union wire rope co made in china

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.

We want to create value, we want to solve problems, and we do that together. Our people are an extension of your team to overcome challenges and create solutions for you.

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.

With nearly 4,000 employees worldwide, WireCo WorldGroup is a great place for you to build a rewarding career. Our professionals enjoy the opportunities of a global manufacturing and distribution leader as well as a culture of open communication, professional growth, and friendly camaraderie that fosters innovation and problem solving.

Established in 2005, Jiangsu Safety Steel Wire Rope Co., Ltd. is a professional steel wire rope manufacturer and exporter with a profound experience. The company is located in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China covering an area of 57,108.70 square meters. They have a total annual production of steel wire rope is 25000 to 30000 tons and a registered capital 13 million U.S. dollars. Jiangsu Safety Steel Wire Rope Co., Ltd. has plenty of high-quality products to offer.Toho-Rongkee

Chongqing Toho-Rongkee Electronic and Machinery Co., Ltd is one of the best wire rope manufacturers in China that follows ISO 9001:2008, TUV, CE, SGS qualification standard on every production method and fabricated. Also offer a wide range of lifting tools, equipment, and various riggings that meet your standards. Employs over 1000 skilled workers and staff in 7 advanced factories in China.Tianli Stainless Steel Products Co., Ltd

Tianli Stainless Steel Products Co., Ltd is specialized in manufacturing steel wire ropes headquarters in Dainan Town, Jiangsu Province China. Currently having more than 50 existing employees in over 6600 square meters factory area. They can provide excellent advice and assistance to ensure you obtain the right products at the lowest cost.Guizhou Wire Rope Incorporated Company

With more than 40 years of manufacturing and technique experience, you can totally rely on Guizhou Wire Rope Incorporated Company, they have excellent production lines, modern production techniques, and excellent quality control systems. All products such as steel wire, pre-stressed wire rope, PVC coated wire rope, etc. are not only famous with excellent quality but in reasonable prices and considerate services in China. This company also receives good popularity in the overseas market.Nantong Jiaan Metal Material Co., Ltd.

Established in 2013, Jiaan Metal Material is one of the respected manufacturers of steel wire rope located in Nantong, Jiangsu, China. All the production methods, from raw material smelting, heat treatment, wire drawing, and rope twisting to physical and chemical performance examining, are under strict and scientific control based on ISO 9001 certification standard.Nantong Lili hardware products Co., Ltd.

Started in 1998, Nantong Lili hardware products Co., Ltd. continually improving and striving to provide high-grade wire rope to customers worldwide. ISO9001:2008, ISO14001:2004 certified company located in Jiangsu, China. They mainly engaged in producing steel wire rope, stainless steel wire, steel strip, stainless steel strip, spring steel strip, spring steel wire, carbon steel wire, and more.Nantong New Jianghai Internation Trade Co., Ltd.

Set up in the year 2016, Nantong New Jianghai Internation Trade Co., Ltd is an expert wire rope provider situated in Nantong, China. Owns advanced technologies and machinery to manufacture a high-class and comprehensive quality solution. They have more than 70 professional employees working and improving products according to ISO9001:2015 authentication.Jiangsu Zhongying Steel Cable Co., Ltd.

Established in 2004, Zhongying Steel Cable is one of the leading manufacturers and reputable provider of steel wire ropes situated in Nantong, Jiangsu, China. Their factory has 80, 000 square meters and the building area is about to 65,000 square meters. Workshops are equipped with advanced producing equipment and comprehensive testing facilities that’s why the partnership with them will bring business satisfaction for you.Qingdao Haito Rigging Hardware Co., Ltd

A large enterprise located in Qingdao, Shandong, China, which engaged in manufacturing rigging hardware such as steel wire rope accessories, wire rope clips, load binder, chain, wire rope, and more. They have an abundant supply of superior quality products. Founded in 2009, Haito Rigging Hardware continuously developed and improving products supported by good experience and professional employees.Gustav Wolf

With over 130 years of experience and development, Gustav Wolf is a leading superior steel wire and steel wire ropes manufacturer associated with quality and safety. Produced products according to ISO9001:2015, ISO14001:2015 certification which can meet your requirements and demands. Employs over 115 hardworking workers and staff who aim to serve customers with honesty, loyalty, and perseverance.Jiangsu Xiangchuan Rope Technology Co., Ltd.

