Service Wire Company is a wire and cable manufacturer that serves the industrial and heavy commercial markets. One hundred percent of their products are copper-based and made in the United States in one of their three facilities. The Service Wire team also makes products for the utility sector, renewable energy, pump, irrigation and transit markets.
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In 1968, Service Wire Company was established in West Virginia. Their Houston, Texas facility opened in 1980 and the Phoenix, Arizona facility opened in 1999. Each of the three locations has a manufacturing plant, a distribution center and a sales office.
This year, Service Wire Company is celebrating their 50th anniversary in business. 50 years is quite an accomplishment in the wire and cable industry, but particularly so for an independently held company, since many manufacturers have been acquired by larger corporate entities over the years.
As a second generation family-owned business, Service Wire has the capacity and flexibility to make quick decisions. “We can make one decision and then spin on a dime and go in a different direction. We are really nimble by not having any shareholders to answer to,” says Bruce Kesler, Director of Sales for the Culloden, West Virginia sales office. The experienced employees at Service Wire are vital to the company’s success. The business enjoys an extremely low turnover rate, both in sales and in manufacturing, and many of their employees are cross-trained in multiple departments.
The Service Wire workplace culture supports a team atmosphere, and the company’s people are by far their greatest asset. “We have a diverse team with backgrounds ranging from custom composite cables to specialty wire and cable. We even have a member on the team who was a Vice-President for a different wire manufacturing company, so we have a lot of experience on our sales force,” says Mike Madjidi, Director of Sales for Service Wire in Phoenix, Arizona. “We have a staff that is focused on customer service and have stock that is readily available for customers when they have issues or need wire quickly,” he says.
Indeed, the entire staff is dedicated to customer service. “We have a traditional approach to service combined with a progressive approach to technology and manufacturing. We have some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world in all three of our locations,” says Kesler. Employees take pride in their craftsmanship and stay abreast of the latest developments in the field. “We have a very knowledgeable staff; they’re young, they’re outgoing, they’re hardworking and we work very well together as a team,” says Randy Barrett, Director of Sales for Service Wire in Houston, TX.
Employees take pride in this culture of service. “Service isn’t just something we do; it’s who we are. From manufacturing to distribution and sales, our reputation for service is reflected in our dedication to the highest quality standards in the industry,” says Barrett.
An additional aspect that sets Service Wire apart is their three manufacturing locations across the country. These facilities are capable of delivering to a majority of the United States with same-day or two-day delivery.
The company’s commitment to stock and inventory is also exceptional in the industry. If a customer has an emergency order and needs access to products right away, Service Wire is prepared and ready to deliver.
Service Wire has one of the shortest minimum run requirements in the industry, which is ideal for customers looking for special-make, custom cable. “We have very short minimums with the fastest lead times in the industry, so we can make special-make items quickly. Some of our competitors might have 10,000 foot minimum requirement, but we work out around 250 foot minimums, depending on the item,” says Kesler.
Maintaining a focus on their core product lines, Service Wire continuously improves the quality of these products. “We are extremely good at the products we make. Instead of spreading ourselves too thin, we focus on inventory and production capabilities,” says Kesler. Service Wire has a 99.9 percent on-time delivery and fulfillment rate that they plan to maintain throughout their growth. They carefully consider the different products that fit within the marketplace.
“We’re not adding a bunch of different items to our repertoire on a whim. We are very strategic when we add products to the lines we manufacture. Our commitment is always to underpromise and overdeliver,” says Madjidi.
A reflection of this strategy, Service Wire adds a select number of new products and focuses on expanding the depth of their capabilities. “We have shortened lead times by improving our manufacturing equipment,” explains Madjidi. “A lot of our growth is in adding capabilities that service customers with our existing line – but faster.”
With a focus on customer service, the turnaround time for quotes from Service Wire is generally only a couple of hours, whereas other manufacturers may require a couple of days. Service Wire has provided wire and cable products to some very significant construction projects in the United States including the Bayonne Bridge, the Freedom Tower, and Wrigley Field.
“We are manufacturing quality and delivering service. We aim to manufacture the highest quality products and we put a lot of pride into our quality assurance methods in our manufacturing department,” says Madjidi. Service Wire is ISO 9001 certified, ensuring customers consistently receive the highest quality product. Digital documentation at every phase of all orders ensures that any problems can be quickly identified and corrected immediately.
Of course, safety standards are crucial in any manufacturing facility, and Service Wire is proud to manufacture their products in the USA. “We incorporate safety into everything we do because we want to support our most important asset: our people,” says Kesler. “We have a high commitment to safety, which I think increases the productivity of our employees. They know we strive to send everyone home safely at the end of the day.”
Service Wire has had to manage the influx of other materials in the industry, such as aluminum, which is generally known to be lighter and less expensive than copper products. This is a challenge for the copper-centric company, yet they overcome this challenge by raising awareness about copper as a superior conductor with a lower rate of failure. Customers looking for the least expensive product often end up with a cheaper and less effective solution. Service Wire continually looks at market feedback to encourage their customers to buy the most effective solutions that ultimately save time and money.
Since the foundation of the company rests on quality customer service, the name Service Wire represents the company perfectly. For that reason they offer 24/7 emergency service and hold a significant amount of stock to properly service their customers. Service is absolutely the backbone of Service Wire Company. “We want to do everything we can to keep our customers satisfied and to continue to organically grow our business by servicing more customers and doing it better than our competition,” says Madjidi.
