Pushing toward the future At Direct Wire, we have a proud tradition of innovation and pioneering spirit that keeps us at the forefront of product development, service excellence, and continuous improvement. From humble beginnings in 1977—mailing cable samples from the garage of owner, Richard Witwer—to the commissioning of our newest, state-of-the-art continuous vulcanization line, Direct Wire remains committed to pushing toward the future. We’re proud of Direct Wire’s history of success and the creativity and ingenuity of our employees who have made it possible. Below is more recent proof of how our team of visionaries and trailblazers has redefined innovation within the wire and cable industry. 1980 PIONEERS THERMOPLASTIC RUBBER WELDING CABLE Richard Witwer, founder of Direct Wire, becomes the first to manufacture industrial welding cable jacketed with thermoplastic rubber. This revolutionary method shifts the entire industry and sees nearly all manufacturers adopt Witwer’s innovative process. 1998 COLOR OPTIONS ADDED Growing demand for Direct Wire’s Flex-A-Prene product sees the company add standard and custom color options to the popular welding cable. Customers were now able to quickly identify owned cables on the job site, bring branding elements into their operation, and assign colors for specific functions or safety. 1999 ULTRA-FLEX® LAUNCHES The first version of Ultra-Flex launches with its signature orange jacketing and industry-best flexibility characteristics. The new product is an immediate success within high-flex applications, including pipeliners, robotics, and constrained spaces. 2000 SEQUENTIAL MARKING Direct Wire introduces sequential marking on its Flex-A-Prene® line—the most recognized brand name of welding cable in the industry. The printed markings provided highly visible footage guides that ensure accurate lengths and ease of inventorying. 2003 PRE-CUT CABLE DEBUTS To answer customer demand for ready-to-use products, Direct Wire develops a seamless process to offer precision-cut cable lengths that eliminate in-the-field, inaccurate, and messy cuts while saving time and labor costs. 2010 1ST TO MEET SAE J1127 REQUIREMENTS Direct Wire becomes the first manufacturer to incorporate SAE J1127 requirements into its welding cable, requiring minimum copper amounts per gauge, appropriate sizing for specific applications, and testing for mechanical and performance characteristics. 2012 COPPER RECYCLING PROGRAM Adhering to ethical and sustainable operations, Direct Wire introduces its unique Copper Recycling Program to provide a competitive scrap return solution for customers. The convenient process offers simple and consistent credit rates based on COMEX market pricing. 2013 QUICK PRINT® ADDED Direct Wire integrates Quick Print capabilities into its long- and short-run manufacturing processes allowing customizable ink printing along the outer cable jacketing to help company branding, identify cable types, and deter theft. 2014 COLOR STRIPING Cable customization takes another step forward as Direct Wire begins offering the application of extruded color striping on its rubber compound products. The striping process has since been made available on all plastic compound products as well. 2020 1ST IN US TO USE SUPER STEAM Direct Wire is the first manufacturer in the US to integrate Super Steam curing processes into its CV lines. The cutting-edge technology utilizes reduced pressure and optimal heat levels to manufacture superior-quality dual pass and multi-conductor cables.