Specialized in manufacturing high-standard wire rope, Xiangchuan Rope Technology is a dedicated supplier and manufacturer with vast experience in the field. Own a modern facility with an area of about 38, 000 square meters and employs 138 staff members and workers. Their advanced production equipment, technical know-how, skilled workers guarantee that in Xiangchuan Rope Technology you have a reliable partner.JULI SLING CO., LTD.

For more than 33 years of experience in creating comprehensive products such as wire rope, JULI SLING earned a good reputation in the steel industry appreciated by foreign and domestics customers. JULI is recognized as a pioneer in China’s lifting and rigging industry, the standard makers in rigging field, the advocate of worldwide rigging civilization. Partnership with this company will skyrocket your business project.Nantong Julong Metal Products Co., Ltd

Nantong Julong Metal Products Co., Ltd is a large private enterprise founded in 2009 that specialized in producing any types of wire rope, headquarters in Jiangsu, China. Get 100% ideal products, at a cost-effective price here in Julong Metal. Be one of their satisfied customers such as in Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Asia, the Middle East, etc.YunFeng Steel Wire Rope Products Ltd.

Located in Jiangsu province, China, YunFeng Steel Wire Rope is a professional manufacturer of all kinds of wire rope offer in excellent quality and reasonable price to customers. They can meet customers’ demands and requirements by manufacturing all kinds of products with international standards.Sinounion Industries

Founded in 1999, Sinounion Industries is a professional Steel Wire Rope manufacturer in China. Also offer Rigging Hardware, Lifting Equipment, and various Forging & Casting products. All products are manufactured according to ISO9001, ISO14001, CE, and GS standards. The company owns a wide factory area in Qingdao, Shandong province with about 35000 square meters.Ningbo BST Metal Products Co., Ltd.

Established in 2002, BST Metal Products is one of the largest and reputable steel wire rope manufacturers in China with an area of 78,000 square meters factory workshop. Backed up by more than 350 professional people & technical engineers who have a vast experience in the field, BST Metal Products ensure great and fast production exceed the national and international guidelines.Jiangsu Yasheng Metal Products Co., Ltd.

As an ISO9001:2015, ISO/TS16949:2009, ISO9001: 2000 certified company, Jiangsu Yasheng Metal Products Co., Ltd. devoted itself to producing excellent products at a favorable cost. If you`re looking for a wire rope manufacturer, then Yasheng Metal Products is the best choice! Get 100% quality products prepared by solid technical strength and professional service team.Chongqing Geyo Machinery corporation

Geyo Machinery corporation a reliable manufacturing company that focuses on research, production, sales, and service of high-quality products. Mainly engaged in manufacturing wire rope, wire rope slings, tamping rammer, power trowel, scarifying machine, etc. They have their own advanced production facilities, expert technical team, and a professional quality control team.SHANGHAIMETAL

Started in the year 1980, SHANGHAIMETAL is a premier wire rope provider. Together with a team of experts, innovative machinery, and dedicated workers, they guarantee absolute customer satisfaction. Shanghai Metal is always passionate about working and supplying excellent services to clients throughout the world. All their products are manufactured with high-quality at a reasonable cost.Huazhuo HD Machinery

Established in 1958, Qingdao Huazhuo HD Machinery Co., Ltd. is a trusted wire rope manufacturer with a profound experience, strong workmanship, and professional service team that ensures the best product at best price offer to clients around the world. A leading supplier of high-standard wire rope, rigging hardware, marine hardware, chain, lifting tools, and other high-grade metal products.

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We strive to create premium products in a class all their own, but we believe our global impact is so much bigger than that. Press play to learn what makes WireCo a world ahead of other companies.

Tianjin Goldsun Wire Rope Limited (the〝Goldsun〞) is a specialist manufacturer of elevator ropes that is venture between by Hong Kong Publicly Listed Company, Golik Holdings Limited and Tianjin Metallurgy Group Co., Limited, a Top 500 manufacturing enterprise in China. The company pioneered the development and manufacture of wire ropes in China and today distinguishes itself as the market leader in the industry in the manufacture and supply of wire rope products and OEM elevator ropes.

