General Cable Corp. moves into aluminum wire and cable market with purchase of Rio Tinto's Alcan Cable

General Cable Corp., Highland Heights, Ky., took a giant step into the aluminum wiring market with the purchase of Rio Tinto plc, the owner of Alcan Cable.

According to information on General Cable's website, Alcan Cable employs approximately 1,050 associates in its aluminum cable manufacturing and distribution facilities servicing the energy and construction markets in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China. On an annual basis, the Company estimates the acquisition will contribute approximately $650-700 million in revenues at current metal prices.

In that press release, Gregory Lampert, president and CEO, General Cable North America, said, “The addition of aluminum construction cables further expands the range of products we offer to distributors serving electrical and industrial contractors and increases our capacity to efficiently serve our electric utility customers with transmission and distribution products.” Details