The OKonite Company

What The OKonite Company does

The Okonite Company, founded in 1878 and headquartered in Ramsey, New Jersey, manufactures and sells insulated wire and cable products ranging from 300V to 345kV, including medium-voltage (2.4kV–138kV) and high-voltage power cable, single and multi-conductor low-voltage power and control cable, instrumentation cable, special-purpose cable (X-Ray up to 250kV DC, airport lighting, aerial jumper), and transportation wire and cable for railroad and transit. The technical foundation is a proprietary Okoguard ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) thermosetting insulation system in continuous production since 1967, supported by in-house compounding of all thermoset and thermoplastic insulation and jacketing compounds at a closed-loop plant in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and proprietary branded compounds including Okolon, Okoclear, Okoseal, X-Olene, Okotherm, and Okozel. Manufacturing capability spans six U.S. plants in Paterson NJ, Orangeburg SC (cable and compound), Richmond KY, Santa Maria CA, and Cumberland RI, plus an R&D center and high-voltage test lab in Paterson and a flame test lab in Orangeburg.

Revenue is generated by direct sale of manufactured cable, primarily through a domestic network of 23 district sales offices staffed by experienced cable professionals and five service centers maintaining substantial inventory (approximately 72,000–81,000 sq ft each) for rapid delivery; international sales are handled through offices covering Canada, Latin America, EMEA, and Asia. Pricing is quote-based against custom specifications, with copper, aluminum, lead, and steel costs explicitly published as daily metal prices, indicating pass-through or index-linked economics. The customer base is concentrated in the U.S. electric-utility segment (distribution, transmission, and fossil/nuclear generation) and extends to oil & gas, chemical and pulp & paper industrial, railroad/transit, medical, military, renewable energy (wind, solar, biofuel), and data centers; named enterprise customers include PG&E, Exelon, and APS, alongside historical references to Thomas Edison (Pearl Street Station, 1882) and Samuel Morse.

Okonite is employee-owned through an Employees' Stock Ownership Trust established in June 1976 and has held ISO 9001:2015 certification (PRI, December 2016) plus nuclear (10CFR50 Appendix B, NQA-1-1994, NUPIC-audited) and railroad (AAR M-1003) qualifications since the 1970s and 1893 respectively. The company also publishes an Engineering Technical Center and Okonite Engineering Handbook and operates The Okonite App (iOS) for cable-sizing calculations and sales-office locator functionality, supporting a technically literate enterprise field-sales motion rather than a transactional e-commerce channel.

Name

The OKonite Company

Legal name

The Okonite Company

Website

https://okonite.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1878

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Okonite Company, founded 1878 and employee-owned since 1976, is America's oldest existing independent wire and cable manufacturer, producing EPR-insulated power, control, and instrumentation cable from 300V to 345kV across six U.S. plants for electric utilities, oil & gas, rail, and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wire and Cable Manufacturing

NAICS

Communication and Energy Wire and Cable Manufacturing (33592), Other Communication and Energy Wire Manufacturing (335929), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Utility & Underground Distribution Cable (URD/Substation) (IMADAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Building Wire & Cable (Residential/Commercial) (IMADAMAA), Control, Instrumentation & Automation Cable (IMADAMAC)

Keywords

• Insulated wire cable
• Medium voltage cables
• Electrical cable manufacturing
• High voltage power cables
• Instrumentation cables

Headquarters

HQ city

Ramsey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wire and Cable Manufacturing and Sales: Okonite manufactures and sells a comprehensive range of insulated wire and cable products including instrumentation cables, power and control cables, medium voltage cables, and high voltage cables. Products are sold through a direct sales force of 23 district sales offices across the United States. Revenue is generated through product sales with pricing based on cable type, specifications, and volume. The company maintains in-stock inventory at service centers for rapid delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Okonite Company manufactures and sells insulated electrical wire and cable products across a 300V to 345kV range, including medium voltage cables, low voltage power and control cables, instrumentation cables, special purpose cables, and transportation (railroad/transit) cables. Products are built around proprietary insulation systems such as Okoguard EPR, Okolon, Okoseal, X-Olene, Okozel, Okoclear, and Okotherm, with all thermoset insulation and jacketing compounds compounded in-house. Cable is sold through 23 district sales offices, 5 service centers with inventory, and an e-commerce storefront to utilities, oil & gas, industrial, railroad/transit, military, medical, renewable energy, and data center customers.