Formed in January 2002, Goldsun perpetuates the beliefs of the importance of quality management, innovation, technical and quality excellence, product leadership, and people development in our pursuit to grow and reach out to more customers. In 2010, Goldsun’s “Three Stage” development strategy guided the investment to build a new RMB150 million state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that is capable of 40,000 tonnes annual output of high-quality and specialized wire ropes. Production began in April 2011 and has enabled the company to deliver better products to our customers at an even higher level of customer experience and satisfaction. Along with an in-house research and development (R&D) unit, the facility at present is equipped with advanced SKET pre-stretch closers, double twist bunchers, sisal core machines, in addition to well over 300 sets of leading domestic surface cleaning, wire drawing, heat treatment, stranding, closing and fatigue testing equipment to place Goldsun as one of the world’s largest integrated single product manufacturer and supplier of its category.

The future and long-term orientation culture ofGoldsun to invest in R&D, technology and in developing the competence of our people in various capacities and across specialist disciplines had allowed us to produce the widest range of elevator ropes in the world that meets customer requirements and complies with OTIS, Japanese and International standards.

In addition to being ISO9001:2000 and Otis Q-Plus certified, Goldsun had also achieved the Korean KTL Production Certification and was first in China to pass fatigue tests conducted at Otis HQ’s Farmington Engineering Test Centre. In 2004,Goldsun supplied the special high speed elevator ropes for the Guinness World Record Zhangjiajie Bailong Elevator which remains in active use today and is highly commended. Furthermore, multiple accolades in product quality excellence was earned numerous times including the National Golden Cup Award, the prestigious designation as the nation’s Top 10 enterprise brand satisfaction survey in 2006, and for five consecutive times over a period of fifteen year, laurels in product and after-sale service excellence by the China Quality Association Users Committee and National Construction Machinery Equipment Users Committee.

At the heart of Goldsun’s world-class capabilities in R&D, design and manufacture are bespoke services and solutions for our customers starting from application selection through to installation and maintenance. Our wide selection of products and our network of service centers in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chongqing, Suzhou and Chengdu give us the ability to offer customers timely services in cut-to-length orders, packaging and distribution; and make Goldsun the top supplier of elevator ropes in China for many years running. Goldsun is also the qualified supplier for companies like OTIS, Hitachi, Toshiba, Yongtay, Tissen, and etcetera.

Goldsun believes building a collaborative relationship with our customers is the key to our success. Goldsun strives to become your most valuable partner in delivering the best products and services through listening to your requirements and paying close attention to your valuable feedback.

On August 11, 2009, the European. Commission decided to initiate an anti-circumvention investigation on imports of steel ropes and cables with a maximum cross-sectional dimension exceeding 3 mm (including locked coil ropes, excluding ropes and cables of stainless steel) from Malaysia and South Korea (Commission Regulation (EC) No 734/2009).

This investigation follows suspicion that the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Council Regulation (EC) No 1858/2005 dated November 8, 2005 on imports of the same products originating in China might be circumvented (see measure 7936).

The products subject to investigation are classified under the following HS codes: ex 7312.1081, ex 7312.1083, ex 7312.1085, ex 7312.1089 and ex 7312.1098.

The complaint was lodged on June 29, 2009 by the Liaison Committee of EU Wire Rope Industries (EWRIS) on behalf of the EU producers of steel ropes and cables.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 734/2009 also makes imports of steel ropes and cables originating in Malaysia and South Korea subject to registration for a period of nine months. Commission Regulation (EC) No 734/2009 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (L 208) on August 12, 2009 and entered into force on August 13, 2009.

On April 26, 2010, the European. Commission decided to extend the duty imposed by Council Regulation (EC) No 1858/2005 dated November 8, 2005 on imports of steel ropes and cables originating in China to imports of the same products originating in South Korea (Implementing Regulation of the Council (EU) No 400/2010). The rate of the duty is 60.4% of the CIF net free-at-Union-frontier price. Some Korean companies are exempted from the payment of this duty; see the table in Article 1 of Implementing Regulation of the Council (EU) No 400/2010. This definitive duty entered into force on the day following the publication of the regulation in the Official Journal of the European Union (L 117), i.e. on May 12, 2010.

On January 27, 2012, the European authorities decided upon the continuation of the anti-dumping duty imposed on imports of steel ropes and cables originating in China and Ukraine (Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 102/2012) (see measure 7936). The rate of the duty imposed on imports originating in China is 60.4% of the CIF net free-at-Union-frontier price. This anti-dumping measure continues to be extended to imports originating in South Korea, at the same rate. Some Korean companies remain exempted from the payment of this duty; see the table in Article 1.4 of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 102/2012. The duty entered into force on the day following the publication of the regulation in the Official Journal of the European Union, i.e. on February 10, 2012.

