FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Press Release Chip Laingen
Minnesota Wire & Cable Co. Phone: 651-642-1800
St. Paul, Minnesota

Minnesota Defense Nets $2.5 Million Order from Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) 02/23/05

– Marking the single largest order in Minnesota Wire & Cable Co.’s 37-year history, the company’s defense division, Minnesota Defense, received a $2.5 million order on Friday from Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The order is for coil cord communications devices for the U.S. Army’s Advanced Combat Helmet system. The helmet, adopted by the Army as the new standard of issue for all troops deployed to combat regions, has a lightweight, integrated communications system that incorporates Minnesota Wire’s rugged coil cord. The cord is an extruded assembly whose requirements were easily met and surpassed because of the company’s long history of quickly responding to design criteria for unique wire and cable interconnect needs. That expertise was gained through decades of involvement in the exacting medical industry. The Army’s significantly overhauled helmet design offers considerably more protection and comfort, and other features such as an integrated communications package.

"This news comes on top of a record year that we just concluded," said Paul Wagner, President and CEO of Minnesota Wire & Cable Co. "This means hiring and overtime, and we’ll continue to be busy with many of our core strengths of molding, tooling and extruding… that’s a good thing. We’re proud, too, that this project continues our tradition of providing ‘Soldier Safety First,’ said Wagner. The Advanced Combat Helmet has been credited with saving lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.

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