Profile: General Cable Corporation (BGC)

General Cable Corporation, incorporated in April 1994, is engaged in developing, designing, manufacturing, marketing, distributing and installing copper, aluminum and fiber optic wire and cable products. The Company operates in three segments based on geographic regions: North America, which primarily consists of operations in the United States and Canada; Europe and North Africa, and Rest of World (ROW), which consists of operations in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific. As of December 31, 2008, the Company manufactured its product lines in 46 facilities, including two facilities owned by companies in which the Company has an equity investment and sells its products worldwide through its global operations. The products of the Company include electric utility products, electrical infrastructure products, construction products, communication products and rod mill products. On May 21, 2008, the Company entered a joint venture for majority ownership of E.P.E / EN.I.CA.BISKRA/SPA (Enica Biskra), an Algerian state-owned manufacturer of low and medium voltage power and construction cables. On June 30, 2008, the Company and its joint venture partner, A. Soriano Corporation (Anscor), acquired Phelps Dodge Philippines (PDP), there by increasing its equity investment from 40% to 60%. In August 2009, the Company acquired Gepco International, Inc. and Isotec, Inc. (collectively, Gepco). Gepco is a manufacturer and provider of cabling solutions for the professional broadcast and entertainment markets.

The Company's various wire and cable product lines are sold and manufactured by all geographic segments except for rod mill products, which are manufactured and sold by the ROW segment, and construction products, which are sold in the Europe and North Africa and ROW segments. The electric utility products include low- and medium-voltage distribution cable; high- and extra-high voltage power transmission cable products and installation, and bare overhead conductor. The products are sold to electric utility and power companies and contractors. The Company supplies electric utility cables in North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Oceania and Southeast Asia. It manufactures low- and medium-voltage aluminum and copper distribution cable, bare overhead aluminum conductor and high-voltage transmission cable. The Company also provides installation services for high-voltage and extra-high-voltage transmission cables used in certain overhead and underground applications.

The electrical infrastructure products group includes electrical infrastructure, portable cord products and transportation products and industrial harnesses. These products consist of wire and cable that are used for many applications, such as maintenance and repair; temporary power on construction sites; conduction of electrical current and signals for industrial original equipment manufacturers and commercial power, residential power and control applications, and jacketed wire and cable products and harnesses for automotive and industrial applications. These products include low- and medium-voltage industrial cables, rail and mass transit cables, shipboard cables, oil and gas cables, and other industrial cables.

The portable cord products in this product group consist of a range of rubber and plastic insulated cord products for power and control applications serving industrial, mining, entertainment, original equipment manufacturers and other markets. The Company also manufactures portable cord for use with moveable heavy equipment and machinery. The Company’s portable cord products are sold primarily through electrical distributors and electrical retailers to industrial customers, original equipment manufacturers, contractors and consumers. The transportation products consist of ignition wire sets for sale to the automotive aftermarket. Other products include cable harnesses (assemblies) for use in industrial control applications, as well as medical applications. These assemblies are used in products, such as industrial machinery, diagnostic imaging and transportation equipment.

The construction product group includes wire and cable products for construction markets. The products consist of construction cables, building wire and flexible cords. The group includes construction cables that meet low-smoke, zero-halogen requirements and flame retardant cables. The cables are used in the construction markets served by electrical distributors, contractors and retail home centers. The end users of the products are electricians, distributors, installation and engineering contractors and do-it-yourself consumers.

The communication products include wire and cable products that transmit low-voltage signals for voice and data applications, and electronic wire and cables. The data communication products include high-bandwidth twisted copper and fiber optic cables and multi-conductor cables for customer premises, local area networks and telephone company central offices. Its other product category includes outside plant telecommunications exchange cable, which is short haul trunk, feeder or distribution cable from a telephone company’s central office to the subscriber premises. The product consists of multiple paired conductors (ranging from two to 4,200 pairs) and various types of sheathing, water-proofing, foil wraps and metal jacketing.

The Company’s electronics products include multi-conductor, multi-pair, coaxial, hook-up, audio and microphone cables, speaker and television lead wire and high temperature and shielded electronic wire. It also produces and sells fiber-optic submarine communication cable systems and special cables for the offshore industry and other underwater and terrestrial applications. Products include fiber-optic submarine cables and hardware, low detection profile cables, turnkey submarine networks and offshore systems integration.

Rod Mill products include continuous cast copper and aluminum rod, which is sold to other wire and cable manufacturers. These products are only produced and sold by former PDIC operations in the ROW segment.

North America

The North America segment is engaged in the development, design, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum, and fiber optic wires and cables in the United States and Canada to domestic customers for use in the electric utility, electrical infrastructure and communications industries. During the year ended December 31, 2008, the North America segment contributed approximately 35% of the Company’s consolidated revenues. The Company utilizes a network of direct sales and authorized distributors to supply low- and medium-voltage and high-voltage bare overhead cable products.

Europe and North Africa

The Europe and North Africa segment designs, manufactures, markets and distributes copper, aluminum and fiber optic cables in Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and Algeria, and services markets throughout Europe and North Africa. This segment produces electric utility, electrical infrastructure, construction, and communications products. In addition, the Europe and North Africa segment provides installation services for high-voltage and extra high-voltage electric utility projects globally. The Europe and North Africa segment contributed approximately 35% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in 2008.

Rest of World (ROW)

The ROW segment consists of sales and manufacturing resources in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific that resulted from the Phelps Dodge International Corporation (PDIC) acquisition, and is managed in conjunction with the Company’s operations in the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Australia, India and China. The ROW segment develops, designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes wire and cable products for use in the electric utility, electrical infrastructure, construction and communications markets, as well as rod mill products, specifically copper and aluminum rod. This segment contributed approximately 30% of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2008.