bridge would not have been built. And because the bridge was constructed in the mid-1800"s -the heyday of Boss William Marcy Tweed and Tammany Hall - the wire rope it used could not have escaped involvement in some sort of scandal.

In 1878, writes David McCullough in his book ""The Great Bridge,"" the Brooklyn Bridge"s chief engineer, William A. Roebling, discovered that the wire rope contractor, J. Lloyd Haigh, was shipping reels of wire rope that had been rejected by the bridge"s inspectors.

""The distressing point of this affair is that all the rejected wire which has come to the bridge has been worked into the cables, and cannot be removed,"" Mr. Roebling said in a letter to the bridge"s board.

A few years after the Brooklyn Bridge scandal, the City of New York faced another wire rope issue, this time with the Williamsburg Bridge, which was completed in 1903. Because the Brooklyn Bridge had cost $16 million, an enormous amount for the day, the city chose to save money by using wire that was not coated with zinc, then the standard method of protection.

The John A. Roebling Wire Company, which had been awarded the contract, did not want to use the non-coated wire, but the city insisted that coating the wire with graphite and oil was much cheaper, and just as safe.

But the wires have not stood up as well as those on the Brooklyn Bridge, although they are still considered good enough to keep the Williamsburg open. In 1989, however, the state plans to spend $72 million to replace all the bridge"s cables, including the four that stretch across the East River.

PersonalWe are on hand to personally guide you through the entire process, we translate the jargon, we recommend what’s best, and we are always here in person. No nonsense, just straight talking people who always exceed expectations through our extensive wire rope knowledge and superior service.

The 50 or so WireCo employees, some of whom survived layoffs, a strike and company bankruptcy, showed up on the last day and got the work orders out. For half of them, it was their last day of work as WireCo closed its doors last Monday.

Some went home and some took the opportunity to go over to the American Tavern. For years the small bar across the street from WireCo on Third Street was the unofficial Wire Rope workers gathering place. Many of the guys on swing and third shifts went there to cash their paychecks and have an early morning, after-work beer.

As Mears stood in the north side doorway of building 17 and looked out over Third Street, he reminisced about what used to be. He talked about when there were more than 500 people working there running machines on four shifts. He remembered the company-sponsored baseball games and bowling tournaments for employees. He thought of the heat from the furnaces pulling wire and the stranders running in every building. He missed the people.

He also lamented that the St. Joseph WireCo location made the money for the company to buy all the other facilities. At one time, it was the only location in the United States, he said. Now it’s the one that’s closing.

Mears is one of about 25 WireCo employees who will still be employed at the plant for a few more months. Those who are left will finish up what little production there is, take inventory and clear the building before Hillyard Industries takes over the facilities.

Shortly after it was announced in March that WireCo was closing its St. Joseph facility, Hillyard announced plans to purchase most of WireCo’s St. Joseph properties to develop a 25-acre manufacturing and distribution center.

That closes a door on a chapter in a local manufacturing history that began almost 70 years ago when John Peter Barclay moved Wire Rope Corporation from New Haven, Connecticut, to St. Joseph in 1948.

The company purchased the old Jersey Cereal building from General Food Corporation and remodeled it and the offices to look like their old New Haven facility.

When the senior Barclay died in 1954, the leadership of the company passed on to his son Jack Barclay Jr. and his son-in-law James E. Josendale, who married his daughter Dorothy Barclay.

Their son, John Josendale Jr., is currently senior vice president and marketing director for the company. Josendale, who started in the company as a “shag driver” working in the printing department and running errands, remembered the company’s heydays in the 1960s and 1970s. During that time, it had a workforce of more than 1,500 employees.

“(These) were really boom years because we were able to pick up new lines. We got really involved in the mining industry. The roads were being constructed and a lot of this equipment that was making roads in the heyday were using wire rope back then,” he said.

“There were a lot of people there. The wire mill was a full facility. As it grew and got older, they built another wire facility and this became more of a spooling facility,” he said. “It was crowded. You had machines everywhere. You had people everywhere. You had three shifts going full speed.”

Heath remembers the softball tournaments at Walnut Park every year that the company provided for the employees. Teams from all departments — the wire mill, rope mill, sling, fabricated products, shipping and inventory — all competed in friendly competition.

Heath even invented a character for the union newspaper called “Ropey.” The image of a goofy looking guy with a turned up hat and big smile is painted on his home driveway. His garage is called “Ropey’s House.”

“It was a pamphlet that came out once a month with what was going to happen, what the union had in mind and things like that, and the caption with Ropey was ‘Ropey Sez,’ so sometimes Ropey says something cute, sometimes he just said, ‘Watch it guys; things are starting to change,’” Heath said.

Things did begin to change. In 1999, the union went on strike for a month in St. Joseph. In 2001, the company filed for bankruptcy. Shortly afterward, Wire Rope changed its name to WireCo World Group and moved its corporate offices from St. Joseph to Kansas City.

The company still maintained production plants in St. Joseph, Sedalia and Chillicothe while also pursuing a series of joint business ventures in Mexico, China, Portugal, Poland, India and the Netherlands.

Josendale said a number of things combined to cause WireCo to lose money. The public became more price-conscious as more imports were coming into the country. The manufacture of general purpose rope, which was the mainstay rope of the company, was now being made cheaper in Japan and Korea.

“We had the high-end mining rope, we had the oil field ropes which were made here, and those worked well for us,” he said. “Most of the crane ropes went to European rope, so you ended up with more of a global market and that made it more difficult to compete from this plant,” Josendale said.

Only the best wire rope manufacturers in the world manufacture Kulkoni’s imported steel wire ropes. It has a competitive price and offers the performance and quality you expect from us. Available in 6X19 and 6X36 classes, our bright finished wire rope is easily identified by our blue and yellow colored strands. We also offer a great variety of galvanized finished steel wire ropes.

High quality. Long rope life expectancy. Our American Wire Rope™ provides dependability you rely on in challenging environments. This wire rope is made exclusively in the United States for Kulkoni, Inc. (stranded and closed in USA since 1999). It is available in 6X19 and 6X36 classes with bright and galvanized finishes to meet customers’ specific applications.

All our products adhere to OSHA B30.9, ANSI, and Association of Wire Rope Fabricators best practices. We stock all types of wire rope, nylon, chain, industrial, safety and maritime products. Let us find you the best prices and the best products for special order.