On November 25th, 2015, the European. Commission announced the initiation of a review of the anti-dumping duty imposed on imports of steel ropes and cables from South Korea as far as the South Korean company Daechang Steel Co. Ltd. is concerned (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2015/2179, 25.11.2015).

This follows the request lodged on September 7th, 2015 by Daechang Steel Co. Ltd., a South Korean exporter of the subject goods. This review should determine the possibility of granting an exemption from the anti-dumping measure to the company Daechang Steel Co. Ltd.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2015/2179 repealed the anti-dumping duty with regard to imports from Daechang Steel Co. Ltd. and made those imports subject to registration.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2015/2179 entered into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L 309), i.e. on November 27th, 2015.

On 8 February 2017, the European. The commission initiated a sunset review on imports of the subject good from China. This follows the request lodged on 7 November 2016 by the Liaison Committee of E.U. Wire Rope Industries (EWRIS). Since the anti-dumping measure imposed on imports of steel ropes and cables from China was extended to imports of the same products originating in the Republic of Korea, the sunset review and its conclusion will hold for this country as well.

On 21 April 2018, the European Commission extended the definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of subject good from China following the conclusion of a sunset review, see related intervention. The conclusions of this sunset review are additionally covering imports of the same products from the Republic of Korea. The rate of duty imposed on imports of the subject good from the Republic of Korea is 60.4% of the net free-at-Union-frontier price before duty. Additionally, duties were terminated or extended on imports of the subject good from Moldova and Morocco, see related interventions.

On 31 December 2020, the UK Department for International Trade issued Taxation Notice 2020/21 maintaining the duty following the United Kingdom"s exit of the European Union from 1 January 2020. Following the set expire of the definitive duty on 21 April 2023 the United Kingdom will determine the duty"s continued imposition.

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.

“It’s a sad day. There’s a lot of friendships that have been made here. We’ve seen people get married. We’ve seen people get divorced. We’ve seen people come and go, live and die. There are many stories inside those buildings,” Mears said.

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.

For the first month after he left, Heath said he still got up at 5:30 every morning to be at work before 7 a.m. in time enough to have coffee with the guys before the day started.

Unirope LTD. is an ISO 9001 and LEEA-Lifting Equipment Engineers Association certified company, specializing in the manufacturing, distribution, testing, certification and inspection of Lifting- and Rigging Products. Unirope is servicing the industry since 1956.

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(St. Joseph News Press) – WireCo WorldGroup will close the majority of its St. Joseph manufacturing operations in a move that will leave the company with its smallest local workforce in nearly 70 years of doing business here.

“I feel bad for friends I know there in their 50s that were striving to earn their retirement,” said Rick Evans, who left WireCo in 2004 to become a registered nurse. “My dad started working there in 1965, and he got to retire, so it’s sad to know other workers won’t.”

WireCo President and CEO Chris Ayers announced the closing in a conference call with investors Thursday. Employee and union sources say company executives appeared in St. Joseph to deliver the news Thursday morning.

“We will be closing the facility over the next 12 months,” Ayers said in the investor call. “While we hate to make a decision that affects our employees in that way, it was time to consolidate.”

Ayers said equipment would be relocated to other WireCo facilities, but about 14 employees will remain at a fabricated products division on Main Street.

Later Thursday, Hillyard Industries of St. Joseph announced plans to purchase about 25 acres of WireCo’s Downtown property and redevelop it into a new manufacturing and national distribution center. Hillyard makes cleaning and hygiene products.

“Wire Rope made the decision to close the facility here, but on the other hand you have a local company here with ties to the community that’s going to use that as an opportunity to grow and to get stronger,” said R. Patt Lilly, president and CEO of St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce.

Once known as Wire Rope Corporation of America, the company became one of the largest employers in St. Joseph after relocating from New Haven, Connecticut, in 1948. Wire Rope’s work force surged to 1,500 in its heyday, but cheaper foreign competition began to take its toll beginning in the 1980s.

In 1999, union employees went on strike for a month in St. Joseph. Wire Rope lost $26 million in 2001 and filed for bankruptcy protection one year later.

The company emerged from bankruptcy with a new name — WireCo WorldGroup — new private equity ownership and plans for growth. WireCo moved its corporate headquarters from St. Joseph to north Kansas City but maintained production operations in St. Joseph, Chillicothe and Sedalia.

