Paris-based wire manufacturer Nexans said it will build a new high-voltage cable plant at the Bushy Park Industrial Complex in Berkley County, S.C. The $85 million plant on a green-field site will put about 200 people to work producing high-voltage power cable, beginning in 2014. In its initial phase, it will focus on the manufacture of underground land cables up to high-voltage cables of 500 kV.
“Establishing our Berkeley plant is a key strategic development that will enable Nexans to capitalize on the ever-growing demand for high-quality HV cables designed and manufactured to meet the specific needs of the major power transmission infrastructure projects in North America and worldwide in the coming years,”' said Dirk Steinbrink, executive vice president, High Voltage & Underwater Cables Business Group, Nexans.
In 2011, North America represented more than 11% of the Nexans Group's total sales with over 1,300 people employed in seven production facilities: four in the U.S. and three in Canada.