Century Wire & Cable
Century Wire & Cable, founded in 1979 and based in Commerce, California, manufactures heavy duty extension cords, specialty cables, and temporary power distribution products featuring patented safety innovations (CGM, Pro Lock, Pro Grip). Products are sold via wholesale distributors and through a DeWalt co-brand to professional contractors and trade professionals across North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersCommerce, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Century Wire & Cable does
Century Wire & Cable, founded in 1979 and headquartered in a 256,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Commerce, California, is a U.S. manufacturer of electrical wire and cable products, principally heavy duty and specialty extension cords, temporary power distribution equipment, lighting products, and accessories. The company was established to serve professional building contractors — a long-neglected niche for heavy duty cord products — and has since extended into adjacent verticals including special events/A/V, agricultural/irrigation, welding, RV, and oil/industrial applications. Across its product lines, Century Wire & Cable incorporates several proprietary, patented innovations: CGM (Continuous Ground Monitoring) with a green-light ground-continuity indicator and lighted amber power-status plug (conceived 2008); Pro Lock, an anti-disconnect connector rated to 80 lbs of pull force (launched 2015); Pro Grip retractable handles for welding/RV cords (2007); and Sub Zero cold-weather elastomer jackets rated to -58°F. The product portfolio is marketed through proprietary brand families (Pro Lock, Pro Glo, Sub Zero, Pro Star, Pro Classic, PowerTech, Pro Grip, Pro Cap) and a co-branded manufacturing partnership with DeWalt.
Revenue mechanics are hardware sales of these cord, cable, lighting, and accessory SKUs through a wholesale distribution channel to contractors and trade professionals across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company does not publish pricing; sales are quote-based B2B through distributors with whom a dedicated in-house sales team coordinates value-added services including POS solutions, sales training, custom cord printing, and product development support. An online Custom Cord Builder extends a build-to-order capability to customers. The company is privately held with no disclosed parent, institutional investors, or external funding rounds in the available source material. There are no disclosed acquisitions, leadership changes, or restructuring events, and revenue, headcount trends, and ownership percentages are not publicly disclosed.
Century Wire & Cable firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Century Wire & Cable
- Legal name
- Century Wire & Cable
- Website
- https://centurywire.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Century Wire & Cable, founded in 1979 and based in Commerce, California, manufactures heavy duty extension cords, specialty cables, and temporary power distribution products featuring patented safety innovations (CGM, Pro Lock, Pro Grip). Products are sold via wholesale distributors and through a DeWalt co-brand to professional contractors and trade professionals across North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Century Wire & Cable industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electrical Wire and Cable Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Communication and Energy Wire and Cable Manufacturing (33592), Current-Carrying Wiring Device Manufacturing (335931), Wiring Device Manufacturing (33593)
- SIC
- Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640), Electronic Connectors (3678), Miscellaneous Electrical Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (3690)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Flexible Cords, Portable Power & Cord Sets (IMADAMAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Building Wire & Cable (Residential/Commercial) (IMADAMAA), Wiring Devices & Receptacles (switches, sockets, plugs, industrial outlets, pin & sleeve) (IMAGAEAF), Utility & Underground Distribution Cable (URD/Substation) (IMADAMAG)
Keywords
Where Century Wire & Cable is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Commerce
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Century Wire & Cable business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Electrical Wire and Cable Products: Manufacturing and selling heavy duty extension cords, specialty cords, temporary power distribution products, lighting products, and accessories through wholesale distribution channels.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Century Wire & Cable product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Century Wire & Cable manufactures electrical wire, cable, and cord products for professional, contractor, industrial, and trade end-users. Its catalog spans heavy-duty and specialty extension cords, temporary power distribution (festooning) systems, lighting products, running length cable (including submersible pump cable), and accessory components such as plugs, connectors, adapters, and surge/power strips. Products are engineered with differentiated technologies (e.g., CGM, Pro Lock, Pro Grip, Sub Zero cold-weather ratings) and are sold primarily through wholesale distribution and configured through an in-house Custom Cord Builder.
