This year, the cable and wire harness manufacturing industry came to “harness the future” at the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE), held May 14-16 at Baird Center in Milwaukee, Wis., and left inspired with access to new technologies, and solutions to challenging issues through training and education and a network of leading-edge companies, industry leaders and subject matter experts. Produced by the Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA), IPC and Baird Center, the event drew in a total of 2,939 attendees.
“This year’s event exceeded what we anticipated. The atmosphere on the show floor was remarkable and helped foster connections and relationships between exhibitors and attendees,” said Parker Garrett, President, EMSCO and WHMA Board Chair. “I’m confident that the partnerships formed will help develop new innovative solutions, technological progress, and new business. WHMA/IPC’s mission to ‘lead, educate, and connect’ is foundational to creating these partnerships and we are thrilled that WHMA is a guiding hand in this industry.”
Highlights included seven professional development courses and 28 technical conference sessions that provided new information and data, skills, techniques, and trends related to the cable and wire harness industry, a keynote from Christina Rutherford, advanced materials & process engineer, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, on the importance of developing and successfully implementing process controls throughout the supply chain using real-world examples that use IPC/WHMA-A-620.
Attendees were pleased with how the event helps them network with exhibitors who can help them grow their business. “I like being able to decipher which companies are geared toward our sector. EWPTE makes it easy to see what companies have products that are viable for our company,” said Matthew Earl, avionics harnessing integration engineer at Amazon-Kaipur. “We can see what companies are suited to our needs,” he added. Benjamin Dean, engineer at Blue Origin appreciated the hands-on experience gained on the exhibit floor, “You can see the products being demonstrated and know exactly how it will work within your business.”
The EWPTE 2024 experience was equally positive for the 213 exhibitors (up 15 percent from 2023) who showcased their products and services spanning 50,100 net square feet of show floor space and generated a total of 13,493 leads according to the lead data count.
“We have exhibited at EWPTE for many years and this has always been a great show to attend. We meet new potential customers and get to take advantage of being face-to-face with our customer base,” said Darren Teasck, president, Komax Corporation. “This year was great. We had the opportunity to spend time with our customers and get to know their manufacturing processes which means we can help them better with our products.”
New for 2024
EWPTE 2024 hosted the inaugural “India Pavilion,” which showcased Indian wire harness companies on the exhibit floor. The Pavilion was opened with pomp and circumstance by the Wire Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA) Board Chair, David Bergman on Wednesday, May 15 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Strategic alliances and export leads were the major deliverables from the Indian exporter participation at EWPTE 2024. The show aimed to bring the “Brand India” image to the global industry.
The India Pavilion featured 15 exhibiting companies from India entering the North American market. Anushka Jain, head of business development at Advance Cable Technologies Pvt. Ltd. was optimistic that exhibiting at EWPTE would provide a gateway into new markets, “We have taken what we’ve learned about the wire harness industry in India, and we want to bring that knowledge to North America. EWPTE is the perfect place to start exploring that market.”
Jitender Singh from Jeet Enterprises was excited to exhibit at EWPTE for the first time. Singh noted, “We wanted to find a marketplace that would put us in direct contact with wire harness customers. We have found that market at EWPTE, and it has helped us tremendously in building a contact list of customers.”
The North American wire harness market is expected to witness significant growth, driven by the increasing adoption of advanced technologies and the expansion of the healthcare and data center industries. There will be a need for supplies, components, and contract manufacturing and India can be the source. IPC India while engaging with the wire harness manufacturers and suppliers through training and certification has received interest in export and strategic alliances with U.S. OEMs.
Due to U.S.-China trade issues and supply chain disruptions, Indian wire harness and cable assembly companies will play an essential role in North America’s end-user sector.
ESC India, an agency of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, supported Indian companies to participate in EWPTE.
EWPTE has been recognized as a top 100 fastest growing show in the United States for net square footage and number of exhibiting companies and as a result, is considered as a ‘best show to do business,’ and provides ample opportunities to network with existing customers, meet new customers, grow business and increase revenue.
In 2025, EWPTE will return to the Baird Center for its 23rd year, May 6-8. For more information, visit www.electricalwireshow.com.
