Superior Essex Communications
Superior Essex Communications is a U.S. manufacturer of copper and fiber optic communications cables supplying enterprise, broadband, wireless carrier, healthcare, and K-12 markets with PoE, Category 6A, OSP fiber, and FTTP products from facilities in Texas, Kansas, and Indiana.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1930
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Superior Essex Communications does
Superior Essex Communications is a U.S. manufacturer of communications cables serving enterprise, broadband, wireless carrier, healthcare, and K-12 education markets. The company is a subsidiary of Superior Essex, Inc., a privately held diversified parent incorporated in Delaware, and operates headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia with manufacturing facilities in Brownwood, Texas (OSP fiber optic and hybrid cables), Hoisington, Kansas (premises copper and fiber cables, 50 years of operation), and a general office in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The company employs over 900 people across North America.
The product portfolio spans copper and fiber optic communications cables organized into core lines: PowerWise Power over Ethernet (PoE) cables offering 88% power efficiency over full 100-meter runs; 10Gain and 10Gain XP+ Category 6A copper cables meeting ANSI/TIA-568.2-D standards; MicroLite OM3/OM4 multimode fiber and TeraFlex single-mode fiber for data center and medical imaging backbones; and OSP fiber optic, drop fiber, hybrid, and DAS cables for broadband and 5G infrastructure. The company holds 75+ design patents since 2000 and has received 500+ innovation and sustainability awards. Products are Build America, Buy America Act compliant, positioning the company for BEAD-funded broadband deployment projects.
Revenue is generated through B2B hardware sales of physical cable products, distributed via direct enterprise sales through Regional Sales Managers covering North America and Canada, a multi-tier distributor network, and manufacturing representative firms. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise and project-based deployments, with multi-year contracts typical for institutional and government customers. The company is currently executing a $73 million expansion of its Brownwood, Texas facility, adding 90,000 square feet to exceed 500,000 total square feet of production capacity and creating 170 new U.S. manufacturing jobs to meet OSP fiber demand driven by federal broadband funding programs.
Superior Essex Communications firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Superior Essex Communications
- Legal name
- Superior Essex, Inc.
- Website
- https://superioressexcommunications.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1930
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Superior Essex Communications is a U.S. manufacturer of copper and fiber optic communications cables supplying enterprise, broadband, wireless carrier, healthcare, and K-12 markets with PoE, Category 6A, OSP fiber, and FTTP products from facilities in Texas, Kansas, and Indiana.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Superior Essex Communications industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Communications Cable Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Communication and Energy Wire and Cable Manufacturing (33592), Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing (335921)
- SIC
- Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Data, Communications & Fiber Optic Cable (IMADAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fiber Trunk, Breakout & Harness Assemblies (MPO/MTP/LC) (HDAFALAE), Building Wire & Cable (Residential/Commercial) (IMADAMAA)
Keywords
Where Superior Essex Communications is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Superior Essex Communications business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Communications Cable Sales: Manufacturing and sale of communications cables including fiber optic cables, copper cables, OSP cables, premises cables, and specialty cables for telecommunications infrastructure. Revenue from product sales to enterprise customers, broadband providers, and government-funded network projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B enterprise sales through direct pricing quotes |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Superior Essex Communications product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Superior Essex Communications designs and manufactures communications cables, including fiber optic and copper cabling products, for premises, outside plant (OSP), broadband, 5G, and data center infrastructure. Its portfolio spans Power-over-Ethernet cables (PowerWise), Category 6A copper cables (10Gain, 10Gain XP+), compact multimode and single-mode fiber cables (MicroLite, TeraFlex), drop fiber, hybrid, and DAS cables sold primarily to enterprise, broadband/ISP, and government-funded network customers.
