General Cable Adds 17 Free Riser Cable Its GenSpeed Line

From General Cable's 1/12/2010 press release. 

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KENTUCKY, January 12, 2010 – General Cable (NYSE: BGC) is pleased to announce that it has added halogen-free riser cables to its GenSPEED® product line. These new UL-Rated Category 6 and 5e riser cables, known as 17 FREE™ cables, will be offered at competitive pricing and feature substantiated green properties.

With the removal of halogens, which fall into Group 17 of the Periodic Table, this revolutionary 17 FREE line of GenSPEED Riser cables does not contain any chlorine, fluorine, bromine or iodine, reducing the overall toxicity of the cable and truly resulting in a more environmentally-friendly “green” product.

“General Cable is committed to achieving industry-leading standards and responding proactively to environmental issues,” said Bob Kenny, Vice President and General Manager, General Cable Communications Cables. “As part of this commitment, we continue to find innovative ways to exceed the requirements of our customers. Our 17 FREE product line is a great example of turning end-user feedback into reality.”

“We are excited to offer a greener premise cabling solution that looks and feels like a traditional riser cable,” said Scott Brown, Director, Technical Services, General Cable. “I believe this proactive initiative reflects our stewardship to produce more environmentally sustainable products without compromising our high standards of safety and performance. And we are working to develop other sustainable 17 FREE cable options, including riser-rated premise fiber cables.”

The U.S. Green Building Council recently announced LEED Pilot Credit 2, which is a credit geared to reducing the release of persistent bio-accumulative toxic chemicals, or PBTs, associated with the life cycle of building materials, including electrical wiring and cable jacketing. Based on this LEED credit and earlier requests for green products, General Cable’s GenSPEED Wire Wizardssm closely examined the jacket of its Category 5e and 6 cables and successfully engineered this 17 FREE halogen-free riser cable version.

General Cable has accelerated its environmental commitment, addressing its Green Alternative Approach by identifying greener opportunities and promoting green cabling solutions wherever feasible. This includes promoting our existing green products; partnering with key customers in their green endeavors; identifying and providing resources for green product gaps; and participating as members in collaborative ventures such as the Green Suppliers Network (GSN).

General Cable manufactures a wide range of high performance GenSPEED® Brand 10 Gig Cat 6A, Cat 6 and Cat 5e copper data communications cables and NextGen® Brand fiber optic cables. Also ask about our PanGen™ Structured Cabling Solutions, which, in partnership with Panduit, provide market-focused open-architecture network infrastructure solutions. Visit us on the Web at www.generalcable.com.

General Cable … Delivering solutions that keep you connected.

General Cable (NYSE:BGC), headquartered in Highland Heights, Kentucky, is a leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, specialty and communications markets. The Company offers competitive strengths in such areas as breadth of product line, brand recognition, distribution and logistics, sales and service and operating efficiency. Energy cables include low-, medium- and high-voltage power distribution and power transmission products. The Industrial and Specialty segment is comprised of application-specific cables for uses such as electrical power generation (traditional fuels, alternative and renewable sources, and distributed generation), the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, mining, industrial automation, marine, military and aerospace applications, power applications in the telecommunications industry, and other key industrial segments. Communications wire and cable products transmit low-voltage signals for voice, data, video and control applications. Visit our Web site at www.GeneralCable.com.