Southwire Company, LLC, one of North America’s leading wire and cable manufacturers, is pleased to share that it has been named a Product of the Year Category Winner for 2026 by Electrical Construction & Maintenance (EC&M). This award, and the product for which Southwire was honored, reflects the company's commitment to resolving customer problems with innovative solutions.
Southwire was named as the winner of the Wire & Cable category for its Re3™ SIMpull XHHW-2®/RW90 cable with Color ID jacket. This product, which captured industry attention, was inspired by a request from an industry professional seeking practical accessibility in the workplace.
Electricians rely on color-coded cables to guide them in their work. One particular electrician saw a gap this caused in his own work experience; color-blind electricians faced trouble identifying these cables. The electrician contacted multiple companies requesting a way to resolve this problem, and Southwire rose to the occasion.
The identified solution was to print color names onto the cable insulation. While simple in theory, this resolution proved difficult to complete. The speed at which cables are manufactured created barriers with printing custom text at such a rapid pace. Through years of innovation and modernization, however, Southwire engineers kept this request in mind. In 2025, they brought the solution to life, creating the Color ID print on its RW90 aluminum cable.
“It was a true privilege to be the first person to respond to the inquiry sent by a seasoned journeyman who was passionately committed to making the job easier for electricians,” said Yuhsin Hawig, VP, CableTechSupport™ Services and Engineering at Southwire, who had first fielded the electrician’s request. “Winning this product of the year award in the wire and cable category is a powerful testament to how deeply Southwire values the voice of the customer and how the CableTechSupport™ Services team brings innovation to life — taking an idea from end users all the way to full execution, supported by product management and operations alike.”
The final product, with printed labels made possible by Southwire’s modernization initiatives, was initially manufactured in limited quantities and can be made commercially available in alignment with demand.
“We Deliver Power... Responsibly® by continuously innovating and creating sustainable, inclusive solutions,” said Juan Hernandez, EVP, Residential and Commercial. “No customer idea is ever too small. In fact, many of our most meaningful innovations are born directly from our customers’ pain points.”
Southwire’s patent pending Building Wire Selector and Calculator also earned the 2025 EC&M Product of the Year award in the Software and Apps Design category.
“Achieving two major recognitions in two consecutive years highlights the incredible momentum behind our work," said Hernandez. "I’m thrilled to celebrate how our teams are making a real impact across both residential and commercial applications.”
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