Product overview
Superior Essex Communications is a leading manufacturer of communications cables offering a comprehensive portfolio of copper and fiber cabling products. The core product lines include PowerWise® (Power over Ethernet cables), 10Gain® and 10Gain XP+ (Category 6A copper cables), MicroLite® and TeraFlex® (fiber optic cables), and specialized OSP products including fiber optic cables, drop fiber, and hybrid cables. The company also produces DAS cables, premises copper and optical fiber cables, and FTTP solutions like the Series WR Indoor/Outdoor Round Drop cable. These products serve the Enterprise, Commercial, Industrial, and Utility markets with solutions for premises, outside plant, hybrid, and wireless networks, supporting applications from data centers to 5G infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PowerWise: Power over Ethernet (PoE) cable solutions that enable simultaneous transmission of data and power via single Ethernet cable, designed for energy efficiency and sustainable connectivity applications
- 10Gain
- MicroLite
- TeraFlex
- Spec Vault
Products and services
- PowerWise® Power over Ethernet (PoE) Cables PoE cables enabling simultaneous transmission of data and power over a single Ethernet cable for connecting security cameras, wireless access points, and building automation systems.
- 10Gain® Category 6A Copper Cables ANSI/TIA-568.2-D rated Category 6A cables delivering 10-gigabit performance and dependable power delivery for enterprise premises networks.
- 10Gain XP+ Category 6A Cables Premium Category 6A cables optimized for high-performance PoE and 10-gigabit data transmission in commercial and enterprise environments.
- 10Gain XP CMR/CMP Cables Plenum-rated Category 6A cables designed for installation in plenum air-handling spaces in commercial buildings.
- MicroLite® OM3/OM4 Multimode Fiber Cables High-fiber-count, compact multimode fiber cables designed for high-capacity backbone connections in data centers and constrained spaces.
- TeraFlex® Single-Mode Fiber Cables Single-mode fiber distribution and interconnect cables providing high-capacity backbones for medical imaging and demanding enterprise applications.
- OSP Fiber Optic Cables Outside plant fiber optic cables engineered for outdoor infrastructure deployment supporting broadband and 5G network buildouts.
- Drop Fiber Cables Fiber drop cables used to connect premises to fiber access networks as part of broadband and FTTH deployments.
- FTTP Tight Buffered Indoor/Outdoor Round Drop Cable (Series WR) Indoor/outdoor round drop cable for fiber-to-the-premise installations with toneable design and UV-resistant jacket for direct bury and conduit use.
- Hybrid Copper/Fiber Cables Combined copper/fiber cables supporting broadband and 5G network deployments requiring both power delivery and high-speed data in a single cable run.
- Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Cables Specialized cables designed for distributed antenna system installations supporting in-building and outdoor wireless connectivity.
- CAT 5e 4-Pair Cables Category 5e 4-pair ethernet cables for voice and data transmission in commercial premises applications.
- 4-Pair F/UTP Cables Foiled unshielded twisted pair cables with overall foil shielding for enhanced noise rejection in premises applications.
- Simplex, Duplex, and Quad Optical Fiber Interconnect Cables Optical fiber interconnect cables in simplex, duplex, and quad configurations for data center and premises fiber connections.
Quantifiable outcome
- 88% power efficiency over full 100-meter PoE runs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Superior Essex Communications
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Superior Essex Communications technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Superior Essex Communications partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.
- Parallel SustainabilitycoreOfficial public partnership with Parallel Sustainability, an integrated sustainability staffing consultancy. Over 8 years of collaboration contributing to industry-first achievements including Red List free Declare label, first Environmental Product Declaration, 10+ years Zero Waste to Landfill certification, and SBTi target validation. Partnership expanded to publicly acknowledged collaboration.
- nCompass Systemskey10-year partnership with nCompass Systems for distribution of Superior Essex and Legrand high-tech communication solutions. nCompass Systems serves as a distribution partner for cabling and connectivity products.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights8 records
Superior Essex Communications competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Nexans: Global cable manufacturer serving telecom, energy, and industrial markets with significant fiber optic and copper cable offerings. A broad incumbent comparable in product categories though more diversified across energy and submarine cables than Superior Essex.