Product overview
Century Wire & Cable is a leading manufacturer of electrical wire and cable products for professional contractors and industrial applications. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized around core product categories including Heavy Duty Extension Cords (lighted, locking, cold weather, non-lighted variants), Specialty Extension Cords (GFCI, RV, welder, block heater, camlock, farm, flat, roofing, multi-outlet, pin & sleeve, twistlock, and welding lead types), Temporary Power Distribution products, Lighting Products (café lights, LED worklights, outdoor light strings, trouble lights), Running Length Cables (EPDM rubber welding, landscape lighting, PVC and rubber portable power, sprinkler, stage lighting, sub pump, Type W, and UF cables), plus miscellaneous accessories including booster cables, electrical tapes, hoses, pipe wrap tapes, cable ties, and first aid kits. The product line is supported by multiple proprietary brands including Pro Lock® (locking connector technology), Pro Glo® (high visibility neon cords), Sub Zero® (extreme cold weather cords), Pro Star® (contractor grade value), Pro Classic®, PowerTech® (temporary power), and Pro Grip® (ergonomic handles), as well as DeWalt® branded products. The company also offers a Custom Cord Builder tool for bespoke product configuration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DeWalt®: Professional grade extension cords with features like abrasion resistant cold weather jackets, lighted CGM monitoring, and locking connectors. Sold through the DeWalt brand partnership.
- Pro Lock®
- Pro Glo®
- Sub Zero®
- Pro Star®
- Pro Classic®
- PowerTech®
- Pro Grip®
Products and services
- Heavy Duty Extension Cords Core SKU family of contractor-grade heavy-duty extension cords, including subcategories such as Pro Lock, Pro Grip, Pro Glo, Pro Classic, Pro Star, PowerTech, lighted-end cords, and other heavy-duty variants, sold to professional contractors and trade users through wholesale distribution.
- Specialty Extension Cords Application-specific cord SKUs targeting trade segments outside of core construction, including welding cords, RV/mobile-power cords, and farm/ranch cords, engineered for rugged shop, outdoor, and cold-environment conditions.
- Temporary Power Distribution Festooning cables and associated temporary power distribution components used to deliver distributed electrical power and lighting across events, jobsites, rigging, tents, and other non-permanent installations.
- Lighting Products Cord-connected and temporary lighting products, including festoon-style and jobsite lighting, sold to contractors, event producers, and trade users as a standalone lighting line.
- Running Length Cable Bulk by-the-foot or running length cable products for longer cord runs, equipment hookups, and wiring segments — including submersible pump cable for well and irrigation applications — sold through wholesale distribution.
- Extension Cord Adapters Adapter products that change cord configuration, plug/connector gender, or ampacity for extension cord assemblies, sold as standalone accessories to distributors and end-users.
- Plugs and Connectors Replacement and standalone industrial-grade plugs and connectors (including Pro Lock and other brand connectors) sold through wholesale distribution to contractors and end-users.
- Surge and Power Strips Standalone surge-protector and power-strip SKUs sold alongside the company's core extension cord and cable products, available through wholesale distribution.
- Miscellaneous Products Supplementary and miscellaneous electrical and accessories used to round out the company's offering for distributor programs and contractor cable needs that fall outside of its core extension cord and cable SKUs.
Companies that use Century Wire & Cable
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Century Wire & Cable technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Century Wire & Cable partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- DeWaltcoreDeWalt is a major professional tool brand. Century Wire & Cable manufactures DeWalt Premium Extension Cords featuring abrasion resistant cold weather jackets, lighted CGM (Continuous Ground Monitoring) for safety, and locking cord connectors. DeWalt cords are built to perform under extreme jobsite conditions.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Century Wire & Cable competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Southwire Company: One of North America's largest wire and cable manufacturers with a deep contractor-grade extension cord, portable power cord, and building wire portfolio. Directly comparable product mix, distribution through electrical wholesalers, and focus on professional construction end markets.