Product overview

The Okonite Company is America's oldest independent wire and cable manufacturer (established 1878), offering a comprehensive portfolio of insulated cable products ranging from 300V to 345kV. The core product line consists of Medium Voltage Cables (2.4kV and above), Single and Multi-Conductor Low Voltage Cables (to 2kV), Instrumentation Cables, Special Purpose Cables, and Transportation Wire and Cables. These are supported by proprietary insulation technologies including Okoguard EPR (Ethylene-Propylene Rubber), Okolon (chlorinated thermoset), Okoseal (PVC), X-Olene (XLPE), and Okozel (ETFE) compounds manufactured in-house. The company provides engineering technical support through its Okonite Engineering Handbook, maintains ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management systems, and offers a mobile application for cable calculations and technical assistance. Okonite serves Electric Utility (Distribution, Transmission, Generation including nuclear), Oil & Gas, Chemical, Railroad/Transit, Military, Industrial, Medical, and renewable energy (Wind, Solar, Biofuel) markets through six manufacturing facilities, five service centers, and 23 district sales offices across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Okoguard: Okonite's exclusive ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) based, thermosetting insulation, with an optimum balance of electrical and physical properties unequaled in other solid dielectrics, used on power cables rated 600V and above.
• C-L-X
• LOXARMOR
• OKOBON
• OKOCLEAR
• OKOLON

Products and services

• Medium Voltage Cables (2.4kV and above) Single and three conductor Okoguard EPR insulated cables rated from 2.4kV to 138kV, including shielded, non-shielded, armored (CLX, Loxarmor), PILC, and submarine cable variants for utility and industrial power distribution applications.
• Single Conductor Low Voltage Cables (to 2kV) 600V to 2000V rated single conductor power and control cables including Okoguard-Okolon, X-Olene, Okonite-FMR, Okoseal-N, Okozel, and Okoclear variants for commercial and industrial electrical installations.
• Multi-Conductor Low Voltage Cables (to 2kV) 600V/1000V multi-conductor power and control cables including CLX Type MC-HL, Loxarmor, Okonite-FMR, X-Olene, and VFD cables for industrial automation and motor drive applications.
• Instrumentation Cable 300V and 600V rated instrumentation and control cables including P-NS, P-OS, SP-OS configurations with Okoseal, Okozel, and X-Olene insulation, thermocouple extension cables, and Okobus Foundation Fieldbus cables for process control and industrial instrumentation.
• Special Purpose Cables Specialized cables including X-Ray/Hi-Voltage cables (up to 250kV dc), aerial jumper cables, airport lighting cables, and CLX terminating tool kits for niche industrial applications.
• Transportation Wire and Cables Signal cables, track wire, line wire, tower and case wire, power cables, and control cables specifically designed for railroad, transit, and transportation infrastructure applications.
• The Okonite App (Mobile Application) iOS mobile application providing technical assistance with electrical formulas, cable application questions, conductor resistance calculator, conduit fill calculator, power and current equations calculator, and local sales office locator for cable specifiers and field engineers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Continuous operation at 105°C conductor temperature
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Eaton Corporation: Eaton is a large diversified power-management manufacturer with electrical components and infrastructure solutions serving utility, industrial, and data center markets. While primarily a switchgear and power-distribution equipment maker rather than a wire and cable manufacturer, it is frequently specified alongside Okonite cable products in utility and industrial projects.

Direct peers

• Service Wire Company: Service Wire is a US-based, family-owned manufacturer of copper and aluminum building wire, utility cable, and portable cord. It overlaps with Okonite in low-voltage building wire, utility distribution cable, and serves similar electrical distributor and contractor channels.
• Southwire Company: Southwire is one of the largest US manufacturers of wire and cable, serving utility, commercial, industrial, and communications end-markets with a comparable product portfolio (medium/low voltage, instrumentation, specialty cable). Like Okonite, it operates as a privately held US manufacturer with broad utility customer relationships, making it the closest US-based direct competitor.
• Belden Inc. Belden designs and manufactures signal and communications cables, including instrumentation, control, and industrial networking cables. Its product portfolio and target segments (industrial automation, broadcast, data centers) overlap with Okonite's instrumentation cable business, though Belden is more focused on signal/data versus power.
• Encore Wire Corporation: Encore Wire is a publicly traded US manufacturer of electrical wire and cable for commercial, industrial, and residential applications with a single vertically integrated Alabama campus. It competes directly with Okonite in building wire, fixture wire, and related low-voltage categories, though Okonite has broader high-voltage and specialty reach.

Broad incumbents

• Sumitomo Electric Industries: Sumitomo Electric is a major Japanese diversified cable and electrical equipment manufacturer with global operations serving utility, industrial, and automotive markets. It competes with Okonite in power cable, specialty cable, and increasingly in US renewable and grid projects.
• Nexans: Nexans is a global French cable manufacturer with strong utility, industrial, and submarine cable offerings. It competes with Okonite in medium and high voltage power cables, particularly in nuclear, oil & gas, and infrastructure segments with broader international reach.
• LS Cable & System: LS Cable & System is a South Korean manufacturer of power, telecommunications, and specialty cables with growing US presence through its subsidiary. It competes with Okonite in medium and high voltage utility cable and in renewable/wind farm cabling.
• Prysmian Group: Prysmian is the world's largest cable manufacturer, offering utility, telecom, and industrial cables globally after acquiring General Cable. It competes with Okonite across medium and high voltage utility cable and serves as a major incumbent in nuclear, renewable, and submarine applications where Okonite also operates.
• Hubbell Incorporated: Hubbell manufactures electrical products including wiring accessories, connectors, and utility products. While not a direct cable competitor, it is an adjacent electrical equipment manufacturer serving many of the same utility and industrial customers as Okonite.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The OKonite Company