- Furukawa Electric: Japanese communications and energy cable manufacturer with a global optical fiber and cable business. Already a Superior Essex Group partner via Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire, and competes in fiber and specialty communications cable segments.
- Prysmian Group: World's largest cable manufacturer with extensive telecom, energy, and specialty cable operations. Overlaps with Superior Essex in telecom fiber and copper but at far greater scale and global geographic reach, including the legacy General Cable business.
- Hubbell Incorporated: Diversified electrical and communications products manufacturer with copper cabling, connectivity, and network infrastructure offerings. Comparable to Superior Essex in enterprise premises copper and connectivity for commercial and industrial customers.
Direct peers
- Belden Inc. Specialty cable manufacturer with strong enterprise networking, broadcast, and industrial cabling portfolios. Highly comparable to Superior Essex on premises copper (CAT 6A, F/UTP) and fiber products targeting enterprise, data center, and industrial customers.
- CommScope: Global manufacturer of communications infrastructure including copper and fiber cabling for enterprise, broadband, and data center markets. Directly overlaps with Superior Essex across premises copper, OSP fiber, and broadband deployments, serving many of the same ISPs and enterprise customers.
- Legrand: Global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructure with a strong North American data communications cabling portfolio. Co-sells through nCompass Systems with Superior Essex and competes in enterprise premises copper and connectivity.
- OFS (Furukawa Electric): Furukawa Electric subsidiary focused on optical fiber, cable, and connectivity for telecom and data center applications. A direct fiber-cable peer with overlapping product lines, and Furukawa is already a Superior Essex partner through the Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire joint venture.
- Corning Incorporated: Optical communications leader producing fiber optic cables, connectivity, and hardware for carrier networks and data centers. Competes head-on with Superior Essex in OSP fiber and broadband deployments while also supplying fiber to other cable assemblers.
Emerging players
- Sumitomo Electric Lightwave: Subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric Industries manufacturing fiber optic cables and connectivity for North American telecom and data center markets. Directly comparable in OSP fiber, FTTP drop cables, and high-fiber-count assemblies competing for the same broadband dollars.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Superior Essex Communications social profiles
Digital presenceSuperior Essex Communications compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Superior Essex Communications financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Superior Essex Communications leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Superior Essex Communications funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Superior Essex Communications 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 Superior Essex Communications
What does Superior Essex Communications do?
Superior Essex Communications designs and manufactures communications cables, including fiber optic and copper cabling products, for premises, outside plant (OSP), broadband, 5G, and data center infrastructure. Its portfolio spans Power-over-Ethernet cables (PowerWise), Category 6A copper cables (10Gain, 10Gain XP+), compact multimode and single-mode fiber cables (MicroLite, TeraFlex), drop fiber, hybrid, and DAS cables sold primarily to enterprise, broadband/ISP, and government-funded network customers.
Is Superior Essex Communications a public or private company?
Superior Essex Communications is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Superior Essex Communications founded?
Superior Essex Communications was founded in 1930. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Superior Essex Communications based?
Superior Essex Communications is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Superior Essex Communications make money?
One revenue line is on record: communications Cable Sales.
Who are Superior Essex Communications's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Nexans, Furukawa Electric, Prysmian Group and Hubbell Incorporated. Direct peers are Belden Inc., CommScope, Legrand, OFS (Furukawa Electric) and Corning Incorporated. Sumitomo Electric Lightwave is listed as an emerging player.
Does Superior Essex Communications have an API?
No public API is recorded for Superior Essex Communications.
What industry is Superior Essex Communications in?
Superior Essex Communications's product category is Communications Cable Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMADAMAD, Data, Communications & Fiber Optic Cable, with a secondary code of HDAFALAE, Fiber Trunk, Breakout & Harness Assemblies (MPO/MTP/LC). Its NAICS code is 33592 and its SIC code is 3576.