It expanded its operations with a series of acquisitions and joint business ventures in Mexico, China, Canada, Portugal, Poland, India and the Netherlands. The company now operates 24 manufacturing facilities in eight countries.

Falling oil prices hit WireCo hard in recent years, with net sales plummeting $172 million in 2015 while adjusted earnings dropped 18 percent on a year-over-year basis. The company’s wire rope products are used in energy exploration, bridge construction, industrial fishing, mining and other industries that can experience cyclical downturns.

WireCo has been slowly working its way to closing the St. Joseph site. In September 2013, 21 employees were let go, and one year ago 30 more St. Joseph employees were laid off.

The company is now headquartered in Prairie Village, Kansas. The closing of the St. Joseph facility will not impact operations in Chillicothe or other Missouri sites.

“We have companies today that are hiring and can’t find people to hire,” Lilly said. “I think people who work at (WireCo) that have experience and skills will be able find work here in the area. Our unemployment rate right now is lower than it’s been in many years.”

WireCo WorldGroup, formerly Wire Rope Corporation of America, Inc. (WRCA), was originally founded in 1931 by J.P. Barclay, Sr. as an offshoot from his company, Wire Machinery Corporation of America. WireCo WorldGroup grew from these roots into the largest wire rope manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere and perhaps the world. The first major move made by WireCo WorldGroup was to relocate to the Midwest which brought it closer to its raw material supplier and provided a logistical hub for manufacturing operations. In the early 60"s, WireCo WorldGroup acquired A.H. Leschen & Sons based in St. Louis. After consolidating manufacturing capabilities, the Leschen brand was strongly supported and successfully maintained for many years. With the downturn in oil and gas exploration in 1982, WireCo WorldGroup struggled to find new markets for their products. It was at this time that the company launched a new division selling high carbon wire in various markets. In 1993 this division moved to a new wire mill facility in Chillicothe, MO. In 1988, WireCo WorldGroup acquired the wire rope division of Armco Steel, Union Wire Rope. The Union brand has very strong brand recognition in the oil and mining industry and a corresponding strong market share. Then, in 1998, Rochester Corporation sold their wire rope division to WireCo WorldGroup. Though a smaller factor in the market, they did control several segments of specialty products. A year later, WireCo WorldGroup acquired the wire rope divisions of Amsted Industries - MacWhyte and Broderick & Bascom. By 2001, WireCo WorldGroup limited the use of the Leschen, Rochester and Broderick & Bascom brands and names. In mid 2005, WireCo WorldGroup completed the acquisition of Aceros Camesa, the leading producer of wire rope in Mexico, a major producer of high carbon wire in Mexico and the world"s leading independent producer of electromechanical cables for data logging in the oil and gas exploration market. They also sell high carbon wire products into the U.S. market under the Camesa brand. The Camesa brand has been updated and continues to be used in all Mexican operations and in the EMC market worldwide and tied into the WireCo WorldGroup brands. WireCo WorldGroup signed a joint venture agreement with Wuhan Iron and Steel Co. in the summer of 2006 to form a new wire rope manufacturing company in China. WISCO is the third largest steel company in China and one of the largest in the world. The JV will open the largest, most modern wire rope manufacturing facility in the world in the spring of 2008 with the intent of delivering higher quality products to the Chinese and Asian market. In early 2007, WireCo WorldGroup was acquired by Fox Paine (now Paine and Partners, LLC), a private equity firm based in San Francisco. Their goal is to use WireCo WorldGroup as a platform for growth and expansion. Paine and Partners were a catalyst to complete the acquisition of CASAR. CASAR is the world"s technical leader in the design and production of special wire ropes. These ropes are used in critical load lifting applications for hoists, cranes and underground mining. Based in Limbach, Germany, CASAR brings with it a strong global brand and access to the European market as well as many other markets worldwide. In October of 2007, along with the name change, we relocated our corporate headquarters 30 miles south of St. Joseph, Missouri to Kansas City. The state of the art facility will serve as our foundation to further expand and coordinate our global pool of talent for many years to come. In November of 2007, WireCo WorldGroup purchased US Reel. They served as a valued and trusted supplier for many years and we hope to grow their business while securing our source of supply for the future. WireCo WorldGroup is dedicated to matching and advancing wire, wire rope and electro-mechanical cables to your dynamic applications throughout the world. With a global manufacturing and distribution base along with our unmatched technical expertise, the world is our worksite.keywords:N/A