- Encore Wire (Prysmian): Manufactures a broad line of electrical wire and cable including portable power cords and building wire sold through wholesale distribution. Comparable in target customer (electrical contractors) and channel (electrical distributors) with a much larger scale.
- KH Industries: Specialty manufacturer of portable power products including cord reels, GFCI products, and industrial-grade temporary power distribution. Closely comparable in niche focus on jobsite and industrial temporary power solutions for contractors and industrial users.
- Ericson Manufacturing: Manufacturer of jobsite and industrial temporary power products including GFCI cordsets, cord reels, and lighting. Comparable specialty focus on contractor and industrial end markets with overlapping product categories in GFCI extension cords and work lights.
- Coleman Cable (Southwire brand): Legacy extension cord and portable power cord brand now part of Southwire. Direct overlap with Century Wire's heavy duty and specialty extension cord lines, including lighting cords and contractor-grade cord sets sold through the same wholesale channel.
Broad incumbents
- Hubbell Incorporated: Large electrical products manufacturer with wiring devices, plugs/connectors, and temporary power products. Overlaps with Century Wire on plugs/connectors and GFCI/temporary power but operates across a much broader electrical portfolio rather than specializing in cordsets.
- Leviton Manufacturing: Major wiring device manufacturer offering plugs, connectors, GFCI devices, and temporary power products. Comparable in plugs/connectors and GFCI cord category, with stronger presence in residential/commercial wiring devices than contractor cord sets.
- Legrand North America: Global electrical and digital building infrastructure company with strong presence in wiring devices, surge protection, and power distribution. Overlaps with Century Wire in plugs/connectors and power strips, but addresses a much wider set of building electrical categories.
- Acuity Brands Lighting: Large lighting and building solutions provider offering LED worklights, temporary job-site lighting, and lighting controls. Comparable in the lighting products sub-category (LED worklights, trouble lights, outdoor light strings), though it is far broader and more lighting-centric.
Emerging players
- Quail Electronics: Specialty power cord and cable assembly manufacturer serving industrial, medical, and IT customers. Comparable in custom cord sets and OEM-style power cord manufacturing, though with a heavier industrial/medical mix than Century Wire's contractor focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Century Wire & Cable social profiles
Digital presenceCentury Wire & Cable compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance13 records
Century Wire & Cable financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Century Wire & Cable leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Century Wire & Cable funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Century Wire & Cable M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Century Wire & Cable
What does Century Wire & Cable do?
Century Wire & Cable manufactures electrical wire, cable, and cord products for professional, contractor, industrial, and trade end-users. Its catalog spans heavy-duty and specialty extension cords, temporary power distribution (festooning) systems, lighting products, running length cable (including submersible pump cable), and accessory components such as plugs, connectors, adapters, and surge/power strips. Products are engineered with differentiated technologies (e.g., CGM, Pro Lock, Pro Grip, Sub Zero cold-weather ratings) and are sold primarily through wholesale distribution and configured through an in-house Custom Cord Builder.
Is Century Wire & Cable a public or private company?
Century Wire & Cable is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Century Wire & Cable founded?
Century Wire & Cable was founded in 1979. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Century Wire & Cable based?
Century Wire & Cable is headquartered in Commerce, United States, in the North America region.
How does Century Wire & Cable make money?
One revenue line is on record: electrical Wire and Cable Products.
Who are Century Wire & Cable's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Southwire Company, Encore Wire (Prysmian), KH Industries, Ericson Manufacturing and Coleman Cable (Southwire brand). Broad incumbents are Hubbell Incorporated, Leviton Manufacturing, Legrand North America and Acuity Brands Lighting. Quail Electronics is listed as an emerging player.
Does Century Wire & Cable have an API?
No public API is recorded for Century Wire & Cable.
What industry is Century Wire & Cable in?
Century Wire & Cable's product category is Electrical Wire and Cable Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMADAMAI, Flexible Cords, Portable Power & Cord Sets, with a secondary code of IMADAMAA, Building Wire & Cable (Residential/Commercial). Its NAICS code is 33592 and its SIC code